unit v notes cloud computing

Chapter 8: Using Google Web Services

Google is a prototypical cloud computing services company, supporting some of the largest Web sites and services globally.
This chapter explores Google's applications and services for users and the developer tools it offers.

Exploring Google Applications

Google's core business revolves around search technology, employing automated technology to index the Web.
Google offers its search service as a standard search engine for users and a collection of specialized search tools for developers, limited to specific content areas.
The application of Google’s searches to content aggregation has led to societal changes and a trend of disintermediation.
AdWords and AdSense are commercially important, targeting advertising businesses with services like Google Analytics.
Google applications are cloud-based, spanning productivity, mobile, media delivery, and social interactions.
Google is commercializing some applications as cloud-based enterprise application suites.
Google has a large developer program across its applications and services, featuring Google's AJAX APIs, the Google Web Toolkit, and the Google Apps Engine hosting service.
The Google App Engine (GAE) allows developers to create Web applications in Java and Python, deploy them on Google's infrastructure, and scale them.

Google's Impact

Google has significantly impacted the computer industry and the Internet.
Despite competitors having more Internet users or higher stock valuation, Google remains a technology and thought leader.
The "Google Effect" refers to the impact of consumer tracking, targeted advertising, and the pursuit of knowledge domains.
The bulk of Google's income comes from targeted advertising sales, based on information gathered from Google accounts or cookies through its AdWords system.
In 2009, Google's revenue was 23.6 billion, controlling roughly 65 percent of the search market.
The company's profitability has enabled a large infrastructure and free cloud-based applications and services, representing Google's Software as a Service portfolio.

Google's Cloud Computing Services

Google offers an extensive set of applications to the general public, including Google Docs, Google Health, Picasa, and Google Mail.
These applications can be accessed via the "More" and "Even More" links on Google's home page, directing to the More Google Products page.
Google's cloud-based applications put pressure on vendors of traditional software like office suites and image-management programs.
In April 2008, Google introduced the Google App Engine (GAE), a development platform for hosted Web applications using Google's infrastructure.
GAE allows developers to create and deploy Web applications without the need to manage the infrastructure.
GAE applications can be written in Java and Python using the Google App Engine Framework, reducing development effort.
Google offers a certain free level of service, assessing charges only when applications exceed a certain level of processor load, storage usage, and network bandwidth.

Google App Engine Limitations

Google App Engine applications must comply with Google's infrastructure, limiting the range of application types and making porting difficult.

Google Application Portfolio

Nearly all products in Google's application and service portfolio are cloud computing services, relying on systems worldwide on Google's million-plus servers in nearly 30 datacenters.
Roughly 17 of the 48 services listed leverage Google’s search engine.
Some sites search through selected content like Books, Images, and Scholar, while others like Finance and News format search results into an aggregation page.

Indexed Search

Google's search technology indexes pages and retrieves information using Web crawlers, also called spiders or robots.
Content is scanned up to a certain number of words and placed into an index. Google caches copies of Web pages and stores documents like DOC or PDF files.
Google uses a patented algorithm called PageRank to determine page importance, considering the number of quality links, keywords, site availability, and traffic.
Google tweaks its algorithm to prevent Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies from gaming the system.
Google returns a Search Engine Results Page (SERP) for a query parsed for its keywords.

Google's Search Limitations

Google does not search all sites. Sites that don't register or aren't linked prominently may remain undiscovered.
Sites can use a ROBOTS.TXT file to indicate whether the site can be searched and what pages can be searched.
Google developed the Sitemaps protocol, which lets a Web site list information about how the Google robot can work with the site.
Sitemaps can be useful for crawling content that isn't browsable and for finding media information that isn't normally considered.
Dynamic content presented in AJAX isn't normally indexed, but Google has a procedure to help the engine crawl this information.

The Dark Web

Online content not indexed by search engines is called the “Deep Web.”
Any site suppressing Web crawlers from indexing is part of the Deep Web.
Examples include Facebook and peer-to-peer networks like Ian Clarke's Freenet.

Components of the Deep Web

Database-generated Web pages or dynamic content
Pages without links
Private or limited access Web pages and sites
Information contained in sources available through executable code (e.g., JavaScript)
Documents and files not in a searchable form
The amount of information stored in the Deep Web is many times larger than what can be accessed by search engines.
Some estimates suggest the Dark Web could be an order of magnitude larger than the content in search engines.

