Cloud Computing | OpenPath

Basic Cloud Fundamentals

Cloud computing has revolutionized how organizations provision, deploy, and manage IT resources. Instead of maintaining physical servers, storage, and networking hardware on-premises, users can access a shared pool of configurable computing resources over the internet. This “as-a-service” model provides on-demand scalability, pay-per-use billing, and rapid elasticity to support dynamic workloads and accelerate innovation.

Key Service Models

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

What it is: Virtualized compute, storage, and network resources on demand.
When to use: Full control over OS and networking without on‑prem hardware.
Examples: Amazon EC2, Microsoft Azure VMs, Google Compute Engine.

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

What it is: Managed environment for building, testing, and deploying applications.
When to use: Focus on code while provider handles runtime, scaling, middleware.
Examples: Google App Engine, Azure App Service, Heroku.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

What it is: Fully managed application software delivered over the Internet.
When to use: Access ready-to-use apps for collaboration and productivity.
Examples: Salesforce, Microsoft 365, Slack.

Deployment Models

Public Cloud: Services exposed to multiple tenants over the public Internet. Offers the greatest economy of scale but may raise concerns about data residency.
Private Cloud: Dedicated infrastructure for a single organization, either on-premises or hosted by a third party. Provides enhanced security and compliance control.
Hybrid Cloud: A combination of public and private clouds connected via secure networking, allowing workloads to move between environments for flexibility and cost optimization.

Core Characteristics

Elasticity & Scalability: Resources can automatically expand or contract to match demand, ensuring performance without overprovisioning.
On-Demand Self-Service: Users can provision computing capabilities as needed via a web portal or API, with no human intervention from the provider.
Broad Network Access: Services are available over the Internet and accessed through standard mechanisms (e.g., web browsers, mobile apps).
Resource Pooling & Multi-Tenancy: Providers share computing resources among multiple customers while maintaining logical isolation.
Measured Service (Pay-As-You-Go): Usage is monitored, measured, and billed based on resources consumed (compute hours, storage gigabytes, data transfer).

Advantages and Challenges

Advantages:

Cost Efficiency: Eliminates capital expenditure on hardware and reduces operational costs through economies of scale.
Rapid Provisioning: New servers, databases, or applications can be spun up in minutes rather than weeks.
Global Reach: Providers maintain data centers worldwide, enabling low-latency access for global users.

Challenges:

Security & Compliance: Protecting sensitive data in a shared environment requires strong encryption, identity management, and regulatory alignment.
Vendor Lock-In: Proprietary services and APIs may make it difficult to migrate workloads between providers.
Performance Variability: Multi-tenant architectures can lead to noisy-neighbor effects if not properly managed.

Security Considerations

Cloud security operates on a shared responsibility model, where the provider secures the infrastructure, and the customer secures their data and applications. Key practices include:

Identity and Access Management (IAM): Enforce least-privilege permissions and multi-factor authentication.
Data Encryption: Encrypt data both at rest and in transit using strong cryptographic protocols.
Network Isolation: Use virtual private clouds (VPCs), subnets, and security groups to restrict traffic.
Monitoring & Logging: Implement continuous monitoring, audit trails, and automated alerts for unusual activity.

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Conclusion

Understanding service and deployment models, core characteristics, and security principles unlocks the full potential of cloud architectures, delivering agility, cost savings, and innovation while effectively managing risks.