What is Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing is a technology model that delivers computing services such as servers, storage, networking, databases, and software over the internet using remote data centers. Instead of investing in and maintaining physical hardware, organizations can access resources on demand from cloud providers.
Cloud computing enables rapid provisioning, elastic scalability, and global availability, making it ideal for supporting everything from application development and data analytics to remote collaboration and disaster recovery.
Key Takeaways
- Cloud computing delivers IT services over the internet, enabling users to access computing resources like servers, storage, and software without owning physical infrastructure.
- It offers flexible deployment models, including public, private, hybrid, and multi-cloud, allowing organizations to choose the best fit for their security, cost, and performance needs.
- Technologies like virtualization, APIs, IAM, and automation tools are core to cloud computing, helping developers and enterprises build secure, scalable, and agile systems.
Core Infrastructure Components
Cloud computing functions through a combination of virtualization, distributed computing, APIs and service models that abstract physical infrastructure. This section explores the underlying components and operational mechanisms that make cloud environments efficient, resilient and accessible.
Virtualization and Resource Pooling
Virtualization allows multiple workloads to run on a single physical machine by creating isolated virtual environments using hypervisors (like VMware ESXi or KVM). This abstraction separates the operating system from hardware, enabling better utilization and scalability.
Resource pooling allows providers to serve multiple customers using a multi-tenant model. Compute, storage and bandwidth are dynamically assigned based on demand, supported by orchestration tools. This ensures efficiency and elasticity, two defining traits of the cloud computing model.
Cloud Delivery Models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS)
Cloud computing is commonly categorized into three service models, each offering a different level of abstraction and user control:
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): Delivers fundamental IT resources like virtual machines, storage, and networking. Customers manage applications and data while providers manage the underlying infrastructure.
Platform as a Service (PaaS): Offers a complete development and deployment environment. Developers can build applications without managing hardware or OS-level details.
Software as a Service (SaaS): Provides fully managed applications over the internet. Users access software through web interfaces, with the provider handling everything behind the scenes.
APIs and Cloud Interfaces
Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) act as the digital control panel for cloud environments. They allow software to talk directly to the cloud, performing complex tasks without any manual human effort. RESTful APIs are the industry standard for general web communication, while gRPC is used for high-speed, real-time data exchange. SDKs (Software Development Kits) bundle these capabilities into pre-made toolkits, making it easier for developers to write code that interacts with the cloud. By combining these tools, companies can build CI/CD pipelines that fully automate the software lifecycle.
Types of Cloud Computing
Different cloud deployment models offer varying levels of control, scalability, and privacy. The selection of a suitable cloud type like public, private, hybrid or multi-cloud depends on organizational needs, security requirements, and compliance obligations.
Public Cloud
Public cloud services are offered by third-party providers like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, using shared infrastructure over the internet. This model supports fast scalability, global access, and cost-efficiency, making it ideal for web apps, data storage, and distributed workloads. However, industries with strict compliance needs may require added security layers.
Private Cloud
A private cloud is used exclusively by one organization, either on-premises or hosted by a provider. It offers greater control, customization and security often necessary for industries like finance and healthcare. Private clouds use the same technologies as public clouds but are optimized for performance and compliance with regulations like HIPAA or PCI-DSS.
Hybrid Cloud
Hybrid cloud combines private and public cloud environments, allowing workloads to move between them based on business or compliance needs. Sensitive data can stay in private infrastructure, while less critical tasks run in the public cloud. Tools like Azure Arc and AWS Outposts help manage hybrid deployments efficiently.
Multi-Cloud
Multi-cloud uses multiple providers such as combining AWS for storage, Azure for identity, and GCP for AI to reduce dependency on any single vendor. While it offers flexibility and resilience, multi-cloud requires strong governance and centralized management to avoid complexity and cost sprawl.
Key Terms
Virtualization
The process of creating virtual versions of physical hardware, allowing multiple systems to share the same physical resources.
IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)
A cloud computing model that delivers virtual servers, storage, and networking over the internet, allowing users to build and manage IT infrastructure without owning physical hardware.
IAM (Identity and Access Management)
A system that controls who can access cloud resources and what they are allowed to do with them.