Cloud computing is a model for delivering information technology (IT) services

in which resources such as servers, storage, databases, networking, software,

and analytics are provided over the internet (the "cloud"). Instead of owning and
maintaining physical data centres and servers, organizations and individuals can
access and use these resources on-demand from a cloud service provider.
The term cloud in cloud computing means the set of software, hardware,
networks storage, services, and interfaces that combine to provide aspects of
computing as a service.
A definition given by American National Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST) is as follows- Cloud computing is a model for enabling convenient, on-
demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources
(for example, networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can he
rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service
provider interaction.
A single area of concern in cloud computing is undoubtedly be privacy and
security. When your data travels over and rests on systems that are no longer
under your control, you have increased risk due to the interception and
malfeasance of others. You cannot count on a cloud provider maintaining your
privacy in the face of government actions.

Characteristics of cloud computing as per NIST

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) developed a set of
essential characteristics that define cloud computing; On-Demand Self Service,
Broad Network Access, Resource Pooling, Rapid Elasticity, and Measured Service.
These characteristics of cloud computing serve as a guideline both for providers
and consumers and aim to ensure efficiency, scalability, and reliability of cloud-
based solutions.

On-Demand Self Service

A foundational aspect of cloud computing is on-demand self-service. On-

Demand Self Service allows users to provision computing resources like
server time and network storage, without requiring human intervention
from the service provider. Users are instead able to independently access
and deploy resources as needed. This results in increased agility and
flexibility when managing workload demands. On-demand self service also
allows users to rapidly scale up or scale down their resources based on
fluctuating requirements. This not only enhances efficiency but also is
more cost effective.

Broad Network Access

Another key feature of cloud services is that they are easily accessible
across the internet from a variety of devices (i.e. laptop, desktop,
smartphones, tablets, etc.). Broad network access allows users to access
and utilize cloud resources from anywhere with an internet connection,
enabling remote access and collaboration. Broad network access has
become increasingly important with an increase in remote work and the
necessity for people in different locations to access and collaborate using
the same resource. If users are at home, in the office, or on the go they
can seamlessly access cloud services fostering productivity and mobility.
Broad network access can also promote scalability as it accommodates
diverse user devices and locations.

Resource Pooling

Resource pooling involves the consolidation of computing resources like

storage, processing power, and memory in order to serve multiple users
or applications dynamically. In a cloud environment, resources are pooled
together to meet the demands of various consumers efficiently. The
resource pooling component of cloud computing allows for optimal
resource allocation which leads to improved performance and cost savings
as well. Sharing resources among multiple users enables cloud providers
to achieve economies of scale and deliver scalable solutions that adapt to
changing workloads.

Rapid Elasticity

Cloud computing systems can quickly scale resources up or down through

rapid elasticity. Cloud platforms offer elastic scalability, allowing users to
increase or decrease their resource allocation dynamically without
disruption to services. Rapid elasticity allows users to automatically
request additional space in the cloud. Whether organizations are
experiencing sudden spikes in traffic or periods of low activity, they can
seamlessly adjust their computing resources to match their current needs.
This is another method of achieving cost optimization by ensuring that
resources are only consumed when necessary, which eliminates the need
for over-provisioning or underutilization.

Measured Service

The final essential component of cloud computing is measured service.

This involves transparent and metered usage of cloud resources, enabling
users to monitor, control, and optimize their consumption. Cloud providers
track resource usage and provide users with detailed metrics and
reporting, allowing them to understand their usage patterns and
associated costs. The pay-per-use model ensures that users only pay for
the resources that they consume. This promotes cost transparency and
accountability. Measured service also facilitates capacity planning and
optimization by providing insights into resource utilization trends and
performance metrics.
Cloud service requirements
Different cloud service requirements
Major cloud services requirements are as follows –
(i) Security - The resource pooling characteristics of cloud computing
permits users to dynamically share physical and virtual resources.
High security concerns are usually associated with virtual
environments which include virtual components like hypervisor for
running virtual machines and virtual environments for virtual
machines communications. An organization that contain its own IT
components in it premises can apply and monitor proper security
policies and controls especially for identity management. As a result,
it is a priority to choose a cloud service which supports suitable and
adequate access control and authentication mechanisms.
(ii) Privacy - Organizations are often uncertain when it comes to
managing and storing sensitive information in the cloud. Privacy is an
important issue to be addressed in the direction of raising users' trust
in the cloud computing paradigm The geographic location of data
stored in a cloud environment is usually not revealed to users. This
lack of transparency raises high concerns especially that privacy
regulations and policies differ from one country to another
(iii) Availability - Most organizations need maximum availability levels
of their computing resources provided by the cloud services. Cloud
services have recently experienced failures resulting from several
factors including security attacks, natural disasters and infrastructure
outages. Cloud computing environments need to make serious
provisions to react quickly and efficiently to such outages and ensure
continuity of cloud services. Thus, the ability to efficiently and
seamlessly recover from outages is an important factor to consider
when comparing cloud services.
(iv) flexibility - Cloud computing service providers should be able to offer
flexible plans and services that allow an enterprise to quickly and
efficiently adapt to changes in their goals, customer demands and
global changes.
(v) Archiving - Archiving provides long term storage of data that is no
longer momentarily needed keeping archived data imposes high
storage demands and also require additional backup and restore
feature for the consumers. It may also imposes some additional costs
 on the services. Hence, a cloud computing service with an archiving
feature and easy access to archived data is among the essential
requirements for many organizations.
(vi) Scalability - Cloud scalability is one of the most important factors in
providing successful cloud services. It is mainly enabled by increasing
the capacity and number of IT resources.

