Cloud Explained — What It Is and How It Works
FAQs
Cloud refers to the resources that run on different servers in a data center, rather than your own physical machine, and can be accessed over the internet using browsers. These resources can be anything like a software, database, runtime, analytics, and storage.
Simply explained, cloud computing is a set of resources like servers, databases, storage, network, and software that can be accessed over the internet. Cloud helps businesses work more efficiently as they don’t have to worry about maintaining their hardware requirements as their business scales up.
Cloud consists of a set of resources that are available over the internet, enabling users to perform high computational tasks and access resources like software, network, storage, etc., without having to install them on their physical machine. Cloud consists of two main components the front end or the client, and the back end, which is the actual cloud, i.e., resources that are available as services over the internet.
Cloud is safe for the following reasons:
- Files stored on cloud are encrypted, making it hard for cybercriminals to crack.
- Servers are located in warehouses that can only be accessed by a limited staff.
- Cloud providers ensure safety by various measures like AI tools to identify potential vulnerabilities, built-in firewalls, regular security updates and patches, data backup plans, and robust security testing.
Cloud applications are programs that provide functionality of native applications, but run on the cloud and are accessed using web browsers or API. Some examples are Microsoft Office 365, Google Docs, and Dropbox.
Cloud-based systems or cloud computing refers to the services that are hosted and accessed over the internet. Reduced cost, increased flexibility, high performance, and security are some benefits of cloud-based systems systems.
The different types of cloud architecture are:
- Public cloud: Public cloud is a host of pooled resources completely managed by the cloud service provider. Examples are AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure.
- Private cloud: In a private cloud, the hardware and software resources can be accessed exclusively by only one client. It is used more often for critical and sensitive data. Examples of such providers are VMWare, Microsoft, and IBM.
- Hybrid cloud: Hybrid combines the benefits of a private cloud on-premise data center) and public cloud and applications and data are shared across both. Multi-cloud strategy is an example of a hybrid configuration. Some top hybrid cloud providers are Microsoft, Google Cloud Platform, IBM, and Azure.
- Community cloud: In a community cloud, systems and services are accessed by a group of organizations that share information. The cloud is mostly managed by a combination of third parties and the members of the organization group. Examples of cloud providers in this category are Cisco, Microsoft, and IBM. To get a deeper insight into the above, read our article on various cloud computing models.
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