Cloud Computing Guide

Introduction to Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services—including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence—over the Internet ("the cloud") to offer faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale.

Cloud Service Models

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Provides virtualized computing resources over the internet. Examples: AWS EC2, Azure VMs.

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Provides a platform allowing customers to develop, run, and manage applications. Examples: Heroku, Google App Engine.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Delivers software applications over the internet. Examples: Salesforce, Microsoft 365.

Major Cloud Providers

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

The most comprehensive and widely adopted cloud platform, offering over 200 fully featured services.

Microsoft Azure

Enterprise-ready cloud platform with strong integration with Microsoft products and services.

Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

Known for strong data analytics, machine learning, and container technologies.

Key Cloud Concepts

Scalability

The ability to increase or decrease resources based on demand.

High Availability

System design ensuring maximum system uptime and accessibility.

Security

Protection of data, applications, and infrastructure in the cloud.

Cost Optimization

Strategies to manage and optimize cloud spending effectively.