Back to Basics: Cloud Computing
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How New-Age applications are getting benefitted
Cloud is one of the buzzwords in the industry, thanks to the revolution on the Internet and advanced technology. With the availability of resources, so many ideas went into the phase of Implementation. So many applications like Netflix, Whatsapp, PhonePe have emerged by using the cloud as a resource pool. Now let’s try to understand what is cloud…
What is Cloud?
“Cloud computing is 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)
In simple words, providing a pool of resources to satisfy the needs, requirements of the user
How did it started && How does it work?
Traditionally, organizations have their own infrastructure with their own maintenance. Organizations used to add more pools when there is huge demand and once the demand is over, resources will be left idle which resulted in the wastage of resources. So that’s how the cloud concept evolved.
With the introduction of the cloud model, Infra architects can able to plan the architecture as per demands without wasting the resources by pooling the Hardware resources and connecting them to provide the services.
As per NIST 800–145, it works in the form of 3 Service Models, 4 Deployment Models.
Deployment Models:
- Public Cloud: It is for general public use which will be managed, owned, maintained by an individual or a business unit but exists on the premises of the cloud
- Private cloud: This model is mostly preferred for business units that want high availability and also with privacy. This model can be owned, managed by an organization, a 3rd party vendor. It may be exiting on/off-premises based on the requirement
- Community Cloud: This model is like a shared model, where it is owned, managed, by one group of consumers who required a shared pool of resources. It may exist on/off-premises and also managed, owned by consumers or any 3rd party vendor
- Hybrid Cloud: It's a mix of the above 3 models based on requirements.
Service Models:
Once the user figures out the cloud deployment model, the next step is to decide the service model. There are 3 Service Models
- Infrastructure-As-A-Service ( IAAS): In this model, consumers will be provisioned with Infrastructure resources for running OS, Limited Network, and Storage Applications. But, consumers will not have any control over the underlying Hardware Infrastructure, Base Networking Components.
Ex: MS Azure, AWS, GCP, Digital Ocean - Platform-As-A-Service(PAAS): In this model, the consumer will be able to utilize the resources which were deployed on the cloud Infrastructure underlined by the Hardware Infrastructure. Consumers will not have control over the Base Operating system, servers, networking, and storage options.
Ex: Google App Engine and AWS Elastic Beanstalk - Software-As-A-Service( SAAS): In this model, Consumers can only able to access Web Applications. Users will not have any control over the platform, databases, operating systems, and underlying infrastructure.
Ex: Salesforce, Custom Web Applications
Due to the increase of demand in adapting and utilization of cloud Services, vendors came up with new models like
- Anything-As-A-Service: Utilizing Customized or mixed service modes as per requirements.
- Functionality-As-A-Service: Run applications and execute codes with the use of Engine capacity
- Security-As-A-Service: Many Security product vendors started providing security solutions by hosting in cloud environments.
- Desktop-As-A-Service: Virtual Desktop Environments for a remote working model
Features:
- On-Demand Service: Consumers can utilize the resources for a particular timeframe to meet their needs.
- Scalability: Easy to Increase the resources depends on the requirement
- Horizontal Scaling: Adding more resources
-Vertical Scaling: Adding the capacity of resources. - Calculated Pricing: We can easily plan the pricing and also get the estimation so user won't be drained completely
- Broad Network Access: Consumers will not face any network Interruptions
Benefits:
- Cost-Effective ( Pay-As-You-Go)
- High Availability
- Reduced Maintenance
- Scalability
- Easy to Create, Run, and shutdown Applications
Popular Players:
- Amazon Web Services
- Google Cloud
- Microsoft Azure
- Digital Ocean
- Linode
- Heroku
The Demand is constantly increasing and Vendors are trying to provide as many flexible service models as they can provide. More advanced implementations like AI Implementations, IoT deployment, Blockchain Technologies can also utilize the cloud services and computation power.
To Secure this environment, organizations have developed advanced architecture models like ZTA and SASE, which I have covered in previous articles.
