A Deep Dive into Cloud Computing
I will be giving you my insights about cloud computing in this article, before we start on anything let us get to know what cloud computing is.
Simply put, cloud computing is the delivery of computer facilities including databases, storage devices, software applications, and, intelligence over the web (‘The Cloud’). This offers speed innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale. You must only pay when you use the services over the cloud, which helps you to always lower your operation cost, and also makes your infrastructure run very smoothly and scale up as your company needs change.
Since now we know a bit about what cloud computing is, let us dive more into the types of cloud computing that are currently in the industry. Not all clouds are the same and not one type of cloud suits everyone. Several models, types, and services have evolved to help and offer the correct solution for our needs.
Cloud computing is a model for delivering computing services—including servers, storage, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence—over the Internet (the cloud). It allows users to access and use these resources on demand, rather than having to build and maintain their own infrastructure.
There are several types of cloud computing services, including:
- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): This is the most basic type of cloud computing service, which provides users with access to raw computing resources, such as virtual machines, storage, and networking.
- Platform as a Service (PaaS): This type of cloud computing service provides users with a platform for developing, testing, and deploying applications, without the need to worry about managing the underlying infrastructure.
- Software as a Service (SaaS): This type of cloud computing service provides users with access to a software application that they can use over the Internet, without having to install it on their own computers.
- Function as a Service (FaaS): This type of cloud computing service allows users to execute small pieces of code (functions) in response to events, such as an HTTP request or a message in a queue.
Cloud computing services are typically provided by third-party companies, which own and operate the infrastructure and charge users based on their usage. This allows users to scale their resources up or down as needed, and pay only for what they use.
Deployment Models of Cloud Computing
Public Cloud
Public clouds are owned and operated by a third-party cloud service provider, Which delivers their computing resources like servers and storage, over the Internet. Microsoft Azure is an example of a public cloud. With a public cloud, all hardware, software, and other supporting infrastructure is owned and managed by the cloud provider. You access these services and manage your account using a web browser.
Simple example: Consider the different types of vehicles we use to travel from one place to another. If you traveled in a bus that is accessible to anyone, you get in and pay for the seat that you occupy and for the number of kilometers you will be traveling for. The cost is very less here compared to other transport mechanisms. A similar kind of thing happens in the public cloud. You only pay for the resource that you use and you pay for how long you use it. If you use less you pay less, if you use more you pay more for that time period.
Providers-AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud.
Private Cloud
A private cloud refers to cloud computing resources used exclusively by a single business or organization. A private cloud can be physically located in the company’s on-site data center. Some companies also pay third-party service providers to host their private cloud. A private cloud is one in which the services and infrastructure are maintained on a private network.
Simple example: When we consider private cloud it’s like buying your car and using it for commuting purposes. Here you have to pay a huge amount upfront and it is all owned by you but the cost here is very huge.
Providers-AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud.
Hybrid Cloud
Hybrid clouds combine public and private clouds, bound together by technology that allows data and applications to be shared between them. By allowing data and applications to move between private and public clouds, a hybrid cloud gives your business greater flexibility, and more deployment options, and helps optimize your existing infrastructure, security, and compliance.
Simple Example: It is like when you are commuting but rather have the comfort of a private vehicle, or when instead of having to buy a vehicle you would rather just pay for that moment of travel only. In this situation, you would just rent a vehicle, getting the best of both sides.
Similarly, you can have it in a hybrid environment.
Providers-AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud.
Different Clouds based on the service model
Infrastructure as a service
This service offers the computing architecture and the infrastructure. That it offers all computing resources but in a virtual environment so that multiple users can access them.
These resources include; Data Storage, Virtualization, Servers, and Networking.
Most vendors are responsible for managing the above resources. If you use this service you will be responsible for handling other resources such as applications, data, runtime, and middleware.
Who uses IAAS?
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is a type of cloud computing service that provides users with access to raw computing resources, such as virtual machines, storage, and networking. IaaS is typically used by organizations that need to quickly and easily scale their computing resources up or down, or that do not want to invest in the infrastructure required to support their computing needs.
Some common use cases for IaaS include:
- Web and mobile application development: Developers can use IaaS to quickly spin up and down virtual machines as needed to test and deploy their applications.
- Disaster recovery: Organizations can use IaaS to set up a secondary infrastructure in the cloud as a backup in case their on-premises infrastructure goes down.
- Data processing: IaaS can be used to set up a distributed computing system to process large amounts of data in parallel.
- Software testing: IaaS can be used to set up a test environment with multiple virtual machines running different operating systems and configurations.
Overall, IaaS is a flexible and cost-effective solution that is used by a wide range of organizations, from small startups to large enterprises.
