#Cloud Computing

[probablyasocialecologist]

The flotsam and jetsam of our digital queries and transactions, the flurry of electrons flitting about, warm the medium of air. Heat is the waste product of computation, and if left unchecked, it becomes a foil to the workings of digital civilization. Heat must therefore be relentlessly abated to keep the engine of the digital thrumming in a constant state, 24 hours a day, every day. To quell this thermodynamic threat, data centers overwhelmingly rely on air conditioning, a mechanical process that refrigerates the gaseous medium of air, so that it can displace or lift perilous heat away from computers. Today, power-hungry computer room air conditioners (CRACs) or computer room air handlers (CRAHs) are staples of even the most advanced data centers. In North America, most data centers draw power from “dirty” electricity grids, especially in Virginia’s “data center alley,” the site of 70 percent of the world’s internet traffic in 2019. To cool, the Cloud burns carbon, what Jeffrey Moro calls an “elemental irony.” In most data centers today, cooling accounts for greater than 40 percent of electricity usage.

[...]

The Cloud now has a greater carbon footprint than the airline industry. A single data center can consume the equivalent electricity of 50,000 homes. At 200 terawatt hours (TWh) annually, data centers collectively devour more energy than some nation-states. Today, the electricity utilized by data centers accounts for 0.3 percent of overall carbon emissions, and if we extend our accounting to include networked devices like laptops, smartphones, and tablets, the total shifts to 2 percent of global carbon emissions. Why so much energy? Beyond cooling, the energy requirements of data centers are vast. To meet the pledge to customers that their data and cloud services will be available anytime, anywhere, data centers are designed to be hyper-redundant: If one system fails, another is ready to take its place at a moment’s notice, to prevent a disruption in user experiences. Like Tom’s air conditioners idling in a low-power state, ready to rev up when things get too hot, the data center is a Russian doll of redundancies: redundant power systems like diesel generators, redundant servers ready to take over computational processes should others become unexpectedly unavailable, and so forth. In some cases, only 6 to 12 percent of energy consumed is devoted to active computational processes. The remainder is allocated to cooling and maintaining chains upon chains of redundant fail-safes to prevent costly downtime.

#computers #cloud #data #cloud computing #climate change

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Cloudburst

Enshittification isn’t inevitable: under different conditions and constraints, the old, good internet could have given way to a new, good internet. Enshittification is the result of specific policy choices: encouraging monopolies; enabling high-speed, digital shell games; and blocking interoperability.

First we allowed companies to buy up their competitors. Google is the shining example here: having made one good product (search), they then fielded an essentially unbroken string of in-house flops, but it didn’t matter, because they were able to buy their way to glory: video, mobile, ad-tech, server management, docs, navigation…They’re not Willy Wonka’s idea factory, they’re Rich Uncle Pennybags, making up for their lack of invention by buying out everyone else:

https://locusmag.com/2022/03/cory-doctorow-vertically-challenged/

But this acquisition-fueled growth isn’t unique to tech. Every administration since Reagan (but not Biden! more on this later) has chipped away at antitrust enforcement, so that every sector has undergone an orgy of mergers, from athletic shoes to sea freight, eyeglasses to pro wrestling:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/cea/written-materials/2021/07/09/the-importance-of-competition-for-the-american-economy/

But tech is different, because digital is flexible in a way that analog can never be. Tech companies can “twiddle” the back-ends of their clouds to change the rules of the business from moment to moment, in a high-speed shell-game that can make it impossible to know what kind of deal you’re getting:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/27/knob-jockeys/#bros-be-twiddlin

To make things worse, users are banned from twiddling. The thicket of rules we call IP ensure that twiddling is only done against users, never for them. Reverse-engineering, scraping, bots — these can all be blocked with legal threats and suits and even criminal sanctions, even if they’re being done for legitimate purposes:

https://locusmag.com/2020/09/cory-doctorow-ip/

Enhittification isn’t inevitable but if we let companies buy all their competitors, if we let them twiddle us with every hour that God sends, if we make it illegal to twiddle back in self-defense, we will get twiddled to death. When a company can operate without the discipline of competition, nor of privacy law, nor of labor law, nor of fair trading law, with the US government standing by to punish any rival who alters the logic of their service, then enshittification is the utterly foreseeable outcome.

To understand how our technology gets distorted by these policy choices, consider “The Cloud.” Once, “the cloud” was just a white-board glyph, a way to show that some part of a software’s logic would touch some commodified, fungible, interchangeable appendage of the internet. Today, “The Cloud” is a flashing warning sign, the harbinger of enshittification.

