Cloud computing has different layered elements that start from storage and include the infrastructure, application, and network layers. In order to comprehend how the whole paradigm works, we need to first understand the different models to see whether the cloud was outsourced, made internally, or was a combination of both.

Understanding the Cloud Implementation Models

The cloud implementation models include the following:

• Public Cloud: In this, all the access to the data and applications is external.
• Private Cloud: A private cloud is created and stored by an organization but is run by a third party.
• Hybrid Cloud: Outsources a few elements either internally or externally.

Understanding the Layers

There are three cloud layers that we need to consider:

• Infrastructure Cloud
• Information Cloud
• Content Cloud

Infrastructure Cloud

Infrastructure Cloud includes all the physical elements that store data and run applications. There are virtual servers that are created to run the applications, whereas the virtual storage pools are made to store data into tiers that are categorized according to the reliability requirements and the performance. Virtual abstraction is also used so that the servers can be easily managed.

Information Cloud

Information cloud is the most refined form of cloud computing and comes from a public perspective. The information cloud basically extracts the client from the data. Take the example of a man who can who has access to the data that is stored in a database in Alabama from his phone while on vacation in Venice. The internet is the best example of information cloud.

Content Cloud

The content cloud implements the indexing services over the infrastructure cloud so that there is easy data management of the content. The main goal of content cloud is to make sure that different applications can be used to get access to the same data and that the application can be changed without having to consider the structure of the data. The content cloud works towards transforming data into objects so that even if the application that created the content is gone, one can still search the data.

Understanding the Levels of Cloud Computing

There are five levels of cloud computing:

Cloud Bursting

This involves moving the workload from one cloud to another due to capacity issues. The best part is that cloud bursting can handle the failure of bursting clouds.

Disaster Recovery

One of the easiest paths to a multi-cloud world is using one cloud for the recovery of the other cloud. It involves building a mechanism for disaster recovery in one cloud so that it can handle the operations running in the other.

Independent Clouds

In independent clouds, there is no inter-operation between the cloud systems, which is why most businesses use this.

Specialized Clouds

These are also known as interdependent cloud because one cloud depends on the services of the other cloud.

The Cloud of Clouds

In this level, there are multiple clouds integrated into a single cloud, effectively enhancing efficiency.

In Summary

There are lots of different models for cloud computing just as there are lots of models for traditional computing. Finding the right model and layer for your business is important so take the time to research how to best leverage cloud for your business.