Cloud computing is no longer a particularly novel term. There are a number of examples of companies which have already begun to succeed with deployments in distributed hosting environments and many more on the way. Our goal here is to provide reasoned, quantitative and qualitative analysis of different cloud computing options. We also plan to provide practical tutorials picking up where various provider's documentation leaves off. We will carefully cite our sources and update our writings so as to provide the technical consumer with timely and reliable information
We will undertake a project-centered approach, looking at a platform, building things with it, and finally load testing it and examining the economics of working with it.
Our first project will be a careful analysis of Google AppEngine. Up front, we will examine Google's terms of service for AppEngine . What are you allowed to do with AppEngine. The second component will be a look at AppEnigine's built in web framework, webapp. Finally, we will present a critical look at AppEngine's billing system, and the performance you get for your currency, using the Tsung distributed load testing tool.
Once we're done with AppEngine's python platform we'll move onto the much less constrained EC2. Since EC2 gives the user so much more choice in terms of what they can do, and doesn't have any real free usage options, it requires a more detailed approach, and we want to get some feedback on what people like and dislike about our approach to AppEngine. Check back soon for our first piece on AppEngine's terms of service.
