Types of Cloud Computing with Definitions and Benefits

The types of cloud computing with definitions and benefits that shall be provided in this content are prepared comprehensively to quench your thirst for knowledge as regards the topic; It is not an attempt to give you a handful analysis of cloud computing. The purpose here is to feed your understanding and expand your horizon on the concept.

What is Cloud Computing? Definitions

Cloud computing is the on-demand availability of computer system resources, especially data storage and computing power, without direct active management by the user. Large clouds often have functions distributed over multiple locations, each of which is a data center.

Characteristically, cloud computing is identified to be having some conceptual features by which you can also get a large overview of what it entails as a digital term. These are outlines as follows:

• On-demand self-service. A consumer can unilaterally provision computing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, as needed automatically without requiring human interaction with each service provider.
• Broad network access. Capabilities are available over the network and accessed through standard mechanisms that promote use by heterogeneous thin or thick client platforms (e.g., mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and workstations).
• Resource pooling. The provider’s computing resources are pooled to serve multiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with different physical and virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according to consumer demand.
• Rapid elasticity. Capabilities can be elastically provisioned and released, in some cases automatically, to scale rapidly outward and inward commensurate with demand. To the consumer, the capabilities available for provisioning often appear unlimited and can be appropriated in any quantity at any time.
• Measured service. Cloud systems automatically control and optimize resource use by leveraging a metering capability at some level of abstraction appropriate to the type of service (e.g., storage, processing, bandwidth, and active user accounts). Resource usage can be monitored, controlled, and reported, providing transparency for both the provider and consumer of the utilized service.

 Benefits of Cloud Computing

It is also proposed that the cloud computing service provides quite some values which are congenial to the growth of digital enterprise and infrastructures. It does this through special functions such as:

• Cost Reductions

A public-cloud delivery model converts capital expenditures (e.g., buying servers) to operational expenditure. This purportedly lowers barriers to entry, as infrastructure is typically provided by a third party and need not be purchased for one-time or infrequent intensive computing tasks. Pricing on a utility computing basis is “fine-grained”, with usage-based billing options. As well, less in-house IT skills are required for implementation of projects that use cloud computing.

• Maintenance

Maintenance of cloud environment is easier because the data is hosted on an outside server maintained by a provider without the need to invest in data center hardware. IT maintenance of cloud computing is managed and updated by the cloud provider’s IT maintenance team which reduces cloud computing costs compared with on-premises data centers.

• Productivity

Productivity may be increased when multiple users can work on the same data simultaneously, rather than waiting for it to be saved and emailed. Time may be saved as information does not need to be re-entered when fields are matched, nor do users need to install application software upgrades to their computer.

• Security

Security can improve due to centralization of data, increased security-focused resources, etc., but concerns can persist about loss of control over certain sensitive data, and the lack of security for stored kernels.

Security is often as good as or better than other traditional systems, in part because service providers are able to devote resources to solving security issues that many customers cannot afford to tackle or which they lack the technical skills to address.

However, the complexity of security is greatly increased when data is distributed over a wider area or over a greater number of devices, as well as in multi-tenant systems shared by unrelated users. In addition, user access to security audit logs may be difficult or impossible. Private cloud installations are in part motivated by users’ desire to retain control over the infrastructure and avoid losing control of information security.

• Performance

Performance is monitored by IT experts from the service provider, and consistent and loosely coupled architectures are constructed using web services as the system interface.

Types of Cloud Computing

The types of cloud computing are somewhat many but this article shall identify with only those which are most popular among all:

• Public Clouds

Public clouds are a type of cloud computing run by a third-party cloud provider. These cloud providers deliver cloud services to their clients over the public internet. A cloud provider keeps ownership and control of the cloud storage, hardware, infrastructure and resources. This means that the cloud provider typically handles any updates or issues that require troubleshooting.

Read Also: Skills Needed for Cloud Computing

• Multi-Clouds

A multi-cloud system refers to when a business uses multiple third-party cloud providers. Some organizations choose to use multiple cloud providers to improve their cybersecurity systems. Multi-cloud environments can also help maintain separate clouds for different workflows, departments or branches within their company.

• Hybrid Clouds

A hybrid cloud combines services of both public and private clouds. With a hybrid cloud, organizations can typically choose to combine various elements of both types of clouds.

• HPC Cloud

HPC clouds specifically provide cloud services for high-performing computer applications and devices, sometimes referred to as supercomputers. Some organizations use supercomputers to perform complex computational tasks, such as forecasting the weather or modeling chemical molecules.

• Private Clouds

Only one individual or business uses the resources and storage of a private cloud. Users access private cloud services over a private network that others can’t access from the public internet. Private clouds can be physically located on a company’s premises. Some third-party cloud providers may also offer clients a private cloud option for a higher price than a public cloud.

Cloud Computing Services

• IaaS

IaaS means a cloud service provider manages the infrastructure for you—the actual servers, network, virtualization, and data storage—through an internet connection. The user has access through an API or dashboard, and essentially rents the infrastructure.

The user manages things like the operating system, apps, and middleware while the provider takes care of any hardware, networking, hard drives, data storage, and servers; and has the responsibility of taking care of outages, repairs, and hardware issues. This is the typical deployment model of cloud storage providers.

• PaaS

PaaS means the hardware and an application-software platform are provided and managed by an outside cloud service provider, but the user handles the apps running on top of the platform and the data the app relies on.

Primarily for developers and programmers, PaaS gives users a shared cloud platform for application development and management (an important DevOps component) without having to build and maintain the infrastructure usually associated with the process.

• SaaS

SaaS is a service that delivers a software application—which the cloud service provider manages—to its users. Typically, SaaS apps are web applications or mobile apps that users can access via a web browser. Software updates, bug fixes, and other general software maintenance are taken care of for the user, and they connect to the cloud applications via a dashboard or API. SaaS also eliminates the need to have an app installed locally on each individual user’s computer, allowing greater methods of group or team access to the software.