Preface

“Civilization advances by extending the numb

advances er of imp
number ortant op
important oper
er
erations
ations
which we can perform without thinking ab
about
out them.”
—Alfred North Whitehead, Intr
Intro
oduction to Mathematics

This b o ok is ab
about
out cloud computing and hohoww you, the reader, may apply it to
adv
advan
an
antage
tage in science and engineering. It is a practical guide, with man
many
y hands-on
examples, all accessible online, of ho
how
w to use cloud computing to address specific
problems that arise in technical computing, and actionable advice on ho how
w and
when to apply cloud computing in your daily work.
The term cloud computing was first used in 1996; to toda
da
dayy, it app
appears
ears on billb
billboards
oards
in airp
airports.
orts. Yadvanc
“Civilization ou mayeswby onder whether
extending theitnumb
is a tec
technology
er hnology
hnology, , mo
mov
of important vemen
ement, t, repack
repackaging
operations aging of
old ideas, or mark
marketing
eting
which slogan.
we canIt piserform
all of these things
without and more.
thinking about Ab Aboove all, though,
them.”
it is a transformation in the state of affairs that we ignore at our p eril, in science as
Introduction to Mathematics
in other parts of our—Alfred North
life. As Tim BrayWhitehead,
wrote in 2015: “Y “Yeah,
eah, computing is mo moving
ving
to a utility momodel.
del. Yeah, you can do all sorts of things in a public cloud that are
to
tooo hard or to too
o exp
expensiv
ensiv
ensivee in your own computer ro room.
om. Yeah, the public-cloud
This b o ok is ab out cloud computing and how you, the reader, may apply it to
op
operators
erators are going to provide way b etter uptime, security security,, and distribution than
advantage in science and engineering. It is a practical guide, with many hands-on
you can build yourself. And yeah, there was a Tuesday in last week.” [77]
Preface
examples, all accessible online, of how to use cloud computing to address specific
This emergence
problems that ariseofinp otechnical
werful, alw
alwa ays-on, accessible
computing, cloud utilities
and actionable has on
advice transformed
how and
ho
howw we, as consumers, in
interact
teract with in
when to apply cloud computing in your daily work. formatio n technology
technology, , allo
allowing
wing us to stream
videos from Netflix (hosted on the Amazon cloud), search for web conten contentt via
The term cloud computing was first used in 1996; to day, it app ears on billb oards
Go
Google
ogle (leveraging the Go Google
ogle cloud), up update
date friends on our doings via Faceb acebo o ok,
in airp orts. You may wonder whether it is a technology, movement, repackaging of
and ask Alexa to buy our gro groceries.
ceries. The cloud has also allow allowed ed man
many y companies to
old ideas, or marketing slogan. It is all of these things and more. Ab ove all, though,
outsource mucmuch h of their information tec technology
hnology to cloud providers, slashing costs
it is a transformation in the state of affairs that we ignore at our p eril, in science as
and increasing velocity
velocity.. Myriad previously manual activities are b eing automated
in other parts of our life. As Tim Bray wrote in 2015: “Yeah, computing is moving
via soft
softw
ware running on cloud utilities, in ways imagined by McCarthy in 1960 and
to a utility mo del. Yeah, you can do all sorts of things in a public cloud that are
explored by grid in the 1990s, and now realized at scale by cloud providers suc suchh as
to o hard or to o exp ensive in your own computer ro om. Yeah, the public-cloud
Amazon, Go Google,
ogle, and Microsoft.
op erators are going to provide way b etter uptime, security, and distribution than
you can build yourself. And yeah, there was a Tuesday in last week.” [77]
This emergence of p owerful, always-on, accessible cloud utilities has transformed
how we, as consumers, interact with information technology, allowing us to stream
videos from Netflix (hosted on the Amazon cloud), search for web content via
Go ogle (leveraging the Go ogle cloud), up date friends on our doings via Faceb o ok,
and ask Alexa to buy our gro ceries. The cloud has also allowed many companies to
outsource much of their information technology to cloud providers, slashing costs
and increasing velocity. Myriad previously manual activities are b eing automated
 But what ababout
out science and engineering? Man
Many y scientists and engineers use
cloud services such as Dropb
Dropbo ox, GitHub, Go
Google
ogle Do
Docs,
cs, Skyp
Skype,
e, and eveven
en Twitter in
their work. But they are far from exploiting the full b enefits of cloud computing.
Some tec
technical
hnical applications run on cloud computers, but few researc
researchers
hers outsource
muc
uch
h else to the cloud. This is a missed opportunity ity.. After all, science and
engineering, while fascinating and intellectually rewarding professions, include
