In my first post, I briefly discussed the Oracle Cloud DBaaS. Even though I do not want to repeat any information, I do want to discuss why Oracle is looking to be the most powerful of the DBaaS providers.
Oracle has been a giant in the technology industry since the *70s*. Specializing in both hardware and software, the company has always been a leader in upcoming technology innovations. Oracle Cloud is no different. With the development of Oracle Cloud, the organization is keeping the customers best interests in mind. Customers have asked for faster, simpler, and inexpensive database management and Oracle has delivered. Oracle's reputation as a leading company has allowed them to gain new customers, while satisfying existing customers. In many cases, when you think about technology, Oracle is the name most people mention. Being such a well-known organization that is able to adapt to the ever-growing technology world has is advantages.
The question now is: will Oracle continue to reign supreme in the DBaaS community, or will another technology company attempt to topple them?
Desert Option 2: Cloudant
Next up, we take a look at the company Cloudant, a DBaaS provider with financial backing from leading business organizations.
Cloudant is a software development company that focuses on providing open-source database service to organizations. Besides providing many of the same services and features that other DBaaS providers, there seems to be a focus on its scalable, NoSQL DBaaS on a global scale (NoSQL uses non-relational databases, in comparison to SQL which uses relational databases). By being scalable, organizations are able to increase and decrease the storage needed with relative ease.
Pricing for the Cloudant DBaaS is based on HTTP requests and data volume usage on a monthly basis. The data volume usage costs $1.00 per GB per month. Heavy HTTP requests start at $0.015 per 100, with light HTTP requests starting at $0.015 per 500. The first month is free, and a company is not charged if the data volume usage is under $5.00. Firms also have the option to add extra support features or cluster options.
Back in May, Cloudant was able to raise $12 million for its DBaaS thanks to several major investments from Devonshire Investors, Rackspace, Toba Capital, Avalon Ventures, In-Q-Tel, and Samsung Venture Investment Corporation. These investments were made in part to continue developing databases for both web and mobile applications With major companies backing Cloudant, it is safe to say the company will continue developing new ways to utilize its DBaaS services in the future.
Dessert Option 1: Amazon SimpleDB
As I have mentioned previously, Database-as-a-Service is not necessarily a new layer of cloud computing. Rather, it is just a less talked about feature that has not received the recognition it deserves. There are several cloud providers that are offering DBaaS for an organizations use. The first one that I will go through today is one of my personal favorite places for online shopping and deals: Amazon!
The giant company is not just known for its online shopping deals. Amazon has been working to be a competitor in the world of technology services. Amazon Web Services includes products and solutions for organizations to utilize and perform better. Recently, Amazon has developed is own DBaaS, known as Amazon SimpleDB. The DBaaS is currently in its beta version and is advertised as "a highly available and flexible non-relational data store that offloads the work of database administration".
One of the main features for DBaaS is the decrease the work and space needed for a database administrator, and Amazon SimpleDB is no different. The DBaaS focuses on simple, flexible application developments that can also be utilized with Amazon Web Services. The idea is that the database administrator should not be the only person who understands how to best utilize an organization's data. All end users of the database should be able to navigate through a database with ease and without having to understand the full complexity of a database. Obviously, organizations do not want all end users to have full control and authorization of a database. Therefore, the DBaaS has utilized several security measures, including encrypted communication and the ability to integrate the database with other AWS security measures such as AWS Identity.
As with most DBaaS, the service is offered in a pay-as-you-go format. An organization will pay for only what they use, with no minimum fee. For both new and existing customers, Amazon offers 25 SimpleDB machine hours as well as 1GB of storage for free. Once those machine hours have been used, the cost for a machine hour is $0.140 per GB (all pricing is based on U.S. East region). For data storage, the cost is $0.250 per GB once the first free GB is used each month. For those curious, there is also a calculator on the website that allows curious customers to estimate the monthly costs of the DBaaS, based on estimated data and storage usage.
Inexpensive. Simplicity. Flexibility. What more could a DBaaS need? Amazon is just one example of a company that is looking to expand an already large and growing business. How do you think Amazon will further develop its database and cloud service?
On to the Main Course: Database-as-a-Service
Now that we understand what cloud computing is, let's discuss what Database-as-a-Service is.
In the previous post, I talked about the three layers of cloud computing: Software-as-a-Service, Platform-as-a-Service, and Infrastructure-as-a-Service. DBaaS is the fourth, but not necessarily newest, cloud computing layer. Similar to the other layers of cloud computing, it provides a service over the use of the Internet--in this case, database management. The layer acts as an automated, virtual database administrator from a remote location, providing the necessary applications needed for companies to store, retrieve, and manage data. By utilizing a DBaaS, a user may only be responsible for defining the application the that is needed, as well as the budgets and constraints of the service. The DBaaS is responsible for maintenance, backup and recovery, security, configuration, etc. For many companies, this alleviates unnecessary stress and allows for greater customization of a firm's database.
DBaaS shares many of the same advantages and disadvantages as the other three layers of cloud computing. One of the most notable advantages of DBaaS is cost efficiency. Databases in general can be highly expensive to maintain, especially if done in-house. DBaaS providers typically allow firms to purchase the service using monthly subscriptions, such as with the Oracle Cloud DBaaS. Firms pay only for what they use and nothing more, allowing for greater flexibility. One downside to DBaaS, similar to the other layers of cloud computing, is security risks. Companies are slowly overcoming their fears of storing large amounts of data in a non-physical location. Still, DBaaS providers are doing well to ensure organizations that their information is safe and will always be readily available.
