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18 November 2022

What is Cloud Computing? (with examples)

cloud network over a city

Section I: The Cloud

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing describes the storage of information or services via the Internet. This software will never save personal details on the computer. It is a service available to users on-demand for computers ranging from servers to databases and storage. Cloud computing focuses on providing data centre access to multiple users. User data may be accessed remotely.

 

Why is the Cloud called the Cloud?

Cloud computing was first developed during the 1960s. The expression originated from a cloud symbol used in flow charts to represent the internet.

 

How does Cloud Computing work?

Cloud computing enables a user to access data from a remote computer via the internet. The Internet network links a computer with a database that includes other databases, servers, and applications. The back end functions as an archive that stores information accessible from the front end. These communications between front and back ends are handled via central servers.

 

What are the advantages of Cloud computing over traditional hosting?

The advantages of using Cloud over traditional hosting are many. Here are some of them:

  • Increased collaboration: With cloud services, it is easier for people to share and edit documents together. This feature is particularly useful for businesses where team members need to work on the same project from different locations. 
     
  • Cost savings: One of the biggest advantages of using cloud services is that it can help businesses save money. Cloud services are often priced on a pay-as-you-go basis, which means that businesses only need to pay for the resources they use. 
     
  • Scalability: Cloud services are highly scalable, which means that businesses can easily increase or decrease their use of resources as needed. 
     
  • Flexibility: Cloud services are also very flexible, which means that businesses can use them to support a variety of different workloads. 
     
  • Improved security: Another advantage of using cloud services is that they can help businesses improve their security posture. By storing data in the cloud, businesses can reduce their risk of data breaches and other security threats.

 

Types of Cloud Computing

There are three main types of cloud computing:

  • Public cloud: A public cloud is a type of cloud computing that delivers services over the public internet. 
     
  • Private cloud: A private cloud is a type of cloud computing that delivers services over a private network. 
     
  • Hybrid cloud: A hybrid cloud is a type of cloud computing that delivers services over a public and private network.

 

Cloud Computing with example of use

The cloud has several uses including infrastructure as a service (IaaS), and Platform as a service (PaaS). In this way the company has the ability to control its own computer network or data without physically managing it.

 

Why do we need Cloud solutions?

The cloud gives businesses more flexibility than deploying locally based servers.

Cloud services provide the necessary bandwidth for a large network without the need to upgrade your system to meet a more demanding demand.

IaaS provides IT infrastructure to users via a website and has often been attributed to serverless computing.

Software and hardware for End User Services is delivered through PaaS and are usually provided by Software developers.

A software application can be created and run on the internet without a building or maintenance effort. SaaS software licenses are used in the context of subscription software enabling access via the internet using external servers without downloading or installing it locally.

 

What are some of the benefits of Cloud Computing?

Some benefits of cloud computing include

  • Reduced costs: Cloud computing can help organisations save on the cost of purchasing and maintaining hardware and software infrastructure. 
     
  • Increased agility: Cloud computing can help organisations be more agile and responsive to changes in demand. 
     
  • Improved performance: Cloud computing can help improve the performance of applications by distributing traffic across multiple servers.

 

What are some of the challenges of Cloud Computing?

Some challenges of cloud computing include:

  • Security: Organisations must ensure that their data is secure when using cloud-based services 
     
  • Privacy: Organisations must be aware of how their data is being used and shared by cloud service providers 
     
  • Interoperability: Organisations must ensure that their systems are compatible with the cloud services they are using.

 

What are some examples of Cloud Computing services?

Cloud computing services are those that provide a platform for users to access and use applications over the internet. These services are delivered through a web browser or a mobile app and are usually subscription-based.

Some examples of services utilising the Cloud include storage and file-sharing apps such as Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox, and Microsoft Azure. There are also many streaming services for audio and video where media is retrieved from remote locations in a Cloud-based environment.

 

Is it safe to put your data in the Cloud?

When using Cloud services, it is important to consider the security and privacy of your data. It is also important to be aware of how your data is being used and shared by the Cloud service provider. Make sure to read the terms of service and privacy policy for any Cloud service you are considering using.

 

Who is the most popular Cloud service provider?

The bulk of the world's Cloud infrastructure is held by just a few companies. The biggest being Amazon Web Services (AWS).

 

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Section II: More on Amazon Web Services (AWS)

AWS is a global Cloud platform that allows you to host and manage services on the internet. They provide a wide variety of services to their customers.

 

Why is AWS so popular?

Their method of billing (pay as you go), support for a wide range of operating systems and programming languages, and ability to scale their services to meet the needs of their customers makes AWS a popular choice for cloud computing. They have servers in 15 regions over the globe which are known to be stable with multiple zones available.

 

What are some of the disadvantages of using AWS?

AWS can be more expensive than other cloud providers, and their services can be complex to configure and manage. This is where you would want to look for AWS consultants to handle the nitty-gritty for you.

