Understanding Servers and Cloud Computing

Introduction

This document explores the foundational concepts of Servers and Cloud Computing. It delves into the distinctions between hardware and software server environments, outlines various server types, and clarifies different cloud deployment models. Furthermore, it provides a comparative analysis of key cloud service models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) and applies this knowledge to a practical business scenario, recommending suitable cloud infrastructure and AWS services.

Understanding Servers and Cloud Computing
Part A : Difference between hardware and software servers?
The difference between hardware and software server is that hardware server are the ones that we have on premise on our organization and the one we manually update and manage while software servers are the ones that are virtualized and we can rent on the cloud. They run on the hardware servers.
Example of 3 types of servers?

a. Web Server: Serves web pages (e.g., Apache HTTP Server, Nginx).
b. File Server: Stores and manages access to files (e.g., FTP server, SMB/NFS server).
c. Database Server: Stores, manages, and retrieves structured data (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB).
Cloud deployment models?
o Public Cloud
o Private Cloud
o Hybrid Cloud

Comparing IaaS, PaaS, SaaS with examples.

• IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service): Provides virtualized computing resources (VMs, networks). Ex: AWS EC2, Azure VMs. You manage OS, applications.
• PaaS (Platform as a Service): Provides a platform for developing, running, and managing applications without building/maintaining infrastructure. Ex: AWS Elastic Beanstalk, Heroku. You manage code.
• SaaS (Software as a Service): Fully managed application accessible over the internet. Ex: Gmail, Salesforce ,and other CRM web applications. You just use it.

Part B:

1. SaaS lets users manage everything - False
2. On-premises can scale easily - False.
3. DNS converts IP to domain names - True.
4. Cloud requires upfront hardware payment - False

Part C: Scenario-Based
Model: Public Cloud (Scalability, cost-effectiveness, agility for a startup)
For a new business, I'd choose the Public Cloud model for its rapid scalability and cost-efficiency. AWS services would be Amazon S3 for storage, AWS Lambda and API Gateway for the backend, and either Amazon RDS or DynamoDB for the database.