Cloud Computing

Cloud Computing

Use of computing resources (e.g. storage and access of files and applications) over the internet, rather than a company managing those resources itself from their physical premises (e.g. school or office)

How do cloud computing systems work?

Servers hold the files and folders of the users of an organisation, the software applications they use, management software, and any other components of the organisation's infrastructure (e.g. Teams / OneDrive)

How is data and information transmitted from user devices to the cloud?

The information and data is transmitted via cables from user devices to the servers of the cloud provider, and vice versa.

Cloud storage

The storing of data on servers located on and accessed via the internet. Enables businesses and consumers to save data securely online, so it can be accessed anytime from any location and easily shared with those who are granted permission.

Public cloud

Services provided by another company. Customers don't need to purchase any hardware, software or supporting infrastructure of their own; everything is owned and managed by the cloud provider.

Private cloud

Services managed & provided in-house (but can be on-site or via internet). Cloud infrastructure operating exclusively for one company. Managed by the company itself or a third party (or both), and hosted primarily on premises.

What do private clouds enable a company to do?

Have cloud efficiencies, with greater control over resources, data security and regulatory compliance - avoids issues with sharing systems.

Multi-cloud

Infrastructure from multiple public clouds — the use of services from two or more major cloud providers (e.g. Amazon Web Services -> Azure and iCloud), or services from a major cloud provider to at least one software provides (e.g. Adobe Creative Cloud)

Benefits of Cloud Computing

Greater cost efficiency, improved agility, greater scalability and elasticity, improved reliability and business continuity, continually improving performance, better security.

Greater cost efficiency

Purchase only capacity required, as it is needed. The cloud provider purchases housing, and maintains and manages infrastructure.

Improved agility

Faster time to market. Provision & deploy servers in minutes; instead of weeks/months.

Greater scalability and elasticity

Automatic scaling up/down of workloads in response to growth or surges in traffic.

Improved reliability and business continuity

Cloud providers can build geographical redundancy globally, so data backup and disaster recovery are typically much easier and less expensive for a business, than on site.

Continually improving performance

Leading cloud service providers regularly update their infrastructure with the latest, highest-performing computing, storage and networking hardware.

Better (built in) security

Security offered by cloud service providers is steadily outstripping on-site solutions.

Drawbacks of cloud computing

Downtime, cloud provider lock-in, security risks, lack of control, complexity.

Downtime

If internet connectivity goes down, users will be unable to use the resources from the cloud.

Cloud provider lock-in

To move a whole organisation's computing to the cloud is a substantial effort in terms of skills required, time, testing and user education.

Security risks

Data breaches and hackers, and force majeure. Computer systems are always at risk from these.

Lack of control

A company may not have as much control as they would with on-premises infrastructure.

Complexity

It can be difficult to understand and use cloud based resources.