Cloud Computing, A Practical Approach [Paperback]

I've reviewed over a dozen books on cloud computing. This book is better than average but misses its objective of being a practical introduction. It has lots of interesting information and is indeed a useful companion for anyone seriously involved in cloud computing but there are other overviews which are more comprehensive and easier to digest.

Velte, Velte and Elsenpeter touch on many of the main topics, such as security, networking, storage. They mention a number of cloud service providers. The problem is that they do not tie these together in a logical and methodical way. Some of the other recent books do this better. I also ask myself the specific relevance of eclectic topics such as AJAX XHTML and AIR to cloud computing.

In spite of the minor deficiencies which I mention above this is a useful text that will help many readers who need to broaden their understanding of cloud computing and related technologies.

Is your company considering migrating to the Cloud? What Cloud strategy is best for your organization? Are you having troubles identifying the major Cloud Vendors or even how to begin using their technology? Are you interested in knowing what the big deal is about the buzz surrounding Cloud? Are you trying to separate fact from fiction about the Cloud? Look no further than Cloud Computing: A Practical Approach, an good introduction to Cloud Computing. The authors of this book have provided a well-structured apologetic and business case for using Cloud Computing Technology; this book has a little bit for everyone: IT Administrators, Architects, Developers, Managers, Executives, etc. Even someone, with general knowledge of IT, such as mobile users, can benefit from this book. In fact, the authors state in the preface that the book is for "anyone who wants to learn about cloud computing" (xiv).

The books is organized in three sections: Getting Started, Cloud Computing Technology, and Cloud Computing at Work, the heart of the book .

The First Section, Getting Started, comprising 88 pages, introduces and explains various Cloud `basics', including the clearing up the confusion over the meaning of "Cloud". According to the authors,
"In essence, cloud is a construct that allows you to access applications that actually reside at a location other than your computer or other Internet-connected device; most often, this will be a distant datacenter...The beauty of cloud computing...is that another company hosts your application (or suite of applications, for that matter). This means that they handle the costs of servers, they manage the software updates, and--depending on how you craft your contract--you pay less for the service" (p. 4).
After providing a brief overview, topics as cloud components, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS),Software as a Service (SaaS), and Storage are all explained. The pros and cons of using Cloud Computing are stated in a fair manner, although the benefits of the Cloud are given edge. Nonetheless, the authors present a comprehensive list of concerns and issues, such as security and privacy, that all should be know before transitioning to the cloud. The authors warn that in some cases it is best not to use Cloud Computing. The major Cloud `Titans', such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft, SalesForce, etc, are also highlighted along with some of their offerings. The `Business Case for the cloud' (p. 69-87) is presented in a very adequate manner.

Cloud Computing Technology (76 pages) highlights the Infrastructures of the cloud, such as the Hardware, the networking protocol, and the way Customers and Developers can access the Cloud.

Lastly, the main section, Cloud Computing At Work, almost twice as longer than any of previous sections(154 pages), expands upon topics introduced in Getting Started (and briefly mentioned in Cloud Computing Technology) such, SaaS, Software + Services, and the trade-offs between a `public'(external) Cloud and a Local (internal) Cloud, and a mixed solution of both . In addition, some of the common services that are used by the general population, such a Google mail, Google Docs, or MSN Hotmail are also explained. Some of the discussion on "Virtualization" seems misplaced and should have been included in section II, Cloud Computing Technology.

The book includes three appendices which are probably worth the price of the book by itself. It includes a short, but useful Glossary, and a most beneficial list of who's who of Cloud vendors (over 60), with their sites and brief descriptions of the offerings (p. 319-22). Furthermore, a table of World Wide Web resources on Cloud Computing is provided for further research (p. 324-25).

One of highlights of the book is that it contains many helpful diagrams, and various website snapshots of various Cloud Vendors and their offerings. The listing of vendors' price offerings, key features, services, and URLs are some of the strongest points of the book. It also presents lesser known, but intriguing and innovative companies, Cloud based applications and tools, such "Skytap Virtualization Lab" (p 281-84). Also, there are brief sections on how to start development on the Cloud (Google, SalesForce, and Azure); However as developer I was craving for more.

The Best practices for Migrating and Utilizing the Cloud (p. 297-309) are very thoughtful and sensible in my estimation, although by no means exhaustive. The authors note, "When you plan to move to a cloud solution, there ways to go bout making the change to ensure an optimal experience while paying less than a colossal price. It stars with your analysis and selection of a vendor, and continues with your day-to-day usage of that service" (p. 306). These three factors are in explored in some detail in the chapter. It seems like all the Cloud Computing topics are covered, even if briefly.

Some of the strengths of the book are also its weaknesses. By its very nature of trying to reach a wide audience, some parts will be appealing to some, while others will seem uninteresting. The authors typically introduce topics in an outline form and then discuss them in an orderly fashion. Initially, this allows the readers to get acquainted with terminology, technology, offerings, and benefits of Cloud Computing. However, after a while, some of information becomes repetitive. For example, I suppose for a newbie to this will be very a helpful pedagogue to constantly hammer-in the concepts repeatedly.

At times the book feels like a marketing ploy for the Cloud. Some may find the comments, embedded throughout the book, by Cloud Vendor to be illuminating, but I wanted to see less of it. However, this may say more about me, as a developer. Furthermore, the Authors intend the book to include a wider audience, such as Executives. In this, the authors succeed for the most part. Lastly, sometimes, it is not always clear how all some sections and/or technologies integrate with one another. Even though the book does succeed in including information for a very broad audience, some newbies may have trouble to understanding certain concepts or terminology, since the authors don't go in-depth in various instances.

Despite these minor quibbles, I find the book enlightening on the various vendors and their offerings. If you are new to the cloud or a looking reasons to move to the cloud, either in part or completely, this books makes many compelling reasons for it. At the same time, the book provides a fair assessment of the current problems of Cloud.

I highly recommend this book as a good introduction to Cloud Computing. However, if you don't' have $39.99 to dish out for the book (Amazon is currently selling at $26.39), check the free podcasts from PluralSight and you get essentially an abbreviated discussion on many of topics covered in the book.

When I bought this book, I was hoping to see architectural suggestions, explanations of what pitfalls to expect, issues surrounding the cloud architecture, etc.

This was not it at all.

Instead, the book revolves around a repetitive concept of showing the exact same cloud providers over and over, makes suggestions for which service to buy, and then repeats in almost every chapter. I rated this a 1 star because I expected more based on the cover, and what the book "said" it was going to give me. From a developer's perspective - this is NOT the book to buy.

However, if I were in a position to research the available cloud providers and the pros/cons of each, then I may have voted this higher. As I stated already, these type of questions are hammered over and over into your brain about the differences between each of the providers they cover (Amazon, Google, etc.).