Cloud Computing 101: Why it's a Game Changer

Cloud Computing 101: Why it's a Game Changer

A typical technical blog in my understanding would be overloaded with a bunch of complicated technical terms which might make you feel like it would almost take a lifetime to understand and relate these terms to real-life applications.

But that’s both boring and difficult especially if you belong from a non-technical background, isn’t it? So, should we just abandon the idea of learning something new? Absolutely not!

In fact, this article aims to bridge the gap by connecting complex technical concepts with you daily life, making them easier to understand.

The term Cloud computing is familiar to nearly everyone. But the question that arises is that why is it important and whether it would really make a difference if it didn’t exist in the first place? Let’s try to understand this with the help of public transportation. In today’s era, almost everyone owns a car, a bike or a scooter. Imagine if these were never invented and we still had to either walk or use bullock carts to reach to a certain destination like in the old days. It would take us months or even years to reach to our destination, making it an inefficient journey. Similarly, without cloud computing, it would be very difficult for us to scale up our business as we would have to rely more heavily on physical servers and data centers. And just as lacking public transport would limit our ability to carry or send luggage efficiently, the absence of cloud computing would make managing and storing large amounts of data incredibly challenging.

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services-including over the internet (the cloud). In simpler words, Cloud computing is like renting a computer that you can access through the internet. Instead of buying and maintaining your own hardware, you use these online services to store data, run programs, and manage resources from anywhere with an internet connection.

Won’t the working process of Cloud Computing be complicated though?

Using Cloud computing might seem challenging at first, but in reality, it’s actually quite straightforward once you get the hang of it. It has a big role in scaling the IT infrastructure. It works by delivering computing services such as servers, storage, databases, networking and software over the internet.

Imagine your home — it’s where you keep all your essentials, right? Your kitchen handles cooking, your closets store your clothes, and you keep your valuables safe. Now, think of data centres and servers as the home for your digital life. These are places where powerful computers, known as servers, work together to manage and store all the important data and applications we rely on daily. Just like your home needs a good lock to keep intruders out, data centres use security measures like firewalls and threat protection to keep your data safe from hackers and other threats. After all, you wouldn’t want someone to steal your data and sell it on dark web? No one would want that, right?

Now, what exactly is a server? Picture it as a super-smart helper in a mansion. It’s there to serve multiple guests at the same time, making sure everyone gets what they need. It’s always ready to provide information or perform tasks for other computers, which we call clients.

But how do we connect to these servers? That’s where the internet comes in — it’s like the road that leads you to this mansion, allowing you to access all the amazing services and information stored there. Without the internet, it would be like trying to reach a faraway house without any road and so you’d be stuck!

Next up, let’s talk about cloud computing. Imagine cloud services as different types of helpers or assistants in your mansion. There’s IaaS who takes care of all the infrastructure, so you don’t have to worry about maintaining physical servers. Then there’s PaaS where you can build and test new things. And finally, SaaS, which takes care of everything, offering you software that’s ready to use right away.

Virtualization is like building a skyscraper instead of a bunch of individual houses. Instead of using lots of land for separate homes, you place apartments in one tall building. Similarly, virtualization lets a single physical server host multiple “virtual” servers, saving space and resources.

And what about storage? Think of it as different types of closets in your house. Object storage is like a big filing cabinet, block storage is like a bunch of small safes, file storage is your traditional closet with shelves and drawers, and archive storage is the dusty attic where you keep things you rarely need but don’t want to throw away.

Lastly, cloud management is like being the smart homeowner who keeps an eye on everything and makes sure that nothing goes wrong. It’s about monitoring your home in the cloud to ensure everything runs smoothly, efficiently, and within budget.

Is Cloud Computing worth the hype?

Cloud computing has gained a lot of attention in the recent years. Why? Let’s understand this with the help of an example.

Imagine you have a vast collection of photos and important documents stored on your personal devices. Here’s how cloud computing can transform your experience:

  • By using cloud storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox, or iCloud, all your photos and documents are stored in one place. You can access them anytime, from any device, as long as you have an internet connection.

  • Cloud storage offers scalable space. You can easily upgrade your storage plan as your collection grows, eliminating the worry of running out of space.

  • Cloud computing operates on a ‘pay-as-you-go’ model, offering a cost-effective way. It is often cheaper to pay a subscription fee for cloud access than maintain physical storage. With a reliable cloud partner, you can avoid the need to search for and purchase physical infrastructure.

  • Cloud services automatically back up your files. Even if something happens to your device, your data remains safe and can be quickly restored.

  • Sharing files becomes effortless. You can simply share a link to the file or folder, and others can view or collaborate in real-time, no matter where they are.

Cloud computing has revolutionized the way businesses operate by offering scalable and flexible solutions that enhance efficiency, security, and innovation. With its ability to provide on-demand access to a wide range of resources and services, cloud computing continues to drive digital transformation across industries, promising a future where organizations can adapt quickly to changing demands and use advanced technologies easily. It uses the internet to store data on remote servers, computing power, and services. Users access advanced computing resources without needing expensive hardware or complex management.

THANK YOU!