Cloud+Computing

=Cloud Computing=

“Cloud Computing is Internet-based computing, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices on demand, like the electricity grid.” - Wikipedia

“The idea of cloud computing is that there's a world of computers sitting in data centers, scattered around the world. The programs that you run, the data that you store, are somewhere out there - but you don't know where, and more importantly, you don't care where.” - Science Blogs = = =Computer Architectures Overview= Before the advent of the internet, there were several computer architectures set up so that information could be shared between computer users. Initially, the mainframe architecture was utilized. In this architecture, a centralized 'super computer' was set up with applications and data for users to share. Each individual user had a 'dumb terminal' computer that connected up to the mainframe. This meant that the actual computer that the user used was nothing but a tool to view information coming from the mainframe.

Next, the Client/Server architecture started becoming more popular. In this architecture, centralized computers were set up to offer services to users, such as an email server or file server. The users would use a fully functional computer that would connect to servers in order to share applications and data with other users. Because these configurations were specific to the context in which the computer was used, there was a large need for setup and maintenance involved for this to work.

In the world of Cloud Computing, users share applications and data through the internet, and the services available regardless of where they are in the world. Rather than being tied to a physical location where a server or mainframe exists, users use their computers to access their data and other applications through a web browser over the internet. Because everything is available on demand and through a web browser, there is less overhead cost for maintenance and configuration. = = =Examples of Cloud Computing= - Microsoft Office vs. Google Documents - Email Application vs. Online Email - Locally Installed Games vs. Online Games - Local or Server Storage vs. Online Storage

=Cloud Computing in Education= - Low Cost and Free Technology (Online Games, Online Applications) - Content Growth (Online Curriculum, Teacher Resources) - Collaboration (Blogs, Social Networking) ==