- Definition and Concept of Cloud Computing:
Definition: Cloud computing refers to the delivery of computing services, including storage, processing power, and software, over the internet ("the cloud"). Instead of owning and maintaining physical servers and infrastructure, users can access and utilize these resources on a pay-as-you-go basis, scaling their usage up or down as needed.
On-Demand Self-Service: Users can provision and manage computing resources as needed, without requiring human intervention from the service provider.
Broad Network Access: Services are available over the network and can be accessed through various devices (e.g., laptops, smartphones).
Resource Pooling: Resources are shared among multiple users, with the provider dynamically assigning and reallocating them based on demand.
Rapid Elasticity: Resources can be rapidly and elastically scaled up or down to accommodate changing workloads.
Measured Service: Usage is monitored, controlled, and reported, providing transparency for both the provider and the consumer.
Example: Consider a company that needs to host a website. Instead of investing in physical servers, they can use a cloud service like Amazon Web Services (AWS) to rent virtual servers, storage, and other necessary resources. This allows them to scale their infrastructure based on website traffic without the upfront costs of buying and maintaining hardware.
- Historical Evolution and Emergence:
Historical Evolution:
1950s-1960s: Mainframe computing - centralized processing for multiple users.
1970s-1980s: Rise of personal computers.
1990s: Client-server architecture becomes popular.
Emergence of Cloud Computing:
Early 2000s: Internet-based services and grid computing.
Mid-2000s: Virtualization technologies enable resource abstraction.
2006: Amazon Web Services (AWS) launches, marking the beginning of mainstream cloud computing.
Subsequent Years: Other major cloud providers (Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud) enter the market.
Example: The emergence of cloud computing can be traced back to the early 2000s when companies recognized the potential of delivering computing resources over the internet. AWS played a pivotal role by offering a suite of cloud services, leading to a shift from traditional on-premises infrastructure to scalable and flexible cloud-based solutions.
Top comments (1)
Hi there, we encourage authors to share their entire posts here on DEV, rather than mostly pointing to an external link. Doing so helps ensure that readers don’t have to jump around to too many different pages, and it helps focus the conversation right here in the comments section.
If you choose to do so, you also have the option to add a canonical URL directly to your post.