What is cloud computing
Source: https ://pixabay.com/pl/illustrations/chmura-komputer-hosting-3406627/
Cloud computing is a technology that is more and more often mentioned by experts as one of the key technologies of the future. But what actually mean the term „cloud computing”?
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) described it as „a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.”
This definition may seem quite complicated.
In other word cloud computing is the use of IT capabilities (data collection, use of software, services, etc.) without the need to have these tools on computers or without the need to have servers to collect data, but by purchasing services from an external entity. So basically you use certain IT tools without buying them physically, but because someone has made them available to you (vendor provides servers, apps, storage place) and you pay him for that.
The first question that comes to mind with regard to this technology is how it affects our lives and makes them better and why it is worth implementing it in your company.
Benefits of cloud computing
So let’s start by explaining what kind of profits an entrepreneur (or any other user) can have from using such a technology:
- Cost. – The professional use of cloud computing is naturally not cost-free, but it can reduce the expenses that company would have to incur if it decided to use their own servers (cost of purchases, installation, air conditioning, space rental, IT support and many more). Therefore, although you have to bear the costs of using the cloud, in the end it may turn out to be cheaper and more effective than in the “old-fashioned” approach.
- Security. – Although at first glance it may seem less secure than having your own servers, remember that in the first case you would have to take care of your own backups, data protection, security updates, etc. In the case of cloud computing, you will benefit from professionals (usually large corporations) who provide the highest level of security with the latest technology. Transferring responsibility can be a good decision. You can also use different types of clouds to increase safety or you can move only part of your data to the cloud and keep the most private of them on your own servers.
- Simplicity and time saving. – Cloud computing is easy to use (for end user) and does not require advanced IT skills from entrepreneurs. This allows them to focus strictly on running their business without having to pay attention to maintaining servers etc. Cloud also makes it much easier for developers to design or test applications (more about it later). The time savings are due to the fact that you don’t have to manage every element by yourself (or through your employees), but you outsource some operation to your vendor. Time-saving can also mean using ready-made solutions rather than creating them from scratch.
- Versatility. – The use of cloud computing is also a versatile solution. Which in practice means that you can operate on it by using any equipment connected to the Internet. This is of course great news for entrepreneurs who don’t need to have physical offices to run their business. What is more, the versatility of this solution is also expressed in the fact that the cloud computing service can be tailored to a specific enterprise. It allows entrepreneurs to pay and use only the tools they need.
- Comfort. – This point is a kind of cumulation of previous ones. The use of cloud computing is a convenience which consists in the fact that an entrepreneur does not have to worry about running out of space on servers, using outdated technology, that a failure will stop the company’s operation, that it does not sufficiently protect stored data, and so on. Comfort of use is also caused by the transfer of responsibility to vendor.
So how to start using cloud computing?
First of all, we need to understand terminology and some concepts about the models and types of this technology.
Types of clouds
When deciding to buy cloud computing, you must be aware of its diversity. When it comes to the type of cloud computing, there are basically three most known:
- Public cloud;
- Private cloud;
- Hybrid cloud.
Each of them has different characteristics and it’s dedicated to certain customers.
Public cloud
The public cloud is one type of cloud computing. In this case, the user relies on external cloud providers to offer data storage or processing power. In this case, all service-related work is on the side of the service provider. Among the most significant problems in the case of a public cloud is the limited lack of individualisation of tools[3]. The company pays for this “how much” it uses a cloud. So the entrepreneur does not have to worry about initial cost (like buying servers, paying It administrators and so on). Thanks to the economies of scale, this is a very cost-effective method of conducting IT operations. This type of cloud is shared between all it users.
Private cloud
Private cloud is different in that only specific users can use it. As a rule, it is simply owned by one company/organisation and used by its employees. Such a solution allows for greater control of cloud usage and data security. Companies need their own IT infrastructure for this. Here too, the cloud environment can be adapted to the needs of the organization, but this can be time-consuming.
Hybrid cloud
A hybrid cloud is a combination of public and private clouds. It consists in the fact that an organization can use the computing power of a public cloud and at the same time use private ones for greater data security.
Sometimes you can also encounter other (less common) cloud computing types. Among them we can distinguish for example:
Multi Cloud
This term is often mistaken for the same as a hybrid cloud. Multi cloud is an environment that is based on several clouds. This is because an organization uses several cloud providers. They can be related, but they don’t have to. They can be all public, all private or they can be combination of both public and private clouds.
Community cloud
Another example of cloud computing is community cloud, in which the cloud is shared between several specific organisations (or employees). Such a cloud may only make sense for companies that share a same mission or have same security requirements.
Cloud computing models
When discussing cloud computing, it is worth noting the models of services in the cloud. Very often they are presented in the form of a pyramid.
This way of presentation reflects very well the relationship between them and how large the area they cover.
