Cloud Computing

Cloud computing has been a significant technological advancement in past years. It has changed the way of businesses and individuals access, store and manage their data in the digital world. From this Blog, you'll get an overview about cloud computing.

What is "cloud" ?

First of all we need to figure out the term "cloud". According to Microsoft azure cloud service provider, cloud is described as below.

It’s a term used to describe a global network of servers, each with a unique function. The cloud is not a physical entity, but instead is a vast network of remote servers around the globe which are hooked together and meant to operate as a single ecosystem.

What is Cloud Computing?

Technology that enabling the delivery of computing services, including servers, storage, databases, software, and networking, over the internet. Instead of hosting these services locally, businesses and individuals can access them remotely using a network of servers hosted by third-party providers and users can access the services they need using the internet. Users can subscribe for plans as their wish and according to their requirements. If a user no longer need any resource, that can be manipulate by the user's end.

Cloud computing can be categorized into two main models. Deployment model and Service model.

Deployment Model

Cloud Deployment Model, functions as a virtual computing environment with a deployment architecture that varies depending on the amount of data you want to store and who has access to the infrastructure. This model basically consists of 3 types.

Public cloud makes it possible for general people or major industry groups to access systems and services. This may be less secure as it is open to everyone. The infrastructure in this cloud model is owned by the entity that delivers the cloud services, not by the consumer. This is an excellent example of cloud hosting.

Private cloud is the exact opposite of the public cloud . It’s a one-on-one environment for a single user. There is no need to share your hardware with anyone else. It refers to the ability to access systems and services within a given border or organization. The platform is implemented in a cloud-based secure environment that is protected by powerful firewalls.

By bridging the public and private clouds, hybrid cloud computing gives the best of both. With a hybrid solution, you may host the app in a safe environment while taking advantage of the public cloud’s cost savings. Organizations can move data and applications between different clouds using a combination of two or more cloud deployment methods.

Service Model

This model is included with Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). Each type of service provides different levels of access to the underlying hardware and software infrastructure.

SaaS provides businesses with access to software applications over the internet. This eliminates the need for businesses to install, manage, and update software on their own hardware, and allows them to access the software they need from anywhere with an internet connection. Salesforce, Google Applications, Microsoft Office 365, and Dropbox are some examples.

PaaS provides businesses with a platform to develop, test, and deploy applications over the internet. This eliminates the need for businesses to manage the underlying infrastructure and hardware, and allows them to focus on developing and deploying their applications. Examples include Heroku, AWS lambda, Google App Engine, and AWS Elastic Beanstalk.

IaaS provides businesses with access to virtualized computing resources, including servers, data centers, storage, and networking. This allows businesses to scale up or down their computing resources as needed, without having to invest in expensive hardware or infrastructure. Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) are popular examples for IaaS.

Pros and Cons of  using Cloud Services

Despite the cloud providers guarantee about securing the data of the users, still there exist a possibility that security breaches can occur. The reason is users cannot identify or track about the accessibility of their data, from the provider's end. Hence, customers tend to select reliable and well reputed cloud service providers all the time because of this data security issue.