Introduction to Cloud Computing

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) defines Cloud Computing as -
“Cloud Computing is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (for example, networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.”

Cloud computing refers to the storing, accessing and management of applications, data and programs through the internet - and not through the hard drive of a personal computer.

It enables enterprises to store enormous amount of data and access them as and when required.

Thus organizations adopting the cloud enjoy increased cost benefits through the pay-as-you-go model and find better agility in their operations.

Defining  the cloud computing :

Cloud computing takes the technology, services, and applications that are similar to those on the Internet and turns them into a self-service utility. The use of the word “cloud” makes reference to the two essential concepts:

 Abstraction: Cloud computing abstracts the details of system implementation from users and developers. Applications run on physical systems that aren’t specified, data is stored in locations that are unknown, administration of systems is outsourced to others, and access by users is ubiquitous.

Virtualization: Cloud computing virtualizes systems by pooling and sharing resources. Systems and storage can be provisioned as needed from a centralized infrastructure, costs are assessed on a metered basis, multi-tenancy is enabled, and resources are scalable with agility.

Computing as a utility is a dream that dates from the beginning of the computing industry itself. A set of new technologies has come along that, along with the need for more efficient and affordable computing, has enabled an on-demand system to develop.