Cloud Computing: Basic Overview
What is Cloud Computing?
It simply refers to leveraging of computing services (like data storage, computing power, servers, analytics etc) over the internet on pay-as-you-go basis. In Layman’s terms it’s a rented online system or service.
Why Cloud Computing?
Well, there are many reasons and few the important ones are listed below:
1. Cost-Saving
It eliminates the high upfront hardware cost. You have to pay only for what you use and not for extra features also called pay as you go which is a lot friendlier to your cash flow.
2. Flexibility
Cloud infrastructure can scale on demand to support fluctuating workloads. It’s ideal for startups or businesses with fluctuating workload demands. It’s probably the greatest advantage of the cloud.
3. Efficiency
Cloud-based applications and data are accessible from virtually any internet-connected device around the globe which also increases collaboration. The most important thing is that cloud provides rapid deployment facility.
4. Security
One of the major concern to any organization is the security of it’s data. Sensitive data loss due to cyber crime directly affects organization’s revenue and reputation. Cloud provides various advanced security features to safeguard the client’s data.
5. Disaster Recovery
There are always things that are completely out of your control. And in today’s market, even a small downtime in your services causes significant revenue and reputation loss.
Types of Cloud
1. Public Cloud
It’s the most common way of deploying cloud computing. In public cloud, the cloud computing services are offered to anyone willing to pay for the services.
2. Private Cloud
In private cloud the computing resources are used exclusively by an organization and the services and infrastructure are always maintained on a private network. It can also be physically located at the organization’s on-site datacenter.
3. Hybrid Cloud
It combines private cloud with public cloud so organization can take advantage of both i.e you can use the public cloud for high-volume, lower-security needs such as web-based email, and the private cloud for sensitive, business-critical operations like financial reporting.
4. Multi Cloud
It uses multiple computing and storage services from several cloud-hosting environments in a single heterogeneous architecture. This also eliminates the reliance on any single cloud provider.
Types of Cloud Services
They are mainly divided into three categories:
1. SaaS (Software as a Service)
SaaS deliver cloud-based applications, which are managed by a third-party vendor, to the customers as a service on request. Generally, SaaS applications are capable of running directly through your web browser.
2. PaaS (Platform as a Service)
PaaS provides platform (i.e hardware, network, OS) to the customer for application development. It also acts as a link between the other two services i.e. SaaS and IaaS. Generally, in PaaS model you pay for what you use.
3. IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)
It’s an instant computing infrastructure made of highly scalable and automated compute resources, provisioned and managed over the internet. It’s fully self-service and can quickly scale up and down with demand. Generally, in IaaS model you pay for what you allocate.
Top Cloud providers
Here are the top cloud providers:
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Microsoft Azure
- Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
- Alibaba Cloud
For detailed information visit zdnet.com
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