GMO Cloud

Monitoring of Cloud Based Applications II

Understanding the results

In the previous part of this paper we discussed the essential differences between cloud based applications and on-premise ones when it comes to testing applications. A major difference lies in the control that the cloud service provider gives you over the test environment. For tests at a deeper level, the answer in all probability lies in writing a program that uses your application mimicking a user. Such a program can continue to check your application at regular intervals to ensure it is functioning as expected. Any aberrations can be detected and administrators alerted in near real time.

In most other cases, test results may need to be analyzed more deeply since subtle error conditions may give rise to situations that cannot be detected. Analysis may therefore need to go deeper. This can take the following forms:

Simple Boolean checks – The simplest method possible. It checks if your application is giving a response or not. You can compare it to the ‘ping’ command used to check networks. If you get a response, it confirms that the application is on line and the intervening network is working.

Response threshold – Under normal conditions, your application should give a response within milliseconds. Using the cloud, you expect this time to be maintained rigidly because if the application load exceeds a value, a new instance should be automatically created. If this is exceeded beyond limits you set, it indicates a problem.

Check for consistency of response – Quite often, a set of answers from an application will correlate with each other. For example, the numbers of items in your shopping cart must correlate to those in the invoice. If there is a variation, it could be a serious error that needs to be corrected straightaway.

Checking statistically – While there is value in checking spot parameters such as response time at a given instant, the statistical value gives an indication of a long-term trend. Good monitoring programs are able to generate statistical means and compare the spot value to determine the variation. This ensures more intelligent checking.

Triggering responses – Based on how you have programmed your testing environment, you can trigger a response to critical events. Since cloud-based systems are naturally well-suited to mobile and smartphone users, one response can be to send a mail or SMS to an administrator. This ensures that the error condition is handled faster.

Adaptive systems – The more capable monitoring programs come with machine learning and artificial intelligence. They are able to understand results and based on this learning, their future interpretation of results could vary. They are also able to draw inferences and initiate deeper checking if required. For example, if a program is giving out an output faster than anticipated, it could mean that another module that this program depends on is not actually doing a computation but returning a default value.

Managing corrections – Many monitoring programs can follow through on a fault until it is finally resolved. The system works as both a monitoring device and a corrections manager to ensure that the error condition detected is not overlooked.

Multiple warnings – Monitoring programs can use multiple methods to attract the attention of administrators to critical problems. A background script decides which problems are critical and which ones aren’t. It is also able to decide on the individuals to be alerted based on the classification of the problem. As mentioned earlier, cloud-based systems are tightly integrated with mobile phone systems and use this capability very effectively to generate appropriate warnings.

Current trends

Cloud-based app monitoring systems have been evolving into extremely capable tools that can take over a number of managerial tasks themselves. This allows for a faster response to emerging problem areas and allows administrators to correct critical issues much earlier. These systems are also being used to determine when an application is experiencing light loads, and this information is used to compute heavy tasks during this period. This kind of optimization can ultimately reduce costs by distributing load over time and ensuring that fewer numbers of processors are hired.

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About the Guest Author:

Sanjay Srivastava has been active in computing infrastructure and has participated in major projects on cloud computing, networking, VoIP and in creation of applications running over distributed databases. Due to a military background, his focus has always been on stability and availability of infrastructure. Sanjay was the Director of Information Technology in a major enterprise and managed the transition from legacy software to fully networked operations using private cloud infrastructure. He now writes extensively on cloud computing and networking and is about to move to his farm in Central India where he plans to use cloud computing and modern technology to improve the lives of rural folk in India.

Cloud Computing Projected to Grow the European Economy by 2020

Governmental bodies are canvassing for expanded use of cloud computing because of potential economic gains. In October 2012, the EU’s Digital Chief claimed that “greater use of the internet to store and process data remotely (cloud computing) could boost the European Union’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 160 billion euro annually by 2020”. Undoubtedly, this encourages European businesses to migrate to the cloud. But how can this lead to national economic boosts?

First, moving data and other digital content to the cloud creates cost-cutting possibilities, drastically reducing annual overheads – especially in IT infrastructure.

Second, capital saved on hiring, training and maintaining IT personnel and in-house infrastructure can be channeled into a new business venture. Europeans can concentrate on creating more jobs while expanding business.

