Common Cloud Services

A cloud provider can have 100s of cloud services that are grouped various types of services. The 4
most common types of cloud services for Infrastructures as s Service(IaaS) would be:

1. Compute — Imagine having a virtual computer that can in application, programs and code,
2. Networking — Image having a virtual network being able to define internet connections or network
isolations
3. Storage — Imagine having a virtual hard-drive that can store files
4. Databases — Imagine a virtual database for storing reporting data or a database for general purpose
web-application.

Benefits of Cloud computing

Cloud computing has revolutionised the way businesses of all sizes operate. By shifting IT
infrastructure and services to the cloud, companies can enjoy a whole host of benefits that
traditional on-premises solutions simply can’t match. Let’s break down some of the most
important advantages:

• Cost Savings: One of the biggest draws of the cloud is its potential for significant cost reduction.
With a pay-as-you-go pricing model, you eliminate the large upfront investments in hardware,
software, and IT maintenance. You only pay for the resources you actually use, which can offer
major savings and streamline budgeting.
• Scalability and Flexibility: Need to ramp up resources for a big project or seasonal demand? The
cloud excels at scaling on demand! You can quickly access additional storage, computing power, or
bandwidth, and just as easily scale back down when you don’t need it. This flexibility supports
business growth and agility without long-term commitments or overprovisioning.
• Reliability and Disaster Recovery: Cloud providers invest heavily in top-tier infrastructure and
security measures. They often have multiple data centers located around the world, ensuring your
data and applications are highly available. Built-in redundancy and backup features provide disaster
recovery capabilities that many smaller businesses couldn’t afford on their own.
• Enhanced Collaboration: Cloud services make it easy for teams to collaborate, even when they’re
geographically dispersed. Real-time document editing, shared storage, and video conferencing tools
all thrive in the cloud environment, boosting productivity and innovation.
• Greater Accessibility: Since cloud services are accessible via the internet, users can work from
anywhere on any device with a connection. This empowers remote workers and provides incredible
flexibility for the modern workforce.
• Automatic Updates: Cloud providers handle the updates and maintenance of software applications,
saving you time and resources. You’ll always have access to the latest versions without manual
upgrades or compatibility concerns.
• Focus on Core Business: By outsourcing a chunk of your IT infrastructure, you free up internal
teams to focus on strategic initiatives and core business growth drivers instead of spending valuable
time and resources on infrastructure management.
Types of Cloud Computing

Cloud computing offers a variety of service models to meet different business needs. The three
primary models are:

• Software as a Service (SaaS): SaaS is the most widely used model. With SaaS, you access fully-
functional, ready-to-use applications delivered over the internet. The cloud provider manages
everything — the application, underlying infrastructure, middleware, and data. Examples include
email services (Gmail, Outlook), CRM software (Salesforce), and collaboration tools (Microsoft
Teams, Slack).
• Platform as a Service (PaaS): PaaS provides a cloud-based development and deployment
environment. It includes tools, frameworks, databases, and other resources that enable developers to
build, test, and deploy web applications without worrying about setting up or managing the
underlying infrastructure. Examples include Heroku, AWS Elastic Beanstalk, and Google App
Engine.
• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): IaaS offers the highest level of flexibility and control.
You get access to virtualised computing resources like servers, storage, and networking.
This gives you the freedom to install and configure operating systems, middleware, and
applications as needed. Examples include Amazon EC2, Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines,
and Google Compute Engine.
• On-Premise: You own and manage everything: the physical servers, network, operating
systems, applications, and of course, your data.

When using a cloud provider, you’ll always be responsible for:

• The information and data stored in the cloud

• Devices that are allowed to connect to your cloud (cell phones, computers, and so on)
• The accounts and identities of the people, services, and devices within your organisation

The cloud provider is always responsible for:

• The physical datacenter

• The physical network
• The physical hosts

Your service model will determine responsibility for things like:

• Operating systems
• Network controls
• Applications
• Identity and infrastructure
Understanding Cloud Deployment Models

Think of the cloud as a powerful toolkit, where each cloud deployment model serves a distinct
purpose.

