Our two-minute cloud guide

16 January 2018

Any technology discussion is incomplete without reference to "cloud computing", "cloud technology", or just "cloud". As adoption escalated and analysts kept revising their projections upwards, we produced this quick guide to a technology Gartner had declared one of the most disruptive forces in IT spending. The definitions and service descriptions below are as we published them in 2018.

What the term actually means

Gartner defines cloud computing as a style of computing in which scalable and elastic IT-enabled capabilities are delivered as a service using internet technologies.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology defines it as 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.

The five characteristics

Entrenched within those definitions are five key characteristics:

• On-demand self-service. Computing resources made available on demand, without requiring human intervention.
• Broad network access. A ubiquitous network of computing resources and infrastructure that can be accessed from anywhere.
• Resource pooling. A common, shared pool of resources that are dynamically assigned, reassigned or de-allocated based on requirement.
• Rapid elasticity. The ability to provision or release resources quickly, giving high elasticity and scalability.
• Measured service. A pay-as-you-go billing model, where you only pay for the resources you need, for as long as you need them.

The cloud stack

The stack typically consists of three services that are interconnected and dependent on each other. Each can be used independently or together.

Software as a Service

SaaS is a method of deploying software over the internet, usually as an on-demand service through a subscription pay-as-you-go model. The provider hosts and manages the application, the underlying infrastructure and all maintenance. It lets an organisation get up and running with an application quickly and with minimal upfront cost, at guaranteed levels of availability and data security.

Platform as a Service

PaaS is a computing platform supporting the complete web application lifecycle — building, testing, deploying, managing and updating. Like IaaS it includes the infrastructure beneath: servers, storage and networking. Users can develop and deliver web-based applications quickly, without the complexity of buying and maintaining the software and infrastructure underneath.

Infrastructure as a Service

IaaS delivers IT infrastructure — servers, storage, databases, network and operating systems — in a public or private cloud as an on-demand service. The provider is responsible for the shared pool of resources and equipment. It is cost effective because you do not invest in expensive hardware and only pay for what you use, billed on a utility model with resources made available as needed.

The three deployment models

The computing model can be deployed three ways, and it is worth understanding each in order to work out which suits your organisation.

Public cloud

A publicly accessible environment owned by a third-party provider. Computing resources such as server and storage are delivered to consumers over the internet at a cost, and the provider is responsible for their creation and maintenance.

Private cloud

Cloud computing resources used exclusively by a single organisation, ensuring its data and applications are completely isolated from others. The resources can be located in a range of places.

Hybrid cloud

A combination of public and private environments, bound together by technology that allows data and applications to move freely between them as business needs change. Public cloud is usually used for the less sensitive, more generic applications.

Why organisations move

Cost considerations may be the initial driver, but a move to the cloud has other advantages that make it compelling. Cloud enables a business to treat technology as a service rather than a capital purchase.

The benefits of agility, scalability, availability, accessibility, reliability, geographic redundancy, reduced maintenance, enterprise capability and speed to market are all backed by strong service level agreements.

Our own cloud

We own and manage our own enterprise-grade cloud infrastructure, with "five nines" availability and multi-layered redundancy in geographically diverse data centres across Australia.

To talk about how your organisation could use cloud computing, contact our team.

Related

• emPOWER Cloud
• Public cloud — Microsoft Azure
• Private and public SaaS backup
• Disaster recovery as a service
• Guides, brochures and resources

Frequently asked questions

What makes a service cloud-based?

Five characteristics together: on-demand self-service, broad network access, pooled resources, rapid elasticity and measured pay-as-you-go billing. A service missing several of those is not really cloud, whatever it is called.

What is the difference between SaaS, PaaS and IaaS?

With SaaS you consume a finished application and the provider manages everything beneath it. With PaaS you get a managed platform plus its infrastructure, and you build and run your own applications on it. With IaaS you consume raw servers, storage, databases, network and operating systems, and you remain responsible for what you run on them.

Which deployment model should we choose?

It depends on sensitivity, isolation requirements and how quickly you need to move. Public cloud suits generic, less sensitive workloads; private cloud isolates your data and applications entirely; hybrid connects the two so workloads can move as needs change.

Is the cloud cheaper?

Cost is often the initial driver, but it is rarely the only one. The model shifts technology from a capital purchase to a service, and the agility, scalability, redundancy and reduced maintenance usually matter more over time.

Is this guide current?

It was published in January 2018 and the definitions still hold. For what we offer today, see emPOWER Cloud rather than this page.

Source

Our own published guide of 16 January 2018, with definitions attributed to Gartner and the National Institute of Standards and Technology as quoted in it.