Cloud Computing-New Platform In IT

In cloud computing shared resources, software & information are provided to devices like computers & smartphones on demand over the internet. With cloud computing you don’t need to manage hardware & software, that’s the responsibility of data center. This technology uses the internet & central remote server to maintain application & data. Cloud computing based on “Pay as you go”. It means, this computing service charge you based only on the computing resources you use. 

Basically a cloud is a virtualization of resources that manages & maintains itself. In this computing users don’t need knowledge, control in the computer infrastructure. Customers rent or access the software, paying only for what they use.

Types of cloud computing

Based on deployment model, cloud can classify as:

• Public Cloud
• Private Cloud
• Hybrid Cloud
• Community Cloud

Public Cloud

In this computing model application & storage services are available over the internet for general use. Public cloud provider like Amazon web services sells services to anyone on internet. In this model, customers have no physical control over where infrastructure is located. Public cloud services may be free or offered on pay per usage model. Public cloud is shared the resources & more vulnerable than private cloud. 

Private Cloud

Private cloud is a virtualized data center or network that provides hosted services to limited people or organizations. This cloud operates within a firewall. It is not shared with others. A private cloud provides highest security & control level. There are two types of cloud infrastructure in private cloud.

• On-Premise Private Cloud: This cloud is hosted within an organization own facility. This type of private cloud is best for applications which need total control of infrastructure & security.
• Externally Hosted Private Cloud: This type of cloud is hosted & managed by a third party. This model is good for companies which don’t want to share physical resources due to security reasons. This cloud environment provides full privacy.

Hybrid Cloud

This cloud is a mixture of private cloud & public cloud. Public cloud is used to interact with users, while private cloud keeps the data secured. You can provide public cloud to your customers while using private cloud for internal IT infrastructure.

Community Cloud

Community cloud is a model that is shared between organizations & that is managed & secured by organizations or a third party. Community clouds can be either on-premise or off-premise. Community cloud environment is best suitable while government organizations within a state or country need to share resources.

Cloud Service Models

There are mainly 3 types of service models:

• Software as a Service (SaaS)
• Platform as a Service (PaaS)
• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Software as a Service (SaaS)

This is a software distribution model in which applications are hosted by a service provider & made available to users over the internet. This model eliminates the need to install & run the application on user’s computer. In this model, users have no direct control of data. SaaS is a very wide market. Service provider hosts application & data, the user can use the service from anywhere with internet connection. Examples of Saas are: Google Apps, Salesforce.com, & Onlive.

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

This is a way to rent hardware, operating system, & network capacity over the internet. With Paas, operating system features can be changed & upgraded. In this service model, application developers can develop & run software on cloud platform without cost & complexity of buying & managing the underlying software & hardware. Examples of PaaS are: Google App Engine, Engine Yard, Force.com, & Heroku.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

In this service model, provider offers physical or virtual machines & other resources like file based storage, firewalls, load balancers, & IP addresses. Service providers provide resources on-demand from their data centers. This is pay for what you use model. Examples of IaaS are: Amazon EC2, DynDNS, HP Cloud, & Reckspace Cloud.

Advantages of Cloud Computing

• Cloud computing is based on pay for what you use model, so cost is low.
• Reduced software costs.
• Instant software updates.
• Increased data reliability.
• Access your data at anytime from anywhere with usage of internet connection.

Disadvantages of Cloud Computing

• Requires a constant internet connection. If you can’t connect to internet, cloud computing doesn’t work.
• Depending on third party to sure the security of your data.

Conclusion

Today, cloud computing is the fastest growing platform in IT sector. Any type of business can use this platform to grow their business. This technology allows for more efficient computing by centralizing storage, memory, processing and bandwidth.