There would be only a few businesses that could survive without technology in the modern day and age. Here in Dubai or anywhere else in UAE even if you are a small grocery store you would still be needing a POS any business bigger than that can’t even perform their day-to-day operations without utilizing some kind of technology. For example, the modern retail industry, healthcare sector, education sector, manufacturing industries, financial institutions, private and public offices, government departments and any other business sector that one can think of is impossible without utilizing technology. The technology has become the foundation of a modern business, whether it is a simple digital/computerized sales system for a small grocery store or a sophisticated AI (artificial intelligence) based software solutions for the manufacturing industry, every business needs some kind of technology to operate effectively and efficiently. This is because the complete marketplaces have evolved, everything become quicker and the need of information and data has risen greatly. The digitalization and automation has become the backbone of the businesses and offers great advantages.
It is not that the demand and need of integration of the technology have increased but the technology have also evolved over the time. Earlier what was done using paper and pencils is now been done through computers, the bulky files and ledgers have been replaced by the computer files and online data networks. The time that was required to search from manual registers and files could be from a few minutes to a few hours, or even longer for large scale organizations. This time has now been reduced to a few seconds, the efforts that required to go through tons of paper files have been reduced to a few buttons on a keyboard and a few clicks. This is what motivated businesses to replace old paper-pen processes with digital and more convenient processes. Over the time the technology have evolved from an advantage to need and now it has become an essential for a business. Without implementing adequate technological solutions a business can’t sustain its operations anymore. The cloud computing is one of the most modern and highly efficient solution to the modern day’s needs and problems. In this blog we will discuss how it works and the different types of cloud computing to help our audience chose the right solution for their needs.
What is Cloud Computing?
A cloud computing is an on-demand based service that offers computing resources, storage capacity and databases and doesn’t require any direct user management. The on-demand availability also offers a pay-as-you-go business model which is very beneficial for the businesses hence they don’t have to deploy and manage physical data centers, servers or networks. Basically the cloud computing enables businesses to consume IT resources as a utility, hence they will only have to pay for what they are using without any worry about any limitations or technology barriers which are present in all other hosted services’ business models. The cloud computing allow the client devices to access the data center and all its resources such as computing power, storage or databases from a remote location while the physical data center is located at a different location. The cloud computing is used by individuals and businesses to store their data, or set a backup or disaster recovery, access computing resources, test and implement software and customer facing applications. In a nutshell the cloud computing allow you to access high-end computer resources and data centers which are not physically located at your location. Above all the cost of a cloud computing solution is far less than managing your own data centers and physical servers.
How Cloud Computing Works?
There are two parts of the cloud computing system, the frontend and the backend, the frontend is the client who use browsers, internet or other tools to access the backend which is the computer resources, network, storage and databases at a remotely located physical data center. Hence the backend not only serve as a storage that can be accessed by the client through frontend but the backend also provide additional features which allow the client to deploy different software and applications as per their needs. The communication between the backend and frontend is automatically managed by a mainframe or central physical computer server which is also located in the actual physical data center. This central server follows pre-set protocols, software and specialized tools to facilitate the data transfer between the client and the physical server. The cloud computing heavily rely on automation and virtualization which enables it to offer intuitive self-service features for the users. It is the automation and virtualization that make cloud computing the most convenient and appealing service model for all types and sizes of the businesses. The cloud computing also offer easy access to a large variety of technology and platform which is extremely expensive and nearly impossible in case of a traditional data-center environment.
Different Types of Cloud Computing Services
The cloud computing is a highly advanced technology and due to overwhelming global adaptation the research and development processes has greatly improved and now the cloud computing is becoming more reliable, improved, fast and convenient day-by-day. The rapid and large-scale adaptation also make the technology accessible for small and medium size businesses and in Dubai and all around the UAE the cloud computing is getting popular among all types and sizes of the businesses. The market signals are showing that this trend will continue for 2023 and even beyond. When it comes to the types of the cloud computing there are different aspects that differentiate one cloud computing platform from the other. There are two distinct classifications based on the deployment models and the service models. Here are different types of cloud computing based on these two classifications:
Types of Cloud Computing on the Bases of Deployment Models
The cloud deployment model is basically what defines the services you will be able to use and who should be responsible for managing them and it also dictates the terms for the relationship between the cloud architecture and the users. Most of the times when we think about cloud we think that it is about utilizing the computer resources, storage, databases and network which are managed by the service provider and the business who uses them has nothing to do with the management and responsibilities of the actual data center. However, that is just one type of the deployment model, there are several other types of cloud computing deployment models. Here are the most widely used cloud computing deployment models:
Cloud Computing Deployment Models: Public Cloud
The public cloud deployment method is one of the most widely used in Dubai and all around the UAE in fact all around the world, it is easiest to manage and it is also the most cost-efficient cloud computing deployment model. The public cloud deployment model means that you will be using all the computing resources that you need without managing the physical hardware, network or data centers and these will be managed solely by the service provider. The public clouds are available for general public, it means that anyone can use it and there will be other businesses who will also be using the same physical hardware and resources. That is why it is also referred to as multitenant or multitenancy model. The biggest advantages of a public cloud is its flexibility to resource utilization, efficiency and low cost. Usually businesses opt for a public cloud for their heavy-load applications and software. However, in any real scenario the peak load occurs only for a limited time during the day or any other time interval. In order to effectively deal with the peak load a business will have to equip its servers, networks, etc. with the capacity to bear the peak load. It also means that for most of the time your infrastructure and resources will be unutilized, and in order to handle the peak load effectively you will have to invest a lot in the infrastructure which can raise the cost to several time. However, the public cloud on the other hand will only cost you just a fraction of that and will effectively handle your peak load with ability to automatically scale up or down the resources you need.
