Fundamentals of Cloud Computing

Back to AWS for Developers
Arjit Sharma
02 Mins

image.png

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is the on-demand delivery of IT resources - like servers, storage, databases, networking, software - over the internet. In simple terms “rent services/platform/infrastructure over internet”.

Key Concepts:

  • On-Demand Access: Resources are available when needed, without human intervention.
  • Elasticity: Scale resources up or down based on demand.
  • Resource Pooling: Providers use multi-tenant models to serve multiple customers.
  • Pay-as-you-go Pricing: You’re charged based on usage—no upfront infrastructure investment.

Cloud Service Models

image.png

1. IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)

You rent basic computing resources like virtual machines and storage. You manage most things except the underlying hardware. Example: Launching an EC2 instance on AWS.

2. PaaS (Platform as a Service)

You just focus on writing and deploying your app - AWS handles the rest. Example: Deploying a Node.js app using Elastic Beanstalk.

3. FaaS (Function as a Service)

You write code that runs in response to events. You’re only charged while it runs. Example: A Lambda function that resizes an image when uploaded to S3.

4. SaaS (Software as a Service)

You use fully built apps over the internet. No setup, no deployment. Examples: Gmail, Zoom, or AWS WorkDocs.

Deployment Models

1. Public Cloud

Services are shared and accessed over the internet. Example: AWS.

2. Private Cloud

Cloud infrastructure dedicated to a single organization, can be on-premises or hosted by a provider.

3. Hybrid Cloud

Mix of public and private clouds. Great for when you want to use public cloud only during high traffic times.

AWS Infrastructure Basics

Understanding AWS’s global infrastructure is essential for architecting reliable apps.

Regions

Geographically isolated areas where AWS hosts data centers. Examples: us-east-1, eu-west-1

Availability Zones (AZs)

Multiple, physically separate data centers within a region. They help make your app more reliable and fault tolerant.

Points of Presence (PoPs)

Locations that serve cached content to users via CloudFront.

Regional Edge Caches

Extra caching layers between origin and users for less frequently accessed content.

Well-Architected Framework in AWS

Its a set of guiding principles and best practices AWS recommends. 6 Pillars of a great AWS architecture are -

  1. Operational Excellence - Monitor and evolve systems
  2. Security - Protect data and systems
  3. Reliability - Recover gracefully from failures
  4. Performance Efficiency - Scale with demand
  5. Cost Optimization - Avoid unnecessary costs
  6. Sustainability - Minimize environmental impact of your workloads

Checkout more on AWS website

Next →