Today I will be discussing cloud computing and the services that are offered in a cloud environment. Cloud computing refers to the delivery of cloud computing resources over the internet such as storage, networking, databases and software. This allows users to deploy computing resources on servers that are owned by the cloud provider. There are multiple types of services offered such as SaaS (Software as a Service), IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) and PaaS (Platform as a Service.)
Cloud computing has 5 characteristics that are defined by NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology):
- On demand self-service
- Broad Network Access
- Resource Pooling
- Rapid Elasticity
- Measured Service
On-Demand Self-Service- On-Demand Self-Service refers to the ability of the user to automatically provision and manage cloud computing resources such as VMs, storage, networking and applications whenever needed without requiring a direct interaction with cloud providers personnel. This means that you and I can simply go to a cloud provider, create an account, and start creating and using the infrastructure that is provided by the company. There is no need to wait for approval and the provisioning usually takes seconds to minutes no matter what time in the day it is.
Broad Network Access- According to the characteristics of cloud computing, broad network access means the cloud based applications, storage, networking and other computing resources are accessible over the network from a wide range of client devices such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, thin clients or workstation. This means that the user or customer is able to access cloud resources from any physical location as long as network connectivity is available. This means I can deploy cloud VMs or other resources at the library, at Starbucks, at work, and even at home from my phone, my PC, or my laptop.
Resource Pooling- In cloud, resource pooling refers to an architecture where multiple customers (tenants) share the same physical computing resources and infrastructure (servers and storage systems) while their data, applications and services remain logically isolated. This means that client A can share the same physical server as client B, but whatever they deploy will only be accessible to them and will be completely isolated from one another.
Rapid Elasticity- Rapid Elasticity refers to the ability of a cloud provider to quickly and automatically scale computing resources up or down based on changes in demand. For example, if a company is hosting an app that uses VMs and CPU. During slow hours typically during the graveyard hours, they may not need as much CPU or VMs to host their application. But during peak hours when their app is experiencing way more traffic, instead of having a fixed amount of VMs or CPU the resources are able to adjust automatically to the increase of demand by supplying more VMs and CPU as needed. When the demand goes back down, it will then automatically scale the amount of resources back down as well.
Measured Service- Measure Service refers to the ability of a cloud provider to automatically monitor, control (manage or restrict usage if needed), and report resource usage in a transparent way for both the provider and the customer. The cloud provider’s system tracks usage metrics such as processing power used, storage consumption and bandwidth. The usage metrics allow the provider to bill resources based on actual consumption rather than a fixed price amount. So if I use a VM for 5 hours and delete it shortly after, I only get billed for the resources that I used in those 5 hours.
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