Cloud Computing Overview
Cloud Computing provides us means of accessing the applications as utilities over the
Internet. It allows us to create, configure, and customize the applications online.
What is Cloud?
The term Cloud refers to a Network or Internet. In other words, we can say that Cloud
is something, which is present at remote location. Cloud can provide services over
public and private networks, i.e., WAN, LAN or VPN.
Applications such as e-mail, web conferencing, customer relationship management
(CRM) execute on cloud.
What is Cloud Computing?
Cloud Computing refers to manipulating, configuring, and accessing the hardware
and software resources remotely. It offers online data storage, infrastructure, and
application.
Cloud computing offers platform independency, as the software is not required to be
installed locally on the PC. Hence, the Cloud Computing is making our business
applications mobile and collaborative.
,Basic Concepts
There are certain services and models working behind the scene making the cloud
computing feasible and accessible to end users. Following are the working models for
cloud computing:
Deployment Models
Service Models
Deployment Models
Deployment models define the type of access to the cloud, i.e., how the cloud is
located? Cloud can have any of the four types of access: Public, Private, Hybrid, and
Community.
Public Cloud
The public cloud allows systems and services to be easily accessible to the general
public. Public cloud may be less secure because of its openness.
Private Cloud
The private cloud allows systems and services to be accessible within an
organization. It is more secured because of its private nature.
Community Cloud
The community cloud allows systems and services to be accessible by a group of
organizations.
Hybrid Cloud
The hybrid cloud is a mixture of public and private cloud, in which the critical activities
are performed using private cloud while the non-critical activities are performed using
public cloud.
,Service Models
Cloud computing is based on service models. These are categorized into three basic
service models which are -
Infrastructure-as–a-Service (IaaS)
Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
Anything-as-a-Service (XaaS) is yet another service model, which includes Network-
as-a-Service, Business-as-a-Service, Identity-as-a-Service, Database-as-a-
Service or Strategy-as-a-Service.
The Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) is the most basic level of service. Each of the
service models inherit the security and management mechanism from the underlying
model, as shown in the following diagram:
Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)
IaaS provides access to fundamental resources such as physical machines, virtual
machines, virtual storage, etc.
Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)
PaaS provides the runtime environment for applications, development and deployment
tools, etc.
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
SaaS model allows to use software applications as a service to end-users.
, History of Cloud Computing
The concept of Cloud Computing came into existence in the year 1950 with
implementation of mainframe computers, accessible via thin/static clients. Since
then, cloud computing has been evolved from static clients to dynamic ones and from
software to services. The following diagram explains the evolution of cloud computing:
Benefits
Cloud Computing has numerous advantages. Some of them are listed below -
One can access applications as utilities, over the Internet.
One can manipulate and configure the applications online at any time.
It does not require to install a software to access or manipulate cloud application.
Cloud Computing offers online development and deployment tools, programming
runtime environment through PaaS model.
Cloud resources are available over the network in a manner that provide
platform independent access to any type of clients.
Cloud Computing offers on-demand self-service. The resources can be used
without interaction with cloud service provider.
Cloud Computing is highly cost effective because it operates at high efficiency
with optimum utilization. It just requires an Internet connection
Cloud Computing offers load balancing that makes it more reliable.
Cloud Computing provides us means of accessing the applications as utilities over the
Internet. It allows us to create, configure, and customize the applications online.
What is Cloud?
The term Cloud refers to a Network or Internet. In other words, we can say that Cloud
is something, which is present at remote location. Cloud can provide services over
public and private networks, i.e., WAN, LAN or VPN.
Applications such as e-mail, web conferencing, customer relationship management
(CRM) execute on cloud.
What is Cloud Computing?
Cloud Computing refers to manipulating, configuring, and accessing the hardware
and software resources remotely. It offers online data storage, infrastructure, and
application.
Cloud computing offers platform independency, as the software is not required to be
installed locally on the PC. Hence, the Cloud Computing is making our business
applications mobile and collaborative.
,Basic Concepts
There are certain services and models working behind the scene making the cloud
computing feasible and accessible to end users. Following are the working models for
cloud computing:
Deployment Models
Service Models
Deployment Models
Deployment models define the type of access to the cloud, i.e., how the cloud is
located? Cloud can have any of the four types of access: Public, Private, Hybrid, and
Community.
Public Cloud
The public cloud allows systems and services to be easily accessible to the general
public. Public cloud may be less secure because of its openness.
Private Cloud
The private cloud allows systems and services to be accessible within an
organization. It is more secured because of its private nature.
Community Cloud
The community cloud allows systems and services to be accessible by a group of
organizations.
Hybrid Cloud
The hybrid cloud is a mixture of public and private cloud, in which the critical activities
are performed using private cloud while the non-critical activities are performed using
public cloud.
,Service Models
Cloud computing is based on service models. These are categorized into three basic
service models which are -
Infrastructure-as–a-Service (IaaS)
Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
Anything-as-a-Service (XaaS) is yet another service model, which includes Network-
as-a-Service, Business-as-a-Service, Identity-as-a-Service, Database-as-a-
Service or Strategy-as-a-Service.
The Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) is the most basic level of service. Each of the
service models inherit the security and management mechanism from the underlying
model, as shown in the following diagram:
Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)
IaaS provides access to fundamental resources such as physical machines, virtual
machines, virtual storage, etc.
Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)
PaaS provides the runtime environment for applications, development and deployment
tools, etc.
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
SaaS model allows to use software applications as a service to end-users.
, History of Cloud Computing
The concept of Cloud Computing came into existence in the year 1950 with
implementation of mainframe computers, accessible via thin/static clients. Since
then, cloud computing has been evolved from static clients to dynamic ones and from
software to services. The following diagram explains the evolution of cloud computing:
Benefits
Cloud Computing has numerous advantages. Some of them are listed below -
One can access applications as utilities, over the Internet.
One can manipulate and configure the applications online at any time.
It does not require to install a software to access or manipulate cloud application.
Cloud Computing offers online development and deployment tools, programming
runtime environment through PaaS model.
Cloud resources are available over the network in a manner that provide
platform independent access to any type of clients.
Cloud Computing offers on-demand self-service. The resources can be used
without interaction with cloud service provider.
Cloud Computing is highly cost effective because it operates at high efficiency
with optimum utilization. It just requires an Internet connection
Cloud Computing offers load balancing that makes it more reliable.
