What is cloud computing
When you can access software or files via the internet, because it is computed and stored on servers in data centers instead of your PC or hard drive
Ex: Google Drive, Instagram, Gmail, Netflix
Why is it called cloud computing
When the internet was born in 1983, it was depicted as a squiggly and puffy encompassing entity that passes info across devices
Who are the biggest cloud service providers
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Microsoft Azure
Google Cloud Provider (GCP)
Alibaba
Dell
IBM
What are common cloud computing service models
Software as a Service (SaaS)
You pay to host your app on a server so users can access it 24/7 via the internet
The largest chunk of cloud spending due to the innumerable amount of apps
Ex: Slack, Instacart, Netflix, Outlook
2. Platform as a Service (PaaS)
You pay for developer tools (operating systems, database management) to build, test, and deploy your app
Ex: Salesforce Heroku, Red Hat OpenShift, AWS Elastic Beanstalk, Google App Engine
3. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
You pay for the actual servers where you can build your own app from scratch and control the environment
Ex: DigitalOcean, Google Compute Engine, OpenStack
What are the different types of clouds
Private cloud
A server or data center solely dedicated to one org
Popular amongst companies that store sensitive data and require more security
2. Public cloud, aka “multi-tenancy”
A server or data center shared by multiple companies
Most common model
Access is guarded by login credentials (Identity as a Service - DaaS)
Often used for less data sensitive companies
Only pay for the bandwidth you use (Function as a Service - FaaS)
3. Hybrid cloud
A combo of both public and private clouds
Use cases: use your private cloud for more sensitive data and your public cloud for less sensitive data, or one as a backup for the other
4. Multi-cloud
You rent servers from different vendors (ex: AWS and Azure)
Advantages: minimize risk of outages, and ensure competitive pricing
Disadvantages: workflow differences, disjointed management solutions, and requires sophisticated skill sets
5. Community cloud
A server or data center managed by a community of orgs who share common concerns or values (ex: mission statement, policies, security requirements, or compliance considerations)
What are the pros of the cloud
For consumers
Conveniently access, share, and collaborate on files or apps 24/7
Files and app data is backed up and can be retrieved in case of theft, misplacement, or damage
Devices are not slowed down by maxed out storage
For companies
Eliminate IT investment in hardware, facilities, and utilities to build and manage your own data center and the ongoing maintenance
Faster time to market for new apps
What are the cons of the cloud
No wifi = no access
Server outage = no access; outages occur when internet is disrupted, this can be from a cyberattack or a physically damaged broadband; vendors back up their servers on multiple machines across regions to ensure info is always available
Security risk, because data lives online; providers install security measures, but nothing is foolproof
Migrating can be complicated, lengthy, expensive and require sophisticated and scarce skill sets depending on the amount and type of data
Pay-as-you-go subscription plans can make it difficult to predict the final cost
Compliance and industry regulations can get tricky when migrating from on-premise local storage to the cloud
Is the cloud secure
Security breaches are rare
Providers employ engineers to monitor the systems and protect the infrastructure and invest in cloud security tools that monitor the data and identify any malpractice (unauthorized downloads, malware)
Continual advancement in data encryption and identity and access management tools improve security
Why does data center location matter
Latency: apps hosted on servers in data centers nearby will run faster than those hosted on the other side of the world
Data sovereignty: companies are concerned that customer data stored in servers in another country (ex: an Azure data center in Ireland) or stored in servers owned by a foreign country (ex: Alibaba is a Chinese cloud provider) can be accessed by the foreign law enforcement; to circumvent this, vendors build regional networks so companies can keep their data in the respective region