Cloud computing refers to the delivery of computing services over the Internet, allowing businesses and individuals to access and utilize a range of resources without the need for direct management of physical hardware. These services include computing power, storage, databases, networking, artificial intelligence, and more, all available on demand from cloud providers.
Key Services in Cloud Computing
Cloud computing encompasses a wide array of services that enable users to build, deploy, and manage applications efficiently. Some of the essential cloud services include:
- Compute: Cloud providers offer virtual machines and containers that allow users to run applications without maintaining physical servers. This flexibility helps businesses scale their infrastructure as needed. For more details, see topic 22.
- Networking: Cloud computing enables secure and efficient data transfer between resources. Services such as virtual networks, load balancers, and content delivery networks (CDNs) help optimize performance and security. Learn more in topic 26.
- Storage: Cloud storage solutions allow users to store, retrieve, and manage data at scale. These services include object storage, file storage, and block storage, each serving different use cases. See topic 28 for comparisons of Azure storage services.
- Databases: Cloud providers offer fully managed database services, including relational and NoSQL databases, eliminating the need for complex database administration.
- Internet of Things (IoT): Cloud computing enables IoT solutions by providing scalable platforms for processing and analyzing data from connected devices.
- Big Data and Analytics: Businesses can leverage cloud-based analytics and machine learning tools to gain insights from large volumes of data.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI): Cloud platforms offer AI and machine learning services that help organizations integrate advanced capabilities like speech recognition, image processing, and predictive analytics into their applications.
- Serverless Computing: Serverless solutions allow developers to run code without provisioning or managing infrastructure. The cloud provider dynamically allocates resources as needed. Learn more in “AZ-900: Describe serverless computing”.
- DevOps Solutions: Cloud computing supports DevOps practices by providing tools for continuous integration, delivery, and monitoring.
The Pay-as-You-Go Pricing Model
One of the most significant advantages of cloud computing is its pay-as-you-go pricing model. Unlike traditional on-premises infrastructure, where organizations must invest in hardware upfront, cloud computing allows businesses to “rent” services only for the duration they are used. This model helps optimize costs and reduces capital expenditures, making cloud computing a cost-effective solution for businesses of all sizes.
If you know that you need something for an extended period of time (say, a year), you can also reserve cloud capacity by paying in advance, reducing your cost. To explore cloud pricing models, see “AZ-900: Compare cloud pricing models”.
Global Reach and Availability
Cloud computing services are hosted in data centers around the world, providing users with global accessibility. Cloud providers operate multiple regions and availability zones, ensuring high availability, redundancy, and disaster recovery options. This global infrastructure enables businesses to deploy applications closer to their customers, improving performance and reliability. To understand how Azure regions and availability zones contribute to cloud resilience, see topic 15 and topic 16.
Cloud computing is the foundation of modern IT infrastructure, providing scalable and flexible solutions that empower businesses to innovate and grow. For more insights into cloud computing and its benefits, refer to “AZ-900: Describe the benefits of high availability and scalability in the cloud“.
To learn more, see our AZ-900 video course, or go back to the AZ-900 requirements.