What is cloud computing?
Cloud computing is on-demand access to computing resources—applications, servers (physical and virtual), data storage, development tools, networking capabilities, and more—hosted at a remote data center controlled by a cloud services provider and accessible via the internet.
The cloud services provider charges a monthly subscription fee for these resources or bills them based on usage.
How does cloud computing work?
Cloud technology, in more technical terms, operates through data centers. Your data is stored on virtual servers rather than on your phone, computer, or a tablet. These virtual computers are linked to mass data centers with the capacity to store and protect your information.
A user can use an internet browser or cloud computing software to access data stored in the cloud via the front end. The back-end, on the other hand, is the most important part of cloud computing.
The organization is responsible for the safe storage of data and information, using servers, computers, databases and central storage entities.
The central server can make operations easier by implementing protocols. It has the capability to use middleware software to provide seamless connectivity between cloud connected devices and computers.
Cloud computing services provide safety from data threats by keeping numerous copies of the data.
Types of cloud computing services
There are a variety of different cloud services that can be used to solve many different problems. The following are the three primary types:
- Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)
- Platform as a service (PaaS)
- Software as a service (SaaS)
What is Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)?
IaaS providers provide a virtual server instance, storage and APIs to transfer workloads to a VM. Users are able to use IT infrastructure that supports the computational requirements of their workloads.
You can control the VM and the storage or have it be in the hands of IaaS providers. IaaS providers offer different sized VMs, from small to extra-large, as well as the flexibility to customize instances for your specific workloads.
IaaS cloud models are the most similar to remote data centers.
Examples of IaaS:
- AWS EC2 Instance
- Google Cloud VM Instance (Google Compute Engine)
- Azure Virtual Machine
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What is a platform as a service (PaaS)?
Cloud providers host development tools on their infrastructures as part of the PaaS concept. APIs, web portals, and gateway software are used by users to access these technologies over the internet.
Platform-as-a-Service enables developers to build, test, deploy and manage various types of software. Salesforce’s Lightning Platform, AWS Elastic Beanstalk and Google App Engine are all Platform-as-a Service options.
Examples of PaaS cloud services include:
- AWS Elastic Beanstalk
- Google App Engine
- Microsoft Azure Web Apps
- Google Cloud SQL
What is software as a service (SaaS)?
In a SaaS environment, software can be accessed from your computer or mobile app. With one account, you can use the service for as long as you want.
With SaaS solutions, no installation or upkeep is required and they are a major hit in the corporate world. Salesforce, Dropbox, and Google Docs are all good examples.
Examples of SaaS include:
- Microsoft Office365
- Google GSuite
- Salesforce
- Slack
- DocuSign
- MailChimp
- Dropbox
Cloud computing deployment models
Cloud computing deployment methods are classified based on their geographical location. To enable fast loading, most cloud hubs have thousands of servers and storage devices.
Let’s look at the many types of models to see which one would be ideal for your company’s needs.
Private Cloud
Companies can use both their data centers or contract a service provider to create a private cloud that meets their needs.
Companies can outsource their cloud hosting to third-parties. When outsourcing, the companies’ data is kept safe and in private networks managed by service providers.
Public Cloud
Public clouds use third-party firms for controlling hardware, software, and general infrastructure. These firms are open for anyone wanting to obtain their cloud services through an open account.
Hybrid Cloud
A hybrid cloud combines public and private cloud services, as the name suggests. This approach gives the user more flexibility and also helps optimize infrastructure and security.
Advantages of cloud computing
Cloud computing has been around for decades. It offers a number of benefits that benefit enterprises in all industries, such as the following:
Provisioning via self-service.
End users can now access computing resources in the form of server time and network storage, bypassing the need for IT professionals to do so in the past.
Elasticity.
You can use cloud computing to plan for future peaks in commercial activity, without over-consuming resources.
Your business’s needs for content can change. You can scale up or down the capacity to different levels of resources needed, in order to have time efficient access to them.
Cost savings.
With a cloud based platform, the cost of your IT falls on variable rates, so you can manage and pay for it as needed. Additionally, due to globalization, the fixed costs are much higher than what you would spend if you did it yourself..
Quick Deployment.
You may quickly expand to new geographic locations and deploy globally using the cloud. For example, AWS, provides a global presence which can make migrating your app easy and fast.
Bringing applications closer to end consumers lowers latency and improves the user experience.
