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Top2. Cloud Computing And Cloud Services
Although many commentators still see cloud computing as more hype than substance, draft working definitions of cloud computing are beginning to emerge. The National Institute of Standards and Technology, Information Technology Laboratory, June 2009 (NIST 2009) propose:
Cloud computing is a model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction. This cloud model promotes availability and is composed of five essential characteristics, three delivery models, and four deployment models.
This characterization of cloud computing provides a useful starting point for a discussion of the challenges of information stewardship. It focuses on the relationship between users and the resources that are managed on behalf of the users to provide services.
The characteristics describe how users can gain access to services when they want (on-demand self-service), where they want and with whatever device is at hand (ubiquitous network access), take advantage of the fact, that because many others are using the same service, resources can be provided cheaply, quickly and in appropriate amounts (location independent resource pooling, and rapid elasticity), and understand what they have engaged with (measured service).