Soft Cloud Tech – Cloud computing is the practice of leveraging a network of remote servers through the Internet to store, manage, and process data, instead of managing the data on a local server or computer. Since you are able to access the cloud on-demand, cloud computing allows for flexible availability of resources, including data storage and computing power in data centers more efficiently than solely relying on your own data center.

History of Cloud Computing

Professor John McCarthy

The underlying concept of cloud computing was introduced way back in 1960s by John McCarthy. His opinion was that “computation may someday be organized as a public utility.” Also the characteristics of cloud computing were explored for the first time in 1966 by Douglas Parkhill in his book, The Challenge of the Computer Utility. The history of the term cloud is from the telecommunications world, where telecom companies started offering Virtual Private Network (VPN) services with comparable quality of service at a much lower cost. Initially before VPN, they provided dedicated point-to-point data circuits which was a wastage of bandwidth. But by using VPN services, they can switch traffic to balance utilization of the overall network. Cloud computing now

extends this to cover servers and network infrastructure.

Many players in the industry have jumped into cloud computing and implemented it. Amazon has played a key role and launched the Amazon Web Service (AWS) in 2006. Also, Google and IBM have started research projects in cloud computing. Eucalyptus became the first open source platform for deploying private clouds.

Source: Cloud computing-concepts, architecture and challenges – ‎Jadeja, Modi

Types of Cloud Computing

Private Cloud

A private cloud deployment refers to cloud computing in which access is restricted to one company with rigid compliance standards and needs for data and applications.

Public Cloud

A public cloud is a large network of computers and servers that is divided up and offered to customers on an on-demand basis. The benefit of using public cloud as opposed to using private cloud is that a company can leverage a processing and storage powerhouse like AWS, Azure or Google cloud that has an enormous infrastructure and reliability rate across a large network of servers. In this case, companies have the flexibility to scale up and scale down their usage based on their needs without having to buy new equipment.

Hybrid Cloud

A hybrid cloud deployment is a customized solution that integrates a private cloud environment with a public cloud. In this arrangement, sensitive data and proprietary applications can be stored in a private cloud network and moved into a public cloud environment when needed. Hybrid clouds allow companies to maintain the security and control they expect from a private cloud while still having access to the scalable power and versatile resources of a public cloud.

Cloud Computing Architecture

Cloud computing system can be divided into two sections:

Front End Back End

They both are connected with each other through a network, usually the internet. Front end is what the client (user) sees whereas the back end is the cloud of the system.

Front End Architecture

Front end has the client’s computer and the application required to access the cloud

Backend End Architecture

The back end has cloud computing services like various computers, servers and data storage. Monitoring of traffic, administering the system and client demands are administered by a central server. It follows certain rules i.e., protocols and uses a special software called the middleware. Middleware allows networked computers to communicate with each other.

Source: Cloud computing-concepts, architecture and challenges – ‎Jadeja, Modi

Mobile Cloud Computing Architecture

Mobile applications can be rapidly provisioned and released with the minimal management efforts or service provider’s interactions. With the explosion of mobile applications and the support of cloud computing for a variety of services for mobile users, mobile cloud computing is introduced as an integration of cloud computing into the mobile environment. mobile cloud computing brings new types of services and facilities mobile users to take full advantages of cloud computing.

Mobile cloud computing integrates the cloud computing into the mobile environment and overcomes obstacles related to the performance (e.g., battery life, storage, and bandwidth), environment (e.g., heterogeneity, scalability, and availability), and security (e.g., reliability and privacy) discussed in mobile computing.

Mobile devices are connected to the mobile networks via base stations (e.g., base transceiver station, access point, or satellite) that establish and control the connections (air links) and functional interfaces between the networks and mobile devices. Mobile users’ requests and information (e.g., ID and location) are transmitted to the central processors that are connected to servers providing mobile network services. Here, mobile network operators can provide services to mobile users as authentication, authorization, and accounting based on the home agent and subscribers’ data stored in databases. After that, the subscribers’ requests are delivered to a cloud through the Internet. In the cloud, cloud controllers process the requests to provide mobile users with the corresponding cloud services. These services are developed with the concepts of utility computing, virtualization, and service‐oriented architecture (e.g., web, application, and database servers).

Source: A survey of mobile cloud computing: architecture, applications, and approaches – ‎Dinh, Lee, Niyato

pros and cons of cloud computing

benefits of cloud computing

disadvantages of cloud computing

strategic importance of cloud computing in business organizations

examples of cloud computing

Cloud Service Providers

AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, IBM

Cloud Computing Services

The 3 main cloud computing services are software as a service, platform as a service, and infrastructure as a service.

Software as a Service

Software as a Service

Platform as a Service

Platform as a Service

Infrastructure as a Service

Infrastructure as a Service

Cloud Computing Services Use Cases

cloud computing jobs

cloud computing salary