Fundamentals of Cloud Computing
What is Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing is the process of delivering computing services, such as storage,
processing, and software, over the internet. Rather than relying on local servers
or individual devices, cloud computing allows users to access these services on-
demand via the internet. This transformation is integral to businesses and
individuals looking for scalability, flexibility, and efficiency.
In cloud computing, data and applications are hosted on remote servers,
maintained, and operated by cloud service providers. Users can access these
resources from anywhere in the world, as long as they have internet connectivity.
This is a significant departure from traditional computing models, where
businesses would maintain their own hardware and software infrastructure.
Example of Cloud Computing:
Consider Google Drive: It allows users to store and access documents, photos, and
videos from any device with internet access. Google Drive operates as a cloud-
based service where users do not need to worry about hardware, storage
management, or even backups—Google manages all of it.
Key Characteristics of Cloud Computing
Cloud computing offers numerous key characteristics that distinguish it from
traditional computing:
1. On-demand Self-service:
Cloud users can automatically provision resources like computing power,
storage, and networking without human intervention from the service
provider. For instance, a user can start a virtual machine or scale their
storage capacity with just a few clicks, based on the needs of their
applications.
, o Real-world Application: A startup using cloud infrastructure can
adjust its resources based on its customer traffic. If the website sees
a surge in traffic, the startup can quickly scale up resources to meet
the demand.
2. Broad Network Access:
Cloud services are available over the internet, allowing access from various
devices, such as desktops, laptops, and smartphones. This facilitates
business continuity, remote work, and increased collaboration.
o Example: A company utilizing cloud-based collaboration tools like
Microsoft Teams allows employees to work together from different
locations, even across different time zones.
3. Resource Pooling:
Cloud providers use multi-tenant models to pool their resources, ensuring
that computing power, storage, and network capabilities are dynamically
allocated and reassigned based on demand. Users share these resources,
but each user’s data is isolated from others.
o Example: In Amazon Web Services (AWS), multiple customers use
the same physical hardware, but their data remains completely
isolated using virtualization technologies.
4. Rapid Elasticity:
The cloud can quickly scale up or scale down to meet changing demand.
This means businesses don’t need to buy expensive hardware or
infrastructure upfront to handle peak times.
o Example: An online retail business might experience increased traffic
during the holiday season. With cloud computing, they can increase
server capacity during this time and scale back afterward.
5. Measured Service:
Cloud computing services operate on a pay-as-you-go model, where users
are billed based on their usage of resources. This offers cost savings, as
users only pay for what they consume, unlike traditional models that
require upfront costs for hardware.
o Example: A company using AWS EC2 can rent servers only when
needed, paying for the server's time in use, rather than maintaining a
set number of servers year-round.
What is Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing is the process of delivering computing services, such as storage,
processing, and software, over the internet. Rather than relying on local servers
or individual devices, cloud computing allows users to access these services on-
demand via the internet. This transformation is integral to businesses and
individuals looking for scalability, flexibility, and efficiency.
In cloud computing, data and applications are hosted on remote servers,
maintained, and operated by cloud service providers. Users can access these
resources from anywhere in the world, as long as they have internet connectivity.
This is a significant departure from traditional computing models, where
businesses would maintain their own hardware and software infrastructure.
Example of Cloud Computing:
Consider Google Drive: It allows users to store and access documents, photos, and
videos from any device with internet access. Google Drive operates as a cloud-
based service where users do not need to worry about hardware, storage
management, or even backups—Google manages all of it.
Key Characteristics of Cloud Computing
Cloud computing offers numerous key characteristics that distinguish it from
traditional computing:
1. On-demand Self-service:
Cloud users can automatically provision resources like computing power,
storage, and networking without human intervention from the service
provider. For instance, a user can start a virtual machine or scale their
storage capacity with just a few clicks, based on the needs of their
applications.
, o Real-world Application: A startup using cloud infrastructure can
adjust its resources based on its customer traffic. If the website sees
a surge in traffic, the startup can quickly scale up resources to meet
the demand.
2. Broad Network Access:
Cloud services are available over the internet, allowing access from various
devices, such as desktops, laptops, and smartphones. This facilitates
business continuity, remote work, and increased collaboration.
o Example: A company utilizing cloud-based collaboration tools like
Microsoft Teams allows employees to work together from different
locations, even across different time zones.
3. Resource Pooling:
Cloud providers use multi-tenant models to pool their resources, ensuring
that computing power, storage, and network capabilities are dynamically
allocated and reassigned based on demand. Users share these resources,
but each user’s data is isolated from others.
o Example: In Amazon Web Services (AWS), multiple customers use
the same physical hardware, but their data remains completely
isolated using virtualization technologies.
4. Rapid Elasticity:
The cloud can quickly scale up or scale down to meet changing demand.
This means businesses don’t need to buy expensive hardware or
infrastructure upfront to handle peak times.
o Example: An online retail business might experience increased traffic
during the holiday season. With cloud computing, they can increase
server capacity during this time and scale back afterward.
5. Measured Service:
Cloud computing services operate on a pay-as-you-go model, where users
are billed based on their usage of resources. This offers cost savings, as
users only pay for what they consume, unlike traditional models that
require upfront costs for hardware.
o Example: A company using AWS EC2 can rent servers only when
needed, paying for the server's time in use, rather than maintaining a
set number of servers year-round.