Benefits by adopting cloud computing are as follows –

(i) Availability of Resource - One of the most general advantages is
facilitated by virtualization is resource availability. Also, resource
availability helps to leverage and track resource pool under the same
umbrella of resource units.
(ii) Hosted Tools - By using hosted tools, the developers and testers can
simply log in to the tools and use the services over the network. Due
to these tools, the tester and developers need not run, install, configure
or maintain tools on their systems as they can log into the tools from
any machine on the network maintaining the tools.
(iii) Self-service Capability - They are capable of self-service, once
somebody deploys the cloud services. Now testing teams can use the
same services over the cloud and do not have to purchase the
computing services and it minimizes the procurement process. Thus,
they can concentrate on the testing efforts and services.
(iv) More Mobility - Peoples can access information wherever they are,
rather than having to remain at their desks.
(v) Operating Efficiency - Sometimes development teams and test teams
may differ in their conventions and configuration. As a result, the
application behaviour to be different from the desired one also the
delay services. The template-based approach is more transparent, with
its solution stacks or hardware, configurable applications and
operating system. This approach helps the teams to understand the
environment better.

Cloud computing offers numerous advantages and benefits, which have driven its widespread
adoption across various industries. Here are some key advantages:

1. Cost Efficiency

 Reduced Capital Expenditure: No need to invest in expensive hardware and

software. Pay-as-you-go or subscription-based models reduce upfront costs.
  Lower Operating Costs: Reduces the need for in-house IT infrastructure and
maintenance, lowering overall operational expenses.

2. Scalability and Flexibility

 On-Demand Resources: Easily scale up or down based on demand without the need
for physical upgrades.
 Flexibility: Ability to quickly adapt to changing business needs and deploy new
services or applications.

3. Performance

 High Performance: Access to high-performance computing resources and storage

that might be unaffordable otherwise.
 Reliability: Cloud providers often offer robust, redundant, and geographically
distributed infrastructure, enhancing performance and uptime.

4. Security

 Advanced Security Features: Cloud providers invest heavily in security measures

and technologies, often more advanced than what many organizations can afford
independently.
 Compliance: Many cloud providers comply with various industry standards and
regulations, helping organizations meet compliance requirements.

5. Accessibility

 Remote Access: Access applications and data from anywhere with an internet
connection, supporting remote work and collaboration.
 Global Reach: Deploy applications in multiple regions around the world, reaching a
global audience more effectively.

6. Disaster Recovery and Backup

 Automated Backups: Regular and automated data backups reduce the risk of data
loss.
 Disaster Recovery: Built-in disaster recovery solutions ensure business continuity in
case of data center failures or other disasters.

7. Collaboration

 Enhanced Collaboration: Cloud-based tools and applications facilitate real-time

collaboration and communication among teams, improving productivity.
 File Sharing: Easy sharing and access to files and resources among team members
and stakeholders.

8. Environmental Sustainability
  Energy Efficiency: Cloud providers often run data centers more efficiently than
individual organizations can, reducing overall energy consumption.
 Resource Optimization: Shared resources and optimized usage help in reducing the
carbon footprint.

9. Innovation and Speed

 Rapid Deployment: Quickly deploy and scale applications, reducing time-to-market.

 Access to Latest Technologies: Immediate access to the latest technologies and
updates without the need for manual installations or upgrades.

10. Competitive Advantage

 Focus on Core Business: Freed from managing IT infrastructure, organizations can

focus on their core business activities and innovation.
 Level Playing Field: Small and medium-sized businesses gain access to enterprise-
level infrastructure and tools, allowing them to compete more effectively with larger
corporations.

These advantages make cloud computing a compelling choice for organizations looking to
improve efficiency, agility, and innovation while reducing costs and enhancing security.

While cloud computing offers numerous advantages, it also has certain limitations and
challenges that organizations need to consider:

1. Security and Privacy Concerns

 Data Security: Storing sensitive data on third-party servers can raise security and
privacy concerns. Data breaches and cyber-attacks are potential risks.
 Compliance: Ensuring compliance with industry regulations and standards can be
complex when data is stored and processed by cloud providers.

