Introduction
Cloud computing is a type of internet-based computing that provides shared resources, software, and information. Cloud computing providers offer services that can be accessed from a web browser or a cloud client. Cloud computing scalability and elasticity enable companies to handle peak loads when they occur, while the rest of the time users do not have to worry about those issues.
What Is Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing is a type of Internet-based computing that provides shared resources, software, and information to computers and other devices on demand.
Cloud computing relies on sharing of resources to achieve coherence and economies of scale not possible with personal computers or minicomputers alone. Cloud computing may be defined as a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction[1].
Cloud Computing Types
The three main types of cloud computing are Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS).
IaaS is the most common type of cloud computing. It lets you rent virtual servers, storage space and more so that you can run your apps on them. You pay only for what you use, which makes it much cheaper than buying your own hardware.
PaaS provides tools to develop applications without having to worry about setting up or managing servers yourself.
SaaS delivers ready-made software over the internet so that users don’t need any servers or other infrastructure themselves — all they need is an internet connection!
Cloud Computing Benefits
The benefits of cloud computing are numerous, including cost savings, scalability and elasticity. Cloud computing also provides flexibility and security for your business.
Cloud Computing Benefits:
- Cost Savings – Cloud computing offers many benefits to businesses looking to cut costs; it can reduce overhead costs, as well as help companies avoid expensive hardware purchases by using virtual servers instead. In addition to saving money on hardware purchases, cloud services also save money in other ways because they allow you to pay only for what you use–there’s no need for expensive IT teams or equipment maintenance staff when everything happens remotely!
- Scalability – If a sudden spike in traffic occurs on your website one day but then dies down again over time (for example), then this would be considered “scalable” because it is able to adjust accordingly while still maintaining quality performance levels throughout its entire lifespan
Scaling And Elasticity In The Cloud
The cloud is an elastic and scalable environment, which means you can scale up or down as needed. For example, if your company’s sales increase by 10{6f258d09c8f40db517fd593714b0f1e1849617172a4381e4955c3e4e87edc1af}, you can simply add more resources to meet the demand. Likewise, if there’s a lull in business activity and customers aren’t using as many products or services as usual, you can reduce costs by scaling back on those services until things pick up again.
Cloud computing offers many advantages over traditional hosting solutions because it provides:
- Elasticity – The ability of a system that supports multiple applications (or “applications”) running on top of an operating system (OS) with shared resources such as CPU cycles and memory among other things so these resources are available when needed but not consumed unnecessarily if they’re not being used at all times; also known as virtualization technology
- Scalability – The ability for something like hardware infrastructure components such as servers/racks/storage devices etcetera which may be scaled up/down depending upon need so that even though there might be times where demand peaks due increased usage during peak seasons like holidays season where most people travel abroad then come back home again once holiday season ends
Recommended Reading For Cloud Scalability & Elasticity
If you are interested in learning more about cloud scalability and elasticity, I recommend the following resources:
- Cloud Computing: Principles, Security, and Architecture by J. M. Tirole (Princeton University Press)
- Scalability in the Cloud by Udi Manber (Addison-Wesley Professional)
Conclusion
We recommend that you read our article on cloud scalability and elasticity. It will help you better understand how this technology works, as well as its benefits and drawbacks.