Cloud Computing Deployment Models: Private Cloud
As the name suggests, the private cloud is totally different form the public cloud as in case of a private cloud only one organization or enterprise will be using a dedicated cloud computing environment and no hardware or resources will be shared with any other business or enterprise. It might looks like the private cloud is similar to the local/in-premises data center however, the key difference between a data center and a private cloud is the methods and technologies used for the management and resource provisioning. Furthermore the private cloud also offer high-level security as the only tenant of the environment will be your organization so the chances of exposing the sensitive data are slim to none. The private cloud also offer more control and authority over the environment and it is far more cost-efficient than the traditional in-premises data centers. Although the cost is higher comparing to a public cloud but the private cloud offers highest levels of security and data protection along with added benefits of a public cloud environment and easy access to resources for scalability and other needs. The private cloud will allow you to utilize resources like a public cloud, but it will offer exclusivity of tenancy, and dedicated hardware resources which are isolated from other tenants. Usually a public cloud provider can also offer you a private cloud service by isolating your hardware and resources from the rest of the cloud. The biggest advantage is that you don’t have to acquire any hardware and you don’t have to worry about the management of the hardware but you will still get the dedicated hardware for your needs.
Cloud Computing Deployment Models: Hybrid Cloud
The hybrid cloud deployment is a combination of both public and private cloud models. As businesses in Dubai and all around the UAE have already done considerable investments in their in-premises data centers, it is nearly impossible to discard all that immediately and move on to a purely cloud computing environment. Apart from the cost factor there are other limitation too, such as some businesses are using customized software and application which are not always compatible with the cloud computing environment, some businesses are still using outdated tools in their local networks, which might not be able to migrate to a cloud and so on. The hybrid cloud deployment model allow businesses to utilize a public cloud alongside with their in-premises hardware and establish a strong connection between their public cloud and in-premises data center so the both works as a single system. Businesses also adopt to a hybrid cloud model to slowly transition from the in-premises data center to a cloud computing environment. This transition can be slow and gradual and businesses can slowly move their entire environment over the years to cloud. Another very common reason to opt for a hybrid cloud computing environment is due to the security requirements, some businesses and organizations can never operate in public cloud due to their strict data protection needs and policies that is why they chose a hybrid cloud computing environment to leverage the benefits of the both cloud and the in-premises data centers.
Cloud Computing Deployment Models: Multi-Cloud
The multi-cloud deployment method is somewhat similar to the hybrid cloud deployment method. As the name suggests, the multi-cloud deployment means a business is using multiple cloud services from multiple vendors and there is an established connection between these cloud environments. Majorly there are only two reasons a business opts for a multi-cloud deployment, first is if they need one service from one cloud service provider and another service from another cloud service provider. Another reason to opt for a multi-cloud deployment method is to maximize the redundancy of the software and applications you are hosting in the cloud environment. In 2023 there has been several technological advancements and the cloud service providers have significantly improved the availability of their public clouds however, there are certain sensitive applications and software which require more redundancy and higher availability that is why the multi-cloud is a better option to maximize the redundancy of the hosted software or application. Furthermore different cloud computing platform have different pricing model and offer different cost-to-value ratios. For example, the Microsoft SQL server could be much more cost-efficient with the Microsoft Azure than with any other cloud service provider and so on. Similarly different cloud service providers offer different services which is why a business opts for multiple cloud service providers to optimize the cost and the benefits of their cloud environment.
