We often hear the term "cloud" when we talk about websites, but few who knows what this cloud means, and how it works. However, you benefit from these clouds every day. You are using it at this moment to read this article!
Electronic clouds are servers connected to the Internet in which data is stored and distributed. A server is simply a computer with high specifications, you can communicate with it to upload or upload data. All the sites you visit are stored on these servers. In short, any file of yours that resides on a place other than your personal device (photo on Facebook, video on YouTube, file on Google Drive) is on the cloud.
It is a model of web-based storage, where data is stored on multiple virtual servers instead of being hosted on a single server, and is usually provided by a third party such as hosting companies that have advanced data centers that rent cloud storage spaces to their customers to suit their needs.
At the beginning of the Internet, until the mid-eighties, we could locate all the devices connected over the Internet on the map. This map shows all the main servers connected to the Internet in 1982, which were only about 100!
But as the spread of the Internet expanded exponentially, this map became more complex, and became more like this:
After this expansion, these maps became useless, because they are more like a cloud than a real map. That’s why it is named a “cloud”! We replaced complex maps with a simple term that everyone is aware of. It doesn't matter if the average person knows what a cloud is, all that matters is knowing that their files are somewhere far away, and whatever happens to their computer, their files will not be affected. I replaced the map in the previous image with this cute drawing:
The core technology that the cloud runs on is virtualization. Virtualization allows a computer to create a virtual digital device that does not physically exist, but behaves like a real device. This technology enables you to install more than one computer on one device. All of these virtual computers work at the same time, but although they share the same processor and hard drive, they cannot communicate with each other. Which means files on a virtual device cannot be accessed via another virtual device. Through the use of virtualization technology, we can consider that a single server has become a multi-server server, allowing companies that provide cloud computing services to deal with a larger number of users. Usually, these companies also back up your files and place them on more than one device in different regions, in case one of the devices fails.
Cloud computing is a technology that relies on the transfer of the processing and storage space of a computer to the cloud, and is accessed via the Internet. This way, as a user, you no longer need to update software or worry about losing your files, so your effort is focused on using these services only. Hence the idea of "cloud computing" or "cloud services", which means in general that the programs you use do not work on your device, but on a virtual cloud that ensures that you can connect to it permanently without interruption, through different devices (computer, tablet, smartphones, etc.) from anywhere and at any time. With the development of technology available through the Internet, many institutions and companies have made their applications available online using cloud computing, this technology has benefited users on a large scale by saving expenses.
For example, a simple comparison between Microsoft Office and Google Docs. Microsoft programs run on your device. You need to download and install it (and in Arab countries, install crack for it). You may have some problems with the programs as they stop working for some time. All your files created through it remain on your device only, and cannot be accessed by another device, unless you manually transfer them. And If a new version of the software is published, you must also download it yourself.
On the other hand, all you have to do to use Google Docs is access their site. No download, no installation, not even a crack. All programs are loaded on their servers, or on the cloud. All updates happen automatically without any intervention from you. Even better, all files are automatically saved to the cloud, and you can view and edit them from any device you want.
Another benefit of cloud computing is the weak capabilities of your device. Your device may be outdated and unable to withstand resource-intensive programs, in this case, you can download the game to the cloud, for example, and play on your device. The game actually runs on the cloud and does not consume any of your device's resources, just transmits the image to you, and takes commands from your keyboard. The most popular cloud services in this area are Google Stadia.
Another benefit to mention is the idea of development and expansion. Let's say you want to save a huge amount of files. You can purchase a device with 1TB of storage. But over time, you've ran out of all the available amount, what do you do? Simply buy a new hard drive and connect it to the device. But what if you have too many files, like a company? You might think that the answer is to buy more hard drives, but the truth is that it's not that simple. Taking care of a large number of hard disks is not easy, and it needs specialized programs and specialized hardware, in addition to specialized engineers, especially when you create backups, which is obligatory if your files are important (if you do not have backups of your important files now, stop reading the article and start doing so immediately and I will let you read the rest of the article, but when you're done, do it directly). The solution, then, is to put all your files on the cloud. If you need more space, just push a button (and give up some money for a push of the button), and you'll get it. And you don't have to worry about backups, popular companies like Google and Dropbox do this automatically.
Although cloud computing is a positive thing, it is ultimately a cloud, and the cloud sometimes rains. These are Some problems you may encounter:
1) Poor or interrupted internet: If all your important files related to your work are in the cloud, any internet outage makes you unable to work. You can avoid this problem in some cases by leaving backups of important files on your personal device.
2) Closing the company responsible for the cloud: It should be noted here that using cloud services costs money most of the time. Some may resort to dealing with small and modern companies in this field because their prices are competitive. But many of these companies close, and the cloud goes unheeded. So a click tip for you is not to be cheap in regard to this field, and choose a reputable company to insure your files with.
How many clouds in the sky, not all clouds are the same. There are several types to take advantage of cloud computing, including:
As the name indicates, this type of cloud computing is specific to one company or organization only. This company buys its own servers, and it manages them completely. There is no intermediary between it and the cloud. The benefits of this type is the full ability to control the data, tools and operating systems used. The weaknesses of this option are that the maintenance and updating of these servers is your responsibility. If you don't have specialists in your field, stay away from this model.
It is a cloud computing available to everyone who wants the service provided. This type is the most popular, which is what we built the paragraph on the benefits of cloud computing in general. This model is based on the use of a data access medium, such as Google Drive, Dropbox, Digital Ocean, Azure, and many others.
Hybrid cloud computing is the best way to address the disadvantages of cloud computing, as it combines public and private cloud computing. An organization or company can create private cloud computing as a backing or as an additional security for sensitive data if it is concerned about total reliance on public computing, or using private servers for some internal matters, and use public cloud computing to accomplish the other matters.
What are the main service models for cloud computing?
There are 3 main models of cloud computing:
This form serves to provide software to you as a service. Instead of downloading software to your device, you can access them online. As mentioned earlier, Google Docs is an example of such programs. Slack, a corporate chat program is another example.
In this model, the cloud service manager provides services that enable you to build your own platform, such as a site. It provides you with the right servers and tools to build your platform without worrying and taking care of things like hardware maintenance and updating tools. Examples of companies offering this model: Microsoft Azure and AWS.
Unlike the previous model, this model is about giving you the possibility to use the company's servers, but it does not provide you with the necessary tools. It's like renting a building or office for your company. The landlord will not arrange your office and equip it with the necessary equipment, for example, he will only give you the property, and you are the one who has to take care of the rest. The most famous companies using this model are DigitalOcean and Google Computer Engine.
Although there are some drawbacks to cloud computing technology, the use of the digital cloud, whether we like it or not, is the future of technology. Traditional computing is showing its weakness day by day, and all companies, small or large, are moving towards dealing with cloud computing, with its different models. If you own a company, or even if you work with a small team, don't miss the opportunity to take advantage of this technology, even on a small way scale.
