CLOUD TECHNOLOGIES ROLE AND IMPLEMENTATION METHODS

CLOUD TECHNOLOGIES ROLE AND IMPLEMENTATION METHODS

Vladislav Bilay

Cloud DevOps Engineer, Aquiva Labs, LLC

Poland, Warsaw

ABSTRACT

The IT industry has significantly influenced business processes in recent years. One of the most promising and successful technologies that are widely used by numerous companies is cloud computing. The cloud and related programs have firmly entered the lives of people and various enterprises. With their appearance, the presence of drives and local hard drives began to lose its relevance and necessity.

The purpose of this article is to analyze the benefits of using a cloud-native solution. The scientific value of the work lies in an attempt to give advice on the use of cloud solutions. The author applies theoretical research methods, practical experience, and also uses the results of other scientific studies.

Keywords: Information technology, Cloud computing, Cloud-native solutions.

1. Cloud computing and benefits of cloud technologies

Cloud computing is a service, computer resources, and capacity that is used by the customer through the Internet. Simply put, the user's workspace is moved to a remote server. You can access it from any device connected to the network, without being tied to the workplace. The customer of the cloud service provider gets access to technology services. The consumer of the virtual infrastructure can use the database, servers and storages, services, and available programs on demand. All computing processes and capacities are performed by servers and cloud programs without involving the resources of the user's computer.

The reasons for the growing popularity of cloud technologies are clear: the possibilities of their application are very diverse and allow saving both on maintenance and personnel, and on infrastructure. Hardware can be greatly simplified when processing data and storing information in remote data centers. All these problems are almost completely shifted to the service provider.

In addition, cloud computing allows you to standardize the software, even if different operating systems (Windows, Linux, MacOS, etc.) are installed on the computers of the enterprise. Also, cloud computing makes it easier to provide access to company data for both customers and their own employees who are away from the office, but who can connect via the Internet [1].

The difference between cloud and regular services is the way data is processed and stored. All operations that are performed using the power of a computer are not related to the cloud. But if the same processes are performed on the network on the server, it will already be cloud technologies.

Companies and organizations use cloud services for several reasons:

• Flexibility and scalability: Cloud services make it easy to scale computing resources based on your needs. They provide the flexibility to increase or decrease resources to meet changing company requirements. With cloud computing, businesses can add new users and applications without worrying about growing their infrastructure. And if they need to cut costs, they can do it quickly and efficiently. This makes cloud computing a desirable option for companies that want to be able to quickly respond to market changes.
• Cost reduction: Using cloud services reduces the cost of acquiring and maintaining your own computing infrastructure. Companies can rent the necessary resources from cloud providers, which is more cost-effective.
• Convenience and accessibility: Cloud services provide access to data and applications over the Internet from any location and device. This simplifies the work of employees, allows remote work and provides continuous access to information. Cloud computing has revolutionized the way businesses and organizations work together. By storing data and applications in the cloud, companies can enable employees to access and share information from anywhere, anytime. This increased flexibility and accessibility has resulted in improved collaboration and increased productivity. In addition, cloud computing has made it easier for companies to connect with customers and partners, further enhancing collaboration.
• Security and reliability: Large cloud providers provide a high level of security and data protection. They invest in strong security systems and data backup to prevent information loss and ensure service reliability. Security is an important business consideration with regard to IT infrastructure and operations. cloud platforms can provide their customers with access to the latest security technologies and practices to help protect data and systems from malware and cyberattacks. Contrary to popular belief, cloud computing can actually be more secure than on-premises solutions. With the right choice of provider, your data will be stored in a secure private cloud and you will be able to take advantage of advanced security features such as two-factor authentication [2].

With cloud computing, you can get IT resources on demand. You must pay under a pay-as-you-go pricing model. This allows businesses to avoid the initial investment in hardware and software and only pay for the resources they use. Resources can be quickly scaled up or down to meet changing business needs, and companies only pay for the resources they use, which can result in significant cost savings.

Cloud computing allows companies to be more agile and responsive to market changes as they can quickly scale up or scale down their IT resources and applications as needed. In addition, cloud computing can help enterprises improve disaster recovery and business continuity planning as they can quickly and easily replicate their IT infrastructure and applications in the cloud.

2. Cloud services implementation

The introduction of cloud services into an organization can be carried out through several methods, depending on the specifics of the company, its current infrastructure and implementation goals. Consider several common methods for implementing cloud services:

Migrating data and applications to the cloud. This method involves migrating existing data and applications from on-premises servers or physical machines to the cloud. Various approaches are used, such as virtualization, containerization, and application refactoring. This allows an organization to avoid investing in expensive hardware and infrastructure, while also accessing the benefits of cloud services such as scalability and flexibility.

Use of off-the-shelf cloud applications. Instead of creating and developing their own applications, companies can take advantage of off-the-shelf cloud applications offered by providers. This may include CRM systems, project management systems, accounting and finance systems, email, and others. Users access these applications over the Internet and can use them without having to install and configure them on their own infrastructure.

Using cloud storage. Cloud storage provides organizations with the ability to store and process their data in the cloud. This may include files, databases, analytical data, etc. Cloud storage typically provides high availability, data backup, and scalability, making it an attractive choice for organizations of all sizes [3].

Cloud Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). In this approach, a company leases virtual infrastructure, including virtual machines, storage, and network resources, from a cloud provider. It takes full control of this infrastructure and can deploy its own applications and services on the cloud platform. IaaS provides greater flexibility and scalability, and frees the company from worrying about the physical hardware and its maintenance.

Platform as a Service (PaaS). PaaS provides an organization with a turnkey environment for developing, testing, and deploying applications. It includes development tools, databases, web servers, and other components provided by the cloud provider. PaaS allows developers to focus on building applications without having to worry about configuration and infrastructure management.

Software as a Service (SaaS).  SaaS offers off-the-shelf cloud-based applications that are available over the Internet. Users can simply subscribe to the service and start using the application without having to install and configure it on their infrastructure. SaaS is widely used in areas such as enterprise resource management, customer relationship management, email, and others[2].

Conclusion

Organizations in various industries are choosing cloud resources as an alternative to traditional IT solutions. This provides access to the latest technologies, allows you to implement any ideas, keep abreast of innovations. The main characteristics of cloud computing contribute to the development of unique applications, convenient storage, backup and recovery of information.

Due to the use of the cloud, you cannot maintain and maintain the service, this is the responsibility of the provider. The client uses the services at the selected tariff, saving at the same time on equipment, its maintenance, staff of system administrators and other points.

As such, the cloud is a great option for automating business processes, improving employee productivity, and bringing products to market quickly.

References:

1. Carr, Nicholas The Great Crossing. The Cloud Revolution / Nicholas Carr, Mann, Ivanov and Ferber - 2013.
2. Carr, Nicholas The Great Transition: What the Cloud Revolution Is Cooking/ Nicholas Carr, Moscow-2014.
3. Leonov, V. Google^[1] Docs, Windows Live and other cloud technologies / V. Leonov. - M.: Publishing house "Eksmo" LLC - 2017.
4. Khmelevsky Y. Cloud computing infrastructure prototype for university education and research / WCCCE'10 Proceedings of the 15th Western Canadian Conference on Computing Education. Article #8. - ACM New York, NY, USA – 2010.
5. Hewwit C. ORGs for Scalable, Robust, Privacy-Friendly Client Cloud Computing / Carl Hewitt // IEEE Internet Computing, vol. 12, no. 5. - NY, USA – 2008.