TERM PAPER

iCloud
Submitted for the fulfillment of the requirements as per
the Term Paper assessment
External Term Paper Submission

Submitted by
Name: Venkata Siva SaiTej Varri
Roll No.: 13501A05A8

Department of Computer Science & Engineering

PRASAD V. POTLURI SIDDHARTHA INSTITUTE OF
TECHNOLOGY
(Affiliated to JNTU- Kakinada, approved by AICTE)
[Autonomous, NBA accredited institution]
Kanuru, Vijayawada-07
Marks awarded:

Internal Examiner
Examiner

External

Signature
Signature

ABSTRACT

Save youre time and work before loosing it with iCloud. Many of us struggles
in backing up their files from the devices wither its personal, Student or owned by
a small business. Saving files are really important because some devices crash
suddenly and we end up loosing our hard work.
Through the presentation I created it will illustrates it recommends to use the
iCloud is the best solution to the various types of backup systems and also the
cons(drawbacks) of using the iCloud. iCloud is the latest technology that helps in
backing up your files through server by installing the application and setting your
account, which will do the whole process automatically in daily bases with the help
of Wi-Fi connection.
This application will allows to restore all you files with all your apple devices
with same info by clicking on one button and it will do the rest for you. Moreover
the iCloud presentation includes tutorial that can guide you how to install, manage
the app easily and more.

SECTION ONE:INTRODUCTION

Cloud computing is the next natural step in the evolution of on-demand

information technology services and products. To a large extent cloud computing
will be based on virtualized resources. The idea of cloud computing is based on a
very fundamental principal of `reusability of IT capabilities`. The difference that
cloud computing brings compared to traditional concepts of grid computing,
distributed computing, utility computing, or autonomic computing is to broaden
horizons across organizational boundaries. According to the IEEE Computer
Society Cloud Computing is:"A paradigm in which information is permanently
stored in servers on the Internet and cached temporarily on clients that include
desktops, Entertainment centers, table computers, notebooks, wall computers,
handhelds, etc."
Background of iCloud
Apple recently announced their iCloud service, which will disrupt the Web
market, and change the way our PCs, Macs, tablets, and smart phones share data
and interact with the Web.
iCloud is Apples new web-based storage service, which is seamlessly integrated
into both iOS5 (to be released later this year) and a myriad of other applications,
including applications from third-party developers. This service will allow you to
synchronize your entire iTunes music collection, your photo collection from
iPhoto, your documents from iWork, and productivity apps including iCal and
Mail.app withal of your compatible devices. iCloud is a cloud storage and cloud
computing service from Apple Inc. announced on June 6, 2011 at the Apple
Worldwide Developers Conference(WWDC). The service allows users to store
data such as music files on remote computer servers for download to multiple
devices such as iOS-based devices, and personal computers running OS X or

Microsoft Windows. It also replaces Apple's Mobile Me service, acting as data

syncing centre for email, contacts, calendars, bookmarks, notes, to-do lists, and
other data.
The term iCloud comes from the term used by technicians called the
cloud. When data is put in the cloud, the data is placed in a server, where it is
made available everywhere. The i in front of it is a trademark by Apple,
producing the name iCloud. Streaming photos, storing documents, saving app data,
and syncing music has been made ten times easier due to this service.

SECTION TWO:LITERATURE REVIEW

This source was very useful because it gave me information on what the iCloud
actually those and puts it into an example. I got the example for the transfer of
iTune songs from the computer and how it is automatically synced to the iPhone of
iPad or Mac computer. It includes the step by step procedure on how to achieve
this synchronization. It also gave me a tutorial on how to use my Apple product [1].
June 30th, the official death date of MobileMe, is drawing closer. Apple wants
current MobileMe members to transition to iCloud before then, but there will
always be foot draggers with any change.Recently, Apple has been sending out
emails to MobileMe diehards encouraging them to stop dawdling and make the
switch. While iCloud doesnt have iWeb publishing, photo galleries, or iDisk
support, it does have a lot of great additions. First of all, its free. Thats a big deal,
but it also offers iTunes in the cloud, Photo Stream, documents in the cloud,
automatic downloads and purchase history for apps and books, and backup and
restore. iCloud is the future, and no amount of stalling is going to change that. [2].
This is an online article that gave me information about MobileMe. It was the first
attempt to a cloud database Apple came up with even though it had glitches. Apple
then revised it and came out with iCloud.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the impending arrival of the companys iCloud
technology in June. Apple has now released pricing information for service as well
as the beta version of iCloud.com. For anyone who missed out on the explanation
of what exactly the iCloud service is, here are the basics according to PC World:
The iCloud is an information storage service that keeps your stored information
synced between all of your Apple devices and any PC. It does not replace local
storage on iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touches. For example, if you write a document
on an iPad and then save it, you can then open and edit that document on your
other Apple devices or on your PC without having to transfer the file via e-mail or
USB. Additionally, iCloud backs up information like device setting, apps, the
layout of your home screen, ring tones, text messages, etc. so that all of your
personal preferences are available if you choose to update or replace your Apple
device[3]. News Max was helpful to my research because it gave me a date to when
the iCloud was released. Also it goes into more detail on what can be store in the
iCloud.
Not all that long from now, Mac, iPhone, and iPad users will be
able

