What is principal?
Cloud computing is a way of delivering computer services-like storage, databases, networking, software, and analytics-over the internet instead of using a personal computer or local server. Think of it as renting space and power from a big, shared computer farm that you can access from anywhere.
Let's break it down
- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): You rent virtual machines, storage, and networks. It’s like leasing a blank computer you can set up however you want.
- Platform as a Service (PaaS): The provider gives you a ready‑made environment to develop, test, and run applications without worrying about the underlying hardware.
- Software as a Service (SaaS): You use complete applications (like email or CRM) that run on the provider’s servers, accessed through a web browser. All of these are accessed via the internet, and you pay only for what you use.
Why does it matter?
- Cost savings: No need to buy expensive hardware or maintain it.
- Scalability: Quickly add or remove resources as demand changes.
- Accessibility: Work from any device with an internet connection.
- Speed: Deploy new services or updates in minutes instead of weeks.
Where is it used?
- Businesses: Hosting websites, running internal apps, storing backups.
- Developers: Building and testing software on virtual environments.
- Consumers: Streaming movies, storing photos, using online office tools.
- Education & Research: Accessing powerful computing for data analysis or simulations.
Good things about it
- Reduces upfront capital expenses.
- Offers high reliability with built‑in redundancy.
- Enables rapid innovation and experimentation.
- Provides global reach; users can access services from anywhere.
Not-so-good things
- Dependence on internet connectivity; outages can block access.
- Ongoing operational costs can add up if not managed.
- Data security and privacy concerns; you must trust the provider.
- Potential vendor lock‑in, making it hard to switch providers later.