Cloud Computing

 

What is Cloud Computing?

It is the delivery of computing services*  via the Internet where shared resources, software, and information are provided to devices and computers on demand simply called pay for what you use.

*Services include servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence.

Services hosted over the internet are broadly divided into three categories. 

• Infrastructure- as-a- Service (Iaas)

• Platform-as-a-service (PaaS)

• Software-as-a- Service( SaaS)

Software as a Service (SaaS): SaaS is the most commonly used cloud application service and is becoming a dominant way for organizations to access software applications. 

With SaaS, an organization accesses a specific software application hosted on a remote server and managed by a third-party provider. On a subscription basis, the application is accessed through a web browser, reducing the need for on-device software downloads or updates.

Platform as a Service (PaaS): PaaS is a popular choice for businesses that want to create unique applications without making major financial investments.

With PaaS, an organization accesses a pre-defined environment for software development that can be used to build, test, and run applications. This means that developers don't need to start from scratch when creating apps. PaaS allows the developer to focus on the creative side of software development, as opposed to tedious tasks such as writing extensive code or managing software updates or security patches

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): IaaS is the simplest option for businesses. With IaaS, an organization migrates its hardware—renting servers and data storage in the cloud rather than purchasing and maintaining its own infrastructure.

IaaS provides an organization with the same technologies and capabilities as a traditional data center, including full control over server instances. System administrators within the business are responsible for managing aspects such as databases, applications, runtime, security, etc., while the cloud provider manages the servers, hard drives, networking, storage, etc.

Cloud Computing can be deployed in different ways depending on what services a business needs. There are three types of deployment models. 

• Public cloud

• Private cloud

• Hybrid cloud

The public cloud is defined as computing services offered by third-party providers over the public Internet, making them available to anyone who wants to use or purchase them. They may be free or sold on-demand, allowing customers to pay only per usage for the CPU cycles, storage, or bandwidth they consume.

A private cloud is a computing model that offers a proprietary environment dedicated to a single business entity. As with other types of cloud computing environments, private cloud provides extended, virtualized computing resources via physical components stored on-premises or at a vendor's datacenter

Hybrid cloud is a solution that combines a private cloud with one or more public cloud services, with proprietary software enabling communication between each distinct service. A hybrid cloud strategy provides businesses with greater flexibility by moving workloads between cloud solutions as needs and costs fluctuate.