Cloud Computing

What is Cloud Computing ?

Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a utility (like the electricity grid) over a network (typically the Internet).

These services are broadly divided into three categories:

(1) Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)
(2) Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and
(3) Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).




Infrastructure-as-a-Service like Amazon Web Services provides virtual server instanceAPI) to start, stop, access and configure their virtual servers and storage. In the enterprise, cloud computing allows a company to pay for only as much capacity as is needed, and bring more online as soon as required. Because this pay-for-what-you-use model resembles the way electricity, fuel and water are consumed, it's sometimes referred to as utility computing.


Platform-as-a-service in the cloud is defined as a set of software and product development tools hosted on the provider's infrastructure. Developers create applications on the provider's platform over the Internet. PaaS providers may use APIs, website portals or gateway software installed on the customer's computer. Force.com, (an outgrowth of Salesforce.com) and GoogleApps are examples of PaaS. Developers need to know that currently, there are not standards for interoperability or data portability in the cloud. Some providers will not allow software created by their customers to be moved off the provider's platform.


In the software-as-a-service cloud model, the vendor supplies the hardware infrastructure, the software product and interacts with the user through a front-end portal. SaaS is a very broad market. Services can be anything from Web-based email to inventory control and database processing. Because the service provider hosts both the application and the data, the end user is free to use the service from anywhere.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ae_DKNwK_ms

SharePoint Development for .NET Developers(MOSS 2007)

These are very good online course if you are a .NET developer and interested to learn more about SharePoint.

A total of 12 modules are available:



Module 1: Developing Solutions on the SharePoint Platform
Module 2: Web Parts
Module 3: Page Navigation
Module 4: Page Branding
Module 5: Data Lists
Module 6: Web Services
Module 7: Event Handlers
Module 8: Content Types
Module 9: Workflow
Module 10: User Management
Module 11: Silverlight
Module 12: Deployment