Abstract: This paper discusses the concept of Cloud Computing to achieve a complete definition of what a Cloud is, using the main characteristics typically associated with this paradigm in the literature. More than 20 definitions have been studied allowing for the extraction of a consensus definition as well as a minimum definition containing the essential characteristics. This paper pays much attention to the Grid paradigm, as it is often confused with Cloud technologies. We also describe the relationships and distinctions between the Grid and Cloud approaches.

Abstract: As software migrates from local PCs to distant Internet servers, users and developers alike go along for the ride.

Abstract: This keynote paper: presents a 21st century vision of computing; identifies various computing paradigms promising to deliver the vision of computing utilities; defines Cloud computing and provides the architecture for creating market-oriented Clouds by leveraging technologies such as VMs; provides thoughts on market-based resource management strategies that encompass both customer-driven service management and computational risk management to sustain SLA-oriented resource allocation; presents some representative Cloud platforms especially those developed in industries along with our current work towards realising market-oriented resource allocation of Clouds by leveraging the 3rd generation Aneka enterprise Grid technology; reveals our early thoughts on interconnecting Clouds for dynamically creating an atmospheric computing environment along with pointers to future community research; and concludes with the need for convergence of competing IT paradigms for delivering our 21st century vision.

Abstract: As computation continues to move into the cloud, the computing platform of interest no longer resembles a pizza box or a refrigerator, but a warehouse full of computers. These new large datacenters are quite different from traditional hosting facilities of earlier times and cannot be viewed simply as a collection of co-located servers. Large portions of the hardware and software resources in these facilities must work in concert to efficiently deliver good levels of Internet service performance, something that can only be achieved by a holistic approach to their design and deployment. In other words, we must treat the datacenter itself as one massive warehouse-scale computer (WSC). We describe the architecture of WSCs, the main factors influencing their design, operation, and cost structure, and the characteristics of their software base. We hope it will be useful to architects and programmers of today's WSCs, as well as those of future many-core platforms which may one day implement the equivalent of today's WSCs on a single board. Table of Contents: Introduction / Workloads and Software Infrastructure / Hardware Building Blocks / Datacenter Basics / Energy and Power Efficiency / Modeling Costs / Dealing with Failures and Repairs / Closing Remarks

Abstract: MapReduce is emerging as an important programming model for large-scale data-parallel applications such as web indexing, data mining, and scientific simulation. Hadoop is an open-source implementation of MapReduce enjoying wide adoption and is often used for short jobs where low response time is critical. Hadoop's performance is closely tied to its task scheduler, which implicitly assumes that cluster nodes are homogeneous and tasks make progress linearly, and uses these assumptions to decide when to speculatively re-execute tasks that appear to be stragglers. In practice, the homogeneity assumptions do not always hold. An especially compelling setting where this occurs is a virtualized data center, such as Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2). We show that Hadoop's scheduler can cause severe performance degradation in heterogeneous environments. We design a new scheduling algorithm, Longest Approximate Time to End (LATE), that is highly robust to heterogeneity. LATE can improve Hadoop response times by a factor of 2 in clusters of 200 virtual machines on EC2.

Abstract: The data centers used to create cloud services represent a significant investment in capital outlay and ongoing costs. Accordingly, we first examine the costs of cloud service data centers today. The cost breakdown reveals the importance of optimizing work completed per dollar invested. Unfortunately, the resources inside the data centers often operate at low utilization due to resource stranding and fragmentation. To attack this first problem, we propose (1) increasing network agility, and (2) providing appropriate incentives to shape resource consumption. Second, we note that cloud service providers are building out geo-distributed networks of data centers. Geo-diversity lowers latency to users and increases reliability in the presence of an outage taking out an entire site. However, without appropriate design and management, these geo-diverse data center networks can raise the cost of providing service. Moreover, leveraging geo-diversity requires services be designed to benefit from it. To attack this problem, we propose (1) joint optimization of network and data center resources, and (2) new systems and mechanisms for geo-distributing state.