 

What is Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)?

IaaS is a cloud computing service that provides users with bare servers as a service. This infrastructure can be used to host and manage services and applications. IaaS is often used by businesses to save on the cost of purchasing and maintaining their own physical infrastructures such as backup and power supply.

 

What is Platform as a service (PaaS)?

PaaS is a cloud computing service that provides users with tools and services to develop, run, and manage applications. PaaS is often used by businesses to save on the cost of purchasing and maintaining their own software and hardware infrastructure.

 

What Software as a Service (SaaS) does AWS provide?

SaaS is a cloud computing service that provides users with access to software applications. SaaS is often used by businesses to save on the cost of purchasing and maintaining their own software infrastructure.

AWS provides a number of SaaS products, including

  • Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2)
  • Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)
  • Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)
  • Amazon Route 53
  • Amazon Simple Email Service (SES)
  • Amazon VPC

 

The most popular AWS service is Amazon EC2, which is a cloud computing service that provides users with access to virtual servers.

 

What is Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud?

Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) is a cloud storage platform service that provides users with on-demand, scalable computing resources.

 

What is Amazon Simple Storage Service?

Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) is an object storage service that provides users with a simple way to store and retrieve their data from anywhere on the web.

 

What is Amazon Relational Database Service?

Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) is a cloud database service that provides users with a managed, scalable, and highly available relational database.

 

What is Amazon Route 53?

Amazon Route 53 is a cloud DNS service that provides users with a scalable and reliable way to route their traffic to their resources on the internet.

 

What is Amazon Simple Email Service?

Amazon Simple Email Service (SES) is a cloud email service that provides users with a simple way to send and receive their emails.

 

What is ELB (Elastic Load Balancing)?

Elastic Load Balancing (ELB) is a cloud service that allows users to distribute their traffic across multiple servers. This helps to improve availability and performance by providing a scalable and reliable way to route traffic to their resources.

 

What is auto-scaling?

Auto-scaling is a cloud computing feature that allows users to automatically scale their resources up or down in response to changes in demand. This helps to ensure that resources are always available when needed and helps to improve performance by reducing the need to manually scale resources.

 

What is Virtual Private Cloud (VPC)?

VPC is a cloud networking service that provides users with a private, isolated network in the cloud. This network can be used to host and manage resources such as servers, storage, and applications.

 

man touching cloud hologram

Section III: Cloud computing examples in related topics

In the realm of Cloud technology, you might have heard these terms being thrown around. Let's get into what some of them mean.

 

What is Cloud Bursting?

Cloud bursting is a term used to describe the process of using the Cloud to supplement on-premises resources. This is often done during periods of high demand when additional resources are required to meet the demand.

 

What is Hybrid Cloud?

Hybrid cloud is a term used to describe a deployment that uses both on-premises and Cloud-based resources. This can be done for a number of reasons, such as to improve performance or to provide more cost-effective solutions.

 

What is DevOps?

DevOps is a term used to describe the process of developing, deploying, and managing software applications. This often includes a number of activities such as code management, continuous integration, and monitoring.

 

What is Big Data?

Big data is a term used to describe data sets that are too large or complex to be managed by traditional means. This often requires the use of specialised tools and techniques to process and analyse the data.

 

What is Internet of Things (IoT)?

The internet of things (IoT) is a term used to describe the network of physical devices, sensors, and actuators that are connected to the internet. This network is used to collect and exchange data, which can be used to monitor and control the devices.

 

What is Edge Computing?

Edge computing is a term used to describe the process of processing data at the edge of the network, close to the source of the data. This is often done to improve performance or to reduce the amount of data that needs to be transmitted over the network.

 

What is Serverless Computing?

Serverless computing is a term used to describe a deployment model in which applications are hosted on a platform that abstracts away the underlying infrastructure. This allows developers to focus on building and deploying their applications, without having to worry about managing or scaling the underlying infrastructure.

 

What are Containers?

Containers are a type of virtualisation technology that allows you to package and isolate an application and its dependencies from the rest of the system. This makes it easy to deploy and run applications in a variety of environments, such as on-premises, in the cloud, or in a hybrid environment.

 

What are Microservices?

Microservices is a term used to describe an architecture in which applications are composed of small, independent services. This allows for better modularity and easier development and deployment of applications.

 

What is Cloud Native?

Cloud-native is a term used to describe applications that are designed to be deployed in the Cloud. This means that they are built using cloud-based services and are designed to be scalable and resilient.

 

Final Thoughts

Cloud computing platforms provide users with tools and services to develop, run, and manage applications. While some can be more expensive than others, it can be because of the range of services that they offer. AWS is an example of a popular choice for its wide range of services and ability to scale. 

If you need some help with AWS services, our experts are ready to answer your burning questions. Simply send us a message and we'll get back to you at the soonest.

content tags

#cloud #cloud computing #aws

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