2. Downtime and Reliability

 Service Outages: Cloud services can experience downtime or outages, which can
disrupt business operations. Dependence on the internet for access adds another layer
of potential downtime risk.
 Reliability: While cloud providers offer high reliability, no system is immune to
failures. Ensuring adequate disaster recovery and redundancy measures is crucial.

3. Limited Control and Flexibility

 Vendor Lock-In: Migrating services and data from one cloud provider to another can
be challenging and costly, leading to vendor lock-in.
 Limited Customization: Cloud services may not offer the same level of
customization and control as on-premises solutions, limiting the ability to tailor
solutions to specific needs.

4. Latency and Performance

  Latency Issues: Applications that require low latency may face performance issues
due to the distance between users and cloud data centers.
 Bandwidth Costs: Transferring large amounts of data to and from the cloud can incur
significant bandwidth costs and affect performance.

5. Cost Management

 Unpredictable Costs: Pay-as-you-go pricing models can lead to unpredictable costs,

especially if resource usage is not closely monitored and managed.
 Hidden Costs: Additional costs for data transfer, storage, and other services can add
up, sometimes making cloud solutions more expensive than anticipated.

6. Data Transfer and Bandwidth Limitations

 Data Migration: Migrating large volumes of data to the cloud can be time-
consuming and expensive. Data transfer speeds and costs can be limiting factors.
 Bandwidth Constraints: Limited internet bandwidth can affect the performance and
accessibility of cloud services, particularly in remote or underdeveloped regions.

7. Compliance and Legal Issues

 Data Sovereignty: Different countries have different laws regarding data storage and
transfer. Ensuring compliance with these laws can be complex.
 Legal Risks: Legal and regulatory requirements related to data protection and privacy
can pose challenges when using cloud services across multiple jurisdictions.

8. Technical Challenges

 Integration: Integrating cloud services with existing on-premises systems and

applications can be complex and require significant effort.
 Skill Requirements: Managing and optimizing cloud services requires specialized
skills and knowledge, potentially leading to additional training and hiring costs.

9. Dependency on Network Connectivity

 Internet Dependence: Reliable and fast internet connectivity is essential for

accessing cloud services. Poor connectivity can hinder access and performance.
 Network Latency: Network latency can impact the performance of cloud-based
applications, particularly those requiring real-time processing.

10. Environmental Impact

 Energy Consumption: While cloud providers optimize for energy efficiency, the
overall increase in data centre energy consumption can still have a significant
environmental impact.
 E-Waste: The lifecycle management of hardware in large data centre contributes to
electronic waste, posing environmental challenges.
These limitations highlight the importance of carefully evaluating cloud computing solutions
and considering factors such as security, cost, performance, and compliance before adoption.
Balancing the benefits with these challenges is crucial for successful cloud integration.

The vision of cloud computing revolves around the continued transformation and
enhancement of how IT services are delivered, consumed, and managed. This vision
encompasses several key trends and future developments:

1. Ubiquitous Computing

 Seamless Integration: Cloud computing will become increasingly integrated into

everyday devices and applications, enabling ubiquitous access to information and
services. From smart homes to connected cars and wearables, cloud connectivity will
be the norm.
 Pervasive Connectivity: Enhanced connectivity through technologies like 5G and
beyond will ensure that cloud services are available anytime, anywhere, with minimal
latency.

2. Advanced AI and Machine Learning

 AI-Powered Cloud Services: Cloud providers will continue to embed AI and

machine learning capabilities into their platforms, making these advanced
technologies more accessible and easy to implement for businesses of all sizes.
 Automation and Intelligence: AI-driven automation will handle more complex
tasks, from infrastructure management to data analysis and decision-making, reducing
the need for human intervention.

3. Edge and Fog Computing

 Decentralized Processing: As the Internet of Things (IoT) expands, edge computing

will process data closer to the source, reducing latency and bandwidth usage. This
will be critical for applications requiring real-time processing, such as autonomous
vehicles and industrial automation.
 Integration with Cloud: Hybrid models combining edge, fog, and cloud computing
will provide a seamless environment where data is processed and analyzed at the
optimal location.

4. Enhanced Security and Privacy

 Zero Trust Security Models: Security frameworks will evolve to implement zero
trust models, ensuring continuous verification of all entities accessing cloud
resources, thus enhancing security.
 Data Privacy Enhancements: Improved encryption, data anonymization techniques,
and compliance with evolving privacy regulations will be integral to cloud services,
ensuring robust data protection.

5. Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Environments

  Interoperability: Cloud platforms will continue to enhance interoperability, allowing
seamless integration and data exchange across multiple cloud environments.
 Unified Management: Centralized management tools will simplify the orchestration
of hybrid and multi-cloud environments, providing better control, visibility, and
optimization of resources.

6. Serverless and Microservices Architectures

 Serverless Computing: The adoption of serverless architectures will grow, allowing

developers to build and deploy applications without managing the underlying
infrastructure. This will accelerate development cycles and reduce operational
overhead.
 Microservices: Applications will increasingly be designed using microservices
architectures, promoting modularity, scalability, and resilience.

7. Enhanced Developer and User Experience

 Low-Code/No-Code Platforms: These platforms will become more sophisticated,

enabling users with little to no programming experience to develop and deploy
applications quickly.
 Intuitive Interfaces: Enhanced user interfaces and experiences will make it easier for
users to interact with and manage cloud services.

Cloud and Dynamic Infrastructure

Cloud computing and dynamic infrastructure are closely related concepts that both
aim to improve the flexibility, scalability, and efficiency of IT infrastructure.
Cloud computing refers to the delivery of computing services (such as servers,
storage, and applications) over the internet on a pay-per-use basis. Cloud computing
allows organizations to use computing resources as needed, without the need for on-
premises infrastructure or the associated maintenance costs.
Dynamic infrastructure, on the other hand, refers to IT infrastructure that is designed
to be flexible and scalable, allowing organizations to quickly adapt to changing
business needs. Dynamic infrastructure is typically characterized by automation and
orchestration, which can help to reduce the time and effort required to manage
infrastructure.
Cloud computing can be seen as a type of dynamic infrastructure, as it allows
organizations to quickly scale computing resources up or down as needed. Cloud
computing can also enable automation and orchestration, helping organizations to
manage their computing resources more efficiently.
However, not all dynamic infrastructure is cloud-based. For example, an on-premises
data centre that uses automation and orchestration to manage its infrastructure
could also be considered dynamic infrastructure.
Overall, both cloud computing and dynamic infrastructure are important concepts for
organizations that want to improve the flexibility, scalability, and efficiency of their IT
infrastructure. By using these approaches, organizations can reduce costs, improve
performance, and quickly adapt to changing business needs

Types of cloud Clouds can be classified into following types –

(i) Public Clouds - Cloud computing environments that are open for public use
alternatively for a large industry group. Some public clouds are Google, Amazon
and IBM offerings.
(ii) (ii) Private Clouds - The cloud is implemented within the private premises of an
institution and uses it to provide services to the users ot the institution or a
subset of them.
(iii) (iii) Hybrid (Heterogeneous) Clouds - A computing environment which combines
multiple clouds where those clouds keep their unique identities, hut are bound
together as a unit. It identifies a private cloud that has been augmented with
resources or services hosted in a public cloud.
(iv) (iii) Community Clouds -These clouds are particularly intended to address the
requirements of a particular industry. The cloud is characterized by a multi
administrative domain encompassing various deployment models.

Public cloud in details

The first expression of cloud computing is formed by public clouds. Public clouds are a
realization of cloud computing canonical view where the services provided are presented
to anyone, at any instant and from anywhere using the Internet. They are a distributed
system from a structural perspective and possibly formed by one or more data centers,
on top of which the specific services provided by the cloud are implemented. Any user
can easily sign-in with the cloud provider, enter details and utilize the services provided.
The first class of clouds that were implemented and provided were public clouds. Public
clouds provide as a feasible option for handling peak loads on the local infrastructure
and provide solutions for reducing IT infrastructure costs. For small enterprises, they
have become an interesting alternative. Small enterprises are able to begin their
business without large upfront investments by entirely depending on public
infrastructure for their IT requirements. Public clouds are used both to extend the IT
infrastructure of enterprise on demand and to completely replace it.

Multi-tenancy is a basic feature of public clouds. A public cloud serves as a large number
of users instead of a single one. It is required by a customer to have virtual computing
environment that is separated, and possibly isolated, form the other uses. This is a basic
requirement to offers an effective monitoring of users activities , the other Quality of
Service (QoS) attributes negotiation with users, and ensure the required performance. In
public clouds, QoS management is an important feature. As a result, a considerable
portion of the software infrastructure is given to monitor the cloud resources, to bill
them on the basis of the contract done with the user and to keep the complete history of
the cloud usage for each customer. For public clouds, these features are basic since they
help providers to provide services to users with full accountability A public cloud can
provide various type of services like software/applications platform, and
infrastructure/hardware. As an example, SalesForce com is a public cloud providing
software as a service, Google AppEngine is a public cloud providing an application
development platform as a service and Amazon EC2 is a public cloud providing
infrastructure as a service. Finally, we can say that public clouds are large hardware and
software infrastructure whose capability is sufficient to meet the requirements of
multiple users, however, they suffer from security threats and administrative pitfalls.