Abstract: This keynote paper: presents a 21st century vision of computing; identifies various computing paradigms promising to deliver the vision of computing utilities; defines Cloud computing and provides the architecture for creating market-oriented Clouds by leveraging technologies such as VMs; provides thoughts on market-based resource management strategies that encompass both customer-driven service management and computational risk management to sustain SLA-oriented resource allocation; presents some representative Cloud platforms especially those developed in industries along with our current work towards realising market-oriented resource allocation of Clouds by leveraging the 3rd generation Aneka enterprise Grid technology; reveals our early thoughts on interconnecting Clouds for dynamically creating an atmospheric computing environment along with pointers to future community research; and concludes with the need for convergence of competing IT paradigms for delivering our 21st century vision.

Abstract: Progress of research efforts in a novel technology is contingent on having a rigorous organization of its knowledge domain and a comprehensive understanding of all the relevant components of this technology and their relationships. Cloud computing is one contemporary technology in which the research community has recently embarked. Manifesting itself as the descendant of several other computing research areas such as service-oriented architecture, distributed and grid computing, and virtualization, cloud computing inherits their advancements and limitations. Towards the end-goal of a thorough comprehension of the field of cloud computing, and a more rapid adoption from the scientific community, we propose in this paper an ontology of this area which demonstrates a dissection of the cloud into five main layers, and illustrates their interrelations as well as their inter-dependency on preceding technologies. The contribution of this paper lies in being one of the first attempts to establish a detailed ontology of the cloud. Better comprehension of the technology would enable the community to design more efficient portals and gateways for the cloud, and facilitate the adoption of this novel computing approach in scientific environments. In turn, this will assist the scientific community to expedite its contributions and insights into this evolving computing field.

Abstract: "Cloud" computing – a relatively recent term, builds on decades of research in virtualization, distributed computing, utility computing, and more recently networking, web and software services. It implies a service oriented architecture, reduced information technology overhead for the end-user, great flexibility, reduced total cost of ownership, on-demand services and many other things. This paper discusses the concept of “cloud” computing, some of the issues it tries to address, related research topics, and a “cloud” implementation available today.

Abstract: Consolidation of applications in cloud computing environments presents a significant opportunity for energy optimization. As a first step toward enabling energy efficient consolidation, we study the inter-relationships between energy consumption, resource utilization, and performance of consolidated workloads. The study reveals the energy performance trade-offs for consolidation and shows that optimal operating points exist. We model the consolidation problem as a modified bin packing problem and illustrate it with an example. Finally, we outline the challenges in finding effective solutions to the consolidation problem.

Abstract: Cloud computing emerges as a new computing paradigm which aims to provide reliable, customized and QoS guaranteed computing dynamic environments for end-users. This paper reviews recent advances of Cloud computing, identifies the concepts and characters of scientific Clouds, and finally presents an example of scientific Cloud for data centers

Abstract: Cloud Computing: Web-Based Applications That Change the Way You Work and Collaborate On-Line Computing as you know it has changed. No longer are you tied to using expensive programs stored on your computer. No longer will you be able to only access your data from one computer. No longer will you be tied to doing work only from your work computer or playing only from your personal computer. Enter cloud computingan exciting new way to work with programs and data, collaborate with friends and family, share ideas with coworkers and friends, and most of all, be more productive! The cloud consists of thousands of computers and servers, all linked and accessible to you via the Internet. With cloud computing, everything you do is now web-based instead of being desktop-based; you can access all your programs and documents from any computer thats connected to the Internet. Whether you want to share photographs with your family, coordinate volunteers for a community organization, or manage a multi-faceted project in a large organization, cloud computing can help you do it more easily than ever before. Trust us. If you need to collaborate, cloud computing is the way to do it. Learn what cloud computing is, how it works, who should use it, and why its the wave of the future. Explore the practical benefits of cloud computing, from saving money on expensive programs to accessing your documents ANYWHERE. See just how easy it is to manage work and personal schedules, share documents with coworkers and friends, edit digital photos, and much more! Learn how to use web-based applications to collaborate on reports and presentations, share online calendars and to-do lists, manage largeprojects, and edit and store digital photographs. Michael Miller is known for his casual, easy-to-read writing style and his ability to explain a wide variety of complex topics to an everyday audience. Mr. Miller has written more than 80 nonfiction books over the past two decades, with more than a million copies in print. His books for Que include Absolute Beginners Guide to Computer Basics, Googlepedia: The Ultimate Google Resource, and Is It Safe?: Protecting Your Computer, Your Business, and Yourself Online. His website is located at www.molehillgroup.com. Covers the most popular cloud-based applications, including the following: Adobe Photoshop Express Apple MobileMe Glide OS Google Docs Microsoft Office Live Workspace Zoho Office CATEGORY: Web Applications COVERS: Cloud Computing USER LEVEL: Beginner-Intermediate

Abstract: In one embodiment the present invention includes a multi-cloud management module having a plurality of cloud adapters. The multi-cloud management module provides a unified administrative interface for provisioning cloud-based resources on any one of several clouds for which a cloud adapter is configured for use with the multi-cloud management module. Each cloud adapter converts non-cloud-specific commands to cloud-specific provisioning commands for the cloud to which the cloud adapter is associated.

