CLOUD COMPUTING
CLOUD COMPUTING IS A TECHNOLOGY THAT ALLOWS USERS TO STORE, MANAGE, AND
PROCESS DATA AND RUN APPLICATIONS OVER THE INTERNET INSTEAD OF RELYING ON
LOCAL SERVERS OR PERSONAL COMPUTERS.
IT PROVIDES ON-DEMAND ACCESS TO COMPUTING RESOURCES LIKE STORAGE,
SERVERS, DATABASES, NETWORKING, SOFTWARE, AND ANALYTICS THROUGH A PAY-AS-
YOU-GO MODEL.
CLOUD COMPUTING IS THE DELIVERY OF COMPUTING SERVICES—INCLUDING SERVERS,
STORAGE, DATABASES, NETWORKING, SOFTWARE, ANALYTICS, AND INTELLIGENCE—OVER
THE INTERNET (“THE CLOUD”) TO OFFER FASTER INNOVATION, FLEXIBLE
RESOURCES, AND ECONOMIES OF SCALE.
CHARACTERISTICS OF CLOUD
COMPUTING
• On-demand self-service – Users can access resources without
human intervention.
• Broad network access – Services are available via the internet from
anywhere.
• Resource pooling – Multiple users share the same infrastructure
efficiently.
• Rapid elasticity – Resources can be scaled up or down instantly.
• Measured service – You pay only for what you use.
TYPES OF CLOUD COMPUTING
• 1. Deployment Models
• Public Cloud
Services are delivered over the internet and shared among multiple users.
Examples: AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud.
• Private Cloud
Dedicated infrastructure for a single organization.
Example: VMware, OpenStack.
• Hybrid Cloud
Combines public and private clouds for better flexibility and control.
• 2. Service Models
• IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)
Provides virtualized hardware resources over the internet.
Example: Amazon EC2, Google Compute Engine.
• PaaS (Platform as a Service)
Offers an environment for developers to build and deploy applications.
Example: Google App Engine, Heroku.
• SaaS (Software as a Service)
Ready-to-use applications delivered via the internet.
ADVANTAGES OF CLOUD COMPUTING
• Cost-effective (no need to buy expensive hardware)
• Scalability and flexibility
• High availability and reliability
• Automatic software updates
• Easy collaboration and accessibility
CHALLENGES / DISADVANTAGES
• Security & Privacy Issues – Data is stored on third-party servers.
• Downtime – Service disruptions can occur.
• Vendor Lock-in – Difficult to migrate between providers.
• Compliance Issues – Legal and regulatory constraints.