Libraries and Cloud Computing Models: A Changing Paradigm

Introduction About Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is a new technology which is an improvement of distributed computing, parallel computing, and grid computing. The basic principle of cloud computing is making tasks distributed among large number of computers but not in local computers or remote servers. This is a dynamic model, based on pay-per-use (subscription) or scalable system in which configuration of resources (hardware, platform/services) can be graded to suit the needs of the users for optimum utilization of resources. In simple words, it is a subscription-based or pay-per-use real time service over the Internet.

The vendors of this model also guarantee the utilization of these virtually interconnected resources by employing customized-service-level agreements (SLAs). According to Doerksen (2008), cloud computing is the user-friendly version of grid computing. However, Buyya, Yeo, and Venugopal (2008) have given much more elaborate definition which reads that cloud computing is a kind of “parallel and distributed system consisting of a collection of interconnected and virtualized computers that are dynamically provisioned and presented as one or more unified computing resources, based on SLA established through negotiation between the service provider and consumer.”

Cloud computing takes the concept of virtualization even further by adding a couple of additional twists. In a cloud computing environment, the organization running an application neither typically own the physical hardware used for the applications nor usually know exactly from where the computation work of the applications is being processed. Cloud computing provides an organization with appreciably more flexibility and scalability to satisfy computing needs. Thus cloud computing means sharing and use of applications and resources of a network environment to get work done without concern about ownership and management of the network’s resources and applications. This is a way to increase capacity or add capabilities without investing on new infrastructure, training new personnel, or licensing new software.

Cloud Computing And Libraries

Libraries have been in transition since their inception as they are directly affected with environmental changes. There was a time, when biggest library used to be the one with largest collection and they were serving their users mainly with their own resources in an almost isolated manner. Then came an era of computers where libraries started getting connected with other collaborating libraries through networks and consortia for mutual advantage of sharing the resources at divided/shared cost with a shift of emphasis from acquisition to access. Emergence of electronic resources has an added impact on libraries which forced them to prepare to face different kinds of challenges from users to meet their multidimensional requirements.