We'll introduce everyone to cloud technology. Some of you may be quite familiar, while others may have heard of it but not know exactly what the Cloud can do or how secure it is. Nowadays, our world is inundated with vast amounts of data. Everyone is probably familiar with data storage, whether it's filing documents, jotting notes in a notebook, saving data on a hard drive, or a thumb drive. These forms of data storage involve physically recording information onto devices that can be held and whose location can be pinpointed.
However, the Cloud differs in that our data seems to float in the air and can be accessed via the internet anytime and from anywhere on Earth. The main concepts of the Cloud revolve around three key points: Flexibility, Scalability, and Accessibility. Flexibility refers to its adaptability, Scalability to its ability to automatically increase or decrease infrastructure resources, and Accessibility to the ease of access from anywhere.
Cloud computing helps simplify application development, allowing developers to focus only on essentials without worrying about managing various resources like server maintenance, planning how many servers to add during peak usage periods, or calculating different budget scenarios.
So, the Cloud streamlines the complexity of application development, letting developers concentrate on what's necessary without concerns about resource management, such as server maintenance or planning for additional servers during peak usage periods, and even budgeting for various costs.
Everyone can try to visualize to enhance understanding. Using cloud services is like renting a warehouse to store goods without the need to invest in building one ourselves. We don't have to spend on design, construction equipment, or labor. With the cloud warehouse we rent, we can store an enormous amount of data and access it from anywhere in the world.
Cloud services are divided into three types to suit different use cases.
The first type is Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). This service saves us the time of setting up servers, creating virtual machines, or installing operating systems. Cloud providers offer ready-made building blocks for us to choose from. For example, AWS (Amazon Web Services) offers Elastic Compute Service where we can select specifications like RAM, CPU, network, storage, and OS with just a few clicks on their website. It's incredibly convenient.
Regarding pricing, it's straightforward. There are various options available. If we only need a machine for a short time, we can opt for a pay-as-you-go model. We pay only for what we use; if we use it for an hour, we pay for an hour—no need to commit to multiple years. However, if we need a machine for an extended period, providers offer discounted pricing plans for commitments of one or more years, allowing significant savings.
The second type of cloud service is Platform as a Service (PaaS). Cloud providers create ready-made platforms similar to templates for us to use. For instance, if we want to develop a small application, we can use PaaS by selecting a pre-built template through the cloud provider's console. These templates come with necessary components for application provision, such as virtual machines. With just a few clicks, we can deploy and update application versions easily.
An example of this is Amazon Web Services' service called AWS Elastic Beanstalk. It supports development in various languages like Go, Java, PHP, .NET, Node.js, and Python, and users only pay for the application resources created under the template, without incurring service charges.
The last type of cloud service is Software as a Service (SaaS). These are ready-to-use software available on the cloud provider's marketplace for downloading or subscription. Examples include performance monitoring tools, testing tools, or project management tools.
Currently, there are numerous public and private cloud service providers available, with data centers set up globally for users to choose from. This includes secure data storage both digitally and physically, providing users with confidence in data security.
Both public and private sector organizations, both in Thailand and internationally, widely use cloud services because they are convenient and more cost-effective than building their own data centers. Some organizations opt for a hybrid approach, storing some data on their own data centers and some on the cloud. This flexibility allows for easy migration to 100% cloud usage, backing up some data on the cloud, or leveraging data for other purposes such as Big Data analytics, Machine Learning, SMS services, or various customer experience services.
The service providers also offer services for these use cases, making it very comprehensive within the same platform. Today, we've briefly introduced cloud technology. If you have any questions or would like to consult about using the Cloud, you can contact us at DPM.
Email: marketing@dpminter.com