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This Cloud computing tutorial covers concepts like what is cloud computing, what is the need of cloud computing technology, various cloud providers and models like SAAS, PAAS and IAAS, various types of cloud: public, private and hybrid cloud and characteristics and advantages of cloud computing that make it so helpful today.
Introduction to Cloud Computing
Cloud computing means usage of computing resources that are delivered as a service over a network (typically the Internet). It’s a virtualization framework and includes both hardware and software.
The cloud is a computing service that has pay per usage model under which you are charged based only on the amount of computing resources we use.
So for example, if you want to give a demo to a client on a cluster of more than 100 machines and you do not have so many machines currently available with you, then in such case cloud computing plays a very important role.
It is like a resource on demand whether it be storage, computing etc. Cloud follows pay per usage model. You need to pay the amount of resource you use.
What is Cloud Computing?
Cloud Providers
Few of the cloud providers are google, citrix, netmagic, redhat, rackspace etc. Amazon Cloud Computing (aws) is the leading cloud provider amongst all. Microsoft is also providing cloud services and it is called as azure.
Cloud Computing Service Models
There are 3 different cloud computing architectures available:
- Software as a Service (SaaS) – Used by end users
- Platform as a Service (Paas) – Used by Application developers
- Infrastructure as a Service (Iaas) – Used by network architects
Let us see each of the above models in detail below:
i. Software as a Service
Software as a service is the cloud service where software applications can access the internet by the consumers. It features a complete application offered as a service on demand. A single instance of the software runs on the cloud and services multiple end users or client organizations.
SAAS can use for a range of needs like accounting and invoicing, tracking sales, planning, performance monitoring and communications etc. Eg: salesforce.com, Google Apps.
ii. Platform as a Service
PAAS provides developers a platform and environment to build applications and services over the internet. These services are hosted in the cloud and can access via web browsers.
Platform as a service encapsulates a layer of software and provides it as a service that can use to build higher-level services.
The services includes databases, middleware and development tools, all delivered as a service via the Internet. These services can consist of preconfigured features that customers can subscribe.
2 Perspectives for PaaS are:-
a. Producer
Someone producing PaaS might produce a platform by integrating an OS, middleware, application software, and even a development environment that is then provided to a customer as a service
b. Consumer
Someone using PaaS would see an encapsulated service that is presented to them through an API. The customer interacts with the platform through the API, and the platform provides the solution to manage and scale itself to provide a given level of service.
iii. Infrastructure as a Service
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is a service model that delivers computer infrastructure on an outsourced basis to support enterprise operations. We can also call IAAS as Hardware as a service (HAAS).
IAAS delivers basic storage and computing capabilities as standardized services over the network. Servers, switches, routers, and other systems are pooled and made available to handle workloads that range from application components to high-performance computing applications.
Interacting with the Cloud
Let us now see how we can interact with the cloud? There are 3 mechanisms for it:
- Web UI – It’s very easy and user friendly.
- Command Line Interface (CLI)
- APIs
Types of Cloud Computing
There are basically 3 types of clouds as below:
- Public Cloud
- Private Cloud
- Hybrid Cloud
a. Public Cloud
Cloud computing technologies needed to support customers that are external to the provider’s organization are being provided by public cloud computing.
Public clouds are run by third parties like amazon, rackspace etc., and applications from different customers are likely to mix together on the cloud’s servers, storage systems, and networks.
Hosted away from customer premises, and they provide a way to reduce customer risk and cost by providing a flexible, even temporary extension to enterprise infrastructure.
We do not know the actual physical location of this type of cloud and they are just provided over the internet. Many organizations are using it as their major use.
b. Private Cloud
Private cloud use by only one organization, it ensures that an organization is completely isolated from others. These are built for the exclusive use of one client that provides the utmost control over data, security, and quality of service.
The company owns the infrastructure and has control over how applications are deployed on it. Enterprise datacenter can use to deploy private clouds. Very big organizations are using it like Fortune 500 companies. Many universities are also using the private cloud.
c. Hybrid Cloud
Hybrid clouds are a combination of public and private cloud models. They help in providing on-demand, externally provisioned scale. It can also use to maintain service levels in the face of rapid workload fluctuations.
Hybrid cloud models can implement in a number of ways:
- Separate cloud providers team up to provide both private and public services as an integrated service.
- Individual cloud providers offer a complete hybrid package.
Characteristics of Cloud
Now we are going to learn a few characteristics of cloud computing:
- On-demand self-service – Whenever you have the requirement, then only you are going to use it and pay for that much use only. When you need it, you need to do self service by deploying and staring it.
- Reliability – All providers are claiming for huge reliability.
- Virtualization – Complete infrastructure is in virtual form. So it provides you with the mechanism that you can use any of the configurations of the system.
- Scalability and elasticity – You can scale your infrastructure very easily when you want it.
- Performance – Level of performance you require can achieve by using any type of infrastructure you want.
- Security – Cloud providers are providing 3 dimensional security as security is the major concern for all users. You can restrict IPs through which cloud will connect, you can enable a particular port only, you can use encryption mechanisms for security etc. to make your data secured.
- Maintenance and Monitoring – All components in the cloud system have been maintained and monitor or by cloud provider so there is no responsibility of the user.