cto: introduction to cloud computing - sound like an expert

sound like a cloud expert: introduction to the cloud

Cloud terminology, concepts, and drivers

Terminology & Concepts

A cloud: remotely provisioned IT environment

Cloud computing: IT resource delivered as a service over the

internet

IT resources: software, hardware, network, storage

SaaS: Software as a Service, applications such as gmail or

salesforce

IaaS: Infrastructure as a Service, for example a server,

data storage or network

PaaS: Platform as a Service, infrastructure and software provided as tools to enable you to create and host your own

applications in the cloud

On-Premise: IT resource hosted conventionally (non cloud) within

a companies boundary

Cloud consumers: the user of a cloud service

Cloud providers: the company selling/providing a cloud service

Scaling: IT resource able to increase or decrease usage on demand

Horizontal Scaling: increase or decrease of the same type of resource, for example add or remove a server, or add new user accounts

to gmail

Vertical Scaling: able to replace an existing resource with a higher or lower spec for

example replace a 1 CPU server with a 2 CPU server

Virtualization: software allowing a physical IT resource to be shared by providing multiple images of itself

Cluster: collection of independent (same type) resources connected up

to provide a single system

Enabling technology: the technology witch allows cloud computing to exists, for

example the key technologies of broadband, and the internet

Cloud Drivers

Capacity planning, elastic on demand professional technology

allows for rapid change and growth

Capacity planning: on demand instant commissioning and

releasing of services

Capacity planning: pay-as-you-go services

Capacity planning: scalable services

Capacity planning: hence a reduced need for resource planning

Cost, lower start-up costs allows capital to be focused on

the core business

Cost: lower initial capital cost outlay (non purchase/ownership of

the resources)

Cost: lower ownership and operational outlay (fewer, or no

staff)

Availability and reliability, from the use of well architected and

reliable providers

Availability and reliability: pooled, clustered and virtualised resources

provide redundant environments e.g. 99.9% uptime

Availability and reliability: rated providers have extensive expert

support

Do you now understand Gartners definition of cloud computing? ‘a style of computing in which scalable and elastic IT-enabled capabilities are

delivered as a service to external customers using internet technologies’

CTO ‘sound like an expert’ series are short presentations introducing concepts and issues of cloud computing – this is the first in the series, introducing

the high level terminology and concepts. We hope you enjoyed it.

What do you think? Contact CTO and let us know.

www.cto.uk.cominfo@cto.uk.comtel: 0044 (0)20 3478 9049