What Is Cloud Computing Technology?

Cloud computing technology is a type of Internet-based computing that provides shared computer processing resources and data to computers and other devices on demand. It is a model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.

Cloud computing technology is still in its early stages, but it has already begun to have a major impact on the way businesses and individuals use information technology (IT). The most well-known examples of cloud computing technology are Google Apps and Microsoft Office 365.

The history of cloud computing

Cloud computing is a type of Internet-based computing that provides shared computer processing resources and data to computers and other devices on demand. It is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services). Cloud computing relies on sharing of resources to achieve coherence and economies of scale, similar to a utility (like the electricity grid) over an internal network (like a LAN).

Cloud computing is believed to have been invented by Joseph Carl Robnett Licklider in the 1960s with his work on ARPANET to connect people and data from anywhere at anytime.

The benefits of cloud computing

The cloud is a metaphor for the Internet, based on how it is depicted in computer network diagrams and is an abstraction for the complex infrastructure it conceals. Users access applications and data stored on remote servers through a web browser or a program like an email client. The cloud can be public, private or hybrid.

The primary benefit of cloud computing is that it offers on-demand resources and services to users over the Internet. This means that users can access computing resources as needed, without having to invest in expensive hardware and software upfront. Cloud computing services are also scalable, so users can quickly add or remove resources as their needs change.

Another key benefit of cloud computing is its flexibility. Users can access cloud-based applications and data from any device with an Internet connection, which makes it ideal for employees who need to work remotely or for companies with mobile workers. Cloud computing also offers pay-as-you-go pricing, so users only pay for the resources they use.

The challenges of cloud computing

While cloud computing has many benefits, it also comes with some challenges that need to be considered before making the switch. One of the biggest challenges is security. With data being stored off-site and accessible from any internet-connected device, it can be more vulnerable to hacking and data breaches. Another challenge is availability. If there is an issue with the internet connection or the server hosting the data is down, then access to the cloud will be unavailable. Cloud computing also requires a reliable and fast internet connection, which can be an issue in some areas.

The future of cloud computing

Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services—including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence—over the Internet (“the cloud”) to offer faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale.

Cloud computing is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction. This cloud model is composed of five essential characteristics, three service models, and four deployment models.

Essential characteristics:

On-demand self-service: A consumer can unilaterally provision computing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, as needed automatically without requiring human interaction with each service provider.

Broad network access: Capabilities are available over the network and accessed through standard mechanisms that promote use by thin or thick clients.

Resource pooling: The provider’s computing resources are pooled to serve multiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with different physical and virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according to demand. There is a sense of location independence in that the customer generally has no control or knowledge over the exact location of the provided resources but may be able to specify location at a higher level of abstraction (e.g., country, state/province). examples us-west vs us-east vs eu vs apac Resource pooling leads to economies of scale since the underlying physical resource costs are shared across customers.

