Frontiers of Computing Cloud Computing

Frontiers of Computing

Cloud computing is making it possible to enable significantly greater levels of server virtualization that open up entirely new approaches to solving complex computation problems (DePalma 187) . In the book Annual Editions Computers in Society 09/10, the section by Stephen Baker titled, Google and the Wisdom of Clouds, (DePalma 185-189) provides insights into just how fundamentally redefining cloud computing and server virtualization will be for academic and commercial use. Scalability typically refers to the extent to which computing systems can accommodate compute-intensive tasks. In this segment of the book the author illustrates through examples how scalability of computational and complexity-based problems solving needs to scale correspondingly. The implications on academic research being able to scale beyond its existing theoretical boundaries and redefine the scope of research programs could revolutionize many academic research fields. Google's role in this however is not entirely altruistic, as the innovation generated from cloud computing and virtualization have immediate contributions to their daily search performance and ability to scale. The scalability of systems over the long-term do potentially provide greater levels of computing power to more people than ever before, and with that, the definition of entirely new Web-based applications. The virtualization aspects of servers and the computing power that grids of them can deliver will be the basis of entirely new business models as well. Google's contention that the Internet is the operating system is also seen in their perceptions of how vital server virtualization is to the growth of their business as well.

The role of server-based virtualization as a foundation for advanced programming, systems analysis and systems integration courses in addition to academic research is discussed in the paper Virtualization Technologies in Information Systems Education (Lunsford, 339-348). The author provides insightful analysis into how virtualization can be used to augment and strengthen the learning process associated with programming, advanced systems analysis and design of networks as well. Key points made include the fact that virtualization technologies are ideally suited for testing out risky code that could otherwise harm or cause production-based networks to cease functioning (Lunsford, 340). Virtualization also provides students with an opportunity to work on many other applications that may not be available on their host machine due to licensing or resource constraint (Lunsford, 341). The use of server-based virtualization for teaching advanced operating system concepts and how VMware can be effectively be developed in a shared environment is also discussed. The author concludes the analysis of how server virtualization can significantly improve learning in the systems analysis and programming disciplines with an assessment of how much more practical it is to learn using server virtualization environments vs. replicated production servers. While only the most advanced students begin programming virtualization-based applications to be used over a network, there are examples of how instructors are creating more effective workspaces on virtualized networks to illustrate how scalability, reliability, and logic-based transactions work across a myriad of hardware servers over time. Clearly server virtualization is an excellent teaching platform.