As the pandemic created major overhauls in the way we live and work, cloud support services received an uptick in demand – and for good reason. With businesses struggling to emulate work environments that were as good as the real thing, remote workspaces were made possible (and productive) thanks to the cloud. While most of us have been aware of cloud computing, it was something that we took for granted until the pandemic hit and changed the way we conducted our daily duties. Whether it was the app which facilitated instant messaging across the workplace, or the cloud storage platform which was shared amongst your colleagues, cloud-based services have been the norm in any organization.
Irrespective of being highly prevalent, the cloud has gained the spotlight after the pandemic. Owing to a spike in usage ever since lockdowns were initiated on a global scale, cloud computing vendors have also had to scramble in order to make their offerings more accessible. What’s more, most leading vendors also went on to provide some of their premium services for free during a limited time span, as well as scale up their customer service departments to accommodate an uptick in inquiries. Through these proactive measures, vendors weren’t only able to facilitate business continuity for enterprises of every size and industry – but also discover certain capabilities that were unbeknownst to them.
This is only good news for the modern, 21st century business; in a world that is so digitally interconnected, silos are a strict no-no. Cloud computing is a gamut of technologies that aim to alleviate just that, thereby warranting a closer look time and time again. Especially in the aftermath of unprecedented challenges such as this pandemic, it’s insightful to take a close look at what the cloud’s true capabilities are, and where those very capabilities are sourced from.
Here, we’ll cover the basics of everything cloud computing, as well as how these taxonomies have led it to be a technology that is extremely reliable and versatile. Add to this the aspect of complete autonomy on the part of businesses, their employees and their customers – and you have a holistic system that is competent enough to tackle any challenge.
Public cloud
The most commonly used cloud type, thus far. Used extensively on both an enterprise and consumer level, public cloud systems are mainly popular for their ease of access. While many services are offered free of charge, some are available upon making a payment – but with subscriptions still relatively affordable. Users utilize cloud-based services by simply accessing the internet via a web browser, with downloads and installs also not always being necessary to use the application of their choice. Another benefit of public clouds is synchronization; no matter how many users are involved in the workings of a single document, it is automatically updated to its latest version on a real-time basis.
What makes the public cloud so affordable and easily accessible? Cloud vendors basically offer their infrastructure and related services to their entire clientele, with each client being allocated their own dedicated space for usage. This can also have downsides, such as a lapse in security. But this can be circumvented in numerous ways, by either deploying an effective cloud security solution or adopting a hybrid cloud system (more on that below).
Private cloud
As its name suggests, private cloud systems are located within the confines of the entity that owns it. This means that organizations purchase necessary infrastructure to facilitate this, such as servers. All this infrastructure can be stored within the company’s premises, but the option to reserve private cloud systems from mainstream cloud vendors is also available today. In the case of buying and storing the requirements for a private cloud system physically within your organization, it is just as necessary to have the right IT staff onboard to maintain the very same.
Although more expensive to purchase, operate and maintain both in the short and long run, private cloud systems offer a range of benefits. Depending on what your business’s requirements are, this can be a better solution, even providing a steady ROI over time. Unlike its public counterpart, private clouds ensure better confidentiality for your data since it is only accessed and used by your organization – as opposed to shared resources from a cloud service provider.
Hybrid cloud
A combination of both public and private clouds, hybrid cloud systems are best suited for business needs that encompass the regular workload. This may also be so due to a number of reasons – from customer patterns to changing operational requirements. Different departments within the company may benefit from either a public or private cloud system, thus making hybrids an excellent solution.
Many business units that require an easily accessible cloud system with moderate levels of security stand to benefit best from a public cloud. On the other hand, internal operational elements that need stringent security with access from only authorized personnel is best left to the private cloud.
For example, an organization that maintains a front-facing platform for its customers (such as a website) can conveniently be hosted on the public cloud, via a mainstream hosting provider. Back-end operations, such as reporting tools and databases can be hosted privately. The two can then be integrated accordingly, so that each cloud system can interact with one another for smooth inputs, processes and outputs.
Multi cloud
If you’re using cloud systems from multiple vendors, then you’re a multi cloud user. Much confusion exists between hybrid and multi clouds, with both terms being used interchangeably. A key difference between the two consists of the types of cloud that are used. While hybrids combine public and private clouds, multi combines two or more public/private clouds. With more companies vested in the interest of providing services without any interruptions, multi clouds have thus become quite popular. Cloud systems from more than one vendor can aid in the process of maintaining better uptime, with users automatically redirected to a working server lest one fails.