Private Cloud

Imagine a private cloud as an evolution of your traditional data centre — a digital fortress under
your complete control. This grants unmatched power over security, compliance, and customisation.
Ideal for industries like finance or healthcare, where data sovereignty is paramount, a private cloud
lets you build everything to your exact specifications.

Pros include:

• Unmatched Control: You dictate hardware choices, security protocols, and how every aspect of
your cloud environment functions.
• Stringent Compliance: Ideal for heavily regulated industries where data sovereignty and meeting
specific security standards are non-negotiable.
• Isolation: Your data is not commingled with that of other organisations, reducing potential risks.

However, this control comes with trade-offs:

• Upfront Costs: Building and maintaining a private cloud requires significant investment in
hardware, software, and potentially dedicated datacenter space.
• Maintenance Burden: Your IT team is responsible for managing everything from software updates
to hardware replacements.
• Agility vs. Control: While more agile than fully on-premise setups, private clouds can still be
slower to scale compared to their public counterparts.

Public Cloud
The public cloud, operated by giants like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, is the ultimate flexible
solution. You rent computing power as needed — servers, storage, even software. Say goodbye to
buying expensive hardware that sits idle half the time! Suddenly handling that surprise marketing
campaign traffic surge becomes effortless. This model excels for rapidly growing businesses,
innovative startups, and anyone wanting to minimise IT overhead while scaling on demand. Your
data lives on shared infrastructure, so it’s crucial to choose a trustworthy provider with robust
security.

Its key advantages are:

• Pay-as-You-Go: Eliminate the need for large upfront investments in hardware that may sit idle. Rent
computing power, storage, and software as needed.
• Near-Instant Scaling: Handle surprise viral marketing campaigns, seasonal spikes, or sudden
growth without breaking a sweat.
• Innovation Focus: Let the cloud provider handle the infrastructure so your team can focus on
building great products and services.

Considerations for the public cloud:

• Trust & Security: Choose a reputable provider with proven security measures and transparency
about data handling practices.
• Potential Vendor Lock-in: Some services may be highly provider-specific, making switching
clouds difficult later.
• Cost Control: While flexible, pay-as-you-go models require careful monitoring to avoid unexpected
expenses.

The Best of Both Worlds: Hybrid Cloud

Hybrid clouds expertly blend the control of a private cloud with the on-demand power of a public
one. Store your most sensitive data in-house while using the public cloud for everyday tasks, or to
handle those seasonal bursts of activity. This model gives you the freedom to fine-tune the
balance of security, cost, and agility. However, managing both public and private environments
does add complexity, requiring tools and expertise to ensure they work seamlessly together.

Hybrid clouds are the masters of balance. Key benefits:

• Security and Control: Keep your most sensitive data and workloads in your private cloud, ensuring
maximum control and compliance.
• Burst Capacity: Leverage the public cloud’s on-demand power during peak periods, then scale back
down when traffic subsides.
• Gradual Migration: Hybrid setups are an excellent way to test the waters of cloud computing or
migrate legacy systems over time.

Considerations for hybrid clouds:

• Management Complexity: Ensuring seamless communication between your private and public
cloud environments requires specialised tools and expertise.
• Potential Latency: If data needs to move frequently between clouds, performance might be
impacted. Careful planning minimises these issues.

The Multi-Cloud Frontier

Increasingly, businesses are adopting multi-cloud strategies, using multiple public providers in
tandem. Perhaps one provider has a niche service perfectly suited to your needs, or maybe you
want redundancy in case of outages. Spreading out the workload offers flexibility and resilience,
letting you pick and choose the best from each provider. The downside is increased complexity,
requiring specialised tools like Azure Arc to unify management and prevent headaches.

Companies use multiple public cloud providers for different reasons:

• Feature Specialisation: Accessing the best niche services from each provider, instead of being
limited to one’s offerings.
• Resilience and Redundancy: If one provider has an outage, your critical services can continue
running on another cloud.
• Negotiating Power: Spreading workloads can give you leverage when negotiating pricing with
cloud providers.

Considerations with multi-cloud:

• Heightened Complexity: Managing multiple cloud environments, each with its own tools and
interfaces, creates overhead.
• Integration Challenges: Ensuring seamless data flow and communication between clouds is crucial
and may require specialised solutions.