This repository contains information about Cloud Computing and AWS, it has another markdown detailing how to setup an EC2 instance and an AMI and get a two-tier app running (one EC2 is the database, the other the app) with AWS which can be found here: AWS EC2 Instances and AMIs markdown. And a markdown on automating the same process here: Automation. Also a markdown detailing S3 here: S3.
Cloud computing is on-demand access, via the internet, to computing resources—applications, servers (physical servers and virtual servers), data storage, development tools, networking capabilities, and more—hosted at a remote data center managed by a cloud services provider (or CSP). The CSP makes these resources available for a monthly subscription fee or bills them according to usage.
We use the cloud pretty much every day. Cloud services include: email; Office 365; Dropbox, Image Hosting, GitHub; OneDrive, iCloud etc.; Social Media; Content streaming services - Netflix, Disney +, Spotify etc.;Steam, Epic Games, GoG galaxy; F1/sports -> AI cloud analytics.
Cloud computing has its roots in the concept of utility computing, which dates back to the 1960s. However, the modern concept of cloud computing emerged in the late 1990s, with the introduction of Salesforce.com's web-based sales automation software. The term "cloud computing" was coined in the early 2000s, and the concept gained momentum as internet bandwidth and infrastructure improved. Amazon Web Services (AWS) launched in 2006, followed by Google Cloud Platform and Microsoft Azure in 2008 and 2010 respectively. Since then, cloud computing has become a ubiquitous technology, with businesses and individuals relying on cloud services for everything from file storage to application hosting. Today, cloud computing has become an integral part of modern business and is used for a variety of purposes, including hosting websites, storing and processing data, and running applications
Dataversity - History of Cloud Computing
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Agility: The cloud gives you easy access to a broad range of technologies so that you can innovate faster and build nearly anything that you can imagine. You can quickly spin up resources as you need them–from infrastructure services, such as compute, storage, and databases, to Internet of Things, machine learning, data lakes and analytics, and much more.
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Scalability: Cloud computing allows you to easily scale your infrastructure up or down as needed, so you only pay for what you use.
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Cost savings: Cloud computing can reduce your IT infrastructure costs, as you don't have to purchase and maintain your own servers and other hardware.
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Flexibility: Cloud computing allows you to access your data and applications from anywhere with an internet connection, giving you more flexibility and mobility. Allows you to go global easily.
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Reliability: Cloud providers offer high levels of reliability and uptime, which can be difficult to achieve with on-premises infrastructure.
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Security: Cloud providers often have robust security measures in place to protect your data, including encryption and multi-factor authentication.
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Collaboration: Cloud computing can facilitate collaboration among teams, allowing them to work together on projects in real-time, no matter where they are located.
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Disaster recovery: Cloud providers often have backup and disaster recovery solutions built into their services, making it easier to recover from a disaster or data loss. No maintainence is required from our side.
Salesforce - Benefits of cloud computing
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Cost savings: Cloud computing eliminates the need for businesses to invest in expensive hardware and infrastructure, and provides the flexibility to pay for only the services and resources they use. (Takes advantage of economies of scale - reduced prices for bulk purchases.)
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Scalability and flexibility: Businesses can easily scale up or down their computing resources as their needs change, without having to invest in additional hardware or infrastructure. No maintainence is required from our side. Able to go global more easily and faster time to market. Updates and improvements to features.
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Increased collaboration and productivity: Cloud computing enables employees to work together seamlessly from any location, using any device, which can boost collaboration and productivity.
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Disaster recovery and business continuity: Cloud computing providers typically offer robust disaster recovery and business continuity solutions, ensuring that businesses can recover quickly in the event of a disaster or outage.
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Improved security: Cloud computing providers typically invest heavily in security measures and have expertise in managing security risks, which can help businesses improve their overall security posture.
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Environmentally more sustainable.
Overall, cloud computing provides businesses with greater agility, flexibility, and efficiency, allowing them to focus on their core business objectives while leaving the IT infrastructure to the experts.
Westlake - Benefits of cloud computing for businesses
AWS stands for Amazon Web Services. It is a cloud-based platform that offers a wide range of services such as computing power, storage, and databases, among others. AWS was launched in 2006 and is a subsidiary of Amazon.com. It is one of the leading cloud computing providers and is used by businesses of all sizes, from startups to large enterprises. AWS allows users to deploy applications and services quickly and easily without having to invest in expensive hardware or infrastructure. It is known for its scalability, reliability, and security features.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) was launched by Amazon.com in 2006, after the company realized the potential of selling its infrastructure as a service (IaaS). The first service offered was Amazon Simple Queue Service (SQS), which is a fully managed message queuing service that enables distributed application components to communicate with each other. AWS was initially designed to provide a platform for hosting web applications, but has since expanded to provide a wide range of services, including computing, storage, database, analytics, machine learning, and more. Today, AWS is one of the leading cloud service providers in the world, with millions of customers across a variety of industries.
- Microsoft Azure
- Google Cloud Platform
Top 10 Cloud service providers in 2023
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Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): IaaS contains the basic building blocks for cloud IT. It typically provides access to networking features, computers (virtual or on dedicated hardware), and data storage space. IaaS gives you the highest level of flexibility and management control over your IT resources. It is most similar to the existing IT resources with which many IT departments and developers are familiar.
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Platform as a Service (PaaS): PaaS removes the need for you to manage underlying infrastructure (usually hardware and operating systems), and allows you to focus on the deployment and management of your applications. This helps you be more efficient as you don’t need to worry about resource procurement, capacity planning, software maintenance, patching, or any of the other undifferentiated heavy lifting involved in running your application.