When your image-editing tools live on your computer, your files are yours. But once Adobe moves your software to The Cloud, your critical, labor-intensive, unrecreatable images are purely contingent. At at time, without notice, Adobe can twiddle the back end and literally steal the colors out of your own files:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/28/fade-to-black/#trust-the-process

The finance sector loves The Cloud. Add “The Cloud” to a product and profits (money you get for selling something) can turn into rents (money you get for owning something). Profits can be eroded by competition, but rents are evergreen:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/24/rent-to-pwn/#kitt-is-a-demon

No wonder The Cloud has seeped into every corner of our lives. Remember your first iPod? Adding music to it was trivial: double click any music file to import it into iTunes, then plug in your iPod and presto, synched! Today, even sophisticated technology users struggle to “side load” files onto their mobile devices. Instead, the mobile duopoly — Apple and Google, who bought their way to mobile glory and have converged on the same rent-seeking business practices, down to the percentages they charge — want you to get your files from The Cloud, via their apps. This isn’t for technological reasons, it’s a business imperative: 30% of every transaction that involves an app gets creamed off by either Apple or Google in pure rents:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/doctorow/red-team-blues-another-audiobook-that-amazon-wont-sell/posts/3788112

And yet, The Cloud is undeniably useful. Having your files synch across multiple devices, including your collaborators’ devices, with built-in tools for resolving conflicting changes, is amazing. Indeed, this feat is the holy grail of networked tools, because it’s how programmers write all the software we use, including software in The Cloud.

If you want to know how good a tool can be, just look at the tools that toolsmiths use. With “source control” — the software programmers use to collaboratively write software — we get a very different vision of how The Cloud could operate. Indeed, modern source control doesn’t use The Cloud at all. Programmers’ workflow doesn’t break if they can’t access the internet, and if the company that provides their source control servers goes away, it’s simplicity itself to move onto another server provider.

This isn’t The Cloud, it’s just “the cloud” — that whiteboard glyph from the days of the old, good internet — freely interchangeable, eminently fungible, disposable and replaceable. For a tool like git, Github is just one possible synchronization point among many, all of which have a workflow whereby programmers’ computers automatically make local copies of all relevant data and periodically lob it back up to one or more servers, resolving conflicting edits through a process that is also largely automated.

There’s a name for this model: it’s called “Local First” computing, which is computing that starts from the presumption that the user and their device is the most important element of the system. Networked servers are dumb pipes and dumb storage, a nice-to-have that fails gracefully when it’s not available.

The data structures of source-code are among the most complicated formats we have; if we can do this for code, we can do it for spreadsheets, word-processing files, slide-decks, even edit-decision-lists for video and audio projects. If local-first computing can work for programmers writing code, it can work for the programs those programmers write.

Local-first computing is experiencing a renaissance. Writing for Wired, Gregory Barber traces the history of the movement, starting with the French computer scientist Marc Shapiro, who helped develop the theory of “Conflict-Free Replicated Data” — a way to synchronize data after multiple people edit it — two decades ago:

https://www.wired.com/story/the-cloud-is-a-prison-can-the-local-first-software-movement-set-us-free/

Shapiro and his co-author Nuno Preguiça envisioned CFRD as the building block of a new generation of P2P collaboration tools that weren’t exactly serverless, but which also didn’t rely on servers as the lynchpin of their operation. They published a technical paper that, while exiting, was largely drowned out by the release of GoogleDocs (based on technology built by a company that Google bought, not something Google made in-house).

Shapiro and Preguiça’s work got fresh interest with the 2019 publication of “Local-First Software: You Own Your Data, in spite of the Cloud,” a viral whitepaper-cum-manifesto from a quartet of computer scientists associated with Cambridge University and Ink and Switch, a self-described “industrial research lab”:

https://www.inkandswitch.com/local-first/static/local-first.pdf

The paper describes how its authors — Martin Kleppmann, Adam Wiggins, Peter van Hardenberg and Mark McGranaghan — prototyped and tested a bunch of simple local-first collaboration tools built on CFRD algorithms, with the goal of “network optional…seamless collaboration.” The results are impressive, if nascent. Conflicting edits were simpler to resolve than the authors anticipated, and users found URLs to be a good, intuitive way of sharing documents. The biggest hurdles are relatively minor, like managing large amounts of change-data associated with shared files.

