How Does Cloud Computing Work? Guide 2022

There has been a significant evolution in the way we save, store, and access data, as there is no more a need to deal with offline storage due to increase in cloud services. Cloud has not just changed the way we store data, but it also allows us to do many other operations online. Some of the key such operations include developing new applications & services, hosting blogs & websites, delivery of software on-demand, analysis of data, streaming videos & audios, etc.

The cloud market is booming and has generated a revenue of almost $400 million in 2021. The public cloud computing market continues to grow with no sign of slowing down, as more and more students now go for a Cloud Architect Certification. The sector is expected to reach an estimated worth of $482 billion by the end of 2022 [Source: Statista].

As this popularity rises, we discuss in this article how cloud computing companies make all this happen. We will see how cloud computing works both at the user’s end as well as the provider’s end.

What is Cloud Computing?

• Cloud Computing is any kind of hosted service which is delivered over the Internet. These services include servers, software, networks, databases, analytics, and other computing functions that can be operated through the cloud.
• Cloud allows the storage of files and programs on online servers, which can be accessed by the user from anywhere. It eliminates the need to always be near physical hardware.

Cloud Computing Services

There are 3 major categories of cloud computing services: SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS.

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)

• Saas makes the software accessible through an app or a web browser. It is a big hit in the business world.
• It is the most common cloud service that is used by many on a regular basis.
• Some of the SaaS programs are free, while some may have annual or monthly charges.
• Some of the examples of Saas are Google Docs, Dropbox, Salesforce, etc.

Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)

• PaaS offers a cloud environment that supports the development and deployment of web applications.
• It supports the full lifecycle of applications, allowing users to build, test, deploy, manage, and update all in one place.
• It also includes development tools, middleware, and business intelligence solutions.
• Some of the examples are Google App Engine, Windows Azure, AWS Elastic Beanstalk.

Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)

• IaaS provides users with computer infrastructure capabilities like data storage, servers, and hardware, in the cloud.
• It provides business access to large platforms and applications, without the need for large onsite physical infrastructure.
• Some of the examples are Google Compute Engine, Amazon EC2, DigitalOcean, etc.

Cloud Computing Architecture

The cloud system consists of 2 sections, the Frontend and the Backend. They both are connected to each other through a network, usually the internet. Candidates who go through a Post Graduate Program in Cloud Computing are required to work on both frontend as well as backend.

• Frontend: It is the side that is used by the computer users or the clients. It consists of the client’s computer, computer networks, applications, and all essential means to access the cloud computing system.
• Backend: It is the side of the cloud computing provider. It consists of various computer systems, servers, data storage systems, programs, and all necessary means that build up the cloud.

How Does Cloud Computing Work on Front-End?

Let’s understand the working of cloud computing through the following examples.

Case 1

• Suppose you are someone who has a lot of stuff like applications, files, videos, podcasts, music, ebooks, etc. and you are constantly having a problem finding space to store all your stuff.
• As you’ll need more space, you’ll go around buying more and more hard drives as your files increase. However, corruption of such drives can lead to loss of data.
• Cloud offers a simple solution to all this by allowing you to store all your data on web servers that can be accessed through the internet. As long as there is an internet connection, one can access the data stored in the cloud.
• These data resources can be accessed from any device and from anywhere and they can also be altered, downloaded, and transferred.

Case 2

• Suppose you are an executive at a big corporation and your responsibility is to ensure adequate hardware and software for all employees.
• Buying software licences and hardwares for all the employees can turn out to be really expensive for the organisation.
• Cloud offers an affordable solution to this with just one application. Instead of installing a suite of software for each computer, the companies need to load just one application.
• This application will allow the employees to log in to a web-based server, which hosts all the programs that are required by an employee to do the job.
• These are remote servers that are owned by another company and offer everything from email processing to complex data analysis programs.

How does Cloud Computing work on Back-End?

Cloud is actually a system owned by cloud computing companies that consists of a central server, database, computer networks, and servers.

• The central server administers the system, monitors traffic and client demand, ensuring everything runs smoothly.
• The central server follows some rules, known as protocols.
• The central servers also use a software called Middleware, which allows the networked computers to communicate with each other.
• Naturally, cloud computing companies build in redundancy, where they save multiple backup copies of the data stored. The client’s data is stored in the hardware of the cloud computing companies and like any other computer, the cloud system can also have problems and so the redundancy of files prevents the cloud from losing any data.
• Cloud computing companies have twice the number of storage devices to store all their client’s information. The more clients they have, the more storage space they require.
• The cloud computing systems handle heavy load easily and automatically, thus reducing the load on the local computers of the user.
• The cloud computing companies simply decrease the hardware and the software demand on the user side.

We all may have lost our data through our computers and hard drives, and we all know that once the data is lost then there is no way to retrieve it back. Cloud computing companies are simply trying to help individuals and organisations to keep their data safe with the use of less hardware and software. Apart from that, cloud offers multiple other benefits like better security, low cost, ease of access, etc.