I have heard terms such as grid computing before. How is it different from cloud computing?
Grid computing describes a distributed architecture introduced more than a decade ago in which the computing load is shared and balanced among clusters of servers in one or more data centers. The grid design allows for more efficient and dynamic utilization of computing resources. Grid architecture is an integral part of cloud computing, with today’s cloud grids relying on virtualization technologies for greater efficiencies. Question: What are the characteristics of cloud computing? How is it different from the way IT is delivered today? Answer: Chart 1: Key Characteristics of a Cloud In most enterprises, the existing infrastructure is ridden with inefficiencies due to the low utilization rate of resources such as computing and storage. Customers have mostly invested in excess capacity considering the peak demand and thus have traditionally spent in excess of their usage levels. Cloud offers to eliminate these inefficiencies and allows enterprises to migrate to an on-demand utility-ba
