I’m 100% sure that the word ‘Cloud Computing’ you might have heard this word many times, but do you know what Cloud Computing is and why it is being discussed so much these days? As we know, computer network technologies have progressed significantly in the last few 20 years.

Ever since the Internet (the most popular computer network) came into existence, there has been a lot of progress in the field of computer networks, and especially a lot of research has been done in the field of technologies like Distributed Computing and Cloud Computing.

These technical terms Distributed Computing and Cloud Computing, the concepts of both are the same, there are some differences in both. So if you understand about Cloud Computing, then it is necessary for you to understand about Distributed Computing also.

The global cloud computing services market is valued at approximately USD 602.31 billion in 2023, and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.2% between 2024 and 2030. Almost all companies today are using Cloud Computing service, whether directly or indirectly.

For example, if we talk about the fact that even when we use the services of Amazon or Google, we are storing all our data in the cloud. If you use Twitter, you indirectly use cloud computing service.

Distributed Computing and Cloud Computing both are so popular because we need better computing networks so that our data can be processed faster. So today in this article we will learn in detail about what is cloud computing.

So, if you want to know the complete details about it then you must have to read this article carefully till end, so without further delay, let’s get started!

What is Cloud?

If we talk about Cloud, it is a design of a large interconnected network of servers which is designed to deliver computer resources. And there is no concept of any specific location as to where the data is coming from and where it is going.

If I write in simple language then if a user uses it then he will feel that he is using a huge seamless computing power in which the user can do everything from his email to mapping of mobile applications as per his need.

In the language of business, there is no such thing as “The Cloud”. Cloud Computing is a collection of licensed services that are provided by different vendors.

Cloud Service replaces technology management and technology acquisition with different products and these products are managed from some other place, and one thing it remains active only when it is needed.

What is Cloud Computing?

If someone provides any service through the Internet then it is called Cloud Computing. This service can also be used like Off Site Storage or computing resources.

In other words, Cloud computing is a technology in which data, applications, and services are accessed via the Internet. It allows you to store and process data on remote servers, rather than relying on physical hardware or local storage.

In services, facilities like infrastructure, platform, application and storage space are available. In this, users use the services as per their need and pay for those services which they use. For this they do not need to create their own infrastructure.

Nowadays there is a lot of competition in the world and in such a situation, people need to get service on the Internet and that too without any delay. If any application ever freezes then people will be very unhappy. People want the service they need 24/7.

To meet these requirements, we cannot use the old mainframe computing solution, so people used Cloud distributed computing technology to solve this problem. So that big businessmen can do all their work with great ease.

For example, Facebook has 2.9 billion monthly active users as per 2022. Posts on Facebook get an organic reach of 6.4% likes. 350 million photos are uploaded on Facebook every day. 20 billion business-related messages are exchanged on Messenger monthly.

In such a situation, traditional computing system cannot solve the problem, but we need some improvement so that it can work. Therefore, to do such computing, Cloud Distributed Computing is the need of the hour.

Examples of Cloud Computing in Daily Life

✅YouTube: It is a great example of cloud storage that hosts video files of billions of users.

✅Picasa and Flickr: It hosts digital photographs of millions of users on their servers.

✅Google Docs: It is another great example of cloud computing, allows users to upload their presentations, word documents, and spreadsheets to their data servers. Along with this, it also gives the option to edit and publish a document.

History of Cloud computing 

If we talk about cloud computing, its birth dates back to the 1960s. When the computer industry embraced computing as a service and utility based on its potential benefits. But earlier there was lack of computing, connectivity and bandwidth due to which it was not possible to implement computing as a utility.

This was not possible until 1990 when Internet bandwidth became available on a large scale. After this it became possible to think of computing as a service.

In 1990, Salesforce first successfully implemented enterprise SaaS commercially. After that, AWS was created in 2002, which provided many services like online storage, machine learning, computation.

Today, there are many small providers like Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform which, along with AWS, are providing cloud-based services to other individuals, small businesses and global enterprises.

4 types of Cloud Computing

Basically we can divide cloud computing into four parts each of them is given below like as;

Public Cloud

• Public Cloud is the cloud which provides service to the users on the Internet.
• Public Cloud is managed by third parties like – (Google, Microsoft, and Amazon) etc.
• Any user can use Public Cloud and can also store or access the data.
• In this you have to pay according to Pay Per Use, that is, the more you use it, the more money you have to pay.

Private Cloud

• Private Cloud is also known as Internal or Corporate Cloud.
• Private Cloud is a cloud which is used by a private company. Private Cloud is used by the company to manage data.
• Security is very high in Private Cloud and Firewall is used to keep the data secure.
• This private cloud is managed by the user.

Hybrid Cloud

• Hybrid Cloud is also called Heterogeneous cloud.
• It is created by combining Public Cloud and Private Cloud.
• It provides services of both Public Cloud and Private Cloud.
• It is better for companies or organizations that require more security.

Community Cloud

• Community Cloud is a type of distributed system.
• Many companies can access this cloud and its data is also shared.
• This cloud is managed by more than one company, organization or third party.
• This cloud is good in terms of security, and it is much cheaper than other clouds.

Services of Cloud Computing

Cloud computing mainly provided three types of services which are: IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS.

➡️Infrastructure as a service (IaaS): These services are self-service models that are used to monitor, access, and manage the infrastructure from a remote location.

Examples: Servers, Firewalls, Routers, CDN (Content Delivery Network)

➡️Platform as a service (PaaS): It provides a line of self-service modules for software developers to manage computing infrastructure with centralized IT operations.

