Quick Summary
Cloud computing enables on-demand access to computing resources without owning physical infrastructure, offering scalability and cost efficiency.
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services—including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, and analytics—over the internet ("the cloud"). It offers faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale.
Cloud Service Models
| Model | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| IaaS | Infrastructure as a Service - Raw computing resources | AWS EC2, Azure VMs |
| PaaS | Platform as a Service - Development platform | Heroku, Google App Engine |
| SaaS | Software as a Service - Ready-to-use applications | Gmail, Salesforce |
Major Cloud Providers
- AWS: Market leader, comprehensive services
- Microsoft Azure: Strong enterprise integration
- Google Cloud: Data analytics and ML strengths
- Alibaba Cloud: Dominant in Asia
- Oracle Cloud: Database-focused
Benefits of Cloud Computing
- Cost savings (pay-as-you-go)
- Scalability and elasticity
- Global reach
- Reliability and disaster recovery
- Automatic updates
- Security and compliance
Key Points
- On-demand computing resources
- Three models: IaaS, PaaS, SaaS
- Pay-as-you-go pricing
- Scalable and elastic
- AWS, Azure, GCP are leaders
- Reduces infrastructure costs