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White Paper: Cloud Computing

Michael Brown — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:30:11 -0600

If a computer can exist without hardware, as we learned in last month’s white paper about virtual machines, can it be useful without application software? It can if it relies on the concept of cloud computing.

Cloud computing describes a data-processing infrastructure in which the application software—and often the data itself—is stored permanently not on your PC but rather a remote server that’s connected to the Internet. When you need to use the application or access the data, your computer connects to the server through the Internet and some of that information is cached temporarily on your client machine. What do clouds have to do with all this? The cloud is simply a metaphor for the Internet, based on the symbol that’s used to represent the worldwide network in computer network diagrams.

The concept behind cloud computing actually predates the modern Internet, but the rise of personal computers rendered the cloud irrelevant, at least temporarily. In the 1960s and early 1970s, companies that couldn’t afford to acquire and maintain the large mainframe computers of the day would instead rent processing time on someone else’s machine. This time-sharing concept fell out of favor as smaller, cheaper midrange computers were released. And once PCs and small servers began to dominate the market, midrange systems also lost their luster.

Everything Old is New Again

The growth of the Internet has rendered the concept of shared computational infrastructure relevant once again. In fact, you’ve probably used cloud-computing resources without thinking much about it. If you’ve ever made a blog using Blogger, created a profile on Facebook or MySpace, or used a browser-based email service such as Gmail, you’ve experienced cloud computing. In each of these cases, the application and the data you create with it are stored on a remote server instead of your PC.

Software as a service (SaaS) products, such as Google Apps (on a small scale) and Salesforce.com (on a much larger scale), are another example of cloud computing. These services deliver software applications through a web browser, as opposed to a program that you install on your computer’s hard drive. A hallmark of commercial cloud computing applications such as these is that users never purchase the software outright; instead, they pay a subscription fee to make use of it.

Google Apps Premier Edition ($50 per year; the ad-supported Standard Edition is free) is a software suite consisting of two broad segments: messaging (Gmail, Google Calendar, and the instant-messaging service Google Talk) and collaboration (Google Docs for word processing, Google Video for sharing video files, and Google Sites for sharing files, developing blogs, and building intranets). Salesforce.com is an enterprise customer relationship management (CRM) application that companies use to manage and track their interactions with their customers.

Easy collaboration is one of the many advantages that cloud-computing services offer. With both the application and the data stored in the cloud, i.e., on the Internet, it’s easy for multiple users to work together on the same project. With Google Docs, for instance, several users can open, share, and edit the same document at the same time.

Cloud Computer as a Giant Killer

In the corporate world, cloud computing has made it possible for small companies to compete on an even footing with competitors many times their size. They can preserve capital by renting IT services instead of investing in hardware and applications or hiring programmers to design custom applications.

It might seem odd that Amazon, perhaps the world’s largest e-commerce merchant with $17 billion in annual revenue, would stake out a major position in the cloud computing market, but it’s actually a very shrewd move. The company has built up a huge information technology infrastructure over the years, with massive amounts of computing power and digital storage. But by some estimates, the company utilizes just 10 percent of its total capacity much of the time. The reason it needs so much headroom is to handle infrequent periods of peak demand; the rest of the time, the hardware largely sits idle.

Amazon jumped into cloud computing with its Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) service in an effort to increase its return on its IT investments by taking advantage of the excess idle time on its servers. Amazon EC2 is based on virtual machine technology, software-based computers that share their host’s hardware resources.

An Amazon EC2 customer creates and uploads to Amazon’s servers something Amazon calls an Amazon Machine Image. This image consists of the operating system and application software the customer needs to run, plus the data associated with it. The customer then orders up whatever number of virtual machines they need for their computing environment.

Each virtual machine is called an instance, and each instance can be one of three sizes, based on memory, storage, and CPU power. A small instance, for example, is equivalent to a server outfitted with a 1.0GHz to 1.2GHz Opteron or Xeon CPU, 1.7GB of memory, and 160GB of storage. A large instance is equivalent to a server outfitted with four of those CPUs, 7.5GB of memory, and 850GB of storage. Small instances are capable of running 32-bit applications, while large instances can run 64-bit environments. Other configurations are also available. The “elastic” in Elastic Compute Cloud refers to the flexibility the system has to offer: Customers can tap fewer or more instances as their needs ebb and flow.

It’s possible that cloud computing could even render the personal computer obsolete. Rather than buying a computer, one day you might purchase only a display, mouse, and keyboard and connect to virtual computing resources somewhere on the Internet. Wouldn’t that be boring?

