Cloud Computing: Cloud computing is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient,
on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable
computing resources (e.g.,
networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that
can be rapidly provisioned and
released with minimal management effort or service provider
interaction. The three main
Cloud Computing models are Infrastructure as a Service
(IaaS), Software as a Service
(SaaS), and Platform as a Service (PaaS).
Cloud Backup: Cloud backup is the process of backing up data
to a remote cloud-based
server.
Cloud Broker: A third-party entity (individual or
institution) that acts like an
intermediary and facilitates the selection of Cloud
Computing services on behalf of the
Organization.
Cloud Migration: Cloud migration is the process of
transferring all of or a part of an
organization‟s data, applications, and services from
on-premise to the cloud or within the
clouds.
Cloud Native: Applications developed specifically for cloud
platforms.
Cloud Service Provider (CSP): A Cloud Service Provider (CSP)
is a company that
offers a Cloud Computing service, such as PaaS, IaaS, or
SaaS, to individuals or
businesses.
Cloud Sourcing: Cloud sourcing is the act of migrating all
or a part of traditional onpremise IT operations to cloud services or within
the cloud based services to meet
business objectives.
Cloud Storage: Cloud storage is a model of computer storage
in which data is stored in
facilities (often multiple facilities) managed by a hosting
company (Cloud Service
Provider) and is accessed remotely by the user via a
network.
Community Cloud: The cloud infrastructure is provisioned for
exclusive use by a
specific community of consumers from the Organization that
have shared concerns (e.g.,
mission, security requirements, policy, and compliance
considerations). It may be
owned, managed, and operated by one or more of the
Organization in the community, a
third party, or some combination of them, and it may exist
on or off premises.
Container: A container is a virtualization instance in which
the kernel of an operating
system allows for multiple isolated user-space instances.
Unlike Virtual Machines
(VMs), containers do not need to run a full-blown Operating
System (OS) image for each
instance. Instead, containers are able to run separate
instances of an application within a
single shared OS.
Content Delivery Network (CDN): A Content Delivery Network
(CDN) is a network of
distributed services that deliver content to a user based on
the user‟s geographic
proximity to servers. CDNs allow speedy content delivery for
websites with high traffic
volume or large geographic reach.
Elasticity: In Cloud Computing, elasticity is a term used to
reference the ability of a
system to adapt to changing workload demand by provisioning
and de-provisioning
pooled resources so that provisioned resources match current
demand.
Extensibility: The ability of a cloud solution to add new
runtime and framework support
via community build packs.
External Cloud: A private or public customized cloud
solution provided by a third-party
outside the Organizations to meet client requirements.
Host Machine: A host machine is a piece of physical hardware
that hosts virtual
machines.
Hybrid Cloud: A hybrid cloud is a Cloud Computing
environment that is comprised of
a mix of private cloud, public cloud, and on-premises
solutions. In a hybrid cloud,
private and public cloud infrastructures remain distinct
from one another but are bound
together by technology that allows data and services
portability between them.
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): Infrastructure as a
Service (IaaS) is a model of
Cloud Computing in which the vendor hosts virtualized
computing resources, as well as
network and storage resources, and provides them to the user
as a service via the internet.
Internal Cloud: A Cloud Computing service model that is
implemented within the
Organizations‟ physical boundaries using dedicated resources
and IT infrastructure. It is
basically a private cloud instance meant ideally for in-house use.
Managed Service Provider (MSP): A Managed Services Provider
(MSP) is an IT
services provider that provides fully outsourced network,
application, and system
services across a network to clients.
Microservices: Microservices or microservice architecture is
a way of designing
applications in which complex applications are built out of
a suite of small,
independently deployable services. These „microservices‟ run
their own processes and
communicate with one another using lightweight mechanisms
such as language-agnostic
APIs. Microservices are independently deployable and
scalable, and can even be written
in different languages.
Multi-Cloud: A multi-cloud strategy is the concurrent use of
separate Cloud Service
Providers for different infrastructure, platform, or software
needs. A multi-cloud
approach can help prevent vendor lock-in, and may help an
enterprise deal with diverse
workloads as well as partners. However, a multi-cloud
approach can complicate many
processes, such as security and governance, and a Cloud management
platform is
recommended for this approach.
Multi-Tenancy: Multi-Tenancy is a mode of operation for
software in which multiple
instances of one or many applications run in a shared
environment. In a Cloud
Computing model, pooled physical and virtual resources are
dynamically assigned and
reassigned to tenants according to consumer demand.
On-Demand Self-Service: A Cloud Computing service model by
which a customer can
provision additional cloud resources on-demand, without
involving the service provider.
Resources are typically provisioned through an online
control panel.
On-Premise Technology: On-Premise technology is software or
infrastructure that is
run on computers on the premises (in the building) of the
person or the Organization
using the software or infrastructure.
Platform as a Service (PaaS): Platform as a Service (PaaS)
is a model of Cloud
Computing in which a vendor provides the hardware and
software tools necessary to
create, deploy and manage applications at scale to the user
via the internet, as a service.
Private Cloud: A private cloud is a cloud infrastructure
that is provisioned for use by
single organization comprised of multiple users. A private
cloud is managed and
operated by the organization, a third party, or some
combination of them, and it can exist
on or off premises.
Public Cloud: A public cloud is a cloud infrastructure that
is hosted by cloud services
provider and is made available to the public via internet.
Scalability: Scalability is the ability of a process, system, or framework to handle a growing workload. In other words, a scalable system is adaptable to increasing demands. The ability to scale on demand is one of the biggest advantages of Cloud Computing.
Service Level Agreement (SLA): A service level agreement
(SLA) is a contractual
agreement between a customer and a Service Provider which
defines the level of service,
availability and performance guaranteed by the Service
Provider.
Function as a service (FaaS)/ Serverless Computing: It is a
platform for providing
compute, storage, and network resources without the need of
managing machines. In this
execution model, the cloud provider runs the server and
dynamically allocates
machine resources without worrying about the underlying
infrastructure.
Software as a Service (SaaS): Software as a service (SaaS),
is a model of Cloud
Computing in which applications (software) are hosted by a
vendor and provided to the
user as a service. SaaS applications are licensed on a
subscription basis and are made
available to users over a network, typically the internet.
Because SaaS applications can
be accessed at any time, at any place, and on any platform,
they have become a popular
model for delivery of many business applications.
Vendor Lock-in: Vendor lock-in is when a customer finds
themselves “locked-in” or
stuck with a certain Cloud Service Provider (CSP). Vendor
lock-in is characterized by
extreme difficulty in moving from one cloud vendor to
another, usually due to lack of
standardized protocols, APIs, data structures, and service models.
Vertical Cloud: A vertical cloud is a Cloud Computing
solution that is built or
optimized for a specific business vertical such as
manufacturing, financial services, or
healthcare.
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI): Virtual desktop
infrastructure (VDI) is a
desktop operating system hosted within a virtual machine.
Virtual Machine (VM): A virtual machine is a software
computer that runs an operating
system or application environment, just as physical hardware
would. The end-user has
the same experience on a VM as on dedicated hardware.
Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM): The program that is used to
manage processor
scheduling and physical memory allocation. It creates
virtual machines by partitioning
the actual resources, and interfaces the underlying hardware
(virtual operating platform)
to all operating systems (both host and guest).