In turn, this has also reshaped competition between leading providers. Now, being easily integrable has been added into the suite of competencies that are required when enterprises shop for cloud providers. This makes overall competition much more multi-faceted than before.
The different classifications of cloud computing.
Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)
Consisting of the physical hardware that powers everything cloud computing, IaaS includes servers, for example, that can be reserved by organizations from vendors. As mentioned above, private cloud systems require IaaS solutions if an organization chooses to rely on a vendor for their specific needs. IaaS can include everything from servers to data centers, as well as networking and security components such as firewalls. IaaS from a reputed cloud vendor can be a more cost-effective solution for companies that are looking to deploy private clouds on a budget, since billing will only happen if and when services are used.
Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)
In addition to IaaS components, PaaS also offers development tools, operating systems as well as database management. The key use case for PaaS is to develop software, and it ensures this is carried out smoothly by providing all the tools developers need to carry out all essential tasks such as coding, testing, implementing and even regular updating. In other words, developers are given everything they need without having to worry about purchasing and storing all the different components required to build their applications.
When it comes to custom software development that is being done on a proprietary basis, containerized applications are popular for many reasons. Consisting of all the tools needed for an app to run, containers are also equipped with runtime environments. This way, no matter where the ‘container’ is moved, it will function smoothly. Furthermore, microservices architecture is also popular when it comes to app development, as every app component is independent from one another. If one component fails, it won’t affect the others – and can simply be replaced for smooth operation.
Containerized applications therefore require PaaS to function. What makes PaaS so resourceful in this regard is the fact that it offers complete autonomy to developers. With a complete gamut of tools that offer everything from development tools to the very machines that host and run your containerized app, developers and product owners are free to focus on the things that require their strategic and/or analytical insight.
Likewise, software development in Sri Lanka has been at the forefront of developing containerized apps for their clientele – for which PaaS systems are essential to keep the ball rolling. Another component to PaaS includes FaaS (Function-as-a-Service). Also known as serverless computing, FaaS triggers the usage of infrastructure under PaaS only if an event occurs. As a result, businesses are only billed for what is used, thereby making these cloud-based services all the more affordable in the long run.
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
Being the classification that most front-end users are familiar with, SaaS is the app or software that is available over the web. Access it for free, or download it after purchasing a subscription; with flexible policies that allow you to cancel at any time for most applications. SaaS solutions consist of all the components that are part of IaaS and PaaS, but users are only exposed to the front-facing elements of the application. From the interfaces to the many functions that make an app, users are free to access and use these, without having to worry about what lies beneath. This can include the containers which include all the app’s resources, as well as the servers and data centers used to process data with every query keyed in. Just like the layers underneath i.e. IaaS and PaaS, there is no need to worry about physical space to store equipment, or buy software off the shelf in order to install and use it. SaaS solutions are once again available over the convenience of a simple web browser and subsequent website, thereby making it another valuable offering from overarching cloud computing.
With even the most traditional, brick-and-mortar businesses flourishing remotely after the onset of this pandemic, the cloud has proven to be much more capable than expected. Amazon’s cloud computing arm may have surpassed the $100 Billion market share mark a while ago, but as a dedicated AWS partner potential still exists for both business and vendor to further scale and customize as required.
No matter what your requirements may be as a business, and no matter what customer trends you need to pursue, you can rest assured that cloud services can accommodate a custom solution to precisely meet your needs.
Today’s digital landscape is primarily influenced by cloud computing, so much so that the way we interact, work and carry on with our daily lives would be near impossible without it. More so, the cloud has been one of the key driving forces (if not the biggest) behind business continuity following the COVID-19 pandemic. Helping businesses of all shapes and sizes get accustomed to remote work environments at a moment’s notice, the cloud has saved many companies and their revenues. Therefore, it’s important to understand how the many facets of cloud computing are laid out, and the manner in which they complement each other to establish reliability and efficiency.
While public clouds are available for businesses to use on a pay-as-you-go basis from vendors, private clouds ensure sole proprietorship. Hybrids and multi clouds are environments geared for more complex businesses, to ensure performance of the highest accord. But how cloud resources are laid out depend on its many layers. Whether it’s on an infrastructure, platform or software level, resources are needed from each tier to ensure the smooth workings of digital applications, internal workflows as well as front-end interfaces in order to maintain a digitally robust business environment.