Cloud Computing Basics: A Non-Technical Introduction

✍ Scribed by Anders Lisdorf

• Publisher: Apress
• Year: 2021
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 198
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Regardless of where your organization is in your cloud journey, moving to the cloud is an inevitability in the coming years. The cloud is here to stay, and now is the best time to identify optimal strategies to harness the benefits and mitigate the risks. Cloud Computing Basics is the practical, accessible entry point you have been seeking.
Get an introduction to the basics of cloud computing and all five major cloud platforms. Author Anders Lisdorf ensures that you gain a fundamental cloud vocabulary and learn how to translate industry terms used by different vendors. Leveraging the economic and security benefits that the cloud provides can look very different for each organization, and Lisdorf uses his expertise to help you adapt your strategy accordingly.
Cloud Computing Basics is here to bring your organization into the future. Whether you are a beginner on the topic or a tech leader kick-starting change within your company, this book provides essential insights for cloud adoption and its benefits for our modern digital era. Do not get left behind, and add Cloud Computing Basics to your tech bookshelf today.

What You Will Learn

• Understand what the cloud is and how it differs from traditional on-premise solutions
• Gain a fundamental cloud vocabulary and learn how to translate between it and the terms used by different vendors
• Know the main components of the cloud and how they are used
• Be aware of the vendors in the cloud market, their strengths and weaknesses, and what to expect from them
• Tailor the optimal cloud solution to the organizational context
• Study different approaches to cloud adoption and the contexts in which they are suitable so you can determine how your organization will get the most benefit from the cloud

Who This Book Is For

A general business audience that wants to catch up on the basics of cloud computing in order to have informed conversations with technical professionals and vendors. The book is for anyone interested in a deeper understanding of what the cloud is, where it came from, and how it will impact every organization in the future. A basic understanding of information technology helps, but is not required.