Performance.
Cloud computing services are hosted on a global network, updated with the latest hardware.
The use of a decentralized data cloud to store corporate data has advantages that can improve your operations. Lower latency for applications and economies of scale make it more effective than a single data center.
Mobility.
The cloud gives you quick access to the latest technologies, which allow you to build almost anything. With your site, you can rapidly and conveniently set up a service online with little or no technical expertise.
You can rapidly deploy compute, storage, and databases, as well as Internet of Things, machine learning, data lakes and analytics, and much more.
Technology services may be deployed in minutes, allowing you to go from concept to implementation in seconds.
This offers you the freedom to try new things, explore new ideas, and alter your business.
Disadvantages of cloud computing
Security concerns in cloud computing.
There are many risks to data breaches when relying on the cloud. These risks include API and interface hacking, compromised passwords, and authentication difficulties among others. One of these risks is the fact that cloud security is often cited as one of the most pressing issues.
Furthermore, it’s impossible to know what happens with your data when trusting a cloud provider.
A cloud setup must be monitored for security, as well as a company’s policy and practices.
Cost unpredictability.
With pay-as-you-go cloud subscription options, it is hard to define prices, because they change with your workload.
Cloud prices usually overlap with each other and if one company is using more than one service, then additional charges are involved.
Control and flexibility are limited.
Since the apps and services aren’t running on your system, you have very little control over the functionality of hardware or software.
Furthermore, the best remote software has “characteristics” of a locally run application.
IT management.
Without control over provisioning and deprovisioning, IT governance can become difficult. Cloud computing makes DIY (do-it-yourself) much easier.
A lack of IT management can create problematic data quality and impact compliance.
Compliance with industry regulations.
It might be challenging to monitor compliance with industry rules when transferring data from on-premises local storage to cloud storage.
It is critical to keep good business governance by understanding where data and workloads are located.
Data loss or theft.
Tons of hazards could lead to data loss, including data accidentally getting into the wrong hands due to cloud misconfiguration and information theft. Virtual data centers are not a good way to store sensitive data because they make it easy for hackers to get access.
Furthermore, Microsoft and Google cloud service providers have a shared responsibility model, where the vendor is responsible for program availability and the customer has to manage data and users.
Migration to the cloud.
Migrating applications to the cloud can be costly, as projects go over budget and take more time than expected.
Many companies forget to consider the issue of moving data from the cloud (where many companies store their data) to a local data center (near their office for quicker access) until it creates unanticipated problems, like cost or performance issues.
Vendor lock-in.
In the cloud, migrating a company’s workload, services, or data from one provider to another is difficult. There are compatibility and integration issues because of differences in infrastructure and environments.
If a company fails to transfer their data properly, they may have security concerns.
Cloud computing examples and use cases
Cloud computing is a network of remote machines, internet resources, and business programs that all work together to provide servers online, like your laptop or phone.
According to Paul Maritz, the CEO of VMware, it is all about the “how,” not the “where.” It seems like with the latest technology trends, people are always trying to figure out how to do computing rather than just where.
How Google Docs and Microsoft 365 work to help businesses in the cloud?
Users can access Google Docs and Microsoft 365 through the internet.
With the cloud, users are able to access work presentations and spreadsheets anytime, anywhere.
Dropbox, Gmail, and Facebook are just a few examples.
- The number of cloud storage companies on the internet is increasing. Each company wants to provide more space for its customers in a competition for limited space.
- Dropbox dominates in cloud storage, providing up to 1 terabyte of free storage and being available on every device.
- Many people today spend a lot of time on email. This is thanks to the Gmail service, which offers unlimited storage and has changed how we send emails.
- On Facebook, you can have an unlimited amount of data on your profile. It is accessible across a wide range of devices. Facebook then takes it one step further with Messenger so you can share data between profiles.
What are the primary benefits of cloud computing?
If you use an online service, such as email or the Adobe Creative Cloud, then it is likely that you are using cloud computing without realizing it.
Many businesses are now turning to the cloud for their computing needs, and as a result, it is being embraced by a wide range of companies with different requirements.
Testing and Development in the Cloud
Using distributed networks can significantly reduce the time and money you need to develop a mobile app.
Create cloud-native applications.
You can deploy, build, and scale your applications quicker by using cloud technology like containerization.
