A network infrastructure. Clouds generally refer to wide area networks (WANs) such as the Internet, but can also be used to depict local networks (LANs). A cloud-like symbol in a network diagram is used to reduce an entire communications network into points of entry and exit. Clouds are drawn when the components within the network are not material to the illustration. Inside the cloud, there may be any number of routers, switches, trunks and other devices that make up the network infrastructure. See cloud computing.
Network Cloud
The cloud symbol represents a communications network without specific details of its architecture. Diagrams show clouds when only the points of entry and exit need to be identified.
Network Cloud
The cloud symbol represents a communications network without specific details of its architecture. Diagrams show clouds when only the points of entry and exit need to be identified.
 | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2008 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
- Rich Internet application startup ideas Y Combinator wants to see
- Y Combinator posted a list of a bunch of different startup ideas they'd like to see and fund. It's a sizable list with 30 different thoughts waiting for enthusiastic entrepreneurs to take a shot. But what struck me most about the list was how RIA-heavy it is. I as much...
- Blog posts 2008-07-20
- NebuAd: Galileo or pariah?
- NebuAd: Galileo or pariah?Double Pariah!!NebuAd is not only a Pariah but a double Pariah! And evoking the spirit of Galileo won't solve the shameless acts they have been doing to innocent consumers. I hope congress get very tough with them: Privacy Breach: Behavioral Targeting Needs Closer Look (http://www.internetevolution.com/author.asp?section_id=544&doc_id=153592&F_src=flftwo)RE: NebuAd: Galileo...
- Discussion threads 2008-07-18
- Immobile Apple
- It's 11:33 a.m. Friday. Approximately 66 and a half hours since Apple Support acknowledged receipt of my request for help on syncing calendar and contact data from my iMac to the "cloud,'' i.e., MobileMe servers wherever they are. Re-request sent after 48 hours. Still...
- Blog posts 2008-07-18
- GE's Enterprise Collaboration Backbone
- General Electric, the venerable multinational that was founded in 1878 in New Jersey, have at their core a hugely sophisticated enterprise collaboration system that is arguably the largest in the world. I was able to see Dr Sukh Grewal, Manager of GE's 'SupportCentral' collaboration...
- Blog posts 2008-07-17
- DaaS solves schools' Internet parity problem with help from IBM and Desktone
- The broad affection for the term "cloud computing" and all that sticks to that nowadays will mean broad affection too for desktop as a service. Desktone has its sights set on helping service providers ramp up DaaS offerings, but enterprises will be in this one too. Citrix, VMware and Microsoft...
- Blog posts 2008-07-17
- News to know: Google; Microsoft; eBay; SAP; Apple
- Notable headlines: Larry Dignan: Google's second quarter: What to expect Deb Perelman: The Techie Hall of Shame Phil Wainewright: How much is a unit of cloud computing? Joe McKendrick: Seven SOA experts explain how to 'just do it' Robin...
- Blog posts 2008-07-17
- Open source college revolution?
- Open source college revolution?Blackboard NG "Next Generation"Keynote speaker Blackboard CEO Michael Chasen demonstrated the power and direction of Blackboad NG at today's afternoon session of Blackboard World '08 in Las Vegas.TRULY a Next Generation product that makes any institution's 'learning' go everywhere.+ It will now wrap Moodle & Satai.+ Courses...
- Discussion threads 2008-07-17
- How much is a unit of cloud computing?
- How much is a unit of cloud computing?It will never be as easy as kwh, but, we do need a way to pay for usage.And it needs to be fine grained. Amazons method is WAY to course.RE: How much is a unit of cloud computing?Phil,We at GoGrid decided on...
- Discussion threads 2008-07-16
- How much is a unit of cloud computing?
- Could Mosso's concept of a compute cycle be the first step towards a standard, negotiable unit of cloud computing? Or is that a step too far towards commoditization for vendors to stomach? by Phil Wainewright
- Blog posts 2008-07-16
- Poll: Would a MicroAOL be better than a MicroHoo?
- Poll: Would a MicroAOL be better than a MicroHoo?Microsoft tried to buy AOL...... and Steve Case turned down Bill Gates. He wanted to buy Time Warner and own a movie studio instead. (Anachronism alert.)But in this case Microsoft buying AOL makes more sense. Time Warner can throw...
