Welcome to Introduction to Cloud Computing and Cloud Deployment and Service Models. After watching this video, you will be able to: Describe cloud computing concepts, define cloud deployment models and cloud service models, and identify the characteristics of cloud computing. Cloud computing, also referred to as the cloud, is the delivery of on-demand computing resources such as networks, servers, storage, applications, services, and data centers over the Internet on a pay-for-use basis. The term “cloud computing” can be used to describe applications and data that users access over the Internet rather than on their local computer. Examples of cloud computing include users using online web apps, employees using secure online business applications to conduct their work, and users storing personal files on cloud-based storage platforms such as Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox. One of the main user benefits of cloud computing is that instead of users needing to purchase their own applications and install them locally on their computer, they can use online versions of those applications and pay a monthly subscription. Not only is this typically more cost-effective initially, but users can also access the latest version of the application without having to purchase a full retail copy of the newer version. A side advantage of this is that the user also saves lots of local storage space as the application is hosted online. And, the beauty of most cloud-based applications is that they also enable users to work collaboratively with their colleagues, working on the same files in real time and being able to see each other’s edits and updates. Cloud computing is composed of five essential characteristics, three deployment models, and three service models. Let’s start with understanding the five essential characteristics of the cloud. On-demand self-service means that you get access to cloud resources such as the processing power, storage, and network you need, using a simple interface, without requiring human interaction with each service provider. Broad network access means that cloud computing resources can be accessed via the network through standard mechanisms and platforms such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and workstations. Resource pooling is what gives cloud providers economies of scale, which they pass on to their customers, making cloud cost-efficient. Using a multitenant model, computing resources are pooled to serve multiple consumers, and cloud resources are dynamically assigned and reassigned according to demand, without customers needing to know the physical location of these resources. Rapid elasticity implies that you can access more resources when you need them, and scale back when you don’t, because resources are elastically provisioned and released. And measured service means that you only pay for what you use or reserve as you go. If you’re not using resources, you’re not paying. Resource usage is monitored, measured, and reported transparently based on consumer utilization. As you have seen, cloud computing is really about using technology “as a service,” leveraging remote systems on-demand over the open Internet, scaling up and scaling back, and paying for what you use. And it has changed the way the world consumes compute services, by making them more cost-efficient while also making organizations more agile in response to changes in their markets. Cloud deployment models indicate where the infrastructure resides, who owns and manages it, and how cloud resources and services are made available to users. There are three types of cloud deployment models: public, private, and hybrid. Public cloud is when you leverage cloud services over the open internet on hardware owned by the cloud provider, but its usage is shared by other companies. Private cloud means that the cloud infrastructure is provisioned for exclusive use by a single organization. It could run on-premises or it could be owned, managed, and operated by a service provider. And when you use a mix of both public and private clouds, working together seamlessly, that is classified as the hybrid cloud model. Now, let’s look at the three cloud service models that are based on the three layers in a computing stack: infrastructure, platform, and application. These cloud computing models are aptly referred to as Infrastructure as a Service (or IaaS), Platform as a Service (or PaaS), and Software as a Service (or SaaS). In an IaaS model, you can access the infrastructure and physical computing resources such as servers, networking, storage, and data center space without the need to manage or operate them. In a PaaS model, you can access the platform that comprises the hardware and software tools that are usually needed to develop and deploy applications to users over the Internet. And an SaaS is a software licensing and delivery model in which software and applications are centrally hosted and licensed on a subscription basis. It is sometimes referred to as “on-demand software.” In this video, you learned that: Cloud computing is the delivery of on-demand computing resources over the Internet on a pay-for-use basis. Cloud computing is composed of five essential characteristics, three deployment models, and three service models. The five essential characteristics of cloud computing are on-demand self-service, broad network access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity, and measured service. There are three types of cloud deployment models: public, private, and hybrid. And the three cloud service models are based on the three layers in a computing stack (infrastructure, platform, and application), and they are referred to as Infrastructure as a Service (or IaaS), Platform as a Service (or PaaS), and Software as a Service (or SaaS).
