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Cloud Computing

This chapter will introduce students to cloud computing concepts and platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud. Students should learn how to deploy and manage applications on the cloud, as well as how to use cloud services such as databases, storage, and serverless functions. This topic should also cover cloud security and cost optimization.

What is Cloud Computing?​

Cloud Computing is the delivery of on-demand computing resources over the internet, such as servers, storage, applications, and services. It allows organizations to scale their infrastructure and applications quickly and efficiently without having to invest in physical hardware.

Types of Cloud Computing​

There are three main types of Cloud Computing:

  • Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS): This provides virtualized computing resources such as servers, storage, and networks over the internet. Examples include Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure.
  • Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS): This provides a platform for developing and deploying applications over the internet without having to worry about the underlying infrastructure. Examples include Google App Engine and Heroku.
  • Software-as-a-Service (SaaS): This provides access to software applications over the internet without having to install or manage them on local devices. Examples include Salesforce and Microsoft Office 365.

Real-world examples​

Here are some real-world examples of Cloud Computing in action:

  • Netflix: Netflix uses AWS to stream its content to millions of users worldwide. AWS provides the infrastructure needed to handle the large volumes of data and traffic.
  • Airbnb: Airbnb uses AWS to host its website and handle the booking process. AWS provides the scalability needed to handle peak traffic during high-demand periods.
  • Slack: Slack uses AWS to host its chat and collaboration platform. AWS provides the infrastructure and scalability needed to handle millions of users and messages.

Benefits of Cloud Computing​

Traditional hosting vs. Cloud Computing: Traditional hosting involves purchasing and maintaining physical hardware such as servers and networking equipment to host applications and services. This approach requires significant upfront costs for hardware and infrastructure, as well as ongoing expenses for maintenance, upgrades, and scaling. Cloud Computing, on the other hand, allows organizations to use virtualized computing resources that are provided and managed by a cloud service provider. This approach eliminates the need for purchasing and maintaining physical hardware, and allows for on-demand scaling of resources as needed. Benefits of Cloud Computing over hosting in your own data center:

  1. Reduced costs: Cloud Computing eliminates the need for expensive physical hardware and reduces maintenance and operational costs. Instead of purchasing and maintaining physical servers and networking equipment, organizations can use virtualized resources provided by a cloud service provider, paying only for what they use.
  2. Scalability: Cloud Computing allows organizations to scale their infrastructure and applications quickly and efficiently to handle changing demands. With traditional hosting, scaling requires purchasing and setting up additional physical hardware, which can be time-consuming and expensive.
  3. Flexibility: Cloud Computing allows organizations to choose the resources and services they need and pay only for what they use. Traditional hosting requires organizations to purchase and maintain all of their own hardware and infrastructure, regardless of how much they actually use.
  4. Security: Cloud Computing providers typically have robust security measures in place to protect their infrastructure and customers' data. In contrast, maintaining security for a traditional hosting environment requires significant investment in hardware, software, and personnel.
  5. High availability: Cloud Computing providers typically offer high availability and redundancy, ensuring that applications and services remain available even in the event of hardware failure or other disruptions. With traditional hosting, ensuring high availability requires significant investment in hardware and infrastructure.