Cloud Computing — Everything you need to know (1/2)
Cloud computing is becoming an integral part of many companies’ business and technology strategy. Cloud services help companies turn IT resources into a flexible, elastic, and self-service set of resources that they can more easily manage and scale to support changing business needs.
Cloud comes in different versions, depending on your needs. There are two primary deployment models of cloud: public and private. Most organizations use a combination of private computing resources (data centers and private clouds) and public services as a hybrid environment.
For making cloud computing into a strategic part of an overall computing infrastructure, there are three main services,
1) IaaS(Infrastructure as a Service): The delivery of services such as hardware, software, storage, networking, data center space, and various utility software elements on request. Both public and private versions of IaaS exist.
· In the public IaaS, the user needs a simple sign-up mechanism to acquire resources. When users no longer need the resources, they simply de-provision them.
· In a private IaaS, the IT organization or an integrator creates an infrastructure designed to provide resources on demand to internal users and sometimes partners. IaaS is the fundamental element used by other cloud models. Some customers bring their own tools and software to create applications.
2) PaaS(Platform as a Service): A mechanism for combining IaaS with an abstracted set of middleware services, software development, and deployment tools that allow the organization to have a consistent way to create and deploy applications on a cloud or on-premises environment. A PaaS environment supports coordination between the developer and the operations organization, typically called DevOps. A PaaS offers a consistent set of programming and middleware services that ensure developers have a well-tested and well-integrated way to create applications in a cloud environment. A PaaS requires an infrastructure service.
3) SaaS(Software as a Service): A business application created and hosted by a provider in a multi-tenant (shared) model. The SaaS application sits on top of both a PaaS and foundational IaaS. In fact, a SaaS environment can be built directly on an IaaS platform. Typically these underlying services aren’t visible to end-users of a SaaS application.
There are several other services available like Storage as a Service(STaaS), Security as a Service(SECaaS), Data as a Service(Daas), Test Environment as a Service(TEaas) and Backend as a Service(Baas).
Ø What is Cloud Computing?
· In a Simple language, Cloud computing is a method of providing a set of shared computing resources that includes applications, computing, storage, networking, development, and deployment platforms as well as business processes.
· Host a variety of different workloads, including batch-style back-end jobs and interactive, user-friendly applications.
· Monitor resource use in real time to enable re-balancing of allocations when needed.
Ø How cloud works?
Suppose you runs a company. Your particular responsibilities include making sure that all of your employees have the right hardware and software they need. You also have to purchase software along with licenses to give employees the tools they require. Whenever you have a new hire, you have to buy more software or make sure your current software license allows another user. It is so stressful that you will find it difficult. So, how will you solve this problem using cloud?
Instead of installing a suite of software for each computer, you would only have to load one application. That application would allow workers to log into a Web-based service, which hosts all the programs the user would need for their job. Remote machines owned by another company would run everything from email to word processing to complex data analysis programs. It’s called cloud computing.
In a cloud computing system, there’s a significant workload shift. Local computers no longer have to do all the heavy lifting when it comes to running applications. The network of computers that make up the cloud handles them instead. Hardware and software demands on the user’s side decrease. The only thing the user’s computer needs to be able to run is the cloud computing system’s interface software, which can be as simple as a Web browser. There’s a good chance you’ve already used some form of cloud computing. If you have an e-mail account with a Web-based e-mail service like Hotmail, Ymail or Gmail, then you’ve had some experience with cloud computing. Instead of running an e-mail program on your computer, you log in to a Web e-mail account remotely. The software and storage for your account doesn’t exist on your computer. It’s on the service’s computer cloud.
So I guess now you have complete idea of cloud work. Right?
Example Credit: www.computer.howstuffworks.com
Ø Pros and Cons
Pros:
1. Cost Efficient: Cloud computing is probably the most cost-efficient method to use, maintain and upgrade. Since applications run in the cloud, you does not need the high processing power or large hard disk space. In addition, you does not need to purchase software or application. The cloud, on the other hand, is available at much cheaper rates and hence, can significantly lower the company’s IT expenses.
2. Unlimited Storage: Storing information in the cloud gives you almost unlimited storage capacity. Hence, you no more need to worry about running out of storage space or increasing your current storage space availability.
3. Quick Deployment: Cloud computing gives you the advantage of quick deployment. Once you opt for this method of functioning, your entire system can be fully functional in a matter of a few minutes. Of course, the amount of time taken here will depend on the exact kind of technology that you need for your business.
4. Reliability: Your infrastructure on the cloud increases reliability and availability of applications and services. Cloud services run on pooled and redundant infrastructure, which provides you with higher availability of IT services.
5. Backup and Recovery: Since all your data is stored in the cloud, backing it up and restoring the same is relatively much easier than storing the same on a physical device. Furthermore, most of the cloud service provider are usually competent enough to handle recovery of information.
6. Accessibility: You just need an active internet connection to access all information to your device from anywhere in the world.
Cons:
1. Requires good speed internet with good bandwidth: To access your cloud services, you need to have a good internet connection always with good bandwidth to upload/download files to/from cloud.
2. Limited control on infrastructure: Since you are not the owner of infrastructure of the cloud, hence you don’t have any control or have a limited access on the cloud infra.
3. Restricted or limited flexibility: Although cloud provides a huge list of services but consuming them comes with a lot of restrictions and limited flexibility for your applications or developments. Also, platform dependency or ‘vendor lock-in’ can sometimes make it difficult for you to migrate from one provider to another.
4. Ongoing costs: Though you can save your cost of spending on whole infrastructure and its management, but on cloud you need to keep paying for services as long as you use them. But in traditional methods, you only need to invest once.
5.Security: Security of data is a big concern for everyone. Since cloud services are public, hence it depends on the provider as to how they are taking care of your data. So, before opting for cloud services, it is required that you find a provider who follows max compliance policies for data security.
We will learn more about different cloud services and platform and analyse them to find out the best cloud service provider in the market.