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Software as a Service (SaaS): SaaS provides you with a complete product that is run and managed by the service provider. In most cases, people referring to SaaS are referring to end-user applications (such as web-based email). With a SaaS offering, you don’t have to think about how the service is maintained or how the underlying infrastructure is managed. You only need to think about how you will use that particular software.
The three primary cloud deployment models:
Public cloud: Public cloud refers to a cloud computing model in which services are delivered over the internet by third-party cloud service providers such as AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. The infrastructure is shared by multiple organizations and the cloud provider manages the hardware, software, and other infrastructure components.
Private cloud: Private cloud refers to a cloud infrastructure that is solely dedicated to one organization. Private clouds can be located on-premises or can be hosted by a third-party service provider. Private clouds provide greater control and security, but also require more management and maintenance.
Hybrid cloud: Hybrid cloud is a combination of public and private cloud models. It allows organizations to maintain a private cloud for sensitive data and applications while using public cloud services for other non-sensitive workloads. Hybrid clouds offer the benefits of both public and private clouds, but can be more complex to manage.
In summary, public cloud is the most widely used deployment model, private cloud provides greater control and security, while hybrid cloud combines the benefits of both models.
Public cloud: Public cloud is best suited for businesses that have variable demands and want to scale their infrastructure quickly. This type of cloud computing is suitable for startups, small businesses, and companies that need to host non-critical applications or services. Examples of public cloud providers include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform.
Private cloud: Private cloud is ideal for organizations that require complete control over their data and infrastructure. This type of cloud computing is used by government agencies, financial institutions, and healthcare organizations that have strict compliance and security requirements. Private clouds can be hosted on-premises or by a third-party provider.
Hybrid cloud: Hybrid cloud is a combination of public and private cloud infrastructure. It is suitable for businesses that have workloads that require high performance, security, and compliance. Hybrid cloud is often used by large enterprises that need to manage complex workloads that span multiple environments. It provides the flexibility to move workloads between public and private clouds as needed.
In summary, the choice of cloud computing model depends on factors such as workload requirements, compliance and security needs, and business objectives.
Operating expenditure (OpEx) refers to the day-to-day expenses incurred by a business to maintain its operations, such as salaries, rent, utilities, and other recurring expenses. OpEx is usually considered as a regular and ongoing expense for the business.
Capital expenditure (CapEx), on the other hand, refers to the funds spent by a business on acquiring or upgrading fixed assets, such as buildings, equipment, and machinery. CapEx is usually a one-time expense and is meant to generate long-term benefits for the business.
In short, OpEx is the money spent to keep the business running, while CapEx is the money spent to grow and improve the business.
Which is preferable and how does the cloud allow businesses to transfer to spending more on the preferred one?
Both operating expenditure (OpEx) and capital expenditure (CapEx) have their advantages and disadvantages, depending on the needs and goals of a business.
CapEx refers to spending on physical assets such as buildings, equipment, and infrastructure that will be used over a long period of time. These investments are usually made upfront, and the costs are spread out over the asset's useful life through depreciation. CapEx is generally preferred when a business has a stable and predictable demand for its products or services and wants to control its assets to reduce costs in the long term.
OpEx, on the other hand, refers to the ongoing operational costs of a business, such as employee salaries, utility bills, and cloud service subscriptions. OpEx is generally preferred when a business has unpredictable or fluctuating demand, as it allows for greater flexibility and agility in adapting to changes in the market.
The cloud allows businesses to transfer from CapEx to OpEx spending by offering a pay-as-you-go pricing model. Instead of investing in physical infrastructure, businesses can rent computing resources, storage, and other services from cloud providers on an as-needed basis, paying only for what they use. This allows businesses to avoid the upfront costs and ongoing maintenance associated with physical assets, and to scale up or down quickly in response to changes in demand. The cloud also provides businesses with greater access to advanced technologies and services that would otherwise be prohibitively expensive to implement in-house.
Case studies on companies that have transferred to the Cloud and what that has allowed them to do? 1-3 recommended.
Company: Airbnb
Background: Airbnb is an online marketplace that connects people who need a place to stay with homeowners who are willing to rent out their homes or apartments.
What they did: In 2019, Airbnb announced that it had completed a multi-year migration to the cloud, moving its infrastructure from its own data centers to Amazon Web Services (AWS). The company also built its own data center network in the process.
Results: By moving to the cloud, Airbnb was able to increase its computing capacity, improve its disaster recovery capabilities, and reduce costs. The company was also able to more quickly scale its infrastructure up and down based on demand. In addition, by building its own data center network, Airbnb was able to reduce its dependence on cloud providers and improve the reliability and performance of its services.
Netflix: Netflix is a popular streaming service that was previously using a traditional data center for their services. However, in 2008, Netflix decided to shift to the cloud by migrating its entire infrastructure to Amazon Web Services (AWS). With this move, Netflix was able to achieve a highly scalable and efficient infrastructure, allowing it to handle millions of requests per minute from its worldwide subscribers. Netflix also found that by using AWS, they could easily expand into new regions with lower latency, allowing them to deliver content faster to their customers.
Capital One: Capital One is a leading banking and financial services provider in the United States. They decided to move to the cloud in 2014 to improve their digital customer experience, which was previously running on legacy systems. With AWS, Capital One was able to create new products and services faster and with greater flexibility. They were also able to reduce their time-to-market, accelerate innovation, and lower operational costs, all while maintaining the highest levels of security and compliance.