I believe a question now is: Will the use of DBaaS surpass SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS? The layers may seem similar at first glance, but specializes in something different from the others. Is DBaaS more necessary in companies than the others? Will DBaaS become the next focus of cloud computing services in top technology companies across the world? Oracle seems to think so. But what service can possibly upstage DBaaS? There are still plenty of questions to ask about this layer of cloud computing that I could not even begin to answer in just one post. For my next few posts, I plan to take a look at the different companies that are providing and/or utilizing DBaaS to determine if DBaaS is really the future of cloud computing.
Below are a few articles that go more into detail about DBaaS:
Would You Care for an Appetizer: Cloud Computing
Cloud computing is a technology in which data and programs are stored and accessible via the Internet from a remote location outside of the organization. The term was first used in 1997 at the University of Texas, but the technology has been in development since the early 1980s. Besides Oracle, there are a number of organizations that use or develop technologies that implement cloud computing, such as Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, IBM, and Cisco.
Typically, if a firm were to handle their own data in-house, they would have to manage any applications, data, hardware, and software. Until recently, there were three types of cloud computing that an organization could choose from to eliminate this issue. Each type of cloud computing service separates the data that needs to be handled in-house versus what data can be stored at the location of the cloud. Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) allows a business to subscribe to applications through the Internet. In SaaS, the organization is able to manage only the application that it subscribes. Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) allows a business to create custom applications for the organization. In PaaS, a business needs only to manage the applications and data need to develop the custom application. Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) allows businesses to essentially rent space in a cloud from larger companies. In IaaS, the business will be able to manage the applications, data, run time, middle ware, and operating system, while renting out servers, storage, and networking. The cloud can also be deployed publicly or privately. Organizations can own and manage public clouds for quick access and to decrease the need to purchase and maintain the hardware and software needed to support the data and programs. An organization can own and manage a private cloud if they wish to have more control of the data.
Cloud
computing technology offers several advantages for organizations. It
provides a flexible means of storing and accessing data for
organizations. If an organization needed to add or decrease storage
space in the cloud, they can easily do so, while only paying for what
is actually used and nothing else. Backing up and recovering data has
become a simpler process for organizations as all the data is stored
in the cloud and firms only need to contact the cloud service
provider if recovery is needed. As long as there is Internet access,
the cloud is accessible. This allows organizations and individuals to
travel between different geographic locations while still being able
to access necessary data and programs from the cloud, such as for
telecommuting. Cloud computing does have a few disadvantages, such as
being prone to technical and security issues. If the system is down
due to outages or if an organization or individual does not have the
proper Internet connection, they will not be able to access the
cloud. Because the cloud is simply the Internet, it can be prone to
security breaches. When an organization decides to use cloud
computing methods, they essentially give up any and all information
and data to the cloud service provider, including classified and
sensitive information. Organizations must be aware of the increased
chance of security breaches and should only use reliable cloud
service providers if they choose to use the technology.
With
almost unlimited storage space, easy accessibility, and flexible
payment methods, it is no wonder why cloud computing has become a
popular method of storing and accessing data and applications. Over
80% of larger companies in North America are either contemplating or
using the technology, with this number expected to rise throughout
the years to come. Cloud computing has even become a resource for
individuals to use to store music and purchase items over the
Internet. Though cloud computing is a generally new technology with
improvements that can be made, it is expected to continue to evolve
and may even become the primary resource of data storage.
Works
Cited
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12 Sep. 2013.
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Cohen, Reuven.
"The Cloud Hits the Mainstream." Forbes.
16 Apr 2013: n. page. Web. 12 Sep.
2013. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/reuvencohen/2013/04/16/the-cloud-hits-the-mainstream-more -than-half-of-u-s-businesses-now-use-cloud-computing/>.
Griffith, Eric.
"What is Cloud Computing?." PC
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Viswanathan,
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Time for a Quick Snack! Oracle Leads with New Database-as-a-Service Technology
Oracle's DBaaS is a feature of the company's growing focus on cloud technology, Oracle Cloud. The focus of the DBaaS is to allow end users greater customization and control of its databases without sacrificing excess money,storage, and ease of usage. According to a news press found on the Oracle corporation website (Oracle Expands Oracle Cloud), the DBaaS includes:
The end users are given several options to choose from when deciding how their databases should be managed, allowing companies to customize these services to their needs. Companies can choose a basic service featuring pre-configured settings and software, managed services which allows Oracle to manage, backup, and recover the DBMS as much as needed, or maximum availability services which allow the highest possible of security, recovery/backup processes, and management of a companies DBMS as possible. At the same time, each service is priced as monthly subscriptions to fit within a firm's budget.
This is probably not the only instance of an attempt at DBaaS, but it is definitely the one instance most organizations have been looking forward to. The use of cloud computing, particularly in an enterprise setting, has shown to have been increasing in most recent years. The fact that a reputable company, such as Oracle, has taken the reins of the growing technology shows that this could be a very promising way of managing databases.
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