The 3!

Cloud Computing is the convergence if three major trends

Virtualization
Utility Computing and
Software as a Service

This is how the story goes,

We got the internet and broadband got very cheap.Some smart folks realized that not everyone had to build in house data centers. They realized that the computer running the application can be pretty far away from the person using it and only a fast connection was needed between them. This led to Software as a Service.Essentially something like a big fast machine on some one else's data centre running an application that we access using our familiar web browser.

Someone owns the application and we pay a fixed subscription fee.

Utility computing provides on-demand infrastructure with the ability to control, scale, and configure that infrastructure.

However a one size fits all approach did not fit enterprises with large and complex requirements.Thus came Virtualization to the rescue.

With Virtualization application and infrastructure were independant allowing servers to be easily shared by many applications to run virtually anywhere.
Virtualizing an application is packaging the application with everything it needs to run namely databases, middleware and operating systems.

This self contained unit of virtualised application can run pretty much anywhere.

In a turbulent economy cloud computing is more attractive.Why pay for more computing capacity than you need ? Only pay for what you use.

Its all in the Cloud

When I press the "Send" button to drop to say hello to a friend, I don't care how the message went.They would just go in from one side and land up in my friend's inbox.The cloud hid it from us, so we don't need to think about routing or the networks.We had a cloud around the packets.

The next generation of computing is moving towards something that we have based our understanding of the internet on.We usually talk about the internet as the network of networks.Today, everything we think of as a computer today is really just a device that connects to a big computer that we are all collectively building.

So what is cloud computing..?

There is a way wikipedia puts it,

" Cloud computing is a style of computing in which dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources are provided as a service over the Internet.The users need not have knowledge of, expertise in, or control over the technology infrastructure in the "cloud" that supports them."

Lets put it in a way we understand,

Think of it as a metered cab at your disposal whenever you wanted.You only pay by the distance you travel.You don't pay for maintenance, tolls or costs associated with the cab.You pay based on where you want to go that day, you can vary the length of the trips and not worry about the cost.

Another instance,

50 years ago, companies in universities ran their own power plants.People thought that electricity was mission critical, so you can't allow anyone else to manage it.Today we would not dream about managing our own electricity plants.

Consumer technology is evolving at a very rapid pace.One of the hardest challenge that they face is an explosion in the volume of information.While the number of emails and documents were growing at an exponential pace, technology was not keeping up.

The other challenge is the need for collaboration, most the products that were developed aimed at personal productivity while most the work needs to be done through nonuniform contribution of different members of a team.

The third challenge is on the IT side. There are solutions to most of these problems however, they are complex and expensive to manage, making it a nightmare for IT folks.In a typical environment, they would have to manage the OS and the productivity software, the Directory Server, Email Server,Storage Server,Tape Backup, Content Repositories, Security Server, Mobile devices and Databases.

This huge investment, takes up most of our time as we spend it in patching, fixing and making sure that it never goes down.So this meant that the money was not spent effectively by the institution for their core services instead a lot of time and money was spent on various contextual services.

Cloud Computing is about taking the complex environment that is being managed by you and enabling it to be managed by an outside provider like Google, Zoho,Amazon or Yahoo.

So that's about cloud computing. In the next post we'd see the how cloud computing is the convergence of three major trends.

A lifetime's not too long to live as friends

I know that its kinda abrupt to finish my Nostalgia Series this way..but the thing is that.. I have many other things crossing my mind that I want to write about. Just because this stuff is not complete I've got to keep the other things on hold...

So as of now...I'll check out some of the other cool stuff that would be useful to us.

Anyways...I think I make the rules here!!!.. so it dosen't really matter.. I can resume my nostalgia series somewhere down the road.

As a fitting way to sum this up, here is a nice song by Michael.W.Smith....

This song is for friends who very close to our heart. Friends who don't just 'hang' around with us. But take care of us. Who have helped us down the way, encouraged us, built us and many times made us realize ourselves. Friends who were selfless, and deeply involved in all our success stories. Friends who don't just ask for 'treats' but are the first ones you look out for when there's a crisis.

And I even know of friends who love their friends so much, that they let them go to follow their dreams.

As I told you there is no 'goodbye' for real friendship." Friends are Friends forever".

Packing up the dreams God planted
In the fertile soil of you
I Can't believe the hopes hes granted
Means a chapter in your life is through
We'll keep you close as always
It wont even seem you've gone
cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong

Chorus:
And friends are friends forever
If the Lord's the Lord of them
And a friend will not say never
cause the welcome will not end
Though its hard to let you go
In the Father's hands we know
That a lifetimes not too long to live as friends.

With the faith and love God's given
Springing from the hope we know
We will pray the joy you'll live in
Is the strength that now you show

But we'll keep you close as always
It wont even seem you've gone
cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong

If you'd like to listen to this song..here it is.

The Appointment

(Forgive me!! I don't know poetry but wanted to try..)

The Appointment

Many things I want to say...

Even though some are very deep

But still I wish I had a stage

To tell everyone how I feel.

Philosophical... Whew!! I wish I'm not!

But down to earth and true.

A crazy stop in the journey is over

And I'm being carried through.

Its a joy to look back

And even more joy to look ahead.

But right where I am.

I can't find the right emotion to shed.

Born for a Purpose,

That's greater than me

My life's insignificant 

In the midst of the Light I see.

It gives me peace to know

That I belong to a bigger Plan.

That I am not alone

And every step is in His Hand.

There are dreams that I can carry

And there are ones I need to leave

NO matter what!!; I have a Father and  Friend

Who can meet my every need.