It can be said that the higher the model in the pyramid’s scheme is, the less IT skills you need to have (the number of activities you manage is decreasing).
SaaS is a field in which end users work.
PaaS is a field in which developers work.
IaaS is the field in which the IT administrators work.
But what do these terms actually mean?
Cloud computing models:
- IaaS (Infrastructure as a service)
IaaS is the widest type. By breaking down this acronym into parts, it is worth understanding what “Infrastructure” means in this case. As the name indicates, in this case the client is provided with the IT infrastructure. This means that the client receives:
This means that as a customer, instead of buying servers and hardware, you „rent” them from an external provider in a virtual form. The customer uses his programs and applications, which are located on the vendor servers by using their processing power.
As far as payment models are concerned, there are several, but among them the most popular will be the pay-as-you-go model. The user pays for the time of use (hours, weeks, etc.) and/or the place used (for the size of files).
IaaS providers are for example:
- Amazon AWS;
- DigitalOcean;
- Microsoft Azure;
- Rackspace Open Cloud;
- Google Compute Engine;
- HP Enterprise Converged Infrastructure;
- IBM SmartCloud Enterprise.
- PaaS (Platform as a Service)
As far as the PaaS model is concerned, the key word is here: “Platform”. This model is especially aimed at programmers for software development, testing, etc., because the vendor provides tools on which they can work. The vendor will provide tools on which they can work. The vendor take responsibilities, for example, for security, software providing and creating backups.
The vendor provides here the so-called development environment, which can reduce the working time of developers. The tools offered to companies usually include also a business analytics services or monitoring.
PaaS is also ideal for working on a single product by people from different places/time zones, as the environment is accessible via the internet.
PaaS providers:
- Oracle Cloud Platform;
- Google App Engine;
- Microsoft Azure;
- Salesforce aPaaS;
- Red Hat OpenShift PaaS;
- Mendix aPaaS;
- SAP Cloud Platform.
- SaaS (Software as a Service)
SaaS is the highest level on the pyramid when it comes to cloud models, which means that it requires a basic level of IT skills from the user. It is very common and you probably used it many times without even realizing it. You use Google sheets? You used SaaS. In this case, as a customer, you are provided with everything from the vendor and you don’t have to worry about IT operations. This means that you don’t have to manage the software (you don’t have to install or update it), it’s in the cloud that you can access with your browser or make backups etc. All this work will be done for you by your provider.
As a rule, payments work here in a subscription model (you pay for the service on a monthly basis), some can be free of charge (free in limited functionality).
SaaS providers:
- Salesforce;
- Microsoft (for example Office 365);
- Adobe Creative Cloud;
- Box;
- Google G Suite;
- Slack;
- Cisco
Besides these three best-known types, there are a few others, less frequently listed. It is important to remember that you can combine these models with each other.
While looking for information on these models you can often come across a graph that shows what the service provider is responsible for and what you as a customer/business.
Image 1 „Cloud Services Control Comparison”
Source : https://digitalskynet.com/blog/cloud-service-models-saas-paas-iaas-which-is-better-for-your-business
Above is an example of such a chart, which can be found on the Digital Skynet blog. It shows very well the division of roles in the different models.
It is also possible to come across a description of these models on the example of restaurant operation or car.
IBM Cloud released a video on YouTube in which Tessa Rodes, explains these models using the example of a car.
IaaS is presented as leasing the car. This means that by choosing this car (IaaS) we do much more in-depth research, we are interested in what car has performance, what colour it has, comfort of use and much more. You drive the car and you pay for fuel and repairs.
PaaS is presented as car rental. You don’t do that much of a research, you’re not so interested in performance, but you’re still the driver and you pay for fuel.
SaaS is presented as a taxi. You don’t care what kind of car it is, what colour, performance. Moreover, you are not the driver and you do not pay for fuel (this is included in the price of the service).
The essence presented in this way by means of an example is a good way to better understand the specifics of these models.
In addition to the previously mentioned, there are also other less popular cloud computing models:
- BMaaS (Bare metal as a Service)
In this case, customers will receive physical servers and can use them in an unlimited manner. They can use any operating system and install their own applications and hypervisors* to create their own virtual machines.
Payments for this cloud are usually monthly.
*hypervisors are tools to manage virtualization processes .
- MBaaS (Mobile backend as a service)
It is a model very similar to SaaS, but it is aimed at creating and testing mobile applications, by providing an infrastructure that supports the work of developers aimed at creating mobile applications. Therefore, it is recommended for companies / start-ups that specialize in this field.
You can still come across models like:
- CaaS (Content as a service) / MCaaS (manager content as a service);
- FaaS (Function as a service);
- DaaS (Data as a service);
- NaaS (Network as a service);
- SECaaS (Security as a service).