Cloud Computing: A Walkthrough
‘Cloud’ is a buzzword that we have all been coming across lately when discussing trending technologies, but what is it? How does it impact what you do, and what’s so special about it? Let us take a look.
In the simplest terms, cloud computing refers to storing and accessing data and programs over the internet instead of your computer’s hard drive. To be more precise, cloud computing is the delivery of on-demand computing services — from applications to storage and processing power — typically over the internet and on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Ultimately, the “cloud” is just a metaphor for the internet.
How does Cloud Computing work?
Cloud computing has completely changed the way businesses (and their consumers) store and access their data. Rather than owning their computing infrastructure or data centers, companies can rent access to anything from applications to storage from a cloud service provider.
One benefit of using cloud computing services is that firms can avoid the upfront cost and complexity of owning and maintaining their own IT infrastructure, and instead simply pay for what they use when they use it.
In turn, providers of cloud computing services can benefit from significant economies of scale by delivering the same services to a wide range of customers.
The story behind the name
A fundamental concept behind cloud computing is that the location of the service, and many of the details such as the hardware or operating system on which it is running, are largely irrelevant to the user. It’s with this in mind that the metaphor of the cloud was borrowed from old telecoms network schematics, in which the public telephone network (and later the internet) was often represented as a cloud to denote that the just didn’t matter — it was just a cloud of stuff.
Services provided by Cloud Computing
Cloud computing services cover a vast range of options now, from the basics of storage, networking, and processing power through to natural language processing and artificial intelligence as well as standard office applications. Pretty much any service that doesn’t require you to be physically close to the computer hardware that you are using can now be delivered via the cloud.
The cloud is also not about having a dedicated network-attached storage (NAS) device in your house. Storing data on a home or office network does not count as utilizing cloud computing.
Types of Cloud Services
1. SaaS (Software as a Service)
This type of public cloud computing delivers applications over the internet through the browser.
Typically, SaaS applications offer extensive configuration options as well as development environments that enable customers to code their modifications and additions.
2. IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)
At a basic level, IaaS public cloud providers offer storage and compute services on a pay-per-use basis.
But the full array of services offered by all major public cloud providers is staggering: highly scalable databases, virtual private networks, big data analytics, developer tools, machine learning, application monitoring, and so on
3.PaaS (Platform as a Service)
PaaS provides sets of services and workflows that specifically target developers, who can use shared tools, processes, and APIs to accelerate the development, testing, and deployment of applications.
4.FaaS (Functions as a Service)
FaaS, the cloud version of serverless computing, adds another layer of abstraction to PaaS so that developers are completely insulated from everything in the stack below their code. Instead of futzing with virtual servers, containers, and application runtimes, they upload narrowly functional blocks of code and set them to be triggered by a certain event. A special benefit of FaaS applications is that they consume no IaaS resources until an event occurs, reducing pay-per-use fees.
Common Applications of Cloud Computing
Cloud computing supports a vast number of services. That includes consumer services like Gmail or the cloud back-up of the photos on your smartphone, though to the services which allow large enterprises to host all their data and run all of their applications in the cloud. Netflix relies on cloud computing services to run its video streaming service and its other business systems too and has several other organizations.
When it comes to home use, the lines between local computing and cloud computing sometimes get blurry. That’s because the cloud is part of almost everything on our computers these days. You can easily have a local piece of software (for instance, Microsoft Office) that utilizes a form of cloud computing for storage.
Why Cloud Computing?
The cloud’s main appeal is to reduce the time to market applications that need to scale dynamically. With an online connection, cloud computing can be done anywhere, anytime. Increasingly, however, developers are drawn to the cloud by the abundance of advanced new services that can be incorporated into applications, from machine learning to internet of things (IoT) connectivity.
Everything comes with a price (The drawbacks)
Cloud computing is not necessarily cheaper than other forms of computing, just as renting is not always cheaper than buying in the long term. If an application has a regular and predictable requirement for computing services it may be more economical to provide that service in-house.
Some companies may be reluctant to host sensitive data in a service that is also used by rivals. Moving to a SaaS application may also mean you are using the same applications as a rival, which may make it hard to create any competitive advantage if that application is core to your business.
And of course, you can only access your applications if you have an internet connection.
Conclusion
Cloud computing is still at a relatively early stage of adoption, despite its long history. Many companies are still considering which apps to move and when. However, usage is only likely to climb as organizations get more comfortable with the idea of their data being somewhere other than a server in the basement. We’re still relatively early into cloud adoption — some estimates suggest that only 10% of the workloads that could be move have actually been transferred across.
To be honest, it doesn’t matter. Cloud computing may be a little bit like the Wild West, where the rules are made up as you go, and you hope for the best, but it’s here to stay. The money made by the cloud is immense, the ease of use speaks for itself.
