Cloud Computing Explained

A Convergence of Technologies

Cloud Computing came about with the convergence of technologies. Of course, you need hardware. Relatively inexpensive servers and storage makes data centers possible. Increased availability of high-speed Internet connections means these data centers can be located where it is most economical.

Of course, a data center alone does not constiture Cloud Computing. Cloud Computing is realized through the Cloud Computing Stack. The Cloud Computing Stack organizes the hardware/software of a data center into various service layers. These layers are organized into Cloud Computing Categories.

Virtual machines/servers can be specified in the Cloud. A given Cloud may contain multiple servers/machines supporting various software/services. Connections to these services are made using Web Services that are the basis of application program interfaces (APIs) commonly used in Cloud Computing.

For figures on this website, the following is notation used.

Any Organization Can Use Cloud Computing

Payment for Cloud Computing services is usually on some incremental basis. In other words, you pay for only what you use. This works for organization of most any size. It is possible that for smaller organization, Cloud Computing will allow the use of software that would normally be prohibitively expensive if the organization had to buy it and install it on their own server. For very small organizations, it might be possible to find Cloud Computing services that are free for low levels of usage.

Blurring of Services

It is possible to assemble a service-oriented architecture (SOA) that uses services from multiple Cloud providers along with services provided by systems internal to an organization. This results in a blurring of where the services actually reside. In fact, most often it does not matter where they reside for functionality. Location of services are often dictated governance issues such legal or security concerns, as opposed to technical issues.

Context for Cloud Computing Explained

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Related Articles for Cloud Computing Explained

• Cloud Computing Definition
• Web Services and Cloud Computing
• Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) and Cloud Computing
• Types of Clouds in Cloud Computing
• Cloud Computing Categories
• Cloud Computing Governance
• Cloud Computing FAQ