THE BENEFITS OF CLOUD COMPUTING
What is cloud computing?
Cloud computing is a general term for various services provided on the Internet. It is the use of remote and rented servers to store and manage data, rather than the use of a privately managed local server.
Before cloud computing existed, websites had to be hosted on a local server, which owners had to buy and manage independently. To ensure that the risk of downtime was minimal, site owners had to purchase enough space to accommodate the maximum traffic volume. However, this meant that a large amount of server space was not used for most of the time.
Cloud computing allows individuals and organizations to rent server space, reducing the need to invest in on-site servers and maintenance personnel. Today, users can host complete applications and development environments in the cloud, in addition to their websites.
What are the advantages of cloud computing?
Cloud computing has gained popularity at a rapid pace because it has a number of advantages. Cloud models are cheaper than on-site server installations and can even provide faster service than a traditional installation.
Cloud computing models are almost infinitely scalable. The cloud extends alongside the organization's fluctuating needs, providing optimal resource availability at all times. The cloud is also very reliable, offering disaster recovery, data backup and business continuity. Companies using cloud solutions don't need to maintain complex hardware, nor do they need to build solutions from scratch. The cloud allows teams to make projects work as soon as they receive executive access.
Advantages of multi-cloud
Private cloud
The private cloud deployment model looks more like the traditional internal server model. In many cases, an organization maintains a private cloud on the site and provides services to internal users via the intranet. In other cases, the organization contracts a third-party cloud provider to host and maintain exclusive servers outside the site.
Benefits of the private cloud include custom architecture, advanced security protocols and the ability to extend computing resources in a virtualized environment as needed.
Public cloud
The public cloud implementation model allows for responsive scalability and managed growth. In this case, service providers make resources available to the public on the Web. One of the main advantages of the public cloud is the ability to share resources on a scale that no single organization could achieve on its own. Public cloud service providers offer robust security measures to protect user data from access. The ability to pay for resources as needed is a huge advantage over a local server.
Hybrid cloud
As the name suggests, the hybrid cloud computing model is a combination of public and private cloud solutions. A hybrid cloud strategy extends a private cloud to a public cloud when the demand for resources increases. For example, to comply with privacy regulations, an organization can store sensitive user data in a private cloud and perform resource-intensive calculations in the public cloud.
Types of cloud computing services
Cloud computing can take many forms, but the following three categories represent the majority of use cases.
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Traditionally, the software was installed directly on the user's device and it was the user's responsibility to maintain the installation. The software as a service processing model eliminates the need for individual installations by hosting the application on a cloud. SaaS reduces maintenance and support costs.
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
Infrastructure as a service processing model moves an organization's entire data center to the cloud. A service provider manages all storage servers and network hardware, eliminating the need for a resource-intensive on-site installation.
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
The platform as a service computing model offers organizations the opportunity to develop software without the need to maintain the underlying environment. PaaS vendors optimize development environments for the specific needs of each landlord. PaaS solutions often include additional features such as storage resources, build services and version control.
Organizations that need to comply with privacy regulations may prefer a hybrid cloud solution because they can store and protect data in an exclusive and secure cloud.
Does geographical location matter?
Although one of the main advantages of cloud computing is global accessibility, geography still plays a role in the effectiveness of a single solution. If users attempt to access a cloud on the other side of the planet, they may experience much greater latency than a local connection. To address this challenge, service providers have established servers in multiple regions around the world.
In general, servers are governed by the laws of the country in which they reside. This means that data stored on a European server will be regulated differently than on a server in the United States. Organizations that manage private user data must be aware of all the regulations applicable to their cloud solutions.
