Introduction to Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is a revolutionary tech in the modern age of technological advancements. The functionalities of cloud computing have adapted in various fields and domains starting from web development to healthcare sectors to store, secure, and manage their data without the involvement of any physical servers.

In this blog, let us explore cloud computing, why it is better than the old traditional methods, and its application and use cases in real time.

Cloud Computing Overview

The key with cloud computing is "on-demand" -we can manage resources on demand, upscale, or downscale, all managed by cloud providers.

This avoids

• Upfront investment in hardware and resources
• Avoids administrative overhead
• Cloud providers manage the security of servers which is a big saving on cost factor
• Even nonfunctional aspects such as disaster recovery, geo-redundancy, and vulnerability assessments -all become easier due to centrally managed systems.

Cloud computing provides Storage, Compute, and Network Services on-demand.

Storage: Cloud storage services provide scalable and durable storage for data. This can include object storage for files and media, block storage for virtual machine disks, and file storage for shared file systems. Example: Amazon EC2

Compute: Compute resources in the cloud typically include virtual machines (VMs) or containers that are used to run applications, perform calculations, and execute tasks. Example: Amazon S3

Network: They connect cloud components to provide elastic infrastructures. They depend on physical network hardware that is virtualized into a Software Defined Network (SDN). Physical components (e.g., switches, routers) are transformed into virtualized components. Example: AWS VPC

Applications of Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is most relevant where we do not predict the exact traffic and there are huge variations, for example, a celebrity post going viral, a black friday sale spiking requests on an e-commerce site, or some breaking news attracting a lot of readers on a news site. The following are just a few categories that extensively use the cloud.

• Social media platforms: The major social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp use cloud services for social networking. Cloud also provides security mechanisms for social media platforms to store sensible user data to protect from unauthorized third parties.

• Online Shopping: Online shopping platforms store their products and secure their customer's online transactions with the help of the cloud.

• Movie and music streaming platforms: File hosting services like Google Drive, and chatbots are some real-world applications of the cloud.

Challenges of On-premise Models

On-premise models are the traditional methods of storing data in physical servers and data centers. Although these models were usable in real time, they faced various challenges in providing secure and scalable data storage services to users.

Let us see what are the key challenges

• Scaling limitations: Lots of efforts are required to increase the capacity of the infrastructure whether it be vertical scaling or horizontal scaling. There is always a downtime for increasing the capacity.
• Administration overhead: Installing the In-premise model involves administration tasks like installation, backups, and restore. Many of these tasks are just a click of a button on the cloud infrastructure which can be easily done.
• Cost considerations: Implementing an In-premise model requires an upfront investment in hardware, software, and infrastructure. Maintaining and upgrading the in-premise infrastructure also requires additional costs.
• Resource management: Managing the in-premise model infrastructure requires dedicated resource management and monitoring.

How does Cloud Computing Address It?

Cloud computing addresses the limitations of the on-premise model in several ways

• Scalability: Unlike the In-premises model cloud computing allows users to decrease and increase their resources based on their requirements. Cloud offers auto-scaling services to adjust the resources based on the workload.
• Automated administration: Cloud service automates many of the administrative tasks for the platform like installation and management of resources, security upgrades, etc. The administrative overhead is drastically reduced.
• Cost efficient: cloud saves a lot of upfront investment and allows companies that still do not know their scale to focus more on app development rather on infrastructure management
• Resource management: Cloud providers provide a lot of tools to manage and monitor cloud infrastructure which gives relevant analytics to detect usage patterns, security threats, etc.

Models of Cloud Computing

The cloud computing model has been categorized into the following types:

1. Infrastructure as a Service It provides virtualized computing resources like computers, storage, and internet connections. IaaS lets companies adjust the resources they use based on their needs, which is helpful when workloads change. Example: AWS EC2

2. Platform as a Service It offers a platform that helps developers build and manage applications without dealing with complicated technical details. PaaS makes it easier for developers to create and launch applications by providing a ready-made environment. Example: AWS Elastic Beanstalk

3. Software as a Service It shares software applications online, removing the requirement for users to install, handle, or update the software on their devices. SaaS applications are compatible with different devices, offering users the convenience to access and collaborate from anywhere. Example: Amazon WorkMail

4. Serverless Model It enables us to use the functions without worrying about servers, deployment, etc. No server needs to be provisioned, and no deployment is needed. The cloud service provider is responsible for scaling the application. You can pay for server capacity in an on-demand fashion. Examples: AWS lambda, DynamoDb, etc.

Summary of Pros and Cons:

In conclusion, cloud computing has become a potent revolutionary force that enables various companies to optimize their effectiveness through improved efficiencies

Pros:

• Cost Efficiency
• Scalability and Flexibility
• Accessibility and Collaboration
• Rapid Innovation

Cons:

• Data Sensitivity Concerns
• Legacy System Integration Challenges
• Dependence on Internet Connectivity