I recently started learning DevOps and cloud computing, and one thing I realized very quickly is that cloud basics sound complicated — until you explain them simply.
This post is part of a beginner-friendly series where I share what I’m learning as I go. No expert talk, no buzzwords — just practical understanding from someone who’s getting started.
What the Cloud Actually Means
At its core, cloud computing means:
On-demand delivery of IT resources over the internet with pay-as-you-go pricing.
Let’s break that down in simple terms.
🔹 On-demand delivery
You get resources when you need them.
You don’t have to plan months ahead or buy hardware upfront. If you need a server right now, you can create one in minutes. If you don’t need it anymore, you can delete it.
🔹 IT resources
These are the building blocks you usually need to run applications, such as:
- Servers (virtual machines)
- Databases
- Storage
- Networking components (load balancers, firewalls, etc.)
Instead of owning these physically, you rent them from a cloud provider.
🔹 Over the internet
Cloud resources are accessed over the internet.
As long as you have an internet connection, you can manage your infrastructure from anywhere in the world.
🔹 Pay-as-you-go pricing
You pay only for what you use.
If a server runs for one hour, you pay for one hour. If it’s stopped, you usually don’t pay for compute anymore. This flexibility is powerful — but it also means you need to be careful with unused resources.
What are virtual machines?
VMs provide flexibility, and are foundational to cloud computing, enabling multiple virtual servers on single hardware.
A virtual machine (VM) is a software-based computer that runs inside a physical computer (the "host"), allowing you to run an entire operating system (like Windows on a Mac, or Linux on Windows) and its applications in an isolated environment, using a portion of the host's hardware resources (CPU, RAM, storage).
If you have a powerful server, you wouldn’t want to dedicate it to just one OS. Virtualization allows you to split that server’s resources to run multiple VMs, each with its own operating system, efficiently using the hardware.
Types of Cloud Services
Cloud services are generally divided into three models, based on what the provider manages versus what the user controls:
🔹 IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)
IaaS provides virtualized computing resources over the internet. You rent servers, storage, and networks, but you manage the operating system and applications yourself.
Examples: AWS, GCP, Azure
🔹 PaaS (Platform as a Service)
PaaS provides a platform for developing and running applications without managing the underlying servers, storage, or networking — the provider takes care of the infrastructure.
Examples: Heroku, Google App Engine
🔹 SaaS (Software as a Service)
SaaS delivers fully managed software applications over the cloud. You use the software without worrying about infrastructure or platform management.
Examples: Gmail, Dropbox, Slack
Why you can try it
- Flexible, pay-as-you-go costs instead of fixed expenses.
- Lower maintenance and running costs compared to owning hardware.
- Scale capacity up or down without worrying about servers.
- Elasticity — automatically scale resources up or down to meet changing demand.
- Agility — quickly allocate resources, adapt to changing workloads, and rapidly test & deploy applications.
Wrap Up
Cloud computing might seem complex at first, but breaking it down into simple concepts like on-demand resources, virtualization, and benefits makes it much easier to understand.
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