Cloud Computing Deployment Models: Community Cloud
The community cloud is a slightly less common type of cloud computing deployment method. In community cloud there are multiple businesses who uses same cloud, but the number of users is limited. As there are multiple businesses who can use this cloud hence it is not a private cloud, but as it is not available for public but only for a limited number of businesses or organizations so it is not a public cloud either. The community cloud deployment is something in between public cloud and private cloud deployment methods. The community cloud deployment is used by the businesses with almost similar concerns and interests, all businesses who are member of the community follow same set of security protocols. The community cloud is usually owned and managed by a member of the community or multiple members of the community. It can also be owned and operated by a third-party or it can be managed and operated by a combination of both third-party and community members. The community cloud can be on-premises or at a remote location as well. The hardware and all resources are shared by the community members and the community cloud is set as per the requirements of the members, although in a realistic scenario there could be a few tradeoffs for the community member in order to optimize the environment’s features and cost. Some cloud service provider also utilize virtualization and automation to design a software-based communities by isolating certain hardware infrastructure and making it exclusive for the community members.
Types of Cloud Computing on the Bases ofService Models
The cloud deployment models are about the cloud architecture and resource management, regardless of what deployment method you opt for there are several cloud services that a business will be needing to utilize the cloud, these services are based on the needs and requirements. For example let say you need to use Apache and MySQL, you can acquire a cloud VM machine which will allow you to install both Apache and MySQL in the server, in that case you will be responsible for managing these two services, such as optimizing them, updating them and upgrading them, etc. However, you can also acquire a cloud where the Apache and MySQL are offered as services, in that case the cloud service provider will be responsible for optimizing, managing, updating or upgrading the Apache and MySQL for you. There are several other different methods of utilizing the cloud computing resources. Here are the most popular cloud service models:
Cloud Computing Service Models: Infrastructure as a Service or IaaS
The infrastructure as a service or IaaS is one of the most popular service model. As the name suggests you will acquire a cloud where all the hardware, servers, networks and storage is managed by the cloud service provider or vendor and you will have to do the rest. The infrastructure as a service or IaaS model will offer you full control even the ability to install the operating system of your choice on the servers and will allow you to manage each and every installation, software or services you want to implement on the servers without being worrying about managing the hardware, servers, networks or storage. If you need high-level access and full control to the servers and their operating system, then the infrastructure as a service or IaaS is much more cost-efficient comparing to having an in-premises data center. Under infrastructure as a service or IaaS service model the vendor or cloud service provider is responsible for managing the hardware and ensuring a high-availability infrastructure to the users/businesses who are opting for IaaS service model. All popular cloud service providers offers great tools to install any operating system of your choice within minutes and you can also have a VM up and running in minutes without worrying about additional resources or upfront cost for the machine. The infrastructure as a service or IaaS service models are ideal for deploying software and application that usually require an on-premises like control and configurations, as the IaaS will provide you full control over everything. The IaaS are also very popular for building high redundancy environment, setting up backup and recovery solutions or creating clone or test environments.
Cloud Computing Service Models: Platform as a Service or PaaS
The platform as a service or PaaS cloud service model is one of the most commonly used service model and is fairly popular among small and medium sized enterprises in Dubai and all around the UAE. The platform as a service or PaaS service model offer a cloud platform where the hardware, network, servers, storage, operating systems and the software installed on the servers are controlled, managed and maintained by the cloud service provider or vendor. The businesses can utilize the platform as a service with added advantages of the dynamic scaling at a low cost billing plans. The greatest strength of the platform as a service or PaaS is that it offer a highly efficient, optimized and well-managed platform however, the biggest drawback of the platform as a service or PaaS is that it limits you to one platform. However, you can install whatever you want to install in that platform or you can deploy you required software and applications that runs on that platform. The maintenance, updates, upgrades, hardware, network and even the security is managed by the cloud service provider which makes it much easier for smaller and medium sized enterprises to utilize a platform with seamless performance and highly flexible scalability features. The platform as a service or PaaS support only one development environment or programming method and offer great performance along with automated backup and recovery services. The platform as a service or PaaS is a highly cost-effective cloud computing service.
Cloud Computing Service Models: Software as a Service of SaaS
The software as a service or SaaS is a cloud service model with which all layers of the cloud are managed by the cloud service provider or the vendor, a business or user has to do nothing in order to make prepare, manage or control the environment, in fact they can use it right way without doing anything. All of the hardware infrastructure, networks, servers, storages, and everything is managed by the cloud service provider, they also manages the operating system and any other software that you might be needing to install on the servers. The backup, security patches, upgrades, updates, data protection, backups, redundancy, recovery, etc. everything is the cloud service provider’s responsibility. The biggest advantage of the software as a service or SaaS service model is that it completely set you free from any technical management task, everything is managed by the vendor itself. For example if you need a Microsoft SQL or MySQL server, all you need to acquire it, there is no need to setup, install or configure anything, you can start storing data right away. However, the biggest disadvantage of software as a service or SaaS is that it is difficult to migrate to other servers from one server or from one service provider to another service provider. The software as a service or SaaS offers high level of security and data protection, it offers more convenient experience and it is very easy to operate. Usually the cloud service providers use software as a service or SaaS to offer specific applications or software on subscription bases, which makes it cost-efficient but the scalability and upgrades depends on the service provider.