Abstract: A cloud management system can be configured to monitor and allocate resources of a cloud computing environment. The cloud management system can be configured to receive a request to instantiate a virtual machine. In order to instantiate the virtual machine, the cloud management system can be configured to determine the current resource usage and available resources of the cloud in order to allocate resources to the requested virtual machine. The cloud management system can be configured to scale the resources of the cloud in the event that resources are not available for a requested virtual machine.

Abstract: The weighted list, known popularly as a `tag cloud', has appeared on many popular folksonomy-based web-sites. Flickr, Delicious, Technorati and many others have all featured a tag cloud at some point in their history. However, it is unclear whether the tag cloud is actually useful as an aid to finding information. We conducted an experiment, giving participants the option of using a tag cloud or a traditional search interface to answer various questions. We found that where the information-seeking task required specific information, participants preferred the search interface. Conversely, where the information-seeking task was more general, participants preferred the tag cloud. While the tag cloud is not without value, it is not sufficient as the sole means of navigation for a folksonomy-based dataset.

Abstract: [1] CloudSat supports a 94 GHz cloud profiling radar as part of the innovative A-train formation of satellites studying the Earths clouds and atmosphere. Using the vertical profiles of clouds and precipitation, an algorithm has been developed to determine the type of clouds present. Because cloud type corresponds to specific cloud physical properties, this step is needed to apply other algorithms to derive quantitative cloud content and radiative data. This cloud type algorithm is applied to the initial 1-year of radar data to obtain the global distribution of various cloud types over the land and ocean. These initial results appear consistent with previous global cloud type distributions, but with some differences that provide insights into the limitations of CloudSat measurements.

Abstract: Increasingly, Internet users trade privacy for service. Facebook, Google, and others mine personal information to target advertising. This paper presents a preliminary and partial answer to the general question "Can users retain their privacy while still benefiting from these web services?". We propose NOYB, a novel approach that provides privacy while preserving some of the functionality provided by online services. We apply our approach to the Facebook online social networking website. Through a proof-of-concept implementation we demonstrate that NOYB is practical and incrementally deployable, requires no changes to or cooperation from an existing online service, and indeed can be non-trivial for the online service to detect.

Abstract: A prognostic cloud fraction and prognostic condensate scheme has been developed for the Met Office Unified Model. This is designed to replace the scheme currently used in weather forecast and climate simulations, in which cloud fraction and liquid water content are calculated diagnostically. Such a scheme overprescribes links between cloud fraction, condensate and water vapour contents. By contrast, our new prognostic cloud fraction and prognostic condensate scheme (PC2) calculates increments to prognostic variables of liquid, ice and total cloud fractions, water vapour and liquid condensate as a result of each physical process represented in the model. (Ice condensate is already represented prognostically.) This paper provides a summary of the PC2 scheme, describes how it is implemented, and discusses its relationship with other existing cloud schemes. Key aspects of the PC2 formulation are: the consistent derivation of prognostic terms, the reversible nature of the scheme under idealised forcing scenarios, the well-behaved performance in the limit of very low and very high cloud fraction, the inclusion of ice microphysical processes, and the improved representation of cloud erosion processes. A companion paper presents the results from the scheme. © Crown Copyright 2008. Reproduced with the permission of Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Abstract: A cloud marketplace system can be configured to communicate with multiple cloud computing environments in order to ascertain the details for the resources and services provided by the cloud computing environments for optimizing resources utilized by virtual machines. The cloud marketplace system can be configured to determine the resource and service data for the cloud computing environments and select a set of resource servers for instantiating the virtual machines based specifications of the virtual machines and parameters of the instantiation. The cloud marketplace system can be configured to periodically monitor the cloud's resources and migrate the virtual machines if resources become available that more closely match the parameters of the virtual machines.

