What is Cloud Computing?
Major Concepts Of Cloud Computing
What is with the cloud that its called cloud computing? Is cloud a kind of technology or a new invention in the IT world? There must be such kind of questions arising if you are new to this. Well, cloud cant be taken as a technology developed by some source or a new invention in this field. Cloud computing refers to whatever there is has to be in the cloud. Cloud is a model or entity which encloses the data, applications and services related with the computing within it and lets the users access the data with network connection. Cloud mainly represents the internet based group or community made to perform particular tasks like computing and storing data.To have a closer look at cloud, we find that there are two main components upon which a cloud’s architecture is based. These two components are back end and the front end. The back end is mainly the cloud itself, where all the major processing is being done and contains computers, storage devices, network devices and servers. The front end of the cloud architecture is the one exposed to the client using the computer and it contains user’s network, browser used to access the cloud service and various computer systems.
Cloud services are being treated by two major groups. The providers and the consumers of cloud service. It is mainly the center of attention by large and emerging business organizations and enterprises. According to reports and IT surveys, about 40% of the businesses switched to cloud by the end of year 2015. The process goes on like the company being the consumer, after assessing its needs and requirements by It department, shortlist the cloud service providers. The best suitable provider with respect to the requirements of applications, services and features offered by them. The world’s top cloud computing brands include Amazon, Microsoft, Google and many others in the list. Once you come in contract with a service provider, all the data management, maintenance, storage and automatic updating of software becomes the prime duty of the service provider.
The services provided by the cloud computing structure are classified into three classes. Infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-service (PaaS) and software-as-a-service (SaaS). The services which relate to providing a processing environment including servers, storage and firewalls etc fall in the first category that is IaaS. The most important operations like authentication and authorization are done within PaaS which helps in the development and running of the applications. Talking of SaaS, we can say it’s the most complex model in cloud computing based on the software services provided to solve the technical issues. Business Intelligence, email, web conference and automation suites for office are some of its services as solutions to the problems.
Cloud is still on its way to go farther in the computing world with alterations and modernization in this model of computing.