What is Utility Computing?

Utility Computing:-

Utility computing (on-demand computing) is the packaging of computing resources, such as computation and storage, as a metered service similar to a physical public utility (such as electricity, water, natural gas, or telephone network). This system has the advantage of a low or no initial cost to acquire hardware; instead, computational resources are essentially rented. Customers with very large computations or a sudden peak in demand can also avoid the delays that would result from physically acquiring and assembling a large number of computers. Basically, utility computing is a business model in which one company outsources part or all of its computer support to another company. Support in this case doesn't just mean technical advice; it includes everything from computer processing power to data storage.

"Utility computing" has usually envisioned some form of virtualization so that the amount of storage or computing power available is considerably larger than that of a single time-sharing computer. Multiple servers are used on the "back end" to make this possible. These might be a dedicated computer cluster specifically built for the purpose of being rented out, or even an under-utilized supercomputer. The technique of running a single calculation on multiple computers is known as distributed computing

Many utility computing companies offer bundles or packages of resources. A comprehensive package might include all of the following:

• Computer hardware: including servers, CPUs, monitors, input devices and network cables.
• Internet access: including Web servers and browsing software.
• Software applications: that run the entire gamut of computer programs. They could include word processing programs, e-mail clients, project-specific applications and everything in between. Industry experts call this particular kind of business "Software as a Service" (SaaS).
• Access to the processing power of a supercomputer. Some corporations have hefty computational requirements. For example, a financial company might need to process rapidly-changing data gathered from the stock market. While a normal computer might take hours to process complicated data, a supercomputer could complete the same task much more quickly.
• The use of a grid computing system: - A grid computing system is a network of computers running special software called middleware. The middleware detects idle CPU processing power and allows an application running on another computer to take advantage of it. It's useful for large computational problems that can be divided into smaller chunks.
• Off-site data storage: - which is also called cloud storage. There are many reasons a company might want to store data off-site. If the company processes a lot of data, it might not have the physical space to hold the data servers it needs. An off-site backup is also a good way to protect information in case of a catastrophe. For example, if the company's building were demolished in a fire, its data would still exist in another location.

Utility computing rates vary depending on the utility computing company and the requested service. Usually, companies charge clients based on service usage rather than a flat fee. The more a client uses services, the more fees it must pay. Some companies bundle services together at a reduced rate, essentially selling computer services in bulk.