Cloud Computing Basics

Cloud computing is now a part of the technology we use every day. Websites, mobile applications, online storage and many other services use cloud infrastructure to store information and run applications. Of keeping everything on a personal computer or local server, cloud computing allows computing resources to be accessed through a network or the internet.

The basic idea behind cloud computing is simple. Users can access resources such as computing power, storage, databases and networking without having to own and maintain all of the hardware themselves. For example when you save a file to an online storage platform the file is stored on infrastructure and can be accessed through an internet connection.

Cloud computing works through a combination of hardware, networking and software. Servers provide computing power storage systems hold data and networking equipment allows different systems to communicate. Virtualization is also commonly used to create virtual machines on a physical server allowing the available hardware to support different workloads.

Cloud storage is used to keep files and other information on systems while cloud databases help applications store and manage data. Computing resources can be used to run websites, applications and other workloads and networking connects the parts of the environment. The resources used will depend on what an application or organization needs.

Cloud computing is closely connected to data centers. Although cloud services are accessed online the infrastructure behind them is physical. Servers, storage systems, networking equipment, power systems and cooling systems are generally operated inside data centers. These systems work together to keep cloud environments running.

Cloud computing is used in areas, including website hosting, mobile and web applications, online storage, database systems, backup systems, software development, data processing and virtual machines. Many organizations use cloud infrastructure when they need computing resources without having to maintain all of the equipment themselves.

For someone starting to learn cloud computing it is useful to understand computer concepts first. Knowledge of operating systems, networking, servers, storage and virtualization can make cloud technologies easier to understand. Once these fundamentals are clear learners can move towards topics such as cloud infrastructure, cloud networking, security, databases and resource management.

Cloud computing is essentially a way of accessing computing resources through a network of relying completely on locally owned hardware. Understanding the relationship between servers, storage, networking, virtualization and data centers provides a foundation, for learning how modern cloud environments work.