What are the IAAS services and Products?
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is a type of cloud computing service that provides users with access to raw computing resources, such as virtual machines, storage, and networking. Here are some examples of IaaS services and products:
- Virtual machines: IaaS providers typically offer a variety of virtual machine configurations with different sizes and capabilities. Users can choose the configuration that best meets their needs and pay for only what they use.
- Storage: IaaS providers offer storage solutions such as object storage, block storage, and file storage. These solutions are usually scalable and highly available, and users only pay for the amount of storage they use.
- Networking: IaaS providers offer a variety of networking services, such as virtual private clouds, load balancers, and VPNs. These services can be used to set up and manage complex networking environments in the cloud.
- Management tools: Many IaaS providers offer tools to help users manage their resources, such as monitoring and alerting, automation, and backup and recovery.
Overall, IaaS providers offer a wide range of services and products that allow users to easily set up and manage their computing infrastructure in the cloud.
Platform as a Service
This service is mainly a development environment and is made up of a programming language execution environment, an operating system, a web server, and a database.
All of this encapsulates the environment where users can build, compile and run their programs without worrying about the underlying infrastructure.
In this module you manage the data and the application resources; all other resources are managed by the vendor.
Who uses PAAS?
Platform as a Service (PaaS) is a type of cloud computing service that provides users with a platform for developing, testing, and deploying applications, without the need to worry about managing the underlying infrastructure. PaaS is typically used by organizations that want to focus on developing and maintaining their applications, rather than worrying about the infrastructure required to support them.
Some common use cases for PaaS include:
- Web and mobile application development: PaaS can be used to quickly set up a development environment with the tools and libraries needed to build and deploy applications.
- Microservices: PaaS can be used to set up a platform for building and deploying microservices, which are small, independent units of functionality that can be easily composed into larger applications.
- Data processing: PaaS can be used to set up a platform for processing large amounts of data in parallel, such as for data analytics or machine learning.
Overall, PaaS is a convenient and cost-effective solution that is used by a wide range of organizations, from small startups to large enterprises.
What are the PAAS services and products?
PaaS (Platform as a Service) is a cloud computing model that provides users with a platform to build, test, and deploy applications. Users do not have to worry about managing infrastructure or installing software, as these tasks are handled by the PaaS provider.
Some examples of PaaS products and services include:
- Google App Engine: A platform for building and hosting web applications on Google’s infrastructure.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS) Elastic Beanstalk: A platform for deploying and scaling web applications on AWS.
- Heroku: A platform for building and deploying web applications in various languages, including Ruby, Java, Python, and more.
- Microsoft Azure: A cloud computing platform that offers a range of services, including PaaS, for building, deploying, and managing applications.
- Cloud Foundry: An open-source PaaS that supports a variety of programming languages and cloud providers.
PaaS is often used by developers to quickly build and deploy applications without having to worry about the underlying infrastructure. It is a good choice for developers who want to focus on building and improving their applications, rather than managing the infrastructure required to run them.
Software as a Service
It is a service that offers on-demand paper use of application software to users, unlike license bot programs this service is platform-independent and you don’t need to install the software on your PC. The cloud runs a single instance of the software and makes it available for multiple end-users. This makes cloud computing cheap. All the computing resources responsible for managing SAAS are entirely handled by the vendor. This service is accessible via a web browser or lightweight client applications.
Who uses SAAS?
SaaS (Software as a Service) is a software delivery model in which a software application is hosted by a third-party provider and made available to customers over the internet. Customers can access the software through a web browser or app and pay a subscription fee or use it for free in exchange for viewing advertisements.
SaaS is typically used by businesses and individuals who want to use software applications without having to install them on their own computers or servers. It is a good option for organizations that do not want to invest in the infrastructure and maintenance required to run the software in-house.
Examples of SaaS products include:
- Google G Suite: A suite of productivity tools, including Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Drive.
- Microsoft Office 365: A suite of productivity tools, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
- Salesforce: A customer relationship management platform for sales, customer service, and marketing.
- Adobe Creative Cloud: A collection of creative tools for graphic design, video editing, and photography.
SaaS products are commonly used by a wide range of organizations, including small businesses, large enterprises, government agencies, and educational institutions. They are also used by individuals for personal productivity and other purposes.
What are the SAAS services and products?
Software as a Service (SaaS) is a software delivery model in which a software application is hosted by a third-party provider and made available to customers over the internet. Customers access the software through a web browser or API, and they do not need to install or maintain the software on their own computers or servers.
