Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Basic Terminologies used in Cloud Computing

The world is buzzing with Cloud Computing, and nowadays, it has become one of the hottest topics of discussion in the IT industry. Although this research topic is surrounded with a lot of debates, but still many giants of IT sector such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and others are joining this race. This concept has many new terms that often appear confusing, but if one wants to adopt the latest trends and industrial developments in the field of Cloud Computing, then it becomes necessary to understand these basic terms. Following are some terminologies used in Cloud Computing along with their explanation:
1. Advertising-based Pricing Model:
It is a pricing model which helps in offering the services to the clients at minimal or no price. The service providers make up their earnings from the advertisers whose advertisements are circulated to the customers along with the service.
2. Amazon EC2:
Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud or Amazon EC2 is a web-based service, which supports tremendous amount of scalability by providing re-sizable Cloud Computing capacity. This is very helpful for the developers when they are generating applications.
3. Amazon S3:
Amazon Simple Storage Service or Amazon S3 is a web-based service interface for the storage on the Internet. This interface can be used for storing and retrieving any size of data, from any location, and at any point of time.
4. Cloud:
Cloud and Internet are often considered as synonyms. In fact Cloud is often used as a metaphor for the Internet. It is something where large quantity of data, information, applications, and software can be stored electronically.
5. Computing:
Computing is nothing but the way we handle the computer, its software and its hardware. Nowadays, the horizon of the term “Computing” has increased to include androids, mobiles, tablets, PCs, laptops, and more through which we can handle applications and related programs.
6. Cloud Computing:
Cloud Computing is a type of computing that depends on the distribution of various computer resources such as applications and software through their installation in the Cloud, rather than installing them on local systems. Through Cloud Computing, one can access any application, program, or software, from any location in real time via the Internet. This means that you no longer remain confined to a single hardware. Even if you are on move, you can access your data.
7. Cloud Broker:
Cloud Broker is a third-party that helps in establishing and strengthening relationships among several Cloud Hosting service providers. It acts as a bridge between customers and service providers, thereby helping the customers to select the best provider for them. It plays a very important role when one has to start with Cloud Computing.
8. Cloud Oriented Architecture:
Coined at Amazon Web Services, this term is used to describe a setup where applications function as services in the Cloud in order to support other applications in the ambiance of the Cloud.
9. Cloud Operating System:
It is an operating system that has been built up in a way to function efficiently in the data-center of the service provider. Further, it has been designed in a way that it can be propagated to the customers via the internet. Examples of a Cloud Operating System include Windows Azure, Cloudo, SilveOS, and more.
10. Cloud Portability:
Cloud Portability is the potential of moving programs, data and applications from the Cloud of one service provider to the Cloud of the other.
11. Cloud Provider:
Cloud Provider is a company which provides Cloud-based services to individuals, companies, and enterprises. These services include infrastructures, applications, hardware, software, platform, and more. They usually charge a fee for the services they provide.
12. Cloud Storage:
Cloud Storage is a service that facilitates the clients to save their data and programs on a storage system managed by a third party via the Internet or any other network.
13. Cloud Sourcing:
Cloud Sourcing is an upcoming trend that helps in supplementing traditional IT-based services with Cloud Computing services. This adds more flexibility in a system without the introduction of any major changes.
14. Cloud Storming:
Cloud Storming is a service which helps in building a connection between many Cloud Computing environments.
15. Cloud Ware:
Cloud Ware is software that helps in the creation, deployment, management and proper functioning of an application in the Cloud.
16. Cluster:
Cluster is an interlinking of many computers to function as a single computer in order to manage high data load.
17. Consumption-based Pricing Model:
It is a pricing model whereby a customer is charged on the basis of the amount of service he consumes.
18. Content Delivery Network:
CDN or Content Delivery Network is a system comprising of multiple computers or servers that store and distribute data throughout the Internet.
19. External Cloud:
External Cloud is a Private or a Public Cloud service that is managed by a third party existing outside the enterprise.
20. Hybrid Cloud:
Hybrid Cloud is a networking setup comprising of numerous consolidated internal and/or external service providers.
21. Internal Cloud:
Internal Cloud is an extension of a Private Cloud whose services are established and managed by an intra-IT department within an enterprise for its own use.
22. Private Cloud:
Private Cloud is a setup which provides services over private Internet connection or a private intra-network to only selected users. The services of this type of Cloud are not available to the public in general.
23. Public Cloud:
Public Cloud is a setup which provides services over the publicly accessible Internet to the users who have either purchased or are willing to purchase the access to these services.
24. PaaS:
PaaS or Platform as a service is a Cloud Computing service that helps in providing hardware, operating system, run-time libraries, and solution stack as a service.
25. SaaS:
SaaS or Software as a Service is a software delivery model, which helps in the hosting of software and related applications and programs on the Cloud.
26. Virtual Private Cloud:
VPC or Virtual Private Cloud is a Private Cloud which prevails within the ambit of a Shared or a Public Cloud.