Exploring the feasibility of a data center-free cloud computing framework utilizing underutilized personal computers

The current landscape of Cloud Computing predominantly relies on closed data centers, housing a multitude of dedicated servers that cater to cloud services. However, an immense number of underutilized Personal Computers (PCs) are owned by individuals and organizations globally. These dormant resources can be harnessed to form an alternative cloud infrastructure, offering a wide array of cloud services, particularly focusing on infrastructure as a service. This innovative strategy, the "no data center" approach, complements the conventional data center-centric cloud provisioning model. In a research paper, the authors introduce their opportunistic Cloud Computing framework called cuCloud, which effectively utilizes the idle resources of underutilized PCs within a given organization or community. The success of their system serves as tangible evidence that the "no data center" concept is indeed feasible. Beyond conceptualization and philosophy, the authors' experimental findings strongly validate their approach.

Keywords:

cloud computing , Personal computers