Third, cloud technology promises unprecedented speed of operations. Businesses can subsequently reduce or permanently abort downtime. Meanwhile, non-adopters of cloud computing face data loss, poor connectivity, slow performance and ineffective IT system operations.

Fourth, the EU’s digital Chief was mainly concerned about the competitiveness of the European economy. Neelie Kroes, EU Vice-president and digital Chief said that “without EU action, we will stay stuck in national fortresses and miss out on billions in economic gains.”

Since cloud computing entails eco-friendly systems, cloud technology can assist European businesses to maintain an admirable culture of sustainability and business continuity. Cloud computing makes it possible to store, retrieve and transmit digital files without paper.

The EU is calling on all members to proactively embrace cloud computing to create an environment for business continuity and higher profitability. The main purpose of the EU Data Chief’s clarion call is to make the bloc highly competitive with the North America, Asia and especially the “cloudy” Pacific.

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Jerry Olasakinju, a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) degree holder, is a passionate researcher and writer whose interest in everything computing is unparalleled. He blogs about his literary works at http://jerryolasakinju.blogspot.jp/

A Relatively Easy Way to Enter the Japanese Game Market

With a worldwide slowdown in sales of consumer electronics, Japan is already feeling the pinch. There is, however, a nascent industry which sees popular mobile games portals trying to sell products outside of Japan.

Every so often, Japanese products have leaked out to the rest of the world. With cell phones, smaller Japanese manufacturers have been testing the market since the late 1990s. Manufacturers like Sharp, Kyocera, and Sendo have tested the foreign waters but too busy selling feature phones in their homeland to get beyond dull basic or entry-level models.

This time, it’s the software and game developers who are slowly showing off their wares outside of Japan. Traditionally, games have only been successful when released in conjunction with a console or game platform. Currently, it’s the distribution channel which is bringing the games to the West. The two largest mobile game platforms, Gree and DeNA are thus expanding their market.

This is a big step for Japan-specific social games and card battle games. This is also a big signal for Western game developers to get into Japan, with the likes of GMO Cloud now offering market entry services that include marketing and localization. Unlike traditional mobile games, newer titles are mostly Android and iOS games. This makes it easier for Japanese developers to penetrate the Western games market.

The growth in the Japanese social game market has been phenomenal, leading to an estimated $4.36 billion revenue from practically nothing just a few years ago.

Some of the more popular card-battle games are not represented as mobile phone apps. Mobile phone games are usually free downloads and free-to-play but with in-game merchandise and level-ups to purchase, leading to huge monetization profits for the likes of GREE and DeNA.

The export of Japanese games does not necessarily mean that the Japanese market is saturated. On the contrary, the projected exponential increase in the market is a sign that new game companies are welcome – perhaps fuelling growth further.

This bi-directional flow can be wholly attributed to the success of Android and iOS devices. Apple has an aggregate market share of around 32% of the Japanese market. There are more Android devices, however, and these companies have a lower percentage market share. Either way, mobile apps and games are on the increase.

There is currently no alternative to mobile games on the horizon. So far, iOS and Android devices have overturned the Japanese smart phone apps market due to sheer numbers. This is a positive feedback mechanism where the large number of apps is fueling the sales of smart phones.

Going back to established IP titles, it is only a matter of time before most of them migrate to Android and iOS apps. One of the most popular card-battle games is Pokemon. It was introduced in 1996. Since then other card sets have been released, helping push newer models of Nintendo game consoles. However, Pokemon is yet to be ported to Android or iOS. Like other console games, there is a need to change the monetization before these games are introduced or relaunched as smart phone apps. Once these titles are released as smart phone apps, game consoles may well vanish.

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Rodolfo Lentejas, Jr. is a fulltime freelance writer based in Toronto. He is the founder of the PostSckrippt, a growing online writing business dedicated to producing top quality, original and fresh content. To know more about him, please visit www.postsckrippt.ca. Like him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest.

Cloud Gaming: The Best Way to Enjoy Playing Games

Without the invention of cloud computing, there would not have been cloud gaming. Cloud gaming allows players to directly access games on the web through their browsers, including Google Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer.

Cloud-gamers, as they may be called, are enjoying unprecedented advantages including:

• Fast Access to Games: The primary aim of hosting games in the cloud or web is to create an environment of unrestricted access. Invariably, as long as the gamers are connected to the web, they can enjoy unlimited and unrestricted access to the games with companies offering cloud-gaming services.

