Cloud computing is a model for delivering IT resources – such as servers,
storage, databases and applications – over the internet on demand. Instead of buying and
maintaining physical hardware, companies use shared cloud infrastructure and pay only
for the capacity they consume.
Core Advantages
- Scalability. Capacity scales up or down with workload peaks without new
hardware purchases. - Cost control. Usage-based pricing and subscriptions replace large
upfront data-center investments. - Availability and resilience. Workloads run across multiple data centers
with SLAs for uptime and performance. - Speed and innovation. Teams provision environments in minutes and
release new services faster.
Common service models include IaaS (infrastructure as a service), PaaS (platform as a service)
and SaaS (software as a service), which can be combined in public, private or hybrid cloud
architectures.
Cloud-Native Applications
Cloud-native applications are designed specifically for cloud environments.
They use containers, microservices and orchestration platforms such as Kubernetes to improve
agility and reliability.
- Containerization optimizes resource usage and simplifies deployment and rollback.
- Automated scaling keeps performance stable during traffic spikes.
- Built-in monitoring, identity management and security controls support compliance and
reduce operational risk.
Cloud-native patterns make it easier to modernize legacy systems, adopt DevOps practices
and integrate analytics, AI and IoT services.
Cloud Storage and Backup
Cloud storage provides elastic, network-accessible capacity for files,
objects and backups. Companies extend or replace on-premises storage without adding
local hardware.
Providers distribute data across multiple servers and locations, use load balancing and
replication and back this with SLAs for durability and availability. Integrated backup
and disaster recovery options reduce downtime in case of failures.
Cloud storage services also support security and compliance requirements with encryption,
access controls, detailed monitoring and region selection, while enabling remote teams to
collaborate on shared data in real time.
