The Complete Manual on Cloud Computing

(December 24 2024)
Share this page

The Complete Manual on Cloud Computing: Definition, Types, and Development

From small businesses to large corporations, cloud computing is now the cornerstone of technology. You need to know what the cloud computing is, types of it, how it evolved and how some of the most prominent cloud providers are shaping it.

 

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is providing computing resources (servers, storage, databases, networking, software, and intelligence) over the internet, sometimes referred to as “the cloud”. Amazon Web Services (AWS) refers to the “on-demand provisioning of IT services via the web for a pay-as-you-go price.”

  • Methodology: Rather than own data centers or servers, businesses lease computing resources and storage on a case-by-case basis, enabling flexibility, cost reduction and scalability.
  • Benefits:
    • Scalability: Scale resources instantly according to changing demands.
    • Price Competitiveness: You only pay for what you use.
    • Accessibility: Use resources anywhere where you have access to the internet.

Types of Cloud Computing

There are three basic forms of cloud computing, namely public, private and hybrid clouds.

  • Public Cloud
    • Third-party hosting (AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud)
    • Collective services and infrastructure; users pay in real time.
    • “Using public clouds, organizations scale at their pace, without investing in infrastructure upfront,” Forrester says.
  • Private Cloud
    • Only for a specific company; sometimes on-premises or through a dedicated provider.
    • Higher security and control but higher infrastructure costs.
    • Typical for businesses that require extreme data security, like banking and insurance.
  • Hybrid Cloud
    • Blends public and private clouds, and lets data and applications hop around between them.
    • Creates greater scalability and simplified infrastructure.
    • This is perfect for different types of companies and it combines security and affordability.
  • Multi-Cloud
    • It is about having multiple public clouds with different providers.
    • Reducing dependency on a single provider and increasing redundancy.

 

Evolution of Cloud Computing

Cloud computing dates back to the 1960s, but was only really popular at the turn of the millennium.

  • 1960s-1990s:
    • Theories: Simple systems such as time-sharing let multiple users take advantage of a mainframe’s computing power.
    • “This notion of remote computing power was pioneered by men such as J.C.R. Licklider,” states Computer History Museum.
    • Virtualization solutions – the technology of having one server act as several – started the cloud.
  • 2000s:
    • Introduction of AWS (2006): With the initial launch of Amazon EC2 as an Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) offering, AWS enabled cloud computing for organizations all over the world.
    • Expanding SaaS (Software as a Service): Salesforce was one of the original SaaS providers, distributing software through the internet, without installing it.
  • 2010s-Present:
    • Multi-Cloud and Hybrid Cloud: Businesses started merging cloud services to form hybrid clouds.
    • New High-End Cloud Services: Cloud Providers launched Machine Learning as a Service (MLaaS) and serverless computing to enable developers to build without servers.

 

The Major Cloud Platform Providers

There are three primary cloud computing vendors in the market: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Let’s explore their journey and contributions to the cloud sector.

  • Amazon Web Services (AWS)
    • Launch: 2006
    • Features: EC2 (compute), S3 (storage), Lambda (serverless)
    • Reputation: AWS revolutionized cloud computing and influenced the entire industry. Today, AWS delivers over 200 services such as advanced AI, ML, IoT, and more.
    • “AWS introduced cloud computing to a mass audience, making high-end computing affordable,” ZDNet writes.
  • Microsoft Azure
    • Launch: 2010
    • Product Specifications: Azure Virtual Machines, Azure Kubernetes Service, Azure AI.
    • Impact: Azure, known for combining cloud with Microsoft products, is increasingly being utilized by enterprises that need a hybrid offering.
    • “Azure’s big strength is its ability to integrate with enterprise applications such as Office 365, Active Directory, and Windows Server,” TechRepublic reports.
  • Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
    • Launch: 2008
    • Highlights: BigQuery (analytics), Compute Engine, TensorFlow (ML)
    • Impact: GCP is well-known for data analytics and machine learning because Google specializes in massive data processing.
    • “Google’s big data processing capabilities make GCP a particularly powerful tool for big data and AI,” VentureBeat says.
  • Other Notable Players
    • IBM Cloud: A hybrid cloud service and an AI-powered platform.
    • Oracle Cloud: Strong database services and enterprise applications.
    • Alibaba Cloud: A major Asian-based cloud provider that has expanded to the rest of the world over the past few years.

 

Key Cloud Computing Models

Cloud solutions usually come in three distinct models (also known as “the cloud stack”):

  • Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
    • Provides basic infrastructure, including virtual machines, storage, and networking.
    • Individuals control their operating systems and apps.
    • An illustration: AWS EC2, Google Compute Engine.
  • Platform as a Service (PaaS)
    • Provides a platform to create, test and deploy applications without having to deal with the infrastructure.
    • Good for developers who would like to work solely on creating software.
    • Example: Heroku, Google App Engine.
  • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    • Offers software products online (usually via subscription).
    • Example: Salesforce, Google Workspace.
  • Other Models
    • Function as a Service (FaaS): A subset of serverless computing, where users run functions generated by events.
    • Machine Learning as a Service (MLaaS): Provides pre-trained ML models and tools to enable businesses to make use of AI without developing from scratch.

 

Milestones in Cloud Computing Evolution

Here’s the list of major cloud computing milestones:

  • 1999: Salesforce launches SaaS, the internet-based delivery of software.
  • 2002: AWS introduces its first cloud services.
  • 2006: AWS launches EC2, the cloud IaaS begins.
  • 2008: Google App Engine delivers PaaS to developers.
  • 2010: Microsoft Azure is released, promoting enterprise cloud.
  • 2014: AWS Lambda launches FaaS, democratizing serverless computing.
  • 2020s: Hybrid and multi-cloud architectures begin to dominate, bringing increased agility to enterprises.

 

Benefits of Cloud Computing

  • Cost Reduction: Eliminates costly local infrastructure.
  • Scalability: Instantly scale resources up or down.
  • Adaptability and Accessibility: Access from any location.
  • Disaster Recovery: Cloud providers provide backup and recovery services that preserve information.

 

Future of Cloud Computing

As the cloud continues to develop, new trends have appeared:

  • Edge Computing: Reducing latency by bringing data processing closer to the data points.
  • AI & ML Integrated: Cloud providers are adopting cutting edge AI & ML applications to make these technologies more accessible.
  • Quantum Computing: Companies such as Google and IBM are looking at quantum computing as the next frontier in processing.

 

Cloud computing has redefined technology by providing scalable, flexible and economical alternatives to businesses all over the world. With major players on the upswing, the future of cloud computing is going to see developments further combining AI, IoT and edge computing, forming the next wave of digital transformation.

The growth of cloud computing illustrates its standing as a staple of contemporary tech infrastructure, underpinning industries, platforms and tools from every corner of the globe. With providers such as AWS, Azure, and GCP leading the charge, cloud computing is a vital, growing sector of technology.

As a business and as a technology leader, it’s vital to understand cloud computing and the models that underlie it if we are going to remain competitive in the new digital age.