Aggregation and Disintermediation

Aggregation pages are controversial as Google's display of information from various sites may violate copyright laws and damage content providers.
Google has defended its right to display capsule information under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
Google reached a negotiated agreement with the Authors Guild regarding unauthorized scanning and copying of books for Google Books, specifying Google's obligations under fair use exemption.
Google argues that the publicity associated with searchable content adds value.
Google has been a major factor in disintermediation, which is the removal of intermediaries from a supply chain.
Disintermediation connects producers directly with consumers but impacts organizations like news collection agencies, publishers, and retail outlets.

Productivity Applications and Services

Google introduced productivity applications starting in 2004 with Gmail, expanding these services through homegrown products and acquisitions.

Privacy Implications

These products store information online, which Google uses to build a profile of your activities.
Google states this information is never viewed individually by humans and lists its policies in the Privacy Center.
Google has been vigilant in protecting its privacy reputation, but the collection of personal data must be considered.

Google Products (Table 8.1)

Alerts: Sends periodic email alerts based on search terms.
Blog Search: Displays an aggregation page from blogs.
Blogger: A blogging site for personal blogs.
Books: A vast library of book content and previews of copyrighted material.
Calendar: Calendar service for managing schedules and sharing them.
Chrome: Google's browser and operating system.
Checkout: A payment processing system.
Code: Developer tools and resources.
Custom Search: Creates a custom search utility for a particular Web site.
Desktop: Indexes content on local drive for fast searches.
Directory: Search the Web by topics.
Docs: Online productivity applications.
Earth: An online atlas and mapping service with mashups.
Finance: A financial news aggregation service and site.
GOOG-411: Mobile phone search.
Google Health: Health information management system.
Groups: Discussion groups on specific topics.
iGoogle: AJAX customized home page.
Images: Web image search.
Knol: Short articles submitted by users.
Labs: A collection of applications and utilities under development and testing.
Orkut: Social media service with instant messaging.
Maps: Mapping and direction service.
Maps for Mobile: Mapping and direction service for mobile devices with GPS.
Mobile: Mobile search using voice and location.
News: News aggregation service and Web site.
Pack: Free Windows-based software selected by Google.
Patent Search: Patent and trademark search.
Picasa: Photo-editing and management software.
Product Search: Shopping search function.
Reader: An RSS reader.
Scholar: Search site for research and scholarly work.
Search for Mobile: Google's search application optimized for mobile devices.
Sites: Web site and wiki creation and staging tool.
SketchUp: Allows users to create 3D models and share them with others.
Talk: Instant messaging and chat utility.
Toolbar: Provides search features inside different browsers.
Translate: Language translation utility.
Trends: Statistical information on different search terms.
Videos: Searches for videos on the Web.
Voice: Free phone service.
Web Search: Google's core Web search engine.
Web Search Features: A help page for special Web searches in Google.
YouTube: Flash video sharing site.

Enterprise Offerings

Google has released special versions of its products for the enterprise market.

Enterprise Products

Google Commerce Search: Search service for online retailers to market products.
Google Site Search: Google's search engine customized for enterprises.
Google Search Appliance: Server for local and Internet searching with document management features.
Google Mini: Smaller version of the GSA that stores 300,000 indexed documents.

Google Apps for Business

Google markets its productivity applications as office suites to organizations, offering packages for governments, schools, non-profits, and ISPs.

Google Apps Premier Edition

A paid service for businesses and governmental agencies, offering Gmail, Docs, and Calendar as core applications.
Adds 25GB of Gmail storage, e-mail server synchronization, Groups, Sites, Talk, Video, enhanced security, directory services, authentication and authorization services, and customer's own supported domain.
Premium Edition also adds access to Google APIs and 24/7 support with a 99.9-percent uptime guarantee Service Level Agreement.
The cost per use is 50 per user account/per year.

Google Postini Services

Provides security services, e-mail message encryption, message archiving, and message discovery services.
These are paid services that add from 12 to 45 per user/per year, based on the options chosen.
Postini allows e-mail to be retained for up to 10 years and can be used to demonstrate regulatory compliance.
Google's online offerings give users essential features for a fraction of the Microsoft Office price, leading to expectation that its collaborative tools and features will put pressure on shrink-wrapped competitors.

AdWords

AdWords is a targeted ad service matching advertisers and keywords to user search profiles, transforming Google into an industry giant.
AdWords' competitors include Microsoft adCenter and Yahoo! Search Marketing.
Ads are displayed as text, banners, or media and can be tailored based on various factors.

