This book is an industry-leading primer on cloud computing: its background, the purpose it serves, how the cloud can be best utilized, which platforms offer which features, and how to get started. Cloud computing is one of today's most interesting technologies, but remains a bit mercurial and mysterious. It can mean a lot of different things to different people. By tracing several real-world scenarios--from the requirement gathering through the design, coding, and deployment phases--this book will give you a clear understanding of what it takes to build and deploy a successful, scalable application that leverages cloud computing platforms and tools. Furthermore, this book emphasizes the critical differences between legacy IT approaches, and explains the methodologies and features available through a cloud-based model. Frameworks and tools such as Amazon EC2, Azure, Google App Engine, Hadoop, CouchDB, Memcache, and JavaSpaces are introduced, illustrating how each technology is best utilized within the context of cloud computing. In the end, this book clears the air and empowers you--whether you're an IT decision maker or a career progression-minded developer--with the information and knowledge necessary to fully consider the implications of migrating to, developing, and/or using cloud-driven applications. What you'll learn How to take the vagueness out of cloud computing The core concepts and considerations of cloud computing When and when not to go to the cloud How to weigh the varying factors that go into ROI-based decisions of going into the cloud How to use various cloud computing platforms such as Amazon, Azure, and Google App Engine How to use cloud-based techniques and strategies Who is this book for? This book is intended for anyone interested in the shift currently occurring in the IT industry, in which IT resources and CPU utilization are becoming standard commodities. This book covers both general theoretical concepts and hands-on, real-world examples--targeting this book to both businesspeople and developers alike.