Digital Technologies – an Overview of Concepts, Tools and Techniques Associated with it

Cloud computing

Cloud computing refers to the on demand computing solutions offered over internet in a shared environment. Services offered include servers, databases, analytics capabilities, and software. Organizations need to pay for what they use which results in reduced cost and efficient operations. It enables cross platform applications to use the same resources at a time.

Cloud computing Service models

Cloud computing includes three service models

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Software as a Service provides facility to host software applications in the cloud environment on on demand basis.

Software applications such as Microsoft office 365 applications where software are not installed on the individual users computers of an organization but it is hosted on the cloud environment and data is stored on the server.

Similarly Drop box application offers synchronization of folders and documents between user’s computers and ones stored in the cloud enabling the users to access and update their application anywhere at any time

SaaS services provider needs to ensure the following

Security, privacy and confidentiality of the data stored on their servers

Availability of access to the applications 24X7

Backup of data and applications are available

All the features of the software applications are available to the users compared to standalone applications

Platform as a Service (PasS)

Platform as a Service provides platform to run and execute programming language applications such as Python, GO and mobile apps and web content management applications. The difference between Paas and SaaS is that the application development is with the user wherein SaaS host the applications also along with the other computing environment such as Databases and Servers

Users are not required to install the programming software in their system. Users can execute their programming codes in cloud environment through their web browsers.

The organizations such as Google, Amazon, Salesforce, HP, IBM provides PaaS environments.

Infrastructure as a Service (Iaas)

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) provides the users with the capabilities of running their operating systems, virtualization and applications without the need for the hardware requirements such as computers and networks in their work place.  

Types of Cloud based solutions

There are three types of cloud based solutions available Public, Private and Hybrid cloud solutions.

Public cloud

In Public cloud environment the users share the common resources for hosting their applications. The example of public cloud solutions is Gmail where several users use the same shared resources with specific access control facility.

Private cloud

Private cloud solution is required when organization needs to concentrate on confidentiality and security requirement. The private cloud environment is either hosted completely by the organization itself or managed by third party exclusively.

Hybrid cloud

Organizations uses Hybrid cloud solution which is mix of both private and public cloud where confidential related information and applications are hosted in private cloud and other applications are hosted in the public cloud.

Traditional Vs Cloud Environment

*-> In PaaS model the users can build their own application and deploy them

**-> In IaaS model the user can choose the operating system which they want to use

In SaaS both application and operating system also included in the service by the cloud computing provider. The user needs to only use the applications based on their requirement.

References

Velte, T., Velte, A., & Elsenpeter, R. (2009). Cloud computing, a practical approach. McGraw-Hill, Inc..

Hayes, B. (2008). Cloud computing.

Hurwitz, J. S., & Kirsch,