IOGEAR Announces USB Laptop KVM Switch

Norman Chan — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 08:00:00 -0500

IOGEAR, makers of connectivity products that link up USB, video, and networking devices, has just announced their latest KVM Switch. KVM (short for Keyboard, Video, and Mouse) is a hardware and software technology solution that allows you to control multiple computers from one set of peripherals. This new USB Laptop KVM switch connects to any two computers via USB (laptop-to-laptop, PC-to-PC, or laptop-to-PC), so you can control one system from the other as a console. The software embedded in the Switch's firmware adjusts for desktop resolution scaling and also facilitates drag-and-drop file transfers via a shared temporary window. An extra USB 2.0 port on the switch allows for extra device sharing, such as with an external hard drive. No extra power supply is required, and the entire cable stretches a total of nine feet (three feet on one end, six on the other). The USB Laptop KVM Switch goes on sale today for $129.95.

Irvine, CA – August 25, 2008 – Consumers can now easily access another computer using their laptop with IOGEAR’s USB Laptop KVM Switch. The product is the first KVM switch that enables a laptop to replace the traditional keyboard, mouse and monitor on a second computer. The product is on display at RetailVision, August 25-28, 2008, at booth #603.

For on-the-go users, the USB Laptop KVM Switch provides file transfers and convenient switching between a desktop or a secondary laptop. The product simply connects two computers via USB 2.0 ports and enables individuals to manage both computers with the laptop. The product also comes with built-in file transfer utility software that lets consumers drag and drop files or create backup copies between machines.

In addition, the USB Laptop KVM Switch contains an integrated USB 2.0 port to connect devices, such as printers, scanners, external hard drives, digital cameras, speakers, MP3 players and Webcams, which users can access directly from the laptop. Using a laptop as the console eliminates energy- and space-consuming desktop keyboards, monitors and mice. The USB Laptop KVM Switch also features desktop scaling that modifies the desktop computer’s resolution to be compatible with a laptop screen.

“Our USB Laptop KVM Switch provides laptop users a simple space- and device-saving solution compared with traditional KVM switches. It also makes file sharing easy, sparing users from having to set up a network,” said Miranda Su, executive vice
president at IOGEAR. “We strive to develop innovative technologies that address growing consumer needs. The laptop is the preferred device for mobile computing and we make it easier for road warriors to bridge the gap between their on-the-go, home and work lives.”

The USB Laptop KVM Switch is compatible with Windows® 2000, XP and Vista operating systems. The product is available immediately for $129.95 MSRP from all major catalog and online resellers, as well as select retail outlets.

Windows XP SP2 Users, Your New Remote Desktop Connection Has Arrived

Mark Edward Soper — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:15:58 -0500

Hate Driving Back to the Office? Remote Desktop Connection's Now Even Better

If you don't need to drive back to the office when you forget a file, you might have Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) to thank for the ability to log in remotely and not interrupt your music ripping, DVD watching, or friend-fragging session. If you use Windows XP SP2 at home, but the office machine's running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008 and you connect using RDC, the new Remote Desktop Connection client, version 6.1, is for you (XP SP3 users already have it). Briefly, here's what you get:

Support for spanned monitors up to 4096x2048 pixels (so you can see what's running on your secondary display)
Support for 32-bit color and font smoothing (so your remote desktop looks good from a distance as well as close-up)
Support for new Windows Server features like Terminal Services web access (including RDP Signing) and Terminal Services Easy Print
Server authentication (yes, it's really your server)
Resource redirection for PnP devices
Support for Terminal Server Gateway servers and RemoteApp (so you can run apps on the remote computer)

Learn more about the update (including what to do if you're running the multilingual user interface) and get links to the update by surfing to KB952155.

Clipart courtesy of the Open Clip Art Library

How To: Use Your Computer From Anywhere

David Murphy — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:05:49 -0600

We’ll set the stage. You’re at work, toiling away on yet another spreadsheet for the Man, when you suddenly have a flash of inspiration. You’ve installed Peggle Deluxe at home, and surely a round of puzzle-ball action would make the day pass faster! But how are you ever going to access your computer and fire up your saved game?

It’s easy to move files from your home computer to any location you want: That’s what portable hard drives are for. But why use your legs when a simple program will let you manipulate any faraway computer using the mouse and keyboard sitting in front of you. Double-click folders. Create pretty Photoshop pictures. Transfer files. Private networks are the ultimate way to manage your computer from afar.

