An Overview of Cloud Computing

With cloud computing, both computing and storage capacity are delivered to a wide range of clientele. It entrusts certain services with a user's software, information and calculations over a network.Cloud computing falls into three categories: 

• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), 
• Software as a Service (SaaS), and
• Platform as a Service (PaaS).

When they choose IaaS, users rent servers made available by at least one cloud provider. With PaaS, they rent both servers and the software to be used in them. With SaaS, users also have access to databases and application software, and the cloud providers control the platforms and the infrastructure on which those applications operate.The end users can access these applications via a web browser or lightweight mobile or desktop app, and the user's information and business data are stored at a remote location on servers. Advocates of the service maintain that with cloud computing, companies can start using their applications more quickly with better content management and reduced maintenance, and that IT can easily adjust available resources to meet ever-changing business requirements.Cloud computing possesses these basic characteristics:

• Accessibility to software enabling machines to interact with it, just as human belongs interact with computers.

• The ability of users to access a system via a web browser irrespective of the device they use or their or their location. This is possible because the infrastructure, which is off-site, is accessed through the Internet.

• Because of virtualization technology, servers and storage devices can be shared and their utilization can be increased. In addition, applications can be transferred easily from server to server.

• Resources and expenses are shared by a large pool of end-recipients.

• Because multiple sights are used, reliability is enhanced, making good cloud computing usable for disaster recovery and business continuity.

• Security is usually as good as, or perhaps even excels, that of other systems because providers can use some of their resources in solving security problems that many end-users cannot afford.

• Cloud computing applications are easy to maintain because they can be accessed from various locations and are not installed in every user’s computer.