 

• Cheap Gaming Services: Cloud-gaming companies offer cheap gaming services to customers compared to the cost of purchasing consoles and accoutrements. Cloud-gamers do not necessarily need to buy a set of games to play; they can access games on the web of game providers.

 

• Absence of Fear of Data Loss: Cloud-gamers do not need to set up accounts with sensitive personal information. Once subscribed to games, they can soon log on to the cloud using their browsers. Similarly, they do not need to worry about how to store games or personal data; every process has been streamlined and simplified by the cloud-gaming providers.

 

How are these advantages made possible by the cloud? Technically speaking, cloud technology allows configurations that accommodate a sudden surge of traffic. For a better illustration, see: GMO Cloud’s Game Server Configuration example.

Game players can increase their play-time through more subscriptions, periodically. If they are satisfied with the gaming services provided, they can request for more play time to enjoy different games.

Coreonline is an example of a cloud gaming service designed and marketed by Square Enix. As described above, this service works through use of browsers and some proprietary technologies that belong to Square Enix and Google.

At the moment, only two titles are available: Mini Ninjas and Hitman, Blood Money. To play Mini Ninjas, players are redirected to a Chrome Web Store streaming version of the game. But Hitman: Blood Money can be played directly in the Coreonline Store. Game players can earn play time by simply watching ads before or during the game. Alternately, they can skip ads and purchase some levels or the entire game. Mini Ninjas, Blood Money and Lara Croft Chrome are well-suited to Firefox and Internet Explorer 8 on Windows 7, while Lara Croft and Mini Ninjas will only work on Mac Chrome.

As cloud-gaming providers mushroom, gamers must select the right provider, leading to reductions in the overall cost of gaming.

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Jerry Olasakinju, a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) degree holder, is a passionate researcher and writer whose interest in everything computing is unparalleled. He blogs about his literary works at http://jerryolasakinju.blogspot.jp/

Cloud Computing a New Major Source of Employment Worldwide

Cloud computing is projected to become a $1.1 trillion dollar annual business in the next three years! This is according to a IDC research commissioned by Microsoft. Every couple of months, a new idea comes along making the whole sector take a huge leap forward, generating 14 million new jobs by January 2016.

Cloud computing: special force in innovation?

The positive impact of cloud computing is different than that of other new technologies: it transforms how companies operate, lowering costs and efficiency. However, its most important benefit is the spurring of innovation, freeing IT managers and personnel from mundane tasks. Cloud technology allows different individuals and departments within a company to meet and communicate more effectively. Before, IT directors had to deal with every-day crises and existing infrastructure tasks. With the advent of cloud service providers, IT directors can now talk strategy and find ways to help the whole company succeed in new concepts and technologies.

Some of the predictions contained in the IDC study

Thanks to the IT innovation mentioned above, the revenue from cloud computing could reach over a trillion dollars per year. The cloud revolution is truly democratic. Cloud service providers help smaller companies compete with larger sectors by giving them access to technology previously monopolized by huge IT infrastructure budgets. Employment related to cloud technology will increase across the board.

Asia is a major player in the future of cloud computing

Cloud technology will have a major effect on already established communications, media, and banking firms in the Asian economic powerhouses. A good example is GMO Cloud part of a huge internet conglomerate in Japan catering to major companies based in the country.

The IDC study predicts that half of the projected fourteen million jobs created will lie in India and China. Several cloud service providers are already taking steps to double their workforce in an attempt to meet increasing demand.

Small business and cloud technology

Small businesses typically have less access to technology than larger companies, even though small businesses account for most employment opportunities. However, with larger companies holding off on adopting cloud services because of larger investments in legacy infrastructure, smaller companies are projected to become drivers of cloud computing . Certain industries like retail and services will see rapid adoption of these technologies. However, banking and other information-sensitive sectors will take longer to adopt the cloud due to the security concerns.

Notwithstanding speed of adoption, cloud technology is one of the most important revolutions in the history of computing. We can therefore expect profound changes in the economy on a par with the technological leaps of the 80′s (personal computing) and the 00′s (mobile technology).

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Nida Rasheed is a freelance writer and owner of an outsourcing company, Nida often finds herself wanting to write about the subjects that are closest to her heart. She lives in Islamabad, Pakistan and can be found on Twitter @nidarasheed.