Cloud Computing Service Models: Function as a Service or FaaS
The function as a service or FaaS is also knows as server-less cloud computing service model. The function as a service or FaaS is usually utilized by the software and application development teams. It allow development teams to develop, test, run and manage software application in a cloud computing environment. The development team doesn’t have to worry about the minute details of the server management, or its operating system or anything else. The fully-managed cloud computing servers are provided hence the complexity associated to server logistics is eliminated from the software development, operation and management processes. The function as a service is a relatively newer cloud computing platform but it offers great value. It allow application developers and architects to deploy any individual function without getting involve into the server and network management tasks or anything of that sort. Hence the web servers, operating system, networks and all hardware is managed by the cloud computing service provider the software or app developers can focus on more important things that are needed for the development process.That is also why it is called Serverless cloud computing platform. The function as a service or FaaS also offer dynamic scaling and allow automatic upscale and downscale which means that the businesses will only have to pay for the resources which they used at one point or another.
Key Advantages of Cloud Computing Services
The cloud computing services have gain huge popularity in past decade in Dubai and all around the UAE. Businesses in the country are utilizing several modern technologies however, the hosting and cloud computing is something that was mostly not available in the country, however, now the cloud services are available within the UAE and the service providers also have data centers located within UAE. The modern cloud computing platforms are offering great advantages for local and multi-national businesses in the country. Here are some key advantages of the cloud computing:
- The cloud computing services offer the software development teams to quickly test their innovative ideas and quickly market their products without being worried about the lengthy hardware procurement processes or time consuming tasks such as setting up the environment for their new applications.
- Another great advantage of cloud computing is its flexible approach towards scalability, a business can easily upscale or downscale their resources, computing power, storage or network without worrying about the hardware management or any such problem.
- The cloud computing services also offer high-level security and data protection and make your data available to you or your employees from anywhere in the world. The ability to offer almost all on-premises datacenter’s features via online can help businesses drive agility to their processes and methods.
- The cloud computing services are much more cost-efficient than a local or in-premises data center. Above all the upgrades, server management, and the hardware management and maintenance, everything is taken care by the cloud service provider.
- The cloud computing services offer advanced levels of security as they have access to the highly-skilled security staff, and they keep the hardware, software, operating systems, networks and everything in between up-to-date all the time.
- The cloud computing services offers great data recovery, backup and disaster management policies and processes. The data is stored carefully on multiple locations, the recovery process is much faster and great features to deal with hardware failures to prevent data loss.
- The cloud computing services can offer full control at your applications, sensitive data, hardware, operating system, security features and other relevant features. Above all it can also offer any level of control as per your needs and availability of the technical skills. If you don’t want to manage the infrastructure you can get fully-managed cloud computing environments.
Businesses in Dubai and all around the UAE in 2023 will keep on adopting cloud computing solutions due to its excellent flexibility, management, control and highly cost-efficient payment plans.
Conclusion
The technology and IT solutions have become an essential part of a modern business’s operations. No business can properly function without aiding from digital and technological solutions. Every business needs a robust, reliable and cost-efficient IT infrastructure, however, building and maintain in-premises data centers is a very expensive and complex ordeal. The technology is rapidly advancing, the IT infrastructure also has to be updated and upgraded over the time. The cloud is one of the best solution for modern needs and fast-paced advancements in the IT industry. Furthermore it is very expensive to operate an in-premises data center, the online hosting platforms are inefficient and have certain limitations. However, the cloud is a highly user-friendly and most flexible platform, if you don’t want to get engaged in hardware, server, network and storage management, you will get it done by the cloud service provider, if you need only a software as a service, you can get it with cloud. If you want to gain control of the operating system of your server or any layer of the infrastructure, it can be done easily with the cloud-computing platforms.
The cloud computing platform also allow businesses to use IT resources as a utility and only pay for what you need and use. These benefits make it far more superior than traditional hosting and in-house data center management practices. The purpose of this blog was to help our audience understand the cloud computing platforms and difference between different types of cloud computing. If you want to learn more about the subject or if you want our help to support you in acquiring a cloud computing solution for your business, please feel free to contact us through our Contact Us page or leave a comment in the comment box below and we will get in touch with you soon.
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