Cloud Computing

Preface

FOR YEARS, SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS and network administrators have used the image of a cloud to represent the myriad of communication details that occur as messages flow across the Internet from one computer network to another. This cloud abstraction has now exploded to include processors, both physical and virtual, data storage, software-as-a-service solutions, and mobile applications. Today, cloud-based applications and new capabilities are emerging daily and bringing with them lower cost of entry, pay-for-use processor and data-storage models, greater scalability, improved performance, ease of redundancy, and improved business continuity. With these advantages come increased security challenges and IT-governance concerns. This book examines ...