Cloud Computing Explained
What is Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services—such as servers, storage,
databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence—over the internet (“the
cloud”) to offer faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale.
Key Characteristics
On-demand self-service: Users can provision resources as needed automatically.
Broad network access: Services are available over the network and accessed
through standard mechanisms.
Resource pooling: Multiple customers share resources, but each user’s data is
isolated.
Rapid elasticity: Resources can be scaled up or down quickly.
Measured service: Resource usage is monitored and billed accordingly.
Service Models
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): Provides virtualized computing resources
over the internet.
Example: Amazon EC2, Google Compute Engine
Platform as a Service (PaaS): Offers hardware and software tools over the
internet.
Example: Google App Engine, Microsoft Azure App Service
Software as a Service (SaaS): Delivers software applications over the internet.
Example: Gmail, Salesforce, Microsoft Office 365
Deployment Models
Public Cloud: Services are delivered over the public internet and shared across
organizations.
Private Cloud: Services are maintained on a private network.
Hybrid Cloud: Combines public and private clouds, allowing data and
applications to be shared between them.
Benefits
Reduced IT costs.
Scalability.
Flexibility to work from anywhere.
Disaster recovery and backup.
Automatic software updates.
Example: Using Cloud Storage
Cloud storage services, like Google Drive or Dropbox, allow users to store files
online and access them from any device with an internet connection.
Summary
Cloud computing has revolutionized the way businesses and individuals use technology,
providing scalable, flexible, and cost-effective solutions for a wide range of
computing needs.
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