to

store

their contacts, calendars, photos, music, and more in the

cloudor rather, in Apples iCloud, to be precise. Slated to go live
in the fall, Apples new service promises to keep you personal data and media on a
bank of remote servers, accessible wherever theres an Internet connection. Very
nice, and its all freewell, mostly free. While youll be able to store a relatively
generous portion of data and media in iCloud for the low price of zilch, additional
space (not to mention a key music matching service) will cost you extra. For
starters, youll get 5 GB of storage for your Address Book contacts, iCal calendars,

email, and documents (such as text, presentation, and spreadsheet files from
Apples iWork software suite), which youll be able to share with your various
iDevicesincluding your Macs, iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touches[4]. Pattersons
work showed me a benefit to the iCloud and basically how we get it for free (up to
5GB). This is beneficial because MobileMe used to cost money to obtain the
service.
Apple fans juggling iPads, iPhones and Macbooks, Apple's iCloud, which
launched Wednesday Oct 2011, offers the chance to simplify their digital lives by
linking email, calendars, music and photos from multiple devices. But while
iCloud promises convenience, experts say it raises potential security and privacy
concerns inherent in storing data in the cloud: If one account is hacked or one
device is stolen, others could be compromised because they are linked in the cloud.
And cloud providers control that information, which they could hand over to
marketers or law enforcement. Users of cloud storage "have to be comfortable with
someone else holding all your data," said Jamz Yaneza, a threat research manager
with the security firm Trend Micro. An Apple spokeswoman said Apple has taken
several measures to secure information stored on iCloud, including encrypting data
while it is transported over the Internet and while it is stored on Apple's servers.
In recent months, the risks associated with cloud computing have gained attention.
In June 2011, Dropbox, which provides online storage, admitted that a security
glitch allowed people to log into any Dropbox account for several hours by typing
in any password. In April 2011, Amazon.com's cloud service failed, bringing down
the websites of numerous businesses.Still, cloud computing, which allows users to
store data on the Internet instead of on hard drives, has become an increasingly
popular way of housing information and deploying software, especially among
businesses, because it is cheaper and more efficient. Millions of Gmail, Twitter and

Facebook users access cloud computing every day, perhaps without even realizing
it.But privacy experts say users who store information in the cloud face the risk of
losing control of their data. Consumers should be wary of cloud providers using
their data for marketing purposes, experts say. And cloud providers may also
receive a subpoena compelling them to give user data to authorities [5].Through
Smiths article I gathered information about safety and ethical concerns that come
along with the iCloud technology. This is where I looked for main concerns and
wrote about them.

SECTION THREE:ABOUT ICLOUD COMPUTING

History of iCloud
iCloud is the latest branding of Apple's cloud computing services. It has
previously been branded as iTools in 2000, .Mac in 2002, and MobileMe in 2008.
iCloud was announced on June 6, 2011, at the 2011 Apple Worldwide Developers
Conference (WWDC). Apple announced that MobileMe would be discontinued
after June 30, 2012, with anyone who had an account before the unveiling of
iCloud having their MobileMe service extended to that date, free of charge.
The official website, www.icloud.com, went live in early August for Apple
Developers. On October 12, 2011, iCloud became available to use via an iTunes
update. iCloud had 20 million users in less than a week after launch. The
iCloud.com domain and registered trademark were bought from a Swedish

company called Xcerion, who rebranded their service to CloudMe. CloudMe still
controls major domains like iCloud.de, iCloud.fr and iCloud.es.
A class action lawsuit by customers unhappy over the transition from MobileMe to
iCloud was filed in early May 2012.
Original author(s)

Apple Inc.