Example: Email services: Gmail, Outlook.com

➡️Software as a service (SaaS): SaaS accesses the web to deliver applications that are managed by third-party vendors, and whose user interface is accessible only from the client side.

Application Building: Google App Engine, SAP Hana, Cloud Foundry

Cloud Computing has changed the entire computing industry. It has completely changed the look of businesses and also the IT infrastructure. It provides many benefits for Hardware and Software which would have seemed completely impossible a few years ago.

Now only a few minutes are needed to run a virtual machine. Cloud Computing has changed the outlook of companies and businesses. This has now become everyone’s first choice because if one does business in the same way with pure planning, strategy and a single budget, one will surely get success. Nowadays, scientists are doing more and more research to make it even better.

List the Advantages of Cloud Computing

Now it’s time to learn the amazing advantages/Pros of cloud computing, such as:

✅Cost Reduction: Cloud computing helps companies significantly reduce the cost of their IT infrastructure. Companies no longer need their own servers, storage, networks etc. They can rent all these facilities from the Cloud service provider. This leads to savings in capital expenditure and maintenance costs.

✅Flexibility: Cloud computing allows consumers to add or reduce computing resources as per their needs. Companies can easily limit or reduce their data storage, processing power, etc.

✅Speed: In cloud computing, new applications and services can be launched very quickly. Companies did not need to buy new hardware to work on new projects.

✅Productivity: Cloud computing helps companies in increasing the productivity of their workers. Employees can work from anywhere and have access to data. This changes the way we work.

✅Security: Cloud service providers are achieving high level security on a daily basis. They have a team of security experts who are always ready to tackle the latest security challenges.

✅Cooperation: In cloud computing, data can be accessed from anywhere. This allows team members to easily collaborate with each other.

✅Reliability: Cloud providers have robust 24×7 backup and disaster recovery facilities that maintain continuity of service even during downtime, and in cloud computing, data is stored at multiple locations. This increases data security and trust. Data is available even if the focus is on a single location.

✅Innovation: Cloud computing helps in testing new ideas and adopting new technologies. Companies can easily develop new apps and software.

✅Extensibility: Cloud computing gives consumers the flexibility to increase or decrease computing power as per their needs. This makes scaling much easier.

✅Availability: In cloud computing, data and applications are made available reliably. Consumers can access them from any corner of the world.

List the Disadvantages of Cloud Computing

Cloud computing has many advantages, but there are also some disadvantages that you should keep in mind, such as:

❎Security and Privacy: Cloud service providers have implemented better security standards and industry certifications, but storing data and important files on external service providers always poses a risk.

When dealing with any data, attention must be paid to security and privacy, especially when it comes to handling sensitive data. You must understand your cloud provider’s shared responsibility model. You will remain responsible for any damage caused to your network and your product. 

❎Separability to Attack: In Cloud Computing, every component is online, which opens the door to potential vulnerabilities. Every good team has to face serious attacks and security breaches at times.

❎Limited Control: Cloud services run on remote servers that are owned and managed by cloud service providers, making it difficult for companies to gain a level of control over the cloud infrastructure. 

Cloud Computing Architecture

Cloud Computing Architecture refers to a structure utilized for transmitting data and various types of information from one location to another. This architecture employs web-based services for data storage and processing.

Typically, cloud computing involves the following technical components:

Outsourcing: It saves data in web-based services.

Infrastructure: It handles data processing in web-based services.

Digital Transfer: It facilitates the movement of data between web-based services.

The popularity of cloud computing is rising due to its benefits, which include reliability, global accessibility, and cost-effectiveness.

What is Virtualization in Cloud Computing?

Virtualization is a technology that is crucial in the realm of cloud computing. It involves the representation of hardware resources in a virtual format, allowing multiple virtual machines (VMs) to operate on a single physical server.

Key advantages of virtualization include:

Enhanced resource utilization: It optimizes the use of hardware. Adaptability and scalability: Resources can be easily added or reduced as needed.

Reduced costs: It contributes to cost savings by enabling a greater number of virtual machines to run on less physical hardware.

Simplified management: Overseeing and monitoring virtual machines becomes straightforward.

Now, it’s time to know the various forms of virtualization such as:

Server virtualization: Hosting multiple virtual servers on one physical server.

Network virtualization: Dividing network resources into virtual segments.

Storage virtualization: Developing a virtual pool of storage capabilities.

What is Hypervisor in Cloud Computing?

A hypervisor is a unique technology utilized in cloud computing. It enables various components of a website to be loaded at the same time by a web browser. This capability can enhance both the loading speed and overall performance of a website.

What is Virtual Machine in Cloud Computing?

In cloud computing, a virtual machine (VM) is a software-based representation that mimics the physical hardware of a computer system. It functions like a physical machine but operates within a virtualized framework.

Key benefits of virtual machines include:

Enhanced resource utilization: They enable multiple VMs to operate on a single physical server.

Adaptability: They allow for the easy addition or removal of VMs.

Separation: Each VM operates in its own distinct environment, which boosts security and reliability.

Economic efficiency: Their use decreases expenses by optimizing hardware resources. Virtual machines are commonly utilized in data centers, cloud computing services, and for development and testing purposes.

Wrapping Up

In this article I have given you complete information about what Cloud Computing is, how it works. During the session we have also told you about the advantages and disadvantages of Cloud Computing.

I have tried my best to give you complete A to Z information about Cloud Computing in this article, but still if any information is missing or if you have any questions related to your article then you can tell me in the comment box. I will quickly try to answer your questions.

That’s all in this article, we hope you like this article written by us, please share this article with your friends on social media, and keep visiting our blog to read such articles.

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FAQs About Cloud Computing