A Look at Cloud Computing Services
Wikipedia defines cloud computing as “the use of computing resources (hardware and software) that are delivered as a service over a network (typically the Internet).” Simply put, cloud computing is the provision of easy and scalable access to computing resources and IT services to those who need it. Today there exist different types of cloud computing services such as Infrastructure as a service (IaaS), Platform as a service (PaaS), Software as a service (SaaS), Storage as a service (STaaS), Security as a service (SECaaS), Data as a service (DaaS), Test environment as a service (TEaaS), Desktop as a service (DaaS), API as a service (APIaaS) and so on.
The three most important aspects of cloud computing are
1. The services are available on demand and these are sold by the hour or the minute
2. The services are flexible and therefore the users can increase or decrease the amount of services
3. The services are fully managed by the provider and therefore no botheration for the users
A cloud can be private, public, community, or hybrid. Let’s understand the fundamental differences between them.
· Private Cloud – When the cloud infrastructure is operated for a single organization it is known as a private cloud.
· Public Cloud – In this case, the service provider makes the applications, storage, and other resources available to the public. That means the services are sold to anyone on the Internet.
· Community Cloud – It refers to the cloud infrastructure shared among organizations from a specific community.
· Hybrid Cloud – As the name implies, it refers to the combination of two or more clouds. With this model, users gain from the benefits of multiple cloud models.
Today, Virtualization, weak economy, and access to high-speed Internet have made cloud computing the first choice of almost all enterprises. Though cloud computing has its share of advantages it also has its share of disadvantages. And the greatest disadvantage of all especially in the case of public cloud is the lack of security. When enterprises move their computing environments along with their identities, information and infrastructure to the cloud, they must give up some level of control. But for that to happen there is the need of trust in the cloud systems and the providers. This can be possible only if the cloud computing providers are able to invoke a sense of trust in the enterprise. Hence, it is imperative that in today’s highly complex and competitive environment, enterprises collaborate with those service providers who provide public cloud computing services securely.
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