Given the comprehensive and dramatic computing changes offered through cloud computing, it is sometimes easy to confuse the term with other computing styles. After all, cloud computing incorporates a number of computing ideas into a more complete service, which is why it is so powerful. One gray area to sort out is the difference between cloud computing and autonomic computing. These two computing ideas have many overlapping components, but ultimately have a different scope that is important to understand in order to leverage either one properly in the computing realm.
The idea behind autonomic computing has been around for years, but the pursuit to establish it as a meaningful computing system began in 2001 when IBM started the autonomic computing initiative. The purpose of the initiative was to create a self-managing computing system, capable of handling the need for increasingly complex tasks while keeping itself in check. To do this, autonomic computing involves creating systems that can run diagnostics and checks, and then work to compensate for any irregularities or glitches that may appear. This is achieved through multiple closed control loops, which strive to keep the overall system within certain bounds. Through autonomic computing, there is less need for system maintenance, since the various facets of the system, such as security or configuration, are autonomously maintained.
Cloud computing relies on many features of autonomic computing, including many autonomic components. However, the idea behind cloud computing is more ambitious. Cloud computing is more of a virtual computing interface, in which the environment where users work is not actually connected to a single machine. In fact, the true power of cloud computing involves the leasing of computing infrastructure and software via the internet, so that the virtual environment is completely maintained at a remote location. This means, that users would not even know where the infrastructure is or the paths their data takes. In this way, cloud computing allows for greater accessibility, since users do not have to understand the tools and programs that create the interface.
To gain power, cloud computing incorporates elements of autonomic computing, since cloud providers would utilize multiple computers and a self-regulating system. Without such measures in place, cloud providers could not keep up with the maintenance costs and demands of the features they provide. Because of this, cloud computing is a faster way to work, and is popular with companies because it largely offsets infrastructure and software investments.
Clearly, though there are similarities between autonomic computing and cloud computing structures, there are many disparate elements between them as well. The nature of cloud computing utilizes autonomic computing but extends the power far beyond that, by spreading out the work even further. Moreover, autonomic computing at its most basic level still requires an understanding of the infrastructure and software that supports it, while the virtual interface utilized in cloud computing does not.
Therefore, while both computing elements are powerful, cloud computing has for more to offer. A good illustration of its power can be seen with a common business computing task, such as customer relationship management. Keeping track of client information is a key task for any company, so a method of computing that facilitates both the entry and access of this information is a huge asset. Though autonomic computing can help make the database supporting this information more self-sufficient and free up employees from running routine maintenance, cloud computing can reduce the number of support staff even more dramatically, since there is significantly less infrastructure to maintain. Cloud computing also creates a more user-friendly environment, which can give developers more freedom to create other necessary computing programs and can allow other employees easier access to the data being stored.
Overall, while these two computing concepts share many characteristics, they can ultimately be leveraged for different ends, which is an important distinction to understand when considering how they can best be applied in a business setting.
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