Pre-Cloud Era

Let's say you just created the next Facebook and you are ready to show it to the world, you set up your web server to handle all the traffic and serve customers worldwide. This is known as “On-Premise computing”, which simply means configuring everything locally at a place, from web servers, databases, and software to networking cables, basically, all the infrastructure that helps online businesses survive.

On the day of the release, you got an overwhelming response. There is so much traffic generated, that the CPU, Storage, and other hardware components cannot handle it, and the server crashes

Back in the day, these types of scenarios were very common, so businesses would often acquire an additional web server (which costs a lot).

This is called horizontal scaling: or simply adding additional servers or machines to your infrastructure to cope with the new demands.

The other solution would be instead of purchasing an additional server or machine, they would just add more resources to an existing server, like faster CPUs, memory..etc. This term is called vertical scaling.

The problem arises with the no flexibility option for the resources as the traffic will always be varying, and does not need to be as overwhelming as the first day, and throughout the rest of the time, the newly purchased server may just sit there idle covered in dust.

This was a huge waste of resources, or the traffic may increase exponentially and the extra server would also be insufficient to satisfy the needs. However, cloud computing emerged and solved this problem

What is the cloud?

Cloud is about how you do computing not where you do computing

- Paul Maritz, CEO of VMWare

"The cloud" refers to servers that are accessed over the Internet, and the software and databases that run on those servers. Cloud servers are located in data centers all over the world. By using cloud computing, users and companies do not have to manage physical servers themselves or run software applications on their machines.

The cloud enables users to access the same files and applications from almost any device, because the computing and storage take place on servers in a data center, instead of locally on the user's device. This is why you can log in to your Instagram account on any phone and still be able to access all your photos, videos, and conversation history. It works the same way with cloud email providers like Gmail or Microsoft Office 365, and with cloud storage providers like Dropbox or Google Drive.

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services-including servers, databases, storage, networking, and software over the Internet(“the cloud”).

How does cloud computing work?

Cloud computing is possible because of a technology called virtualization. Virtualization allows for the creation of a simulated, digital-only "virtual" computer that behaves as if it were a physical computer with its hardware. The technical term for such a computer is a virtual machine.

Virtual machines also make more efficient use of the hardware hosting them. By running many virtual machines at once, one server becomes many servers, and a data center becomes a whole host of data centers, able to serve many organizations. Even if individual servers go down, cloud servers in general should be always online and always available. Cloud vendors generally back up their services on multiple machines and across multiple regions.

When we aim to understand cloud computing, what it is, and how it operates, we need to know the cloud computing infrastructure. This will help us picture We need to divide the cloud computing sections into two: the front end and the back end.

The front end is the side where clients access the Internet for data. This includes computers, computer networks, applications, and all means for clients to access the cloud computing system.

The back end consists of all things needed for cloud computing services. This is the side of the cloud computing provider. This includes servers, computers, data storage systems, programs, and all necessary means to provide different cloud computing services. The cloud computing system houses various applications.

What are the main service models of cloud computing?

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS): Instead of users installing an application on their device, in the SaaS model, the software is delivered via the Internet. Rather than owning, installing, and maintaining applications on their own, users can access them through the web. Examples of SaaS applications include Salesforce and Slack.

Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS): Platform-as-a-Service is one of the most widely used cloud computing service models that provide users access to a cloud “environment” to build, test, and deliver applications. Adopting the PaaS model streamlines the enterprise software development process. PaaS can be compared to renting all the tools and equipment necessary for building a house, instead of renting the house itself. PaaS examples include Vercel and Microsoft Azure.

Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS): Infrastructure-as-a-Service is a model in which users access computing infrastructures such as IP addresses, storage, servers, bandwidth, networking, and load balancers. IaaS is like a company leasing a plot of land on which they can build whatever they want — but they need to provide their building equipment and materials. IaaS providers include DigitalOcean, Google Compute Engine, and OpenStack.

What are the different types of cloud deployments?

In contrast to the models discussed above, which define how services are offered via the cloud, these different cloud deployment types have to do with where the cloud servers are and who manages them.

The most common cloud deployments are:

• Private cloud: A private cloud is a server, data center, or distributed network wholly dedicated to one organization. The systems that run on a private cloud are designed and maintained by the company's staff.

• Public cloud: A public cloud is a service run by an external vendor that may include servers in one or multiple data centers. Unlike a private cloud, public clouds are shared by multiple organizations. All of the hardware such as VM hosts and network equipment belongs to the service owner. The service owner usually maintains and administers all of the available resources.

• Hybrid cloud: Hybrid technologies exist in many spheres of IT. The reason is simple: take the best of different technologies and methods and throw out the rest. Hybrid cloud deployments combine public and private clouds, and may even include on-premises legacy servers. An organization may use its private cloud for some services and its public cloud for others, or it may use the public cloud as a backup for its private cloud.

• Multi-cloud: A multi-cloud is a type of cloud deployment that involves using multiple public clouds. In other words, an organization with a multi-cloud deployment rents virtual servers and services from several external vendors — to continue the analogy used above, this is like leasing several adjacent plots of land from different landlords. Multi-cloud deployments can also be hybrid clouds and vice versa.

Final Thoughts

Cloud Computing is the technology of the present. It has progressed in leaps and bounds in the last decade. Cloud-first is a revolution that is sweeping across the globe. But with every new change, arises a new set of arguments and problems, but that will be for another day, Hope you liked the blog if you found it valuable do share it with others and let me know your thoughts.