Time: 00:15

What You Need

Two computers
UltraVNC
Free, www.uvnc.com
Logmein Hamachi
Free, www.logmein.com

1. Create a Virtual Network

If you’re planning to connect to a remote computer, you first need to know where it is—and “in my house” isn’t the answer you’re looking for. In technological terms, you need the host machine’s IP address. It’s the unique identifier that’s bestowed on Internet-attached computers by an Internet service provider. At least, that’s the simple version. If you’re running behind a router, the IP situation gets a little more complicated. And if you’re trying to remote-control a machine at your workplace… well, things could get interesting. Unless you use Hamachi, that is.

Rather than fiddling with a bunch of complex settings, forwarding options, and other technological thaumaturgy, install the Hamachi client on each machine you want in the connection loop. This one-stop solution to network configuration creates a virtual private network (VPN) on top of your current configuration. Think of it as the difference between following a series of directions to get somewhere versus taking a teleporter that deposits you exactly where you want to go.

Installing the client itself is simple. Once you’ve finished running the executable, follow the onscreen directions to create your first (password-protected!) private network. Set Hamachi to run when Windows starts. This will save you the head-slapping you’d surely inflict on yourself the first time you try to remotely access your desktop only to find that you forgot to start Hamachi before heading out.

Make sure you give your computers descriptive names as well. If you’re planning to include multiple rigs on the network, you’ll definitely want better differentiators than “dave-desktop” and “dave-desktop2.”

You can label computers via IP address if you’re a real network nerd. We prefer an IP address followed by a label such as “PC in Lab,” which tells us exactly what we need to know.

2. Install UltraVNC

Once you’ve got Hamachi up and running, you need to install UltraVNC, which actually handles all the remote interface fun. Installing it is as easy as clicking a mouse button a few times. If you want the program to run when Windows starts, select the option to register UltraVNC as a system service—unless you’re using Vista; Microsoft’s latest OS frowns when you try to do that. Vista users will want to copy the shortcut to UltraVNC from the program’s Start Menu folder into the Startup folder. You’ll get UltraVNC when you log in to Vista, and better still, you won’t see any error messages.

You’ll see an icon in the lower-right corner of your taskbar when UltraVNC’s running. Right-click it and select UltraVNC’s Administrative Properties. Most of the options can be left at their defaults, but a few offer handy upgrades to UltraVNC’s network operations. If you’re accessing a computer located in a public location, you can prevent local users from disabling an UltraVNC connection. You can also turn off a local user’s ability to type, move the mouse, or even edit UltraVNC settings. Most importantly, this is the screen where you set UltraVNC’s password—without one, all someone needs is your IP address to take over your machine.

Next: Get Connected!

3. Get Connected

To connect your UltraVNC Server computers you also need the UltraVNC Viewer included in the initial installation. But before you run this program on the computer that’s doing the connecting, you’ll want to double-click the Hamachi icon in the Windows toolbar and connect to your private network. You’ll now see why installing Hamachi is a good idea: Look at the window and copy the IP address of the machine you’re connecting to into the UltraVNC Viewer window.

And that’s it! It’s the easiest way to figure out a machine’s IP address without physically being at that machine or establishing a static IP.

You can quick-set your connection-specific encoding and coloration options on the tiny viewer, but the Options menu offers you far more control over your network session.

4. Tweak Your Connection's Settings

Now that you’ve connected to your faraway machine, you might very well be staring at an image of your desktop with scroll bars attached to the sides of the window. It’s an annoying way to manipulate your host machine, so here’s how to change it—and a raft of other options.

The specific encoding techniques are complicated. Your best bet is to run through the list to see which gives you the best performance on your connection.

At the top of the UltraVNC Viewer window is a series of icons. Select the one that looks like Earth with a gear over it; it should be third from the left. Clicking the icon pulls up the options for the UltraVNC Viewer client. The program is initially set to replicate a 100-percent duplicate of your desktop, which can lead to the scroll bars on your window. Crank this value down by selecting a different percentage for Viewer Scale and you’ll be able to fit your remote desktop on your current display.

UltraVNC is set to automatically select the remote image’s encoding settings, but you can manually adjust the options for greater control and speed. If your mouse response time is slow, select the option for the remote server to deal with the mouse cursor or disable the cursor image entirely.

If your connection is pokey, first try selecting different compression algorithms to find one that best fits your needs for quality and speed. To maximize the latter, nix the colors—pull up your remote computer in grayscale if you have to, as it’ll reduce the amount of bandwidth required to transfer the desktop image from your remote box to you.