Rapid elasticity: Capabilities can be rapidly and elastically provisioned—in some cases automatically—to quickly scale up and rapidly released to quickly scale down. To the consumer they appear to be unlimited even though they may beFine-grained elasticity refers to dynamic allocation in terms of compute cycles while coarsely grained elasticity allocating storage in terms of size gigabytes or terabytes Coarsely grained is much slower than fine grained Elasticity in real world applications needs both coarse grained & fine tuned managed within physical or virtual limits defined by the service provider. Rapid elasticity refers to broader dramatic changes in capacity whereas fine-grained elasticity deals with smaller fluctuations in capacity. Scalability refers more generally to being able to handle increased load without failing but does not necessarily imply dynamic allocation of needed resources . One popular analogy for rapid elasticity is “unlimited scalability for pennies a day” alluding not only Cloud bursting Cloud bursting is an application deployment strategy whereby an application normally runs in a private cloud but can also autoimmune under temporary peaks in load by drawing from a public cloud operated by a third party Analogy – Spare car you only use when your own car is being repaired Since there are nearly always unused CPU cores & excess capacity within data centers pay as you go increases Virtualization enabled efficient server consolidation which led directly on low marginal resource cost but also referring Infrastructure as a Service provisioned scalable virtualized infrastructure on top of which other services can be built Platform as Service provided scalable platform environment on top of which applications can run & services can be built Software as Service provides web accessible software functionality on top of which other applications & services can be built economic feasibility for many new deployment models i e public clouds Be careful public vs private/hybrid Some companies who have very sensitive data will never put it outside their own walls Application Programming Interfaces APIs make it possible for developers to easily access cloud based functionality from their own applications In some cases this has led directly Containers lead more directly Serverless lead even more directly Hybrid clouds consist of both private & public clouds usually connected together with technology that allows them more easily share data Why would you want hybrid I m glad you asked… Disaster Recovery If one site goes down whole company doesn t have Regulatory Compliance store certain types data locally assurances that . Difficult Problems Private keep certain people from seeing certain things like credit card numbers compliance issues movies You get economies of scale price per compute cycle drops precipitously But pay attention! Moore s law says price per compute cycle drops by half every 18 months Dennard Scaling law predicts power per compute cycle will drop by half every 18 months due mainly Now add end user devices running mobile apps We ve seen unprecedented changes since 2008 largely driven by 1) cheap storage 2) ubiquitous high speed connectivity 3) powerful yet inexpensive end user devices 4 public cloud infrastructure And what this means for Edge Computing Keyword stuffing causes problems

The types of cloud computing

Cloud computing technology is the delivery of computing services—including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence—over the Internet (“the cloud”) to offer faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale.

Depending on the provider, cloud computing services can be delivered through public, private, or hybrid clouds. Public cloud services are provided over the Internet by an application service provider (ASP) or web service provider (WSP)—typically a big-name company such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), or IBM Cloud. Private cloud services are provided from within an organization’s firewall using either in-house resources or by a third-party provider. Hybrid clouds combine both public and private clouds to create a single environment that can be customized to meet an organization’s specific needs.

The applications of cloud computing

Cloud computing technology is a type of internet-based computing that provides shared computer processing resources and data to computers and other devices on demand. It is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services). This technology allows for much more efficient computing by centralizing data storage, processing and bandwidth.

Applications of cloud computing include web-based email, online office suites, file hosting and storage services. Many cloud computing services are provided free of charge to users, while others are fee-based.

The infrastructure of cloud computing

Cloud computing technology is the infrastructure of the internet. It is a combination of hardware and software that enables businesses and individuals to access applications and data from anywhere, at any time.

The cloud infrastructure is made up of a network of servers that are connected to each other and to the internet. These servers store and manage data, applications, and services. The cloud infrastructure is maintained by a team of experts who monitor and update it on a regular basis.

businesses and individuals use cloud computing technology to access data and applications from any device, at any time. The cloud infrastructure makes it possible for businesses to scale their operations quickly and efficiently. It also allows businesses to save money on hardware and software costs.

The security of cloud computing

When it comes to the security of cloud computing, it’s important to consider the type of data you’re storing and the sensitivity of that data. If you’re storing sensitive data, you’ll want to choose a cloud provider that offers high levels of security and is compliant with industry standards. You should also consider implementing additional security measures, such as encryption, to further protect your data.

The economics of cloud computing

The economics of cloud computing are attractive for many reasons, chief among them the fact that it allows businesses to avoid the upfront costs of purchasing and maintaining hardware and software. In addition, cloud users can take advantage of the pay-as-you-go pricing model, which means they only pay for the resources they use.

Another economic benefit of cloud computing is that it offers a high degree of scalability. Businesses can easily increase or decrease their use of resources as their needs change, without incurring any penalties or additional costs.

Finally, cloud computing can help businesses improve their cash flow because they no longer have to make large upfront investments in hardware and software. With cloud computing, businesses only pay for the resources they use, when they use them.

What Is Cloud Computing Technology?