On An Ontological View Of Cloud Computing

Abstract

Cloud computing is an architecture for providing computing service via the Internet. Use of the term “cloud” is a metaphor for the representation of the Internet used in most systems diagrams. In this case, the Internet is the transport mechanism between a client and a server located somewhere in cyberspace, as compared to having computer applications residing on an “on premises” computer. Adoption of cloud computing practically eliminates two ongoing problems in IT service provisioning: the upfront costs of acquiring computational resources and the time delay of building and deploying software applications. This paper gives an ontological view of the subject in order to serve as a point of reference in the discipline and to facilitate ongoing technical development.