Abstract: The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) Terra and Aqua platforms provides unique measurements for deriving global and regional cloud properties. MODIS has spectral coverage combined with spatial resolution in key atmospheric bands, which is not available on previous imagers and sounders. This increased spectral coverage/spatial resolution, along with improved onboard calibration, enhances the capability for global cloud property retrievals. MODIS operational cloud products are derived globally at spatial resolutions of 5 km (referred to as level-2 products) and are aggregated to a 1° equal-angle grid (referred to as level-3 product), available for daily, 8-day, and monthly time periods. The MODIS cloud algorithm produces cloud-top pressures that are found to be within 50 hPa of lidar determinations in single-layer cloud situations. In multilayer clouds, where the upper-layer cloud is semitransparent, the MODIS cloud pressure is representa...

Abstract: In one embodiment the present invention includes a computer-implemented method comprising specifying configuration information for creating one or more software servers as images on a cloud computing system, specifying a processing load threshold, and continuously monitoring a processing load on one or more software servers. If the monitored load exceeds the processing load threshold, a request to the cloud computing system may be generated to instantiate an instance of one of said images. The method further includes creating a server instance on the cloud in response to the request, distributing the processing load across the one or more servers and the server instance, and monitoring the processing load on the one or more servers and the server instance.

Abstract: ldquoCloud Computingrdquo is becoming increasingly relevant, as it will enable companies involved in spreading this technology to open the doors to Web 3.0. In this work the basic features of cloud computing are presented and compared with those of the original technology: Grid Computing. The new categories of services introduced will slowly replace many types of computational resources currently used. In this perspective, grid computing, the basic element for the large scale supply of cloud services, will play a fundamental role in defining how those services will be provided. The paper describes the concept of computational resources outsourcing, referred to computational grids and a real application. This work utilises the results by the Cybersar Project managed by the COSMOLAB Consortium (Italy).

Abstract: A cloud management system can insert a self-management module in virtual machines. The self-management module can be configured to automatically perform management functions on the virtual machine in which it is inserted. The management functions can include activation, suspension, or termination of the virtual machine. The management functions can also include tracking and monitoring the virtual machine. The management functions can also include providing messages to the cloud management system regarding the status and usage of the virtual machine.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for identification and management of cloud-based virtual machines. A user requests the instantiation of a set of virtual machines from a cloud computing environment. A cloud management system requests the resources necessary to build the machines from a set of resource servers. After populating the set of virtual machines from the cloud, the cloud management system inserts a token ID into one of the virtual machines to designate that machine as a management instance. An image of that machine can be stored in the cloud management system to represent the configuration of the set of virtual machines, even when the cloud itself lacks permanent storage. When the user wishes to update the set of virtual machines, the cloud management system can insert another token ID into another virtual machine, reconfigure the software, processing, or other resources of that machine as a revised management instance.

Abstract: A cloud marketplace system can be configured to communicate with multiple cloud computing environments in order to ascertain the details for the resources and services provided by the cloud computing environments. The cloud marketplace system can be configured receive a request for information pertaining to the resources or services provided by or available in the cloud computing environments. The cloud marketplace system can be configured to generate a marketplace report detailing the resource and service data matching the request. The cloud marketplace system can be configured to utilize the resource and service data to provide migration services for virtual machines initiated in the cloud computing environments.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to systems and methods for multiple cloud marketplace aggregation. An aggregation engine communicates with a set of multiple cloud marketplaces, each of which communicates with an associated set of clouds. A requesting entity, such as a user requesting the instantiation of a set of virtual machines, can transmit a resource request to the aggregation engine. The aggregation engine can fan out or distribute a replicated request to the set of multiple cloud marketplaces. Each cloud marketplace can receive the request and respond to indicate available resources that can be produced from their respect set of clouds. The aggregation engine can collect the responses of the various marketplaces, and can generate one or more selections based on selection logic such as best match, cost factors, or other criteria. In embodiments, a user can manually select the desired marketplace(s) to instantiate or update their virtual machine or other target objects.

Abstract: A cloud management system can track the usage of the virtual machines in order to determine the fees associated with the user's subscription to the cloud computing environment. The usage can include the resources consumed to support the virtual machines and can include the utilization of the virtual machines by the user or third parties. The cloud management system can determine the fees charged to the user for utilizing the cloud computing environment based on the tracked usage.