- Discussion threads 2008-07-16
- Open source college revolution?
- Moodle is trying to lead the break by putting its open source course management system into Amazon's cloud. Moodle is a Sourceforge Community Choice Award finalist. by Dana Blankenhorn
- Blog posts 2008-07-16
- New hybrid delivery security architecture
- Secure Computing's Ken Rutsky tells how to integrate Software-as-a-Service SaaS, virtualization and appliance security offerings to let users get exactly what they want. “In the past, CIOs deployed their own self-contained application architectures on their own servers and storage systems. This old model is giving way to a hybrid...
- News items 2008-07-16
- EMC connects the Iomega-Mozy storage dots
- EMC is connecting two of its more recent acquisitions--Iomega and Berkeley Data Systems' Mozy online backup storage--to target small businesses and consumers. On Wednesday, EMC will roll out a storage bundle that includes Iomega's external hard drives with a software bundle that combines the Mozy online backup...
- Blog posts 2008-07-15
- News to know: Intel; Oracle; Microhoo; iPhone; Online video
- Notable headlines: Dancho Danchev: Remote code execution through Intel CPU bugs Nate McFeters: Symantec says Microsoft Access ActiveX attacks to increase Robin Harris: FTP: untrustworthy file transfer Dennis Howlett: Enterprise 2.0 looking more like 1.0? Dana Blankenhorn:...
- Blog posts 2008-07-15
- Amazon helps boost Engine Yard's cloud computing efforts with capital infusion
- Rubinius, a project to develop the next generation virtual machine for the Ruby programming language, implements the core libraries in Ruby, making a system accessible for development and extension. Merb is a light framework that is ORM, JavaScript library, and template language agnostic. by Dana Gardner
- Blog posts 2008-07-14
- First MISO, then GISMO, next GOAT?
- Awhile back my Irregular chums came up with MISO as the acronym to describe the main enterprise players of the time: Microsoft, IBM, SAP and Oracle. We also quipped that could change to include Google and so with a little creative thought we ended up with GISMO. Last week's Apple...
- Blog posts 2008-07-14
- Spammers announce World War III with spam emails packing malicious payloads
- Update: Dancho Danchev informed that this actually relates back to his article on from last week. Apparently I reposted with less information than the original, so I apologize to Dancho for that. Guess that's what I get for poking my nose into the malware realm. Dancho informed...
- Blog posts 2008-07-14
- We don't want you to talk, Mr. Ballmer
- We don't want you to talk, Mr. BallmerThe ghost of Mr. Ballmerwill be forced to bear the clippy's that he has forged in this life.Oh, the eternal wailing.Well, hey, it IS fun to watch them squirm. But, it probably DOES help themshort term at least to create FUD around open...
- Discussion threads 2008-07-12
- Dianne Greene out, Paul Maritz to lead VMware
- Dianne Greene out, Paul Maritz to lead VMwareMost likely outcome"How do you think VMware will change?"My guess is that M$ will try to squeeze VMware out, as it did for Netscape. Hyper-V on its own has been announced at $28. As M$'$ VM management suite matures it will be bundled...
- Discussion threads 2008-07-10
- Diane Greene out, Paul Maritz to lead VMware
- While working in San Francisco, I received quite a number of telephone calls from journalists around the world. Since I was "off the grid" for the project, I had no idea what was going on. I finally returned to my hotel room and could read my messages, I learned that...
- Blog posts 2008-07-10
Neighboring Terms
Premier Vendor Content Whitepapers, webcasts & resources from our Power Center Sponsors
- Learn how collaboration fuels success with this FREE Economist report
-
According to a new study from the Economist, future success belongs to those who collaborate effectively. Learn how successful collaboration can improve profits, problem-solving, and competitive differentiation.
- Visit Cisco's Collaboration Resource Center today!
-
-
Tasty Baking’s new LEED factory
0:57
Tasty Baking CIO: Brendan O’Malley
-
Balancing act: innovation vs. reliability
1:28
Facebook VP of technical operations: Jonathan Heiliger
-
Securing data at E-Loan
1:47
E-Loan CIO: Jay Shah
-
When crops are scarce
1:47
Del Monte Foods CIO: Marc Brown
- View all CIO Vision Series Videos »
