A Cloud is an
Internet. Generally when we speak about the cloud, Cloud Computing or Cloud
Storage we are all taking about the things accessed on internet. More specifically
all things that can be accessed remotely over the internet is called Cloud.
A Cloud can be simply
a metaphor for various data networks, generally located somewhere far away and
accessed via the internet.
So a Cloud
generally has content stored over the servers on internet and are being
accessed by using a user Name and Password. Some of the example of these
include E-mail , Calendar and many other applications.
Cloud Computing can
be defined as a delivery of shared computing resources ,software or data as a
service and on-demand through the internet
Why Do we need
Cloud – The main reasons why we choose cloud is convenience and reliability.
Saving a file to a cloud allows us to access that from anywhere in the world
with a internet connection. The cloud makes it much faster to share files more
conveniently.
So what does a Cloud
provide,
1) Resource
utilization: Cloud enables companies to utilize resources according to their
needs. This is different then using Own Physical hardware with loads of
computation power being kept idle.
2) Cost: Since
infrastructure is provided by the third party , there is no need to buy
hardware. Infrastructure on the Cloud is based on the usage-based and hence
users buy resources that only need.
3) Location
independence: enable users to access systems using a web browser regardless of
their location or what device they use (e.g., PC, mobile phone). As
infrastructure is off-site (typically provided by a third-party) and accessed
via the Internet, users can connect from anywhere.
4) Maintenance:
Since Infrastructure is maintained by the third party, they don't need to be
installed on Client machines. They need to be accessed via internet.
5) Multi-tenancy:
This allows large pool of users to share resources and cost like
centralization( infrastructure location with electricity, location charges)
etc.
6) Monitoring:
Monitoring of the hosted applications, underlying infrastructure is monitored
continuously
thus providing user application with high live time.
7)
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
8)
Reliability: Cloud allows business critical applications to be hosted on
multiple redundant sites thus making sure the application are up and running
9)
Scalability: Cloud allows on-demand provisioning of resources on demand basis.
10)
Security: Cloud improves security by allowing centralization of data thus making
certain resources more secured.
So now we see the
advantages, lets see disadvantage
1) Down time: Applications
based on Cloud depend on the Internet connection. When it's offline, you're
offline. If your internet service suffers from frequent outages or slow speeds
cloud computing may not be suitable for your business.
2) Security Issues:
Applications running on Cloud need to be more secured when they are business
critical application. So you should not be using cloud computing applications
that involve using or storing data that you are not comfortable having on the
Internet.
3) Cost: Though
cloud provides resources cheaper than the ones installed in-house, it is very
important to make sure the Cloud provides the features that in-house hardware
provides. You have to look closely at the pricing plans and details for each
application.
More to Come :-)
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