Exciting ways to use cloud computing
You usually conserve more if you use a cloud-based backup system. You can also access your data from anywhere.
Audio and video can be streamed.
With streaming services that distribute high-quality video and audio globally, you can connect with your audience regardless of where they are.
How Cloud computing can help with analytics of data?
This cloud storage allows for remote data centers that can be flexible and scalable, generating significant data-driven insights. Both Amazon EMR and Google Cloud Dataproc offer services tailored to big data projects.
On-demand software delivery.
With on-demand software, you can offer the latest updates to your customers, anytime they need it.
Analyze the data.
There are new and better ways to unify data, use it for more informed decisions, and even get the latest insights for your company.
Become smarter with cloud computing
Employ high-quality data to help customers and gain useful insights.
Cloud computing vs. traditional web hosting
With cloud hosting, users are not restricted by the physical boundaries of the server that their website resides on. There is a special setup here that allows you to pull data from those servers.
If you choose to go with a cloud hosting solution, it is really a network of physical servers rather than located in one centralized location. This provides an affordable, dependable, and scalable option for hosting your site
Traditional hosting places all of your website’s data and files on a single server. When people visit your website, these files are downloaded from a single server and displayed to them.
Cloud hosting can distribute resources over many servers, which makes it more flexible and scalable than shared hosting. This is important because most websites grow to be much better served with this model.
Cloud computing security
Businesses considering cloud adoption, particularly public cloud adoption, are concerned about security. Public Cloud providers share the same hardware infrastructure with other customers.
This environment requires a high level of logical computing resource separation. At the same time, account login credentials protect access to public cloud storage and compute resources.The public cloud environment is protected by a high level of logical computing resources. The account login protects access to the storage and compute resources in the public cloud.
Some businesses are still afraid to use public cloud because they’re afraid of data breaches, security breaches or theft.
Logical isolation is a reliable way to prevent malfunctions and malicious attacks, and the addition of encrypting data and additional authentication/access control methods have enhanced security.
Building a secure cloud environment is the responsibility of the individual business user. They have to structure the workload, which includes both the features of this environment and its specific resources, as well as implement security measures put in place.
History of cloud computing
Although the Internet dates back to the 1960s, it was not until the early 1990s that it became useful to businesses.
In 1991, the World Wide Web was launched, and in 1993, Mosaic, a web browser that allowed users to view web pages that combined both graphics and text, was released.
The first company web sites appeared as a result of this, and unsurprisingly, the majority of them belonged to businesses interested in computing and technology.
As internet connections became more dependable and faster, a new type of organisation known as an Application Service Provider, or ASP, began to emerge. For a monthly fee, ASPs ran existing business applications on computing software for their customers to access via the internet.
However, cloud computing as we know it today did not emerge until the late 1990s. That’s when many organizations debuted its own multi-tenant application, which was created with three goals in mind:
- Running “in the cloud” is a great way to save time and money.
- Be able to be accessed through the internet via a web browser
- Be used by a big number of clients at the same time for a low cost
The cloud has continued to develop since then. In fact, cloud service spending is expected to grow at an exponential rate, from almost $70 billion in 2015 to $141 billion or more in 2019.
Cloud computing’s future and upcoming technologies
There are numerous potential opportunities and capabilities with cloud computing and the technology that supports it.
Vendors and service providers can make use of new platforms that are based on the cloud. They have a range of new ways to market their goods and services. Attracting more customers becomes easier for these vendors, as they have better access to the profiles of the customer.
Businesses, organizations and people can better organize and execute their operations in a more time-friendly and cost-effective way. They can also keep in touch with friends on social networking sites much more easily, as well.
When it comes to cloud computing adoption, many firms have focused primarily on developing cloud-native apps, or applications that are specifically intended to use cloud services.
Businesses are starting to realize that the cloud is a viable alternative to their on-premises software.
With the availability of public cloud computing, running heavy-duty tasks on bigdata is easy for small time periods.
Large-scale services, like Google BigQuery for data warehousing and Microsoft Azure Data Lake Analytics for processing vast data volumes, have been created to process big data in a short amount of time.
AI and machine learning are another set of growing cloud technologies and services. With the help of these technologies, you can utilize many available AI-related and ML-powered services in the cloud.
These services include Amazon Machine Learning, Amazon Lex, Amazon Polly, Google Cloud Machine Learning Engine, and Google Cloud Speech API.
