The network. Clouds generally refer to wide area networks (WANs) such as the Internet, but can also refer to a private cloud, which is a company's own network. However, the term "cloud computing" most always refers to the public Internet and not to private networks (see cloud computing).
A cloud-like symbol in a network diagram is used to reduce an entire communications network into points of entry and exit. An actual cloud symbol is drawn when the network architecture is not material to the illustration. Inside the cloud, there may be any number of cables, servers, routers, switches and other network devices.
Network Cloud
The cloud symbol represents a communications network without specific details of its architecture. Diagrams use cloud symbols when only the points of entry and exit need to be identified.
A cloud-like symbol in a network diagram is used to reduce an entire communications network into points of entry and exit. An actual cloud symbol is drawn when the network architecture is not material to the illustration. Inside the cloud, there may be any number of cables, servers, routers, switches and other network devices.
Network Cloud
The cloud symbol represents a communications network without specific details of its architecture. Diagrams use cloud symbols when only the points of entry and exit need to be identified.
 | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2009 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
- Cloudy issues around risk: the large enterprise user perspective
- Is the cloud as safe as it needs to be in order to lure business critical data? Are we placing enough emphasis on security or simply taking SaaS/cloud vendors on trust? What is the large enterprise view? by Dennis Howlett
- Blog posts 2009-11-30
- Dark Internet Fundamentals
- We all think we know the internet - the service that has magically transmitted these words from my keyboard to your eyeballs - but how much do you know of the fundamentals? As I wrote about last year, the plumbing of the internet...
- Blog posts 2009-11-29
- Does Chrome OS mean anything for schools?
- Benefits of the ChromeOS approachOne of the features of HTML5, that commentors on other posts seem to forget, is that HTML5 web apps can be "installed" in app cache, for offline use (Google "HTML5 manifest").If web apps can be used offline AND made to perform like desktop apps, with web...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-28
- Will the GPU become the new CPU?
- No mention of OpenCL?Oh well...Not right now, but will come soon.Not right now, but maybe will come soon.The current generation of GPUs are fantastically powerful, BUT:-Current GPUs use a technology called "stream processing," which essentially pre-loads the instructions into the processors and starts streaming data.This is unlike CPUs, where both...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-27
- When the Cloud Meets Agile Development
- Insecure + Quick hackThe perfect combination for disaster.What's up with Harry Fuller? 8 out of the 20 blogs right now?I count 20 blogs on the ZDNet start page, and 8 of them are eco-farts from Harry Fuller. Non IT. Can someone remove his gaia-pollution from ZDNet?We need some IT...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-26
- When the Cloud Meets Agile Development
- With new, powerful cloud platforms available, shouldn't newer software developmental techniques like Agile apply to these environments as well? CA thinks so and has created a new toolset for this. by Brian Sommer
- Blog posts 2009-11-26
- Helllo, I'm a Cloud... and I'm Enterprise Software
- Cloud Dudette perhapsCloud Dude, why I am envisioning Jeff Spicoli transplanted into a Cheech and Chong movie!? If you want an association with Cloud Computing, how about a trim 'Cloud Dudette' .. think Amazon, both the female warrior and the EC2 provider. She should be traveling with her...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-25
- Hello, I'm a Cloud... and I'm Enterprise Software
- If the same agency that creates the 'I'm a Mac-I'm a PC' commercials were charged with selling cloud, here's what would result. by Joe McKendrick
- Blog posts 2009-11-25
- How Adaptec is trying to make your private or public cloud greener
- Adaptec and Intel have dreamed up an SSD caching solution that helps storage arrays in the cloud operate at 5X the I/O speed which slashing power consumption. by Heather Clancy
- Blog posts 2009-11-25
- Does Amazon know where it's going with the Kindle?
- Amazon, please ignore AdrianNormally I'm right with Adrian, but he obviously doesn't have a Kindle, which is my favorite device. To Amazon: don't add battery sucking features (like wi-fi), we don't care about multi-purpose (it's a bookreader!), i don't want cr@apps on my Kindle (it's a bookreader!) and I don't...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-25
- The Big Question podcast: Will News Corp. really pull its content from Google?
- Bare-Metal replacement with a new visionI have to say, Google is on the cutting edge and this will sell because companies can have cloud-a, cloud-b, and cloud-c ect...No different than Networks today, it is no different than Vlans.Google has the BEST developers and Open_Source resources that will prove again a...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-25
- Does virtualization equal cloud computing?
- I would say yesThere is no need to buy 'stand alone' servers any longer in functionality when you can put it in a Blade 'name your flavor' chassis.Virtualization with VMware/RHEL or some vendor is the best way to get it off bare-metal...Doing baremetal rebuilds is time consuming and it takes...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-25
- Does virtualization equal cloud computing?
- Discussion - does virtualization equal cloud computing? I think not. by Dan Kusnetzky
- Blog posts 2009-11-25
- SaaS and cloud computing: A look at the due diligence
- CIO Scott Lowe walks through the buy vs. build analysis for software as a service and cloud computing. by Larry Dignan
- Blog posts 2009-11-25
- The cloud computing battleground takes shape. Will it be winner-take-all?
- You can't be a good consultant if you can't even mention MSIf you really think MS is irrelevant in cloud computing then you have some serious bias issues to work out.The fact that throughout your entire blog you can't even get yourself to mention MS or Azure even once is...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-24
- The cloud computing battleground takes shape. Will it be winner-take-all?
- This year has been one of relatively grand alliances between emerging cloud computing vendors as they fill holes in their capabilities and try to create appealing one-stop enterprise cloud services. We’ve seen major announcements so far from IBM and Juniper, Cisco/EMC/VMware, and most recently BMC and Salesforce....
- Blog posts 2009-11-24
- Larry Augustin's practical revolution at SugarCRM
- Dana, what is the trend in the Open Source community?OS started as a software development and delivery model "for the people by the people", i.e. free use enabled by free contributions. Now free contributions are likely drying out. Companies with paid employees are contributing the most significant part of code....
- Discussion threads 2009-11-24
- Chrome OS will rise or fall on the safety dance
- Scare tactics against Chrome OSI can see Microsoft really did the 'safety dance' with Windows it has been so successful...Chrome_OS is an entirely different modular approach plus they are using Open_Source with NO limitation of how high they can reach. I find it amazing anyone with a straight face say...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-24
- HP vs. Dell: Showdown at the Windows 7 upgrade corral
- Well, the great thing is all the competition. I like to see Acer squeezing them both from below, and of course competing with each other. Of course also great to see all the pressure on MS to innovate and lower prices.Google Chrome_OS will be hard to beatWell, with Google_Chrome_OS it...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-24
- Gladinet Cloud Desktop Starter Edition (64-bit) 1.4.218 (Windows)
- Gladinet Cloud Desktop GCD supports both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows. This is the 32-bit package. The Starter Edition can mount web storage as local folders. Users can access their web files in Windows Explorer. It delivers Web applications to desktop. To make web experience easier, it provides single sign-on to...
- Software downloads 2009-11-24
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