How AdWords Works

Advertisers bid on keywords to match users to products or services.
Up to 12 ads per search can be returned.
Google gets paid when a user clicks the ad (pay-per-click advertising), and success is measured by the click-through rate (CTR).
Google calculates a quality score for ads based on CTR, connection between ad and keywords, and advertiser's history.
This quality score is a trade secret and used to price the minimum bid of a keyword.
In 2007, Google purchased DoubleClick, an Internet advertising services company that helps clients create ads, provides hosting, and tracks results.
DoubleClick ads leave browser cookies collecting user information.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics (GA) is a statistical tool measuring the number and types of visitors to a Web site and how the Web site is used.
It is offered as a free service and has been widely adopted.

Google Analytics Usage

Builtwith.com indicates GA was in use on 54 percent of the top 10,000 and 100,000, and 35 percent of the top one million of the world's Web sites.
BackendBattles.com sets GA's market share at 57 percent for the top 10,000 sites.

Google Analytics Tracking Code (GATC)

Works by using a JavaScript snippet on individual pages.
When the page loads, the JavaScript runs and creates a first-party browser cookie for managing return visitors, tracking, and testing browser characteristics.
GATC requests and stores information from the user's account and sends visitor data back to GA servers for processing.
Tracks visitors from search engines, referral links, display ads, PPC networks, and other sources.
GA aggregates data and presents it in visual form and is connected to the AdWords system to track ad performance.
Saves and stores up to 50 individual site profiles, restricted to sites with less than 5 million pageviews per month, unless an AdWords subscription is active.
GA cookies can be blocked manually or by technologies like Firefox Adblock and NoScript.

Google Translate

Google Translate performs machine translation as a cloud service between two of 35 different languages.
Introduced in 2007, it replaced the SYSTRAN system.
The translation method uses a statistical approach developed by Franz-Joseph Och in 2003.

Corpus Linguistics Approach

Building a translation system involves collecting a database of words and matching it to two bilingual text corpuses.
A text corpus or parallel collection is a database of word- and phrase-usage taken from the language in everyday use obtained by examining documents translated by professionals to software analysis.
Documents analyzed include translations of the United Nations and European Parliament.

Accessing Google Translate

Can be accessed directly or through the Google Translator Toolkit.
Functions include direct text input, URL input, phonetic equivalent for script languages, and document uploads.

Google Translator Toolkit

Provides a means for using Translate to perform translations that can be edited.
Translation services have been in development for many years, but Google's efforts may be unique due to its work in language transcription.
Combining language transcription with cloud service could create a translation device with great utility.

Exploring the Google Toolkit

Google has an extensive program supporting developers who want to leverage Google's cloud-based applications and services.

Google's Development Services

AJAX APIs: Used to build widgets and applets commonly found in places like iGoogle.
Android: A phone operating system development.
Google App Engine: Google's Platform as a Service (PaaS) development and deployment system for cloud computing applications.
Google Apps Marketplace: Offers application development tools and a distribution channel for cloud-based applications.
Google Gears: Provides offline access to online data, including a database engine installed on the client that caches data and synchronizes it.
Google Web Toolkit (GWT): A set of development tools for browser-based applications, used to create Google Wave and Google AdWords.
Project Hosting: A project management tool for managing source code.

The Google APIs

Most Google services are exposed by an API, allowing for integration into other Web sites.

API Categories

Ads and AdSense: Integrate Google's advertising services into Web applications.
AJAX: Adds content such as RSS feeds, maps, search boxes, and other information sources using JavaScript snippets.
Browser: APIs related to browser-based applications, including Chrome browser APIs and Google Cloud Print API.
Data: APIs that exchange data with various Google services.
Geo: APIs providing location-specific information, maps, and geo-specific databases.
Search: APIs leveraging Google's core competency, including Google AJAX Search, Book Search, Code Search, Custom Search, and Webmaster Tools Data APIs.
Social: APIs used for information exchange and communication tools, supporting applications such as Gmail, Calendar, and others.

