In the current world, digitization has overtaken any form of physical work about storage, databases, networking, marketing, etc. All of it has become so streamlined into the digital, that we can’t imagine a life without these conveniences. One of the many conveniences is cloud computing, which has brought a major revolution in working in the digital world for uses such as web and app development.
What is Cloud computing?
In simple words, Cloud computing is the delivery of multiple computing services. These services include databases, networking, analytical tools, statistical tools, and AI. These services are offered online providing faster innovation, abundant resources, and easy-to-use tools for statistical analysis.
It has successfully brought together multiple resources under its umbrella, resources that make it easier for one to carry out their business, and what is impressive is that one will have to pay only for the resources that they use.
For example, if you use only the analytical tool then you will be required to pay only for that tool. This has attracted not just users but many businesses to bring the cloud computing services into their kitty for the resources it offers, economic costs, and the low maintenance it requires. It has effectively lowered operating costs for multiple businesses.
Types of Cloud computing
Contrary to what one might infer till now, there is not just one kind of cloud computing. There are multiple kinds of it, offering different kinds of services. One might not offer the right solution that you need hence there are options to choose from to suit your needs.
Before the services are utilized one needs to employ a cloud computing architecture in which the services will be used.
The types of Cloud computing architecture:
- Public Cloud– They provide the resources like storage and networking over the internet through third-party cloud service providers. These clouds are owned and operated by the same third parties. An example of a Public Cloud is Microsoft Azure.
- Private Cloud-This/These are the cloud computing bases that are exclusive to a business or organization. Few of these are hosted by the business itself, sometimes having a physical data center on-site. Whereas few appoint third-party members to host the services for them. In a private cloud, the operational, infrastructural, and other services of a business are hosted on a private network. An example could be the computing service of any IT company- Infosys for that matter.
- Hybrid Cloud- As you can guess from the name itself, hybrid computing is a combination of both public and private computing bases. The hybrid cloud is bound together by data from both bases allowing data to be shared between them. This gives the much-needed flexibility a business or an organization requires.
It also helps in optimizing resources about security, infrastructure, etc. Many big companies opt for a hybrid computing solution as it broadens the existing limits and helps them grow beyond what a private or a public cloud alone would allow.
Types of Cloud computing services
These services are generally classified into four types- Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service, Serverless computing, and Software as a Service.
- Infrastructure as a Service (IAAS) – This is considered one of the more basic types of cloud computing service. This service helps in renting IT infrastructure which includes servers, networks, storage databases, operating systems, etc. These services range from Cloud providers to on-payment delivery methods.
- Platform as a Service (PAAS) – This cloud computing service provides services on-demand to develop, test, deliver, and in the end manage and maintain. This is commonly used for web and app development as it helps bypass the formalities of setting up an infrastructure for the servers, databases, storage, etc. It helps one focus directly on development than setting up all the above which demands a lot of work.
- Serverless computing – Similar to PAAS this helps directly in web and app development without going through the hassle of managing servers and the infrastructure. This provider handles all the things related to setting up a base for managing. They include server management, capacity planning, etc.
- Software as a Basis – This cloud computing service provides resources over the internet on a subscription basis. The services include maintenance, software patching, updates, etc. With this cloud providers can both host and manage the software and infrastructure required to support the software, Users can access this by application through their electronic devices- laptop, tablet, and mobile, ensuring ease of access.
Cloud computing is all around us without us even realizing it. We are using one right now while reading this article, an online service to send messages, email, stream a movie or tv show, or play music.
Although it has been only a decade since the first cloud computing service came into existence, it has now become so prevalent in the world that we now live in that we are surrounded by it.
It is currently running in front of you on your screen without you even knowing, seamless. It is being used by everyone from tiny start-ups to huge conglomerates providing services for their customers.
Uses
- Creating applications
- Storage, backup, and recovery of data
- Audio-Visual streaming
- Delivery on demand of software
- Testing and building apps
- Statistical analysis of data
- AI
Benefits of Cloud computing-
- Cost– Eliminates the requirement of purchasing software and hardware i.e., setting up and running databases, which cost loads for setting up and maintaining. It helps avoid all the hassles and helps you get directly to work.
- Security– It provides a secure data center for the storage of any sensitive data and end-to-end secured transfer of data if required. The policies in place help in protecting the data and apps from any threats.
- Reliability– It makes data backup, recovery, and maintenance easy and smooth for the users.
- Productivity– As cloud computing bypasses the physical aspect of storing data it helps in increasing the productivity of the users as it doesn’t bog you down with the tedious process of physically storing the data.
- Speed– It provides on-demand service; hence it now provides whatever a user wishes or rather searches within a split of a second. This has now become common with any cloud computing service i.e., quick or rather rapid service.
Cloud computing in Web Development
It has contributed a lot to web development. Multiple individuals and companies are flocking to develop their applications using the extensive services provided by it.
There are multiple benefits of using cloud computing for web development.
The benefits of Cloud computing in Web development are-
- Scalability- The most crucial aspect of cloud computing. It can take the web development process that the user must toil him or herself through and bypass most of the early formalities and get right to business. If it is expanding geographically or numerically or both cloud computing is there to guide through the entire process without compromising the quality.
It also provides metrics on how the product is working with the customers, these analytics are extremely important as they can be fixed, and the product can be further scaled. It also helps in maintenance and regular checks on the quality. All these factors add up to ensure maximum scalability for the application.
- The abundance of Resources– There are several Cloud computing applications to choose from. The user can select the kind of service they would like to avail which would be best suited for the application that they are developing. The resources include automated testing and server maintenance to ensure the durability of the application.
This will help the user in developing the application that they envisioned without compromising. These resources also help keep the app in optimal condition and ensure ease of storage and maintenance. Not to mention scalability which is also one of the several resources that cloud computing offers.
- Economical- Cloud computing solutions provide a huge number of resources that are at the user’s disposal. These services help in storing, running, and maintaining the data and applications. These resources are not just abundant but are also provided at an economical cost. What cloud computing does is it takes away the fixed costs associated with infrastructure i.e., the physical aspects. Now with the fixed costs taken away, all that remains are operational costs.
It reduces these operational costs and provides easy-to-use resources for web development, in essence, easing the process for the user. It cuts down the costs for the users which helps the small-time players like start-ups or relatively new companies.
Conclusion
Cloud computing is one of the most abundant services that is now prevalent in the digital world which we are in a way surrounded by and it is utilized by both huge established companies, small start-ups, and individuals.
Cloud computing services provide easier access to resources and help in building the applications, maintaining them, scaling them, and analyzing their performance- all the while keeping them secure. It provides these resources at a low and economical cost.
What more could one need!
– Madhav Vallabhaneni
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