Just as importantly, the paper makes the case for why you’d want to switch to local-first computing. The Cloud is not reliable. Companies like Evernote don’t last forever — they can disappear in an eyeblink, and take your data with them:

https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/9/23789012/evernote-layoff-us-staff-bending-spoons-note-taking-app

Google isn’t likely to disappear any time soon, but Google is a graduate of the Darth Vader MBA program (“I have altered the deal, pray I don’t alter it any further”) and notorious for shuttering its products, even beloved ones like Google Reader:

https://www.theverge.com/23778253/google-reader-death-2013-rss-social

And while the authors don’t mention it, Google is also prone to simply kicking people off all its services, costing them their phone numbers, email addresses, photos, document archives and more:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/08/22/allopathic-risk/#snitches-get-stitches

There is enormous enthusiasm among developers for local-first application design, which is only natural. After all, companies that use The Cloud go to great lengths to make it just “the cloud,” using containerization to simplify hopping from one cloud provider to another in a bid to stave off lock-in from their cloud providers and the enshittification that inevitably follows.

The nimbleness of containerization acts as a disciplining force on cloud providers when they deal with their business customers: disciplined by the threat of losing money, cloud companies are incentivized to treat those customers better. The companies we deal with as end-users know exactly how bad it gets when a tech company can impose high switching costs on you and then turn the screws until things are almost-but-not-quite so bad that you bolt for the doors. They devote fantastic effort to making sure that never happens to them — and that they can always do that to you.

Interoperability — the ability to leave one service for another — is technology’s secret weapon, the thing that ensures that users can turn The Cloud into “the cloud,” a humble whiteboard glyph that you can erase and redraw whenever it suits you. It’s the greatest hedge we have against enshittification, so small wonder that Big Tech has spent decades using interop to clobber their competitors, and lobbying to make it illegal to use interop against them:

https://locusmag.com/2019/01/cory-doctorow-disruption-for-thee-but-not-for-me/

Getting interop back is a hard slog, but it’s also our best shot at creating a new, good internet that lives up the promise of the old, good internet. In my next book, The Internet Con: How to Seize the Means of Computation (Verso Books, Sept 5), I set out a program fro disenshittifying the internet:

https://www.versobooks.com/products/3035-the-internet-con

The book is up for pre-order on Kickstarter now, along with an independent, DRM-free audiobooks (DRM-free media is the content-layer equivalent of containerized services — you can move them into or out of any app you want):

http://seizethemeansofcomputation.org

Meanwhile, Lina Khan, the FTC and the DoJ Antitrust Division are taking steps to halt the economic side of enshittification, publishing new merger guidelines that will ban the kind of anticompetitive merger that let Big Tech buy its way to glory:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/07/biden-administration-corporate-merger-antitrust-guidelines/674779/

The internet doesn’t have to be enshittified, and it’s not too late to disenshittify it. Indeed — the same forces that enshittified the internet — monopoly mergers, a privacy and labor free-for-all, prohibitions on user-side twiddling — have enshittified everything from cars to powered wheelchairs. Not only should we fight enshittification — we must.

Back my anti-enshittification Kickstarter here!

If you’d like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here’s a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad- free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/03/there-is-no-cloud/#only-other-peoples-computers

Image: Drahtlos (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Motherboard_Intel_386.jpg

CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en

—

cdsessums (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Monsoon_Season_Flagstaff_AZ_clouds_storm.jpg

CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en

#pluralistic #web3 #darth vader mba #conflict-free replicated data #CRDT #computer science #saas #Mark McGranaghan #Adam Wiggins #evernote #git #local-first computing #the cloud #cloud computing #enshittification #technological self-determination #Martin Kleppmann #Peter van Hardenberg

[nixcraft]

Modern software development be like: I wrote 10 lines of code to call an API that calls another API, which calls yet another API that finally turns on a lightbulb. Pray that Cloudflare or AWS will not be down during this operation; otherwise, there will be no light for you.

#software development #shitpost #software engineering #truth #API #cloud computing #cloudflare #AWS #IoT

[abelmvada]

Cloud computing and software as a service are a choice. "Local first" computing is possible, and desirable.

- Cory Doctorow

#gif #computers #cloud computing #retro computing #flashing #local first #Cory Doctorow #quote #Abel M'Vada

[codingquill]

What is Cloud Computing ?

Cloud computing has become a widely discussed topic in recent years, but explaining it in simple terms to someone without a background in computer science can be challenging. Allow me to break it down for you.

Cloud computing is a method of storing and accessing data and programs over the internet, rather than keeping them on your personal computer or mobile device. To illustrate this, let's consider online email services like Gmail or Outlook. When you use these services, you can access your emails from anywhere because they are stored in the cloud. This means you don't need to install any special software or save your messages on your hard drive. Instead, your emails are stored on remote servers owned by companies like Google or Microsoft. You can access them from any device connected to the internet, regardless of your location.

