Cloud Computing

What is Cloud Computing, in simple terms?

Cloud computing is the delivery of on-demand computing services-- from applications to storage and processing power-- typically over the internet and on a pay-as-you-go basis.

                              

                        

How Cloud Computing Works?

The cloud basically a decentralized place to share information through satellite networks. Every cloud application has a host, and the hosting company responsible for maintaining the massive data centers provide the security. Storage capacity and computing power needed to maintain all of the information users send to the cloud.

                       

                   

The most prominent companies hosting the cloud are major players like Amazon, Microsoft, Apple and Google. But there's also a plethora of other players, large and small.

Cloud Computing Examples? 

Examples of cloud computing include :

Google Docs, Microsoft Office 365 : Users can access Google Docs and Microsoft Office 365 through the Internet. Users can be more productive because they can access work presentations and spradsheets stored in the cloud at anytime from anywhere on any device.

Email, Calender, skype , Whatsapp : Emails, Calendars, Skype and Whatsapp take advantage of the cloud's ability to provide users with access to data remotely so they can access their personal data on any device, wherever they want.

Zoom : Zoom is a cloud-based software platform for video and audio conferencing that records meetings and saves them to the cloud, enabling users to access them anywhere and at any time.

AWS Lambda : Lambda allows developers to run code for applications or back-end services without having to provision or manage servers. The pay-as-you-go model constantly scales with an organizations to accommodate real-time changes in data usage and data storage.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Cloud Computing :

Advantages : 

           

        

1. Easy implementation cloud hosting allows business to retain the same applications and business processes without having to deal with the backend technicalities.

2. Accessibility Access your data anywhere, anytime. An Internet cloud infrastructure maximizes enterprise productivity and efficiency by ensuring your application is always accessible. This allows for easy collaboration and sharing among users in multiple locations.

3. No hardware required. Since everything will be hosted in the cloud, a physical storage center is no longer needed. However, a backup could be worth looking into in the event of a disaster that could leave your company's productivity stagnant.

4. Cost per head. Overhead technology costs are kept at a minimum with cloud hosting services, enabling businesses to use the extra time and resources for improving the company infrastructure.

5. Flexibility for growth The Cloud is easily scaleable so companies can add or subtract resources based on their needs. As companies grow, their system will grow with them.

6. Efficient recovery Cloud Computing delivers faster and more accurate retrievals of applications and data. with less downtime, it is most efficient recovery plan.

Disadvantages :

           

        

1. No longer in control When moving services to the cloud, you are handing over your data and information. For companies who have an in-house IT staff, they will be unable to handle issues on their own. However, Stratosphere Networks has a 24/7 live help desk that can rectify any problems immediately.

2. May not get all the features Not all cloud services are the same. Some cloud providers tend to offer limited versions and enable the most popular features only, so you may not receive every feature or customization you want. Before singing up, make sure you know what your cloud services providers offers.

3. Doesn't mean you should do away with servers you may have fewer servers to handle which means less for your IT staff to handle, but that doesn't mean you can let go of all your servers and staff. while it may seem costly to have data centers and a cloud infrastructure, redundancy is key for backup and recovery. 

4. No Redundancy A cloud server is not redundant nor is backed up. As technology may fail here and there, avoid getting burned by purchasing a redundancy plan.

5. Bandwidth issues For ideal performance, clients have to plan accordingly and not pack large amounts of servers and storage devices into a small set of data centers. 

Writer: Mr. Krishan Kumar Saini 

Today we have learnt Basics about Cloud Computing. Hope this lesson is helpful for you.