Some examples of SaaS products and services include:
- Customer relationship management (CRM) software, such as Salesforce
- Human resources management software, such as Workday
- Project management software, such as Asana
- Collaboration software, such as Slack
- E-commerce platforms, such as Shopify
- Office suites, such as Google Workspace (formerly known as Google G Suite)
- Microsoft Office 365, SalesForce, and also google Ecosystems such as Gmail, google docs and google drive.
SaaS products and services are typically subscription-based, and customers pay a monthly or annual fee to access the software. Some SaaS providers offer different pricing plans with different features and capabilities.
Cloud Comparisons of Weaknesses
It’s feasible to highlight the drawbacks of each of these infrastructures in the same way that we can characterize their selling points. We won’t go over all of the drawbacks in-depth — you’ll see more of those as we go through the comparison — but we will outline the major issues.
Amazon Web Services has a solid infrastructure, but its diversity adds to the complexity. You’ll probably be perplexed if your team is new to cloud migration and working with cloud infrastructure.
In addition, calculating and forecasting expenditures on AWS is difficult. Although the platform provides numerous free tools, they are frequently insufficiently intuitive and must be upgraded. AWS’s major goal is public storage, hence the architecture doesn’t allow for enough customization for hybrid Clouds.
Microsoft Azure has a reputation for being a nascent Cloud platform. Even the most basic procedures, such as maintaining resource groups, can go wrong. Failures are rarely caused by code or customization difficulties; instead, failures are frequently caused by Azure. It’s difficult for huge companies to handle a lot of traffic at the same time while also dealing with beta-version errors.
Communication is another difficulty with Microsoft Azure. On the service, there is no official clear road map. Many functions aren’t connected effectively, and consumers aren’t given clear instructions on how to set up their infrastructure. If a team discovers a bug, they cannot immediately disclose it to the official team. It necessitates the purchase of a Support account.
AWS and Azure came later to the game than Google Cloud. Google Cloud chose to focus on startups and small businesses rather than the oversaturated enterprise market. The Cloud, on the other hand, is still in its infancy. If a team violates some regulations, the administration has the right to terminate projects within three business days if the support chat is inactive.
Computing
In Cloud infrastructures, computing services are in charge of processing requests, storing data, and enabling software operations. The computing engine that supports the platform’s processes is at the heart of each Cloud infrastructure. By examining each engine, you may obtain a decent idea of overall IaaS productivity.
AWS — Elastic Compute Cloud
EC2 is the name of the engine utilized by Amazon Web Services. It’s in charge of managing many instances on Windows and Linux, as well as managing GPU instances, scaling computing capacity, and managing heavy workloads.
The services use 275 different types of instances and more hardware than any other Cloud infrastructure. The engine’s key selling point is its rugged adaptability.
AWS is the world’s largest Infrastructure as a Service provider. It supports a total of 76 availability zones around the globe (this number is constantly increasing).
AWS engines are the most reliable on the market in terms of stability (in some research reports, Google Cloud occasionally shows better results). The amount of outages is seven times lower than a typical Cloud provider.
Amazon containers
AWS is frequently chosen by companies that use containers and microservices in their solutions because of its flexible container support. Kubernetes, Docker, and other popular solutions are supported by the Cloud infrastructure. Developers can use private Cloud technologies like Batch, Lightsail, and others to launch their containers.
Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines
Microsoft Azure computes by distributing the workload over numerous virtual machines (VMs). Windows, Linux, SQL Server, and more platforms are supported by its virtual machines. Unlike AWS, Microsoft Azure is particularly active in hybrid cloud adaptation.
The platform is primarily concerned with security and access control. Business owners are advised to keep some of their data on-site and distribute their operations across the cloud and local networks.
Microsoft Azure provides a huge number of supported instances as well, though not as many as AWS. When it comes to AI data processing, some scenarios are better than others.
B1S virtual machines’ free tier allows you to use Azure instances for 750 hours.
Microsoft Azure Scale Sets
Scale sets can be used by developers to manage the workload handled by each VM individually. Codebases, like AWS, can be deployed in containers. Azure provides Kubernetes and Docker Hub-based custom container services.
Azure is one of the most adaptable providers in terms of customization and documentation. It also has a separate toolkit for developing microservices.
Google Cloud Search Engine
Unlike Azure and AWS, Google Cloud does not place a premium on computing service adaptability. The Compute Engine is the company’s major operational hub. It’s a multipurpose service that manages billing, instances, VM customization, data storage, and a variety of other functions.
Using Google Engine alone can be constraining for large organizations, but there is one advantage: you won’t have to spend time reconfiguring and integrating various services within your architecture.
Cloud computing knowledge is a must if you are a programmer or working in an IT-related field. It helps your software development process easier and even land jobs easily. I hope this article helped you understand what cloud computing is or perhaps got you interested in getting into Cloud.
