Cloud Computing advice/info needed

S

sartay

Registered User
Messages
129
Hi all, I've been reading a lot about Cloud Clouding at the moment, it seems to be the new buzz word, and I was hoping some techie people reading this might be able to make some recommendations on different aspects of cloud computing out there.

I've found a company called Mobiu which allow you to backup your documents etc remotely to their server. You can also access these backups from any computer anywhere with the use of a USB key type thing. This type of thing is potentially very useful for me as it would allow me to be very flexible in where I work from and also it's an added safety as my documents are backed up somewhere else. Firstly just wondering if anyone has any experience of this company or this type of service? Would you recommend it/them or do you know any good companies offering something similar?

Also I'd like to take this a step further and am wondering if it is possible to backup your applications as well as your documents, in the same way so that you can open applications from any computer. e.g. I keep my business accounts on a Sage package. It would be handy to be able to open and look at my accounts from any computer. Does anyone know if this type of thing is possible yet?

Thanks in advance!
 
In relation to file storage, dropbox has free 2gb online back up. I've used it and think it's great myself. You don't need a USB key to access, just an online computer.
 
Thanks WaterSprite, just checked out their site, looks great. Much better to not need the USB key and free is a definite bonus!
 
sartay said:
... Also I'd like to take this a step further and am wondering if it is possible to backup your applications as well as your documents, in the same way so that you can open applications from any computer ...
Click to expand...
It's been possible to do this for a very very long time, but it depends on the softare and the licencing agreement you have with your supplier - single installation, multiple users, multiple installations, single user per copy, etc.
 
mathepac said:
It's been possible to do this for a very very long time, but it depends on the softare and the licencing agreement you have with your supplier - single installation, multiple users, multiple installations, single user per copy, etc.
Click to expand...

Can you give me the names of some companies or places that I can go for more info on this then? i.e. I can deal with the likes of Sage etc to sort out what licensing issues I'd need to sort out, but how do you actually save/install the applications themselves so that you could access them remotely from any computer? I'd be looking for something that would not require me to have to leave my own computer at home turned on all the time.
 
You can look into using GoogleG Drive or Google Docs !
 
It would be worth checking if there are any data protection act implications with storing documents containing client information in the cloud, particularly if outside the EU.
 
Eircom broadband users get 2GB online storage & Norton users also have access to online storage.
 
Backing up your data (documents etc) to one of those companies is a good idea.

Backing up applications e.g. Sage doesnt work the say you think. You cannot back up an application to one of those companies and expect it to work from any PC, it just doesnt work that way.
 
Make sure you investigate security of any of these online storage companies - how is the data stored, who has access to it, what their backup scenario is, how do you access it (http/s) .....
 
aristotle25 said:
Backing up your data (documents etc) to one of those companies is a good idea.

Backing up applications e.g. Sage doesnt work the say you think. You cannot back up an application to one of those companies and expect it to work from any PC, it just doesnt work that way.
Click to expand...

Thanks, thats basically what I'm trying to find out i.e. is it possible or not. Macthepac says its been possible for a "very, very long time". Which one of you is right? :) Macthepac - do you have any specific info that you could put up? I'd be very grateful - if it is possible it would be very handy indeed.

That google G drive sounds great too (so long as you don't fear the apparent big bad google wolf!!) Doesn't seem to have launched yet though - is that right?

Thanks for all your answers.
 
nai said:
Make sure you investigate security of any of these online storage companies - how is the data stored, who has access to it, what their backup scenario is, how do you access it (http/s) .....
Click to expand...

Absolutely, will do. And checking on any data protection issues is a must too, as diggerbarnes suggested. You would presumably want to password protect all your documents at a minimum and then see what additional security the various companies offer.
 
sartay said:
... Macthepac says its been possible for a "very, very long time"...
Click to expand...
sartay, you need to read what I posted in full, as it continues to say ...
mathepac said:
... but it depends on the softare [software] and the licencing agreement you have with your supplier - ...
Click to expand...
I can't say whether any specific piece of software will work the way you require or if your licence allows this. I don't know if any particular service-provider can provide such a service or if their infrastructure can support it.

In the pre-interweb & pre-PC days if you wanted to run a piece of software, you logged onto your remote mainframe via a terminal connected to a modem and worked as a remote user.
 
mathepac said:
sartay, you need to read what I posted in full, as it continues to say ...

I can't say whether any specific piece of software will work the way you require or if your licence allows this. I don't know if any particular service-provider can provide such a service or if their infrastructure can support it.

In the pre-interweb & pre-PC days if you wanted to run a piece of software, you logged onto your remote mainframe via a terminal connected to a modem and worked as a remote user.
Click to expand...

Thanks Mat, I did read your post in full. I just thought that as you said you knew of some software applications were it WAS possible you might be able to give details of those. It would just be a point in the right direction for me to base further research as I had not heard of it being possible to do this and am just trying to find out if it is.
 
I would be more worried about what encryption method is used via the Browser you use to connect to the service - ie how strong the encryption on userid/password is, where this info is stored, how secure that database is and so on .... Losing this will give a carte blanche to anyone who wants to access your data unless you have them encrypted (which will only slow a determined attacker)

If it was me and I needed to work from remote locations I would setup my office to allow me to do this and use a Remote Access client like LogMeIn to remote control my office pc and then I have all of my already Licensed software available to me as well as the comfort of my files/databases etc. stored in a secure location. Then concentrate your energies on ensuring that your Office IT Infrastructure is secure (which it already should be) and that you have control over your own DR and BCP plans.

TBH - As you stated earlier Cloud Computing is a big Buzz Word at present but the main buzz about it is that it will still cost you to implement correctly and will never truly replace your current infrastructure. There are many pro's from an infrastructure cost saving point of view to using Cloud computing but the main argument against it is security.
 
Thanks for the info and advice everyone. Think the Remote Access would be the best way to go then as you suggest Nai. I've just been hearing so much about 'Cloud Computing' that I thought I might be missing something really good that hadn't been done before.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top