Problem
Distributed computing has a long history that continues to evolve in the modern IT environment. Many traditional application servers supporting e-commerce products and other information services have been replaced by cloud-based services, and "big data" has begun to offer greater depth and capability to some services. These developments also bring new challenges to Information Technology professionals working in development and support roles.
Task
Discuss the history of distributed computing and the cloud with particular attention to the following questions:
(a) What technologies support cloud computing?
(b) Is there more risk in using cloud-based services than with traditional servers, or less?
(c) What role does "big data" play in cloud computing?
(d) What legal and ethical issues may need to be addressed as Cloud development moves forward?