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Cloud Computing
Cloud Computing refers to the delivery of computing services, including storage, servers, networking, software, databases, and analytics, using the internet, rather than local hardware. You no longer need to invest in and maintain potentially expensive local infrastructure. Instead, you ‘rent’ the resources you need from vendors like AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, IBM Cloud, or Salesforce.
This ‘on-demand’ service allows you to access the technology you need, when you need it, and you only pay for the resources you consume. Cloud computing fundamentally changes technology from a capital investment to a flexible utility.
Cloud computing transforms technology from a capital investment into a flexible utility. Much like electricity, you don’t have to generate it yourself; you simply plug in and consume resources at scale.
Benefits of Cloud Computing
Cost Savings
Cloud platforms remove the need for heavy upfront investment in servers, storage, & data centers. Shift to a pay-as-you-go model & reduce waste associated with unused capacity.
Scalability & Flexibility
Your old IT systems probably struggle when demand suddenly surges. Cloud computing allows resources to be scaled up and down in minutes.
Speed to Market
Cloud service vendors provide you with pre-configured & instantly available services that enable you to leverage developer tools, automation, & services.
Global Reach & Accessibility
Cloud services are available via data centers across the world. This means your teams across many geographies can access the same applications with low latency which can improve collaboration and customer experience.
Reliability & Security
Leading providers invest substantially in backup, disaster recovery, and security frameworks. There is less exposure to downtime or data breaches. You get more reliable and durable solutions than your in-house systems.
Types of Cloud Computing
Cloud computing can be understood across two dimensions: service models and deployment models. Service models are what you consume, and deployment models are how you consume cloud computing.
Service Models
- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): As the most basic service model, IaaS provides the basic infrastructure, such as servers, storage, and networking. It is all delivered virtually. You can control the operating system and applications while getting rid of the pains of managing hardware altogether.
- Platform as a Service (PaaS): PaaS is for developers. One can think of PaaS as a fully ran development environment, with runtime, middleware, and tools already provided. Developers spend their time building and scaling applications instead of worrying about physical servers or updates.
- Software as a Service (SaaS): SaaS are fully managed applications consumed via a browser. Examples could include CRM platforms, collaboration tools, or productivity applications. The provider is responsible for managing everything underneath - you log in and go to work.
- Serverless Computing: Here code runs only when triggered by specific events. Your developers don’t manage servers at all. The cloud provider automatically scales resources as needed.
Deployment Models
- Public Cloud: Public cloud is a shared infrastructure operated by providers and accessed by multiple customers. Public cloud is easy to consume without long-term commitments and is elastic for growing workloads that do not require much customization.
- Private Cloud: Private cloud is a dedicated environment for a single organization hosted by third-party provider or in house. Private clouds confer greater control, compliance, and customization.
- Hybrid Cloud: Hybrid cloud is a combination of private and public cloud service offerings. Users can move workloads across both environments. For instance, reality is that a private cloud provider might host databases with sensitive data while the organization's customer-facing applications run in a public cloud offering.
- Multi-Cloud: A multi-cloud strategy means having multiple providers (e.g., AWS + Azure + Google cloud) to address concerns of vendor lock-in and maximize the desirable elements of each platform.