✦ Table of Contents

Contents
About the Author
About the Technical Reviewers
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1: Cloud Foundations
The History of the Term “Cloud”
Why a Cloud?
The Origin of the Term “Cloud”
The Birth of the Cloud Computing Concept
Definitions of Cloud Computing
Essential Characteristics
Service Models
Deployment Models
Toward a Concept of the Cloud
The Cloud as a Utility
Product
Path Dependency
Transferability
Configuration
Service Continuity
Regulation
Is the Cloud a Utility? Or More Like a Supermarket?
The Cloud as a Service
The Cloud as Layers
Summary
Chapter 2: Why Cloud?
The Cloud Is the Future
Drivers for Cloud Adoption
Economy
CAPEX to OPEX
Total Cost of Ownership
Economies of Scale
Security
Keeping Up with Threats
Keeping Information Safe
Resilience
Scalability
Focus
Agility
Sustainability
Summary
Chapter 3: The Genealogy of Cloud Computing
Origin of the Computer
Computing Machines
The Binary Paradigm
Digital vs. Analog
Tubes, Transistors, and Integrated Circuits
The Microprocessor
The Origin of Interfaces
Punch Cards to Terminals
Timesharing and the Client/Server Paradigm
Remote Connections
The Origin of Communication
ARPANET and TCP/IP
World Wide Web
The Origin of Software
Operating Systems
Virtualization
Containers
Databases
Business Software
Summary
Chapter 4: IBM
The History of IBM
Building Business Machines
The Beginnings of the Computer
The Commoditization of Computing and the Downfall of IBM
The Switch to Services, Software, and Hosting
Entering the Cloud
IBM’s Profile
Recurring Revenue Rather Than Sales
Preference for Big Customers
Development, Patents Market Dominance
Long-Term Relationship with Customers
Holistic Focus
Setting the Standards
Dedication to Research
Fast Follower
Ubiquitous Presence
Summary
Chapter 5: Oracle
The History of Oracle
Database Beginnings
The Fearsome Oracle Salesforce
The Internet and the Future of Computing
One Application to Run Your Business
Hardware and Appliances and … the Cloud
Oracle Cloud
Oracle’s Profile
Great Technological Vision
A Focus on Cutting Edge Engineering
Exaggerated Marketing
Creative Sales
Complex Contracts and Incentives
A Willingness to Release Buggy Software Early
Market Leader
Build or Buy and Integrate
Summary
Chapter 6: Microsoft
The History of Microsoft
Software Will Rule the World
Becoming the Operating System of the Personal Computer
Applications for Non-Programmers
The Internet
Hitting Refresh
Building the Cloud Platform for the Future
Microsoft’s Profile
Fast Follower
Release Early and Repair
Ecosystem Builder
Enterprise Ready
Focus on Foundational Technologies
Summary
Chapter 7: Amazon
The History of Amazon
Origins
Surviving the Dot-Com Crash
Reorientation
Building Primitives
Amazon’s Profile
Business Over Technology
Low Margins and High Volume
Decentralized and Autonomous Teams
Advance Through Experiments
Simple, Modular Design
Focus on the Customer Experience
Technical Innovator and Open Source Contributor
Summary
Chapter 8: Google
The History of Google
The Science Project
Searching for a Thesis Subject
The Quest for Speed and Scale
Making Money, Too Much of It
Building Data Centers
Applications in the Cloud
Entering the Cloud Platform Business
Google’s Profile
Machines over Humans
Usability over Features
Speed and Scale
Technocracy
Open Source Driver
Long Tail
In Beta Until Perfect
Summary
Chapter 9: Cloud Vendor Profiles
Cloud Profiling
Customer Orientation
Assessment
Vision
Assessment
Product Packaging
Assessment
End User Target
Assessment
Cloud Focus
Assessment
Summary
Chapter 10: Cloud Technology
Infrastructure Services
Networks
Compute
The Anatomy of a Digital Computer
Types of Compute
Types of Instances
Bare-Metal Servers
Virtual Machines
Containers
Corresponding Compute Terms and Services
Storage
Corresponding Storage Terms and Services
Platform Services
Data Services
Middleware
Analytics
Application Services
Operational Services
Serverless Functions
Software Services
What Is Characteristic About SaaS?
Modular Solutions
Human Resources
Finance and Accounting
Sales
Customer Service Support
Marketing
Productivity
Integrated Suites
Summary
Chapter 11: Securing the Cloud
What Does “Secure” Mean?
Security Is the Ability to Mitigate the Negative Impact of a System Breach
Mitigation Has a Cost
You Can Never Achieve 100% Protection and Still Have a Useful System
The Job at Hand Is Not Just to Secure But to Balance Security and Utility
How Does Cloud Security Differ?
Tools for Securing the Cloud
Identity and Access Management
Traffic Management
Encryption
Security Assessment and Protection
Good Security Practices for the Cloud
Manage Your Data Securely
Minimize Access to System Resources
Segregate Duties
Back Up Data
Log and Review System Access
Maintain Systems
Monitor and Prevent
Summary
Chapter 12: Cloud Economy
How the Cloud Can Impact an Organization’s Economy
Increasing Revenue
Agility
Customer Retention
New Customers
Reducing Costs
Direct Cost Savings
Indirect Cost Savings
Practical Guide to Leveraging the Economic Benefits of the Cloud
Cost Model
Budgeting and Account Structure
Cost Monitoring
Cost Optimization
Summary
Chapter 13: Working with the Cloud
Changing Tasks in the Cloud
Impact on Tasks in the Cloud
Disappearing Tasks
New Tasks
Unchanged Tasks
Tasks that Changed
Roles in the Cloud
Core Roles
Solution Architect
Developer
Cloud Administrator
Specializations
Data Science
Security
Networking
Database
DevOps
Managing the Changes in the Workforce
Acquiring New Skills
Online Resources
Courses
Partner Training
Trial and Error
Handling the Organizational Impact
Chart the Possible Impact on the Workforce
Develop Career Paths for the Cloud
Redefine Identities and Communication
Close the Skills Gap
Summary
Chapter 14: Adopting the Cloud
Patterns of Adoption
Cloud-Native
Cloud-First
Lift and Shift
Offload
Regional Autonomy
Incremental Change
Anarchy
Experimental
Summary
Index