Introduction to Azure Cloud
Explore the fundamentals of Azure cloud, including what cloud computing is, how data is stored and accessed remotely, and the role of cloud service providers. Understand the main cloud service models such as SaaS, IaaS, PaaS, and FaaS to build a solid foundation for working with Azure Kubernetes Services.
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What is the cloud?
When someone says their data is in the cloud, it has nothing to do with the sky, heaven, or literal fluffy clouds. What they actually mean is that their data isn’t stored locally on their system; instead, it’s stored in some remote location and is accessible through the internet.
The cloud services can be accessed through a web browser like Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome. In addition, some companies offer dedicated mobile applications to access these services.
What are cloud service providers?
Cloud service providers are companies that offer us the facility to use their cloud services. These services are hosted in their data centers and can be accessed by an individual or a team through internet connectivity. They charge us some minimal amount for using their services.
With the growing demand for cloud services, we have numerous cloud service providers. Here are a few top cloud service providers:
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Microsoft Azure
- Google Cloud Platform
- Salesforce
- Alibaba Cloud
- IBM Cloud
- Oracle Cloud
What is cloud service?
Cloud service refers to the range of services that can be utilized by companies or individual customers, delivered via the internet. These are managed entirely by the cloud service providers.
Types of cloud services
In general, there are three different types of cloud services:
SaaS
- SaaS stands for Software as a Service.
- It’s a method for delivering software product services.
- SaaS products may be hosted by a third party or by the vendor itself.
- If a third party is hosting SaaS products, then they are made available to users over the internet.
IaaS
IaaS stands for Infrastructure as a Service. It provides the basic layer of computing. It closely resembles a typical outsourcing model.
IaaS services include the following:
- Outsourcing of infrastructure
- Hosting services
- Database services
- Networking services
- Storage services
PaaS
- PaaS stands for Platform as a Service.
- It delivers development platforms to companies.
- It allows running and developing software systems without the complexity of installing and maintaining a developer platform.
Apart from these, we also have FaaS, which stands for Function as a Service. FaaS provides dynamic and on-demand computing. These are offered as runtime services. Serverless computing comes under FaaS.