Cloud Computing

So, you might be hearing the fancy words like "Cloud Technology" and "Cloud Computing" . And still wondering what it is all about. You have come to the right spot, here I am explaining about the Cloud Computing Technology.

Introduction to Cloud

The term "cloud" is basically a metaphor representing the computing resources like data storage, network, computing power, servers, analytics etc over the internet.

So, Cloud Computing is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources(eg. Networks, servers, storage, applications and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction. The main enabling technology for cloud computing is virtualization and automations.

Below here is the saying by Richard Davies, CEO of Elastichosts, explaining about the cloud computing to a five-year old kid so that the kid can make some sense of the actually the cloud computing is all about.

Once upon a time, everyone’s computers used to feed off a box in their office, but the more and more we used, the more boxes we needed, until there was no room for people anymore! Now there is a man called Mr Cloud who lives in the sky and looks after all the boxes for us; Mr Cloud has magic powers which means he can give people the exact amount of power they need, whenever they need it and from wherever they need it!

All the above resources are hosted at a remote data centers and managed by the Cloud Service Providers (CSPs). A Cloud Service Provider can have more than 100+ cloud services which can be various general service names like Compute, Networking, Databases, Storage, Analytics, etc. Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform and Alibababa Cloud are the big names in Cloud Service Providers list. According to the report published by Gartner Inc, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the leader is Cloud Service Provider.

Fig: Magic Quadrant for Cloud Infrastructures and Platform Services.

Types Of Cloud Models

We can categorize cloud into the basis of Cloud Deployment and Cloud Service Models.

Cloud Service Models

Cloud Service Model means how the cloud services are provided to the users. On the basis of cloud service model, cloud is divided into three types; Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS).

1. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
   • provides the foundational building blocks for cloud IT.
   • provides access to the computing resources like storage, networks, database,etc.
   • IaaS is for Admins to manage the infrastructure.
   • Examples; AWS, Microsoft Azure, Alibaba Cloud, Oracle Cloud, Google Cloud etc.
2. Platform as a Service (PaaS)
   • provides the platform for deployment and management of the applications.
   • It is mostly for Developers.
   • Examples; Heroku, DigitalOcean, Google App Engine, etc
3. Software as a Service (SaaS)
   • Service Provider runs and manage the cloud applications/ product.
   • It is mostly used by end users.
   • Examples; Gmail, Figma, Canva, Mailchimp, etc

Cloud Deployment Models

On the basis of cloud deployment modes, cloud can be divided into four models; Public Cloud, Private Cloud, Hybrid Cloud, and Community Cloud.

1. Public Cloud
   • Public cloud is public to all cloud users and provided by CSPs.
   • It is also known as Cloud-Native/Cloud First.
   • It is cheaper than private cloud and provides less security as compared to private cloud.
   • Examples; AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform etc.
2. Private Cloud
   • Everything is built within company's datacenter / premises.
   • It is known as on-premise cloud.
   • It is quite expensive than public clouds and ensures more security.
   • Examples; OpenStack
3. Hybrid Cloud
   • Uses both private/on-premise cloud and public clouds.
   • It uses the best of both worlds; private cloud and public clouds.
   • Sensitive/critical data are stored in private cloud and public data are stored in public clouds.
4. Community Cloud
   • Two or more organizations with same domain, run and manage cloud for their mutual benefits.
   • Examples; Various schools can setup the common community cloud.

Cloud Computing is the emerging technology. And sooner or later, almost all of the organizations will migrate into cloud to save the time and operational cost. Today, many organizations are thinking of switching their critical applications into modern and secured cloud infrastructure.

Factors to consider before moving into cloud.

Here are some things one should consider before migrating into the cloud.

1. Low Initial Cost for Infrastructure

   • Today, Startups and Companies wants to focus on their applications rather than creating and managing the servers. Cloud Service Providers provide cloud services in affordable per as you go model. So, startups don't need to heavily invest in servers initally which will minimize the inital cost of investment.

2. Data Security

   • Data is the new gold. And how safe is your data in the cloud? So, it is important to know how to securely store and retrieve the business confidential data in the cloud. Once the applications data is breached, the organization and business are in the verge of losing the trust from the end users. So, business should have key emphasis on data security while migrating to the cloud.

3. Availability

   • Availability is the state of being available and ready to use with minimum delay/latency. Business should consider this factor for high availability to serve the critical applications for maximum uptime.

4. Help & Support

   • Do we get help and support from Cloud Community / Service Provider in case of any disaster? Business should look whether they are getting any help or support for running their applications and business smoothly.

References

• 20 ways to explain cloud computing to a five-year-old
• Gartner Magic Quadrant & Critical Capabilities