Conclusions and Summary

Cloud computing is one of the hottest trends on the internet. It leverages the pervasive connectivity of the Internet to offer a wide range of on-demand services, many of which are accessible from only a web browser. Cloud Computing provides a new computing model for networked applications.

This tutorial provided an understanding of the Cloud Computing model, including the operational architecture, system designs, advantages, and disadvantages. Cloud computing includes a range of computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that are available to users on-demand over a network with a shared pool of configurable resources that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction. This tutorial discussed the factors involved in selecting applications for deployment under the Cloud computing model.

This topic included a discussion of the on-demand model, NSA clouds, commercial examples, technologies, information security, an assessment of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Assessment

Relevance

Cloud computing is especially relevant in today's information technology environment where there is increasing emphasis on improved efficiencies, agility, modernization, and capabilities, while reducing duplication, infrastructure, costs, staffing, and entanglements.

Analysis

The opportunities offered by cloud computing include a solution to the increasing demand for data center services to meet growing mission needs in a time of decreasing budgets. The challenge in deploying cloud applications involves translating the commercial models and experiences into implementations that are appropriate to NSA's defense-intelligence applications and security requirements.