We enjoy watching movies or web series on Netflix and store our memories on Google Drive, Google Photos, or Onedrive. Within minutes a cab arrives at our doorstep using UBER. But have you ever wondered where the data of these software programs gets stored? It is not stored in our devices nor do these applications have their own on-premise data centers. Then where is this data stored? All this data is stored in the cloud. It’s not that cloud which we see in the sky. This cloud is a network of remote servers hosted over the internet instead of local hard drives and servers. These servers store data for such software therefore we don’t have to rely on the local storage.
What is cloud computing?
Cloud computing is similar to borrowing a book from the library. Here, computing services like storage, infrastructure, or servers are being borrowed instead of setting up expensive data centers. You are not required to store, organize, or update the books in the library, it’s all done by the library itself. Likewise, cloud providers like Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, or Microsoft Azure do this for their clients. A drastic shift from on-premises servers to the cloud has been observed in recent years. This is mainly due to the attractive features that Cloud offers.
- Pay As You Go– This facility of Cloud enables users to pay only for the resources they use reducing the cost of unused storage space. It minimizes the expenditure on infrastructure, especially for small and mid-sized business firms.
- On-Demand Access– Users can access the computing resources whenever they need them. It can be done automatically without humanly interacting with each server provider. The Internet is the means of connection between the cloud and the client. Therefore cloud services can be accessed anytime from any part of the world.
- Data backup and outage recovery– Data recovery during server outage is one of the major concerns for businesses as it can potentially affect operations. Considering this issue, Cloud providers automatically back up data and allow quick recovery in case of hardware failure or cyber-attacks.
- Automatic Updates and Maintenance– Being updated is very crucial for any business. Cloud providers administer the software and hardware updates ensuring their clients have access to the newest technology so that the user can focus completely on their business operations and navigate other challenges.
Architecture and Services
The cloud computing architecture mainly has three components: Front End for user interaction, and Back End for storage and management purposes. And finally, the medium which connects these two is the Internet.
Based on control, flexibility, and management cloud services are classified into four categories
- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
- Software as a Service (SaaS)
- Platform as a Service (PaaS)
- Function as a service (FaaS)
Endnote
Cloud computing eliminates the need for individuals and businesses to establish on-premises data centers and manage the physical resources by themselves, reducing hardware costs. This helps companies to focus primarily on their innovation and goal achievement. Though this technology is invaluable, it has disadvantages too. The complete dependency on the internet and the security of highly sensitive data are major concerns associated with cloud computing.
image credit – ChatGPT
