Community Cloud: Transform Your Business
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, whereby shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a metered service over a network—typically the Internet. Computing clouds provide computation, software, data access, and storage resources without requiring cloud users to know the location and other details of the computing infrastructure. Within limits, cloud users can consume any amount of these resources without having first to acquire servers or other computing equipment. End users access cloud-based applications through a web browser or a light weight desktop or mobile app while the business software and data are stored on servers at a remote location. Cloud application providers strive to give the same or better service and performance as if the software programs were installed locally on end-user computers.
At the foundation of cloud computing is the broader concept of infrastructure convergence and shared services. This type of data centre environment allows enterprises to get their applications up and running faster, with easier manageability and less maintenance; it also enables IT professionals to more rapidly adjust IT resources to meet changing business demand. Commercial offerings may be required to meet service-level agreements (SLAs), but specific terms are less often negotiated by smaller companies.
There are four main ways of deploying a cloud. A public cloud is one based on the standard cloud computing model, in which a service provider makes resources, such as applications and storage, available to the general public over the Internet.
Public cloud services may be free or offered on a pay-per-usage model
A Community cloud shares infrastructure between several organizations from a specific community with common concerns. The Cloud Hosting in this deployment can be done internally, externally, or by a third-party. The costs are spread over fewer users than a public cloud (but more than a private cloud), so only some of the cost savings potential of cloud computing are realized.
Another kind of cloud deployment is a hybrid cloud. A hybrid cloud is a composition of two or more clouds (private, community, or public) that remain unique entities but are bound together, offering the benefits of multiple deployment models. It can also be defined as multiple cloud systems that are connected in a way that allows programs and data to be moved easily from one deployment system to another.
A private cloud is the fourth way of deployment. A private cloud is infrastructure operated solely for a single organization, whether managed internally or by a third-party and hosted internally or externally.
Cloud hosting involves providing cloud infrastructure as a service. This is typically done by delivering a virtual environment that includes data storage and networking capability. Rather than purchasing servers, software, data-center space or network equipment, clients instead buy those resources as a fully outsourced service. Suppliers typically bill such services on a utility computing basis; the amount of resources consumed (and therefore the cost) will typically reflect the level of activity. Given the popularity of cloud services, many cloud hosting services have emerged over the past decade.