What is Cloud Computing?
Cloud provides individuals and businesses the scope of a robust, secure & easily accessible pool of IT resources
Demystifying Cloud Computing
Almost everything with a power cable is misappropriated with the term cloud nowadays.
It’s a buzzword which certainly helps sales, but skews the public’s perception.
So for clarity, let’s define some terms.
What is cloud computing?
Cloud computing, or the cloud, is a metaphor for supply and consumption of IT resources. The IT resources in the cloud aren’t directly visible to the user; there are layers of abstraction in between. The level of abstraction offered by the cloud varies, from offering virtual machines (VMs) to providing software as a service (SaaS) based on complex distributed systems. Resources are available on demand in enormous quantities, and you pay for what you use.
“Cloud computing is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (networks, virtual machines, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.”
Official definition
Simply put, cloud computing is a technology that allows remote access to software, file storage and data processing through the Internet, thus being an alternative to running on a personal computer or server. local. In the cloud model, there is no need to install applications locally on computers.
Cloud computing uses a network layer to connect users' edge devices (computers, smartphones, and wearables) to centralized resources in the data center.
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A public cloud is probably the most commonly understood cloud computing option. This is where all the services and supporting infrastructure are managed off-site over the Internet and shared across multiple users (or tenants).
A good example of a public cloud at the individual consumer level is a streaming service like Netflix or Hulu. Users subscribe to the service through an individual account but access the same services across the platform through the Internet.
The advantage of using a public cloud is the increased efficiency and subsequent cost-effectiveness from shared resources. Public clouds are typically cheaper than private and hybrid cloud solutions (as well as traditional on-premise computing) because they rely on economies of scale. Users don’t have to pay for services they aren’t using and don’t have to worry about managing and maintaining the physical infrastructure.
Various companies can use it simultaneously, albeit independently. The cloud provider (AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure) assumes responsibility for maintenance and security
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A private cloud provides IT services through the Internet or a private network to select users, rather than to the general public. Instead of having multiple tenants, like a public cloud does, a private cloud typically has only one tenant. All the data is protected behind a firewall. This is a popular choice for many businesses who want the agility of the cloud with greater customization and security.
Private clouds can reside on-site or off-site. The distinguishing feature is the single, private tenant who maintains greater control over the IT services. Private clouds are popular choices for organizations who have high priorities on security and compliance.
Constituted by a single organisation with its own servers & software for use without a public access point
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Hybrid Cloud combines both private and public cloud elements to varying degrees. Despite operating independently, the clouds in a hybrid environment communicate over an encrypted connection and allow for the portability of data and applications.
This is an increasingly popular cloud solution because it allows organizations greater flexibility to meet their IT needs. Comprised of two or more distinct cloud infrastructures that work as a single entity, tied together with proprietary tech
☝That last bit’s important…
Because that’s really just it. Cloud is renting capacity from a vendor’s own data centre!
What flavour of cloud suits you?
Data centre == Cloud
AWS as a public cloud
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Offers fundamental resources like computing, storage and networking capabilities, using virtual machines such as Amazon EC2, Microsoft Azure or Google Compute Engine.
While the user is still responsible for managing their applications, data, middleware, etc., IaaS provides automated and scalable environments that provide a high degree of control and flexibility for the user.
For example, many businesses use IaaS to support workload spikes during busy seasons (like holidays)
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Provides platforms to deploy custom applications to the cloud, such as AWS Elastic Beanstalk, Google App Engine, and Heroku.
This service layer is primarily geared towards developers and operations professionals. Service providers rent out cloud-based platforms for users to develop and deliver applications. In other words, PaaS provides a framework that makes it easier and more efficient to build, customize, and deploy applications.
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Combines infrastructure and software running in the cloud, including office applications like Amazon Workspaces, Google Apps for Work, and Microsoft Office 365.
Cloud application services are the most well-known of the cloud service models. The software is hosted, packaged, and delivered by a third party through the Internet (typically on a browser-based interface). By delivering the software application over the Internet, enterprises can offload the costs of management and maintenance to the vendor.
Popular SaaS options include email and customer relationship management software.
Cloud computing services also have several classifications
How does cloud work?
A cloud is a set of IT resources that can be used by individuals and organisations in the world.
There are 3 types of resources in a cloud:
👆When these IT resources are shared by multiple users, it’s called a public cloud belonging to different users. It’s all stored at the same data centre but each user's data is kept separate and sealed off from the data of other users. The cloud provider owns the data centre and manages it for all the users of the cloud
Alternatively an organization can have its own dedicated data centre it can either manage this infrastructure on its own or outsource management and maintenance to a provider. In this case, it's called a private cloud.
Cloud computing offers big savings by pooling services for a large number of users. Companies and institutions can also avoid the upfront investment costs of IT infrastructure and gain access to the cloud provider's latest innovations or service enhancements.
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Users have access to computing power, and storage capacity that’s made available by a cloud provider via the internet. That means a company no longer needs to install & maintain its own services, but instead use this exising infrasturcture which is managed and run by the vendo
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Such as: databases or artificial intelligence tools used by developers to build new applications. They benefit from the agility and performance of all the latest innovations
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Users simply use the software and don’t have to do anything else. It’s the developers who perform updates & maintenance on behalf of their customers.
And thanks to the inherent elasticity of the cloud, organizations can expand their IT resources in just a few clicks with virtually no limits. For example an online store can add extra server capacity to cope with a brief spike in business during summer sales then simply give it back when they don't need it
Pooling IT resources in the cloud also reduces their environmental impact with all these benefits. The cloud market has grown significantly in recent years. According to a study by KPMG, the European cloud market is expected to exceed 500 billion euros by 2030 (more than 10 times its size in 2020!)
The cloud is now a must-have for businesses and organizations of every type during the pandemic with so many people working from home a lot of companies migrated to the cloud. A growth which is set to continue
Too much of anything is the beginning of a mess.
![Identity & Access Management [IAM]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/634d82000fadad20cc22ae40/1666271539426-LRNGQOEW4I7ZK2OGD62A/unsplash-image-53d-jja8Owo.jpg)
![DNS [Route 53]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/634d82000fadad20cc22ae40/1666269040439-2G5FCI5UBZVBMRTP75GQ/unsplash-image-1lfI7wkGWZ4.jpg)
But a baseline of Cloud Fluency is a good start:
Cloud concerns 🛑
Several obstacles could stand in the way of this mass migration to the cloud.
1) The threat of cyber attacks.
In just one year, no less than 40% of companies suffered a data breach in the cloud according to the 2021 Telus global cloud security study.
3) Extra-territorial legislation.
- The Cloud Act in the United States for instance can force any US-based provider to disclose any of the data that's stored on its servers. Data protection is crucial if European companies are going to stay competitive and comply with privacy laws. It’s the key to our digital sovereignty.
2) Regulatory constraints.
- Such as General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR 2016) which protects peoples’ privacy. Institutions must be able to control exactly where their data is located and put measures in place to protect it.
This is why companies consider consultations before treading into the cloud. Businesses need a bespoke assessment in data protection and the latest cyber security technologies to keep its customers’ data safe. The cloud is bigger than any of us alone, so it’s important to team up with specialists who can offer a complete set of cloud security solutions tailored to the specific needs of each customer.