Introduction to Cloud

Why cloud?

Before cloud came into existence, suppose you wanted to host a website. You'd need to buy a stack of servers, get more servers for varying traffic levels, and monitor/maintain these servers. This is all very costly, and troubleshooting problems can be tedious and may conflict with your business goals. Additionally, since the traffic is varying, your servers will be idle most of the time. Cloud computing completely changes the game. This model enables on-demand access to a shared pool of computing resources such as servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence. These resources are available on a pay-as-you-go basis, making computing power more accessible, scalable, and cost-effective.

Key characteristics of cloud computing

1. On-demand self-service

Users can access computing capabilities (such as server time and network storage) as needed without requiring human interaction with each service provider.

2. Broad network access

Cloud services are accessible over the network and can be accessed and used by a wide variety of devices and client types, regardless of their processing power or platform.

3. Resource pooling

Multiple consumers are served by pooling the provider's computing resources using a multi-tenant model. Different physical and virtual resources are dynamically assigned and reassigned according to the consumer demand.

4. Rapid elasticity

Capabilities can be elastically supplied and released, in some cases automatically, to scale rapidly outward and inward, equal to demand.

5. Measured service

Cloud systems leverage a metering capability at some level of abstraction appropriate to the type of service to automatically control and optimize resources. Metering tracks how much of a resource you use.

Types of cloud services

1. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

IaaS allows the building blocks for cloud IT and usually provides access to networking features, computers (virtual or hardware), and data storage space. Examples are Amazon Web Services, EC2, Microsoft Azure, and Google Compute Engine.

2. Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Platform as a Service gets rid of the need for organizations to manage the underlying infrastructure (usually hardware and operating systems) and allows them to focus on the deployment and management of their applications. Examples are Microsoft Azure App Services, Google App Engine, and Heroku.

3. Software as a Service (SaaS):

SaaS provides a complete product that is run and managed by the service provider. SaaS refers to end-user applications in most cases. Examples are Google Workspace, Microsoft Office 365, and Salesforce.

Deployment models of cloud computing

1. Public cloud

Infrastructure and services are supplied to the public over the internet. Public cloud services are usually accessible to anyone who wants to purchase them and are operated by a third-party cloud service provider. Examples are AWE, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud.

2. Private cloud

A private cloud is a cloud infrastructure operated solely for a single organization, whether managed internally or by a third party, and hosted either internally or externally. It gives more control over resources and data, making sure there is higher levels of security and privacy.

3. Hybrid cloud

This type of model is a combination of public and private clouds, bound together by technology that allows data and applications to be shared between them. It allows businesses to take advantage of both environments, maintaining sensitive workloads in a private cloud white using the public cloud for less important resources.

Benefits of cloud computing

1. Cost efficiency

Cloud computing gets rid of the capital expense of buying hardware and software and setting up and running on-site data centers.

2. Scalability

As needs change, businesses can scale their cloud capacity up or down - which is very valuable during high-demand periods.

3. Performance

major cloud services run on a worldwide network of secure data centers, which are upgraded to the latest generation of fast and efficient computing hardware.

4. Speed and agility

Large amounts of computing resources can be provisioned in minutes as cloud services are provided on demand. This gives businesses a lot of flexibility and takes the pressure off capacity planning.

5. Global reach

Cloud services can reach customers and clients from different regions and continents without having to invest in local infrastructure - cloud enables businesses to deploy their services and applications globally.