What it is: Using a network of remote servers hosted on the internet to store, manage, and process data, rather than a local server or personal computer. You “rent” computing resources.

Key Concepts:

• On-Demand: Get resources when you need them.
• Scalable: Easily increase or decrease resources based on demand.
• Pay-as-you-go: Only pay for what you use.

Deployment Models:

• Public Cloud: Owned and operated by a third-party (AWS, Azure, GCP). Available to the public.
• Private Cloud: Dedicated to a single organization.
• Hybrid Cloud: Mix of public and private clouds.
• Community Cloud: Shared by several organizations with similar needs.

Service Models:

• IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service): You manage the OS, apps, and data. Provider manages hardware. (Think virtual machines)
• PaaS (Platform as a Service): You manage apps and data. Provider manages everything else (OS, servers, etc.). (Think development platform)
• SaaS (Software as a Service): You just use the software. Provider manages everything. (Think Gmail, Salesforce)
• FaaS (Function as a Service): Event driven compute execution where you only manage your function. Provider manages everything else. (Think AWS Lambda)

Benefits:

• Lower costs
• Increased scalability and flexibility
• Improved reliability

Challenges:

• Security risks
• Compliance issues
• Vendor lock-in
• Cost management complexity