What is cloud computing and how does it work?

Even though the concept of cloud computing has really only become popular in the recent years, it has been around for a while now. Essentially, the term “cloud computing” refers to sharing files and information using the internet. For instance, when someone says that their files are stored in a cloud, it means that this data was uploaded via the internet to a remote server and it is stored there. The owner of the data can access it at any time and from any device that has internet access. 

There are three main types of cloud computing used today, they vary by the type of service provided. Platform as service, or PaaS, includes websites like salesforce.com. Software as service, or SaaS, platforms include Microsoft 365 or Google Docs. And Rackspace is a great example of an Infrastructure as Service platform, or IaaS. 

The easiest way to explain cloud computing is by going over examples. Even if you think that you don’t know what cloud computing is and how it works, you most likely already use it every day. Email is the most common example - your email address and inbox can be accessed from any computer, tablet or smartphone that’s connected to the internet. You email is not actually located on your work computer, the information is stored on a remote server and you just access it using that computer, but you can also sign into your email address using your phone and see every email in your inbox. 

Another common example is Google Docs. You can create a document in the cloud, which is Google Docs itself, and edit it in real time alone or together with collaborators. If you close the website and open it on a different computer - you will find the document there exactly the way you left it and pick it where you left off. 

In order to explain the concept of cloud computing it is necessary to understand that any cloud computing system consists of a front end - the client side, and a back end - the server side, that are connected by the internet. 

The front end of the system is represented by the client’s computer and the software installed on it, this software helps the client access the cloud. The back end is more complicated, it consists of servers, computers and software that store the user’s data and help the data center manage it. 

As mentioned previously, you can use cloud computing to collaborate with other people on a project in real time even if you’re located thousands of miles apart. This is not limited to editing word documents, virtually every task performed on a computer can be done in the cloud. You can also store data in the cloud in order to free up space on your computer or as a backup in case something happens to the original file.