The network is created through a mixture of IT, communication technology and electrical power systems. The smart grid means it is “smarter” in the sense it has its own intelligence hence a smarter power grid. The generated resources are being decentralized by the smart power grids. The major challenges with the smart grid include huge number of smart meters. Due to the large traffic and limited bandwidth, scheduling is very important. Traditional algorithms will maximize the throughput or minimize the average delay may not be valid in smart grid. Power grid plays an important role in datacenters which forms the backbone for the cloud computing infrastructure. The cloud computing and smart grid interacts through the datacenters. The load balancing and robustness can be achieved through this datacenter and cloud system. Many cloud computing features help to achieve this load balancing.
TopIntroduction
Cloud computing is an emerged expression used to describe different kinds of computing concepts that involve a large number of computers that are connected through a real-time communication network such as internet (Mariana Carroll, 2012). Cloud computing is a synonym for distributed computing or parallel computing over a network and means the ability to run a program on many connected computers at the same time. Its use in marketing to sell hosted services in the sense of application service provisioning that run client server software on a remote location makes the cloud more popular. In simple words Cloud computing is the current century’s technology which provides various kinds of services (wikipedia.org/wiki/CloudComputing) to users through internet on cost of pay-as-you go basis. Cloud is simply any-time-anywhere model provided a constant internet should be there.
Cloud computing always requires searching for a cloud provider. Cloud can be public, private, or hybrid. It will have the feature of elasticity, scalability, self-service provisioning, standardized interfaces, and pay per usage (Peter Mell, 2011). These are the important characteristic features of cloud paradigm.
Elasticity and scalability: The cloud is elastic, which means the resource allocation can get bigger or smaller depending on demand. Elasticity entitles scalability, means that the cloud can have the ability to scale upward for high demand and downward for low demand. Scalability also refers to an application that can scale when adding users and when there is a change in application requirements.
Self-service provisioning: Cloud customers can provision cloud services without going through a lengthy process. An automatic provisioning is made possible at the completion of using up of these kind of resources.
Standardized interfaces: Cloud services would have standardized Application Program Interfaces, which provide instructions on how the communication between two application or data sources can be made possible in successful manner. A standardized interface helps the customer in an easier manner to link the cloud services together.
Billing and service usage metering: The billing of resources is based on how much the user is using. This pay-as-you-go model indicates that the usage is metered and user needs to pay only for what he/she consumes.
The cloud computing is having several advantages (Mell, 2011), which includes:
- •
Cost Efficient: For use, upgrade and maintain, Cloud computing is probably the most cost efficient methodology at present. The licensing fees for multiple users can prove to be very expensive for the establishment concerned. The availability of cloud for the users is high and is in a cheaper rate, which will significantly lower the company’s IT expenses.
- •
Unlimited Storage: Storing information in the cloud gives you almost unlimited storage capacity. Hence no need to bother about the running out of storage space or increasing your current storage space availability.
- •
Backup and Recovery: Since all our data is stored in the cloud, backing up of data and restoring the same is relatively much easier than storing the same on a physical device. Most of the cloud service providers are usually competent for handling recovery of information, thereby making the entire process of backup and recovery in a simple manner than other traditional methods of data storage.
- •
Automatic Software Integration: Automatic occurrence means that the user does not need to take additional efforts for customization and integration of the applications as per users’ preferences.
- •
Easy Access to Information: Once a user get registered the cloud, accessing of information from anywhere, where there is an Internet connection is possible. This feature helps the user to move beyond the time zone and geographic location issues.
- •
Quick Deployment: If the user opts for quick deployment, the whole system can be fully functional in a few minutes. The time taken will be depending on the exact kind of technology that is needed for business.