When I didn't have a form

And not even a name

He gave me a job

And enough of His Grace.

I am standing and knocking at the door of a busy world

Waiting and watching, naive and swirled.

He picks me up, with a warm embrace.

And every doubt is gone...

When I see His Face.

-Callie

Its not about parting..

I have a couple of diaries lying on my desk that I need to fill up. Diaries that would one day lie in a corner, but still contain words worth a million.

Words have power. Power to transfer the message they carry. The greatest gift to man, is the ability to express. A single emotion can have several ways of expression. The person who knows the art of expression can convert even the most ugliest emotion to look like a thing of joy.

Heyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!! Am i beginning to preach..?? Sorry!! that runs in the genes...

What I wanna say is....when you're frenz pass a diary or a slam book, take some time and pen in words that mean and heal. You might not have really been close and had a lot of hang outs, but there would definitely be something worth a mention about everyone. Please don't lose the opportunity to say it.

Because somewhere down the lane, when the going gets tough. Such small things would bring a lot of pleasure to your friend's life. Don't you want to be a part of it..?

I don't really think, that with the pace at which technlogy is taking our lives, we'll ever lose touch until we deliberately want to. So the point is not really that friends are going to part. The whole thing about writing is that we make a conscious effort to record memories, before we step out into an entirely new and challenging phase of our life.

As they say..friends will be friends forever..

By the way guys.. .... if there's something you'd like to say to me..I'd be happy if you pen a line or two here..

Thanks in advance...

Love

Callie

OUTstanding indeed..!!

Ok!!

Donk and Ted were angry with me, because in the previous post, I showed my self to be 'Miss Perfect listener' in the class. So I guess, now it is the turn of my face to get dirty.

Like every other college, our college too has a  'most admired', 'most venerated' and the 'most loved' person. This person has her way everyday and with everyone. And we were the fortunate ones who could have this noteworty person to handle quite a few subjects in different semesters.

This particular class, was given to us to prepare for an oral test. We had to memorise an answer and tell it to her in turns. Those who fail to do so, would have to stayback after 3:30 and write a test and could leave only after 5:00pm. 

Though we were back benchers this semester. We were particularly very careful to be extra well behaved and pretend extra well in her class. Because if we were caught doing any mischief.....!!! you know........................I told you she's very nice, she will then bother herself to treat us extra specially well.

So this oral exam session, was going on for some time. And Ted!! Who is the greatest admirer of this person, went to be the first person to give the oral test. I followed her and then Donk came...

It was kinda relieving to be finished with our turns of finishing our oral sessions. So I was just gazing at her face, her mannerisms, her intellect, her posture, and my brain started generating many caricatures. 

I have a crazy brain.....that gets me into trouble more than it gets me into honor. 

These funny cartoons start popping up in my mind.. and I just could not control smiling. Ted was staring at me, and knowing that quite often I get into my own worlds....she asked "Hey!! yenna thaniya sirrikirae ..? (Why are you laughing ..?) " 

I try to communicate the funny images to her..but the only that she could get out of it were my big teeth popping out of my lips..

So!! quite naturally I got the attention of Ms.Important , and she said "Hey you!! get up.... Yenna Sirripu (why are you laughing..?) and I go to the I-am-ashamed-of-my-actions mode standing up with a really sad face.

She said.."What?? you think you know everything..?What is your percentage..?" I slowly mumble the two digit number  in a monotone...

"So you think too much of your self haa..?" " Go and stand out of the class..."

I guess she expected I'd say sorry...and just stand up and look at her with pleading eyes, but I was just not in mood for that.I needed some fresh air.So, I walked straight up to the dias.. where she was standing., staring and waiting.. and then took a left heading straight to the door.....

This is the story of how I became an outstanding student.

Heal ME...!

Our 5th semester was entirely spent as back benchers, we had come a little late to the class on the first day of this semester so we missed our usual spot in the class.

Unfortunately, all the faculty handling us that semester were new to us. Quite obviously they had no clue about us. To them, we were nothing lesser than mischevious backbenchers. The slightest smile would provoke them thinking we passed a comment, and the signature stare when we write surprise tests would bring in doubts whether our eyes were prying into each others' test papers.And our assignments were the sample ones checked on behalf of the class. What a privilege!!!

"Back Bench Stand up"!! 

We kept hearing this for a whole semester. 

But this was the semester we had so much fun. It was really kinda exciting to be in the limelight in every class. 

We were particularly very famous in Microprocessor and Networks class. 

Hey Donk and Ted!!! this is for the both of you...

Remember, one Networks class, Sir was teaching FDDI. And we were in our usual modes; in our own worlds. Donk was leg wrestling with you, and you were busy complaining to me that she was hurting your 'small' legs. 

I just remembered that whenever sir mentioned FDDI, he had a favorite question. I also noticed his short stares at the busy warriors sitting next to me.

It struck me that the next question would be to the one of us. So I said to Ted, "Listen man!!, sir will ask a question now..Just stand up and say, 'self-healing property'.."

As usual you didn't give a thing about what I said and continued with your warfare.And Bang!!! the question came to Donk.

She got up and Ted says the answer to Donk in the langugage of a ventriloquist. Donk answers it, and quite taken by surprise sir says, "Very Good!! Be seated".

Before you guys could begin with your next innings, Donk asks Ted, "Hey what was that question..?" Ted asks me "Hey what was the question..?" 

And there I go, "The question was, What is the special property of FDDI?" . Donk asks, "Could you repeat the answer? " 

I say "self-healing" property. 

Both break out in laughter. 

The answer Donk had actually said was., "Self-feeling property!!!"