Developer(s)

Apple Inc.

Initial Release

Developers release
June 6, 2011
Public release
October 12, 2011

Development Status
Operating System

Active
OS X(10.7 Lion and Later)
Microsoft Windows
iOS5 or later

Available In

Multilingual

Type

Online backup service

License

Freeware

Website

www.icloud.com

ARCHITECHTURE
Apple has built iCloud functionality directly into many of their apps and iOS5.
When youtake a photo from your iPhone, it can automatically synchronize with
iCloud, and be pushed to your iPad and Mac. You can stop worrying about keeping
all of your devices in sync once they are all linked to your iCloud account. Once
you connect your device to the internet via a wired or Wi-Fi connection, all of your
files will be automatically synchronized. The Backup feature allows you to store
your personal data, along with music apps and books purchased from iTunes. You
can restore all of your data directly to your device from iCloud, or move it to any
new devices you buy. Cloud architecture the systems architecture of the software
systems involved in the delivery of cloud computing, comprises hardware and
software designed by a cloud architect who typically works for a cloud integrator.
It typically involves multiple cloud components communicating with each other
over application programming interfaces, usually web services. This closely
resembles the UNIX philosophy of having multiple programs doing one thing well
and working together over universal interfaces. Complexity is controlled and the
resulting systems are more manageable than their monolithic counterparts. Cloud
architecture extends to the client, where web browsers and/or software applications
access cloud applications. Cloud storage architecture is loosely coupled, where
metadata operations are to applications or users centralized enabling the data nodes
to scale into the hundreds, each independently delivering data to applications or
users.

Fig 2. Cloud Architecture

2.3 Features of iCloud

The cloud-based system allows users to store music, photos, applications,

documents, bookmarks, reminders, backups, notes, iBooks, and contacts, and
provides a platform for Apple's email servers and calendars. Third-party iOS and
OS X app developers are able to implement iCloud functionality in their apps
through the iCloud API(Application Programming Interface).
2.3.1 iOS Device Backup and Restore
iCloud allows users the option to back up iOS devices online (alternatively
users can choose to continue to backup to their computers), thus they can be
restored from online backup without connecting to a computer.
2.3.2 Find My iPhone:
Find My iPhone, formerly part of Mobile Me, allows users to track the location
of their iOS device, or Mac. A user can see the device's approximate location on a
map (along with a circle showing the radius depicting the margin of error), display
a message or play a sound on the device (even if it is set to silent), change the
password on the device, and remotely erase its contents.
2.3.3 Photo Stream
Photo Stream is a service supplied with the basic iCloud service which allows
users to store the most recent 1,000 photos on the iCloud servers up to 30 days free
of charge. When a photo is taken on a device with Photo Stream enabled, it is
automatically uploaded to the iCloud servers; from there, it is automatically pushed
to the rest of the user's registered devices. The service is also integrated with TV,
allowing users to wirelessly view their recent photos on their HDTV.
2.3.4 Back to My Mac

Back to My Mac, also previously part of Mobile Me, is now part of iCloud. As
before, this service allows users to login remotely to other computers configured
with the same Apple ID that have Back to My Mac enabled.5
USA, Australia, United Kingdom, Mexico, Spain, and Canada. Theannual charge is
$24.99.
2.4 Types of iCloud
Public cloud
Public cloud or external cloud describes cloud computing in the traditional
mainstream. Public clouds are run by third parties, and applications from different
customers are likely to be mixed together on the clouds servers, storage systems,
and networks. A public cloud provides services to multiple customers
Hybrid cloud:
Hybrid clouds combine both public and private cloud models. This is most
often seen with the use of storage clouds to support iPhoto, Safari, Crypto Enlister
applications.

Private cloud:
Private clouds are built for the exclusive use of one client, providing the utmost
control overdata, security, and quality of service (Figure 4). The company owns the
infrastructure and hascontrol over how applications are deployed on it. Private
clouds can be built and managed by

a companys own IT organization or by a cloud provider

Fig 4.Types of icloud

5.1 Running the application

Cloud Backup automatically and securely backs up your most important
information to iCloud daily over Wi-Fi whenever your iOS device is connected to a
power source. Once you plug it in, everything is backed up quickly and efficiently.
iCloud alreadystores your purchased music, TV shows, apps, books and Photo
Stream; iCloudBackup takes care of everything else, backing up your photos and
video in theCamera Roll, device settings, app data, home screen and app
organization, messagesand ringtones. iCloud Backup can even help you set up a
new iOS device or restorethe information on one you already own.
iCloud Backup your:
Purchased music, TV shows, apps, and books
Photos and video in the Camera Roll
Device settings

 App data
Home screen and app organization
Messages (iMessage, SMS, and MMS)Ringtones.

