Cloud Computing in Simple Terms

Cloud computing is a technology that uses the internet and central remote servers to maintain data and applications. Cloud computing allows consumers and businesses to use applications without installation and access their personal files at any computer with internet access. This technology allows for much more efficient computing by centralizing storage, memory, processing and bandwidth.

A simple example of cloud computing is Yahoo email, Gmail, or Hotmail etc. You dont need a software or a server to use them. All a consumer would need is just an internet connection and you can start sending emails. The server and email management software is all on the cloud ( internet) and is totally managed by the cloud service provider Yaho , Google etc. The consumer gets to use the software alone and enjoy the benefits. 

The analogy is , 'If you need milk , would you buy a cow ?' All the users or consumers need is to get the benefits of using the software or hardware of the computer like sending emails etc. Just to get this benefit (milk) why should a consumer buy a (cow) software /hardware ? Cloud computing is broken down into three segments: "application" "storage" and "connectivity." Each segment serves a different purpose and offers different products for businesses and individuals around the world.

Physical Network Connection With Routers

The basic hardware component used to connect heterogeneous networks is a Router.Physically,routers resembles bridges that means each router is a special purpose hardware system dedicated to the task of interconnecting networks.Like a bridge,a contains a processor and memory as well as a separate I/O interface for each network to which it connects.The network treats a connection to a router, the same as the connection to any other computer.

The most important that you have to kept in your mind about router is that it is not only used to connect two similar technology,it can also be used to connect two different types of network technology. Router can connect two LAN's,a LAN and a WAN,or two WAN's.Furthermore,when a router connects two network in the same general category,the networks do not need to use the same technology.For ex:- A router can connect an Ethernet LAN to a frame relay network.Thus,each cloud represents an arbitrary network technology.On summarizing this whole,we can say that a router is a special purpose system dedicated to the task of interconnecting networks.A router can interconnect networks that use different technologies,including different media,physical addressing schemes or frame formats.

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Goal of Internet

The main goal of internetworking is to provide a universal service across heterogeneous networks.To provide universal service among all computers on an internet,routers must agree to forward information from a source on one network to the specified destination on the other network.The task is complex because as all we know that different frame formats and different addressing schemes are used by different networks.Hence,to overcome this problem protocol software is needed on computers and routers to make universal service possible.The main task of these internet protocols is to overcome the differences in frame formats and physical addresses to make communication possible among networks that use different technologies.
For knowing more about protocols for internetworking you can visit:
http://networkingconcepts4u.blogspot.com/2009/02/protocol-for-internetworking.html

Internet Architecture

With the help of routers it is possible for an organization to choose network technologies appropriate for each need,and to use routers to connect all networks into a single network.As all we know that router is used exactly two connections but commercial routers can connect more than two networks.Thus,a single router could connect any number of networks.However,an organization seldom uses single router to connect all of its networks.There are two main reasons behind it:

1.As all we know that router must forwarded each packet,the processor in given router is insufficient to handle the traffic passing among an arbitrary number of networks.

2.The second reason behind this is redundancy,because redundancy improves reliability.To avoid a single point of failure,protocol software continuously monitors internet connection,and instructs the routers to send traffic long alternative paths when a network or router fails.

Thus,when planning an internet,an organization must choose a design that meet's the organization's need for reliability,capacity and cost.In particular,the exact details of internet topology often depends on the bandwidth of the physical networks,the expected traffic,the organization's reliability requirements,and the cost and performance of available router hardware.

Protocol for Internetworking

As all we know that may protocols have been adapted for use in an internet,one suite stnds out as the most widely used for internetworking.The suite is formally known as The TCP/IP Internet Protocols.TCP/IP was the first set of protocols develop for use in an internet.Indeed,researchers who devised TCP/IP also developed the internet architecture.Work on TCP/IP began in 1970s,approximately the same time that Local Area Networks were being developed.The U.S military funded much of the research on the TCP/IP and internetworking through the Advanced Research Projects Agency.The military was among the first organizations to have multiple physical networks.Cosequently,the military was among the first to realize the need for universal service.By the mid-1980s,the National Science Foundation and the other U.S government agencies were funding development of TCP/IP and a large internet that was used to test the protocols.