Google APIs Summary (Table 8.2)

Google Accounts Authentication: Get access into desktop or mobile applications.
Google AdWords API: Automate and streamline campaign management activities.
AdSense for AJAX: Target ads to dynamic page content.
AdSense for Search Ads Only: Target ads to search results.
Google AJAX APIs: Implement rich, dynamic Web sites entirely in JavaScript and HTML.
Google AJAX Feed API: Easily mash up public feeds using JavaScript.
Google AJAX Language API: Easily translate and detect multiple languages using JavaScript.
Google AJAX Search API: Put a Google Search box and results on your own site.
Google Analytics: Track site traffic and use Analytics data in Google Data API feeds.
Android: Build mobile apps for Android, a software stack for mobile devices.
Google App Engine: Run Web applications on Google's infrastructure.
Google Apps Script: Automate tasks across Google products.
BigQuery (Labs): Interactively analyze large datasets.
Google Apps: Extend Google Apps, integrate with other systems, or build new apps.
Google Apps Marketplace: Sell integrated applications to millions of Google Apps users.
Gmail APIs and Tools: Create gadgets for Gmail and interact with the inbox.
Google Base Data API (Labs): Manage Google Base content programmatically.
Blogger Data API (Labs): Enable apps to view and update Blogger content.
Google Books Search APIs (Labs): Search the complete index of Book Search and integrate with social features.
Google Buzz (Labs): Share updates, photos, videos, and more, and start conversations.
Google Calendar APIs and Tools: Create and manage events, calendars, and gadgets for Google Calendar.
Chart Tools: Add charts and graphs to Web pages.
Google Checkout: Start selling on Web sites.
Chromium: Contribute to the open-source project behind Google Chrome.
Google Chrome Frame: Enable open Web technologies and Google Chrome's JavaScript implementation within Internet Explorer.
Google Chrome Extensions (Labs): Modify and enhance the functionality of Google Chrome.
Installable Web Apps (Labs): Package Web apps for installation in Google Chrome.
Closure Tools: Create powerful and efficient JavaScript.
Google Cloud Print (Labs): Enable any app on any device to print to any printer.
Google Code Search Data API (Labs): Enable apps to view data from Code Search.
Google Contacts API: Allow apps to view and update user contacts.
Google Coupon Feeds (Labs): Provide coupon listings that are included in Google search results.
Google Custom Search API: Create a custom search engine for Web sites.
Google DoubleClick for Publishers (Labs): Build applications that interact directly with Google's next-generation display advertising platform.
Google Data Protocol: A simple protocol for reading and writing data on the Web.
Google Desktop APIs (Labs): Create gadgets and indexing plugins for Google Desktop.
Google Documents List Data API: Enable apps to view and update lists of Google Documents.
Google Interactive Media Ads (Labs): Enable publishers to request and display ads in video, audio, and game content.
Google Earth API: Embed Google Earth into Web pages.
Google Plugin for Eclipse: Simplify development of GWT and App Engine projects in the Eclipse IDE.
Feedburner API (Labs): Interact with FeedBurner's feed management and awareness-generating capabilities.
Google Finance Data API (Labs): View and update Finance content in Google Data API feeds.
Google Friend Connect APIs (Labs): JS and REST/RPC APIs for Google Friend Connect.
Google Fusion Tables API (Labs): Manage Google Fusion Tables content programmatically.
Gadgets API: Build mini-apps that run on multiple sites, including iGoogle, Google Desktop, or any Web page.
Gears (Labs): Enable Web applications to work offline from desktop PCs or mobile devices.
Google Health API: Manage personal health information with Google.
iGoogle Developer Home (Labs): Build and test gadgets for iGoogle.
iGoogle Themes API (Labs): Design a dynamic theme for the iGoogle home page.
KML API: Create and share content with Google Earth, Maps, and Maps for mobile.
Google Latitude API (Labs): Build applications that read and update user locations and location histories.
Google Libraries API: Load open-source JavaScript libraries.
Google Moderator API (Labs): Collect ideas, questions, and recommendations from audiences.
Google Geocoding API: Convert addresses from geographic coordinates.
Google Directions API: Plot directions with transportation options.
Google JavaScript Maps API: Integrate Google's interactive maps.
Google Maps API: Integrate Google Maps for Flash in Flash applications.
OpenSocial: Build social applications that work across many Web sites.
Orkut Developer Home: Create social applications for Orkut users.
Google Project Hosting: Host open-source projects on Google Code.
Picasa APIs (Labs): Create custom buttons and upload files to third-party services.
Picasa Web Albums Data API: Include Picasa Web Albums in applications or Web sites.
Google PowerMeter API (Labs): Integrate with