Objectives of iCloud
With the introduction of iCloud, backup, storage, and sharing will be easier
than ever. One important benefit is the simplicity of backup. The Apple user no
longer has to think about storing files since backup is now as simple as charging
the device. All files and apps are automatically stored once the device is plugged in
and connected to a Wi-Fi connection.
Another benefit is the simplicity of syncing information, such as music and
files. It is an extreme hassle to use USB devices and online drop boxes, or even
email. When using iCloud, all data is put into the cloud, and can be retrieved by
another device through any iCloud account. iCloud automatically syncs the content
and makes it accessible to devices such as the iPad, iPhone, Mac, iPod touch, or
Apple PC (Baran, 2011). It takes the physical work and thought processes out of
the equation.
This service is beneficial because of its cost as wellabsolutely free. With
the purchase of an Apple product accessible to iCloud, the offer comes at no cost,
relieving the pockets of those using online drop boxes or spending money on USB
devices. This product can also be beneficial to the Google Android or Microsoft
user, pushing the makers to make advancements similar to iCloud.

Security Concerns

For the most part, the iCloud service is very secure due to the password
protected security, and the fact that the information is only available to Apple
products that the user signs into iCloud on. However, not everything is 100%
secure when it comes to technology. One security concern is about software
attackers. If granted temporary access by implanting malware, an attacker can
access iCloud documents stored locally, causing it to either spread stored personal
information or add files to the iCloud system that could potentially harm the Apple
product (Dhanjani).
Also, Apple workers have the power to access files stored in the iCloud,
lessening security of personal information that has been backed up. Although it is
highly unlikely, data to the iCloud infrastructure is encrypted during transmit,
giving Apple access to personal files with the ability to view the (Dhanjani). Also,
if the iCloud service is used on an Apple device that is not that users personal
device that data could be backed up automatically to the device once that users
personal device is plugged in.
For these reasons, Apple strongly recommends that personal information
should not be stored on any device. Personal information could include social
security numbers, banking information, occupational information, and other forms
of information such as these.

Social Problems
With all advancements in technology comes the lessening of social engagement
with people and the surrounding community. As if the public is not already into
their iPhones, iPads, and iPods too much, this service causes people to never want
to remove themselves from their devices. Now that data is made available through
multiple devices, there is no need to listen to music or watch movies in groups due
to the easy sharing though the iCloud service.

Although music sharing can be illegal in some aspects, it was essential in

promoting social skills through technology. Sites such as MySpace and YouTube
gave people a way to share music and videos through social networking. The use
of profiles on these websites brought out the social side of technology users.
However, with the introduction of iCloud, file sharing is done with little to none
social interaction, causing people to be more social with their computers than their
neighbors next door.
With future electronic developments, worldwide social life is slowly but
surely becoming obsolete. By the looks of how technology is taking over now, the
future shows zero promise for any kind of social interaction.

Future Scope
With iCloud, iOS devices can back themselves up to the cloud automatically,
so youll be able to restore them at any time if things go wrong, without losing any
data. From the Manage Storage interface you can see how many devices youve
configured to work with iCloud Backup, see what services and apps are consuming
space (like Mail) and, again, buy more storage. iCloud may not be a big hard disk
in the sky, but Apple knows that theres no cloud without storage. Thats why
iCloud comes with a free 5 GB plan for all users and additional pricing plans to
purchase more storage. iCloud comes with Photo Stream, a new feature to store
your most recent 1,000 photos in the cloud and have them available all the time on
all your devices.

SECTION THREE:CONCLUSION
As previously shown, the iCloud has the ability to be the most beneficial service
for the Apple user today. File-sharing and backup has now been made simple, as it
is done for us when a device is plugged in, without the user even thinking about it.
Although there are multiple security, ethical, and social concerns, the pros
seem to out-way the cons when using this service. These concerns can easily be
limited by the user by taking precaution when using iCloud, such as limiting the
amount of personal information that is backed up, and by not sharing the iCloud
user account information with others.
By doing this, the iCloud service becomes more beneficial than harmful, and
once iCloud success begins to grow, the future of Apple will appear to be brighter
than ever.