man
many y mundane and time-consuming activities. Can we not accelerate disco discov
very
(and ha
hav
ve more fun) via automation and outsourcing? We b eliev elievee that the answ
answer
er
to this question is yes, which is wh
whyy we wrote this b o ok.
In the chapters that follow, we examine the new tec technologies
hnologies that underpin
cloud, the new approaches to technical problems that cloud enables, and the new
ways of thinking that are required to apply cloud effectiv ectively
ely in research. We do
But what ab out science and engineering? Many scientists and engineers use
not aspire to proprovide
vide a comprehensive guide to cloud computing: the ma major
jor cloud
cloud services such as Dropb ox, GitHub, Go ogle Do cs, Skyp e, and even Twitter in
pro
providers
viders opoperate
erate literally hundreds of services, and there are surely man manyy b ey
eyond
ond
their work. But they are far from exploiting the full b enefits of cloud computing.
those presented here that can b e applied effectiv ectively
ely in science and engineering.
Some technical applications run on cloud computers, but few researchers outsource
But we do describ
describee the essen
essentials
tials and provide you with the concepts required to
much else to the cloud. This is a missed opportunity. After all, science and
in
integrate
tegrate cloud services in into
to your work.
engineering, while fascinating and intellectually rewarding professions, include
manThe followingand
y mundane aretime-consuming
some of the questions thatCan
activities. we we
findnot
p eople asking,disco
accelerate andvery
for
whic
which
(and hhawe
ve aim
moretofun)
provide answ
answers.
via automation ers. Should I buy a cluster
and outsourcing? We bor usee cloud?
eliev that theWill
answmyer
gran
grantt pa
payy the bills if I use a co mmerci al cloud?
to this question is yes, which is why we wrote this b o ok. Ho
Howw can I get m y data to the
cloud? Is it safe there? Can I share it with my collab collaborators?
orators? How do I compute
In the chapters that follow, we examine the new technologies that underpin
in the cloud? Can cloud computing scale? What if I wan antt to compute on large
cloud, the new approaches to technical problems that cloud enables, and the new
quan
quantities
tities of data? Should I use cloud platform services in my work? Which ones
ways of thinking that are required to apply cloud effectively in research. We do
are go
gooo d for science and engineering? Ho Howw can I build my own cloud services?
not aspire to provide a comprehensive guide to cloud computing: the ma jor cloud
Can I make them scale on demand to address really large problems? What are
providers op erate literally hundreds of services, and there are surely many b eyond
some examples of successful uses of cloud in science and engineering? How can I
those presented here that can b e applied effectively in science and engineering.
build my own cloud?
But we do describ e the essentials and provide you with the concepts required to
Lac
Lacking
integrateking a crystal
cloud servicesball, weycannot
into pro
provide
our work. vide definitiv
definitivee answ
answers
ers to these questions.
But we can at least pro provide
vide you with information and p ersp erspectiv
ectiv
ectives
es that you can
The following are some of the questions that we find p eople asking, and for
use to make up your own mind on these and other questions.
which we aim to provide answers. Should I buy a cluster or use cloud? Will my
grant pay the bills if I use a commercial cloud? How can I get my data to the
cloud? Is it safe there? Can I share it with my collab orators? How do I compute
All flo ws, nothing stays. So wrote Heraclitus 2,500 years ago,
flows,
in the cloud? Can cloud computing scale? What if I want to compute on large
and softw
software
are is worse. Some technical details in this b ook will
quantities of data? Should I use cloud platform services in my work? Which ones
pro
provve more transien
transientt than we would like. Do not despair. Help
are go o d for science and engineering? How can I build my own cloud services?
us and your colleagues by letting us know at Cloud4SciEng.org.
Can I make them scale on demand to address really large problems? What are
We will up date the website, and prepare for the second edition.
update
some examples of successful uses of cloud in science and engineering? How can I
build my own cloud?
Lacking a crystal ball, we cannot provide definitive answers to these questions.
But we can at least provide you with information
xvi and p ersp ectives that you can
use to make up your own mind on these and other questions.

All flows, nothing stays.

So wrote Heraclitus 2,500 years ago,
and software is worse. Some technical details in this b ook will
prove more transient than we would like. DoCloud4SciEng.org
not despair. Help
us and your colleagues by letting us know at .