Cloud computing refers to the delivery of computing services—including servers, storage,
databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence—over the internet (“the
cloud”). Companies offering these computing services are known as cloud providers and
typically charge for cloud computing services based on usage, similar to how you are billed
for water or electricity at home.
There are three main types of cloud computing: public cloud, private cloud, and hybrid cloud. A public cloud is owned and operated by a third-party cloud provider, which delivers its computing resources, such as servers and storage, over the internet. Private clouds are owned and operated by a single organization, which has complete control over the infrastructure. A hybrid cloud is a combination of both public and private clouds, connected by technology that allows data and applications to be easily moved between them.
One of the main benefits of cloud computing is its scalability. With traditional computing, organizations typically have to purchase and maintain a fixed amount of hardware, even if
they do not need all of the resources all of the time. With cloud computing, organizations can quickly scale up or down their computing resources based on their current needs. This
can help to save money, as they only pay for the resources they use.
Another benefit of cloud computing is its flexibility. Organizations can access cloud computing resources from anywhere with an internet connection, which makes it easy to collaborate and access important information and applications. This can be especially useful for organizations with employees who work remotely or who need to access certain systems from multiple locations.
Cloud computing also offers reliability and durability. With traditional computing, organizations have to worry about maintaining their own hardware and ensuring that it is always running smoothly. With cloud computing, the cloud provider is responsible for maintaining the infrastructure and ensuring that it is always available. This can help to reduce the risk of downtime, which can be costly for businesses.
There are also several different deployment models for cloud computing, including infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and software as a service(SaaS).
IaaS is a cloud computing model in which a third-party provider delivers hardware, such as servers and storage, over the internet. The provider is responsible for maintaining the infrastructure, while the customer is responsible for installing and maintaining their own software.
PaaS is a cloud computing model in which a third-party provider delivers a platform that includes both hardware and software resources over the internet. The provider is responsible for maintaining the infrastructure and the platform, while the customer is responsible for developing and deploying their own applications.
SaaS is a cloud computing model in which a third-party provider delivers a complete software application over the internet. The provider is responsible for maintaining the infrastructure, the platform, and the software, while the customer is responsible for using the application.
There are also several different service models for cloud computing, including public, private, community, and hybrid clouds.
Public clouds are owned and operated by third-party cloud providers, which deliver their computing resources over the internet. These resources are available to the general public and are often priced on a pay-per-use basis.
Private clouds are owned and operated by a single organization, which has complete control over the infrastructure. These clouds are often used to store and process sensitive data and are typically more expensive than public clouds.
Community clouds are shared by several organizations and are used to store and process data that is sensitive to a particular community. These clouds are often used by organizations in the same industry or with similar compliance requirements.
Hybrid clouds are a combination of public and private clouds, connected by technology that allows data and applications to be easily moved between them.