Understanding Servers in the Cloud

Now, let's delve into the concept of servers in the cloud.

The data stored in the cloud is saved on physical servers, which are powerful computers capable of storing and processing vast amounts of information. These servers are typically housed in data centers, which are specialized facilities that accommodate thousands of servers and other equipment. Data centers require significant power, cooling, security, and connectivity to operate efficiently and reliably.

Microsoft and Google are two of the largest cloud providers globally, and they have data centers located in various regions and continents. Here are some examples of where their data centers are located, according to search results:

Microsoft has data centers in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.

Google has data centers in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.

#codeblr #code #javascript #java development company #studyblr #progblr #programming #comp sci #web design #web developers #web development #website design #webdev #website #tech #html css #learn to code #cloud computing #datascience #dataanalytics

[butlerm]

Computer data Download/watch the looping video here: https://bit.ly/circuitBoard

#gif #animated gif #gif animation #motion graphics #mograph #circuit #computer #data #technology #web #internet #digital #digital data #computer network #networking #cloud computing #the cloud #motherboard #cpu

[izicodes]

Microsoft Azure Fundamentals

Thursday 17th august 2023

Dad has got me trying to get the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals certification! If you know me, I love my name on certificates so I am trying it out! I haven't been too much into cloud computing so I guess this is a good opportunity to actually learn and see what it's all about.

I know the bare basics that it's storing things not at the company?? Like at work, they store everything in Azure. Again, I may be wrong with the definition - that's why I'm learning!

Learning new things can be fun! ˙˚ʚ(´◡`)ɞ˚˙

#xc: studies #azure studies #codeblr #coding #progblr #programming #studyblr #studying #computer science #microsoft azure #azure certification #tech #cloud computing

[luisglass]

#clouds #cloud nonsense #cloud computing #cielo #sky #nubes #mar de nubes #rain

[nightfalldeepness]

Coffee, work and old Hindi songs for my soul💕💕

#dark academia #spilled thoughts #lovepoems poetry #study space #studygram #studyspo #study aesthetic #studyblr #stem studyblr #studywithme #cloud computing #computer scientist #html website #kotlin #flowers #coffee #coffetime #coffee is my love language #android #desi academia #academia aesthetic

[devhubby]

How to Deploy Golang Programs in Production?

Read more at: https://elvanco.com/blog/how-to-deploy-golang-programs-in-production

#golangdeveloper #golang developer #go #devops #cloud computing #software development

[starszzz]

#photo #pic #artwork #abstract art #abstract #abstract pic #photos #photoshop #ps #ps tutorial #cloud computing #clouds #rainbowcore #colorcore #rainbow #colorful #rainbow art #2022 artwork #2022 #artists #artists on tumblr #female artists #starszzz #editing #render #awesome #trippy #neoncore #rad #radical

[nixcraft]

#aws #cloud computing #sysadmin #linux #linux memes #IT #data center

[515engine]

#cloud #cloud computing #cloud cost optimization #Cloud cost management #technology #tech

[aequitasinfotech]

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#software development #software company #seo services #software #digitalmarketing #technology #cloud computing #cloud software #modern software #Aequitas InfoTech

[izicodes]

Quizlet praises me

Saturday 19th August 2023

I'm getting there with my Cloud Computing studies! I am actually remembering things! Okay Loa, don't fall off now!

By the grace of God, I can eventually do some practice exams on this topic of 'Describe cloud computing' o(≧▽≦)o

#xc: studies #codeblr #coding #progblr #programming #studyblr #studying #computer science #microsoft azure #azure certification #tech #cloud computing #azure studies

[atozofsoftwareengineering]

Mastering Network Connectivity: Google Cloud Platform's Robust Networking Solutions

Unlock seamless connectivity with GCP's networking prowess! 🌐 Discover global load balancing, VPC security, and more. #GCP #CloudNetworking #HybridCloud

In today’s digital era, there’s nothing more crucial than seamless and reliable network connectivity for businesses thriving in the cloud. And when it comes to meeting these needs, Google Cloud Platform (GCP) truly stands out. With its comprehensive suite of networking solutions, GCP is tailor-made to address the diverse requirements of modern enterprises. In this captivating technical blog,…

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#aws #cloud #Cloud Computing #Cloud Interconnect #Cloud Networking #Cloud Router #Cloud VPN #gcp #GCP Networking Solutions #google cloud platform #Hybrid cloud #load balancing #Network Intelligence Center #Networking #technology #Virtual Private Cloud #VPC