₦airaland Forum

Trying to define cloud computing seems like a herculean task. Cynics might say it is nothing but industry exaggeration, visionaries might say it is the future of IT. In a way, both the statements are true-cloud computing does hold real potential for new types of on-demand dynamic IT services.
The analogy is, ‘Why buy a cow when buying milk is more convenient instead?’

For example, Gmail, Yahoo etc. One does not need software or a server to use them. All one needs is an internet connection and one can start sending emails. The server and email management software is all on the cloud (internet) and is totally managed by the cloud service provider, which in this case, can be Google or Yahoo etc. The user gets to use the software alone and enjoy the benefits.
“All the services that the vendors offer to both businesses and consumers over the Internet come under The Cloud”.
It’s a Great Explanation But…
The cloud is many things to many people:

-Online storage of files and music? That’s the cloud.
-Running a company’s proprietary business software using powerful servers hosted offsite? That’s the cloud, too.
-Parents sending videos of their kids to their grandparents? Once again, the cloud.
-Online software for business management? The cloud.
-Managing network online? The cloud.
-Plays music,
-Handles transactions,
-Lowers the business cost,
-Product marketing,
-Enables relationships with your customers and peers, and
-So very much more?
The cloud of course!
The concept of cloud is indeed very vast and consists of many parts, hence the ambiguity in defining.

Cloud computing covers numerous models.

Cloud computing covers numerous models. Cloud computing isn’t just one thing; rather, it is a number of customizable options to fit IT and business requirements.


Evolutionary journey to the cloud.

Cloud computing is based on current IT trends like data center consolidation and server virtualization. Enterprises are following a practical path to the cloud by adopting new technologies, transitioning from physical to virtual IT assets, and adapting existing IT best practices to a new dynamic world.


The network acts as the foundation for cloud computing.

Cloud computing moves Web-based applications to the Internet inexorably tying user connectivity and productivity to networking equipment. Of all networking technologies available, WAN optimization plays a major role in the transition to the cloud.

Cloud Computing Decomposed.
Cloud computing is a general term for anything that involves delivering hosted services over the Internet. These services are broadly divided into three categories:

Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)
Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)It is a provision model in which an organization outsources the equipment used to support operations, including storage, hardware, servers, and networking components. The service provider owns the equipment and houses, runs and maintains it. The client typically pays on a per-use basis.


Platform as a Service (PaaS)
Platform as a service (PaaS) has everything one needs for business applications. It comes complete with infrastructures such as networking, online storage, and servers, as well as database management systems, development tools, and more. It is designed to help create, test, develop, and update your application.

Software as a Service (SaaS)
Software distribution model in which vendor hosts the applications or service provider and makes them available to customers over a network, typically the Internet.

Advantages:
The advantages of using Cloud computing are:

Collaboration – Teams can work together instead of working through a closed network. Team members can talk to each other about changes that need to be made and then go ahead and make them.
Global team network – Since technical writing and training development teams don’t need to be stationed in one location, you can hire the best talent out there. Without a need for relocation, companies save money and still get high-quality work, around the clock.
Multiple storage options – When saving a document in the cloud, the document can also be stored on the technical writer’s or training developer’s home computer as well as on the cloud server. This allows for backup copies, ensuring safety for the work that has been completed.

It is understandable that the combination of Cloud and DevOps is transformational for any organization. In fact, Amazon's AWS is a subsidiary of Amazon that provides on-demand cloud computing platforms and APIs to individuals, companies, and governments, on a metered pay-as-you-go basis.


Disaster Recovery Solutions.
You need data protection when catastrophe strikes. Preventing as much data loss as possible is critical regarding time, money, and efficiency. Cloud provides a much faster, and cost-effective disaster recovery than traditional solutions could ever offer.

The best way to deal with a tragedy is to prepare for it beforehand. One should always consider any worst-case scenarios since most catastrophic events are unplanned. Before cloud computing, one would have to distribute and collect various tapes and drives and then transfer the data to a central location. Now, one can just click a few buttons and have it done for you.

Cost Savings.
One no longer needs to buy a ton of external hard drives to keep your critical information. Companies can save up to 43% annually by migrating virtualized operating system instances in the cloud. Besides that, the cloud gives access to professional staff, advanced security systems, and cutting-edge hardware and software, which adds up to the projected savings.

Cloud service providers that utilize a pay-as-you-go model are especially useful since you will never have to spend money on services that you are not using.

Comparing this to a monthly subscription service where you must pay to apply for the entire month regardless of how often you use it. If you use a monthly subscription service for only two weeks, you will get half of your money’s worth.

Performance and Speed.
Enterprise-grade technology makes it available to smaller companies as well. This form of utility computing makes emerging technologies available to businesses at an affordable price point.
One can access high-performance hardware and software to improve your operations. The opex-based delivery model makes cloud resources accessible to businesses of any sizes. You just need to pick the solution that meets your needs best.

Data Security.
Keep your data secure and make sure that it does not fall into the wrong hands.

Ideal solution for business continuity and always-on availability of your files is cloud backups. All clouds provide some degree of encryption, deterrent, and compliance, but private clouds are the most secure from outsiders. Still, beware of internal attacks.

Well Written. Very useful for the starters. Thanks for sharing. Keep updating more and more. Get hands-on experience on all cloud computing concepts from live experts at [url="https://onlineitguru.com/aws-training.html"]AWS Online Training [/url]