Page 43 - Enchiridion 4.0 program_EN

Strategic Partnerships for school education 2019-1-PL01-KA201-065137
Project: Teacher4.0 - comprehensive method of implementation of Industry 4.0
concept into didactic practice in primary and secondary schools

In simple terms, cloud computing is rented instead of your IT department. Instead of investing
heavily in databases, software and equipment, companies choose to use their computing power over
the internet and pay for it while using it.

Defining features of cloud computing

The concept of cloud computing has become so ubiquitous in economic and social activity that it is
normal to know or understand what it means. The principles and concepts that govern this concept
are becoming increasingly transparent to the end user.

Key features of cloud infrastructures include on-demand self-service, broadband network access,
shared resources, rapid flexibility, and tools to measure the quality of services provided. Access to
the cloud is allowed concurrently to a large number of consumers through virtualization technologies
with automated self-scaling and provisioning functions depending on the number of processing
requests. Theoretically, the amount of processing and storage resources that a user can benefit from
is unlimited.

Cloud computing implementation models

At the base of modern information systems is technically the network level. The production,
monitoring, record-keeping and sales assistance equipment are interconnected, thus ensuring the
smooth flow of the information circuit. Data collection and processing requires storage space to
ensure persistence over time. Computing equipment has essential physical resources: processor and
RAM to enable or disable virtualization functions, necessary to meet the basic principles of modern
information architectures: efficient use of resources, flexibility, extensibility, separation of
responsibilities, ensuring high level availability. Physical equipment needs specific operating systems
to create or not a virtual service network topology that allows the installation of application server
support components through processing interfaces. The application level is the one that allows users
access to carry out current activities, the other levels are often transparent to it.

Goetsch (2014) considers that this general model of architecture is applicable to all forms of
implementation of information systems, both in the cloud and locally, the difference between the
models being given primarily by the mode of administration and ownership of equipment.

The technical and academic literature is generous in terms specific to cloud computing or which have
been adopted and adapted in this increasingly broad field. Some authors consider the concept itself a
"buzzword" 16 or a sum of them. Recent developments confirm to us that the cloud is a concrete and
mature model of providing information services, exceeding the periodicity with which the terms are
run, which prove to be only elements of promotion under another appearance of older concepts.
XaaS or EaaS (Everything as a Service) - Anything like a Service, they really contain excessive
derivatives of aaS that are considered really defining for cloud computing.

This project has been funded with support from the European
Commission. This communication reflects the views only of the
author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any
use which may be made of the information contained therein.