Understanding the basics of cloud infrastructure: What you need to know

The cloud has become a ubiquitous force in the modern computing landscape: End-user spending has reached around $591.79 billion per year. To put that into perspective, that's more than the GDP of New Zealand and Peru combined. 

A basic understanding cloud concepts makes it easy to see why it's such a hot tech tool. Cloud infrastructure enables you to use computers in a remote data center instead of your desktop or laptop. Instead of having to install and maintain applications, storage and beefy processors at your place of business, you can rely on a cloud provider to provide these for you. This allows you to access your computing anywhere you have an internet connection. 

In today's digital landscape, cloud computing gives businesses the agility to digitalize core elements of their operations without having to pour money into on-premise hardware. Then, their employees can access the apps they need from anywhere in the world. 

What is cloud infrastructure? 

Cloud infrastructure refers to using computational resources in data centers instead of at your business or home. 

When compared with traditional IT infrastructure, a cloud environment is often less expensive because you don't have to purchase and service your own hardware. It's also more versatile and scalable because you can add users, applications and processing power simply by asking your cloud provider for more resources. 

Components of cloud infrastructure 

Cloud infrastructure, in many ways, is very similar to what you would set up at your place of business, with a few exceptions. 

Hardware 

Physical servers are at the heart of a cloud setup in a data center. Like on-premise servers, these send and receive data to computers connected to the cloud. 

Also, like traditional computers, all cloud infrastructure examples use: 

Virtualization 

Virtualization is the foundation of cloud computing in that it takes computational resources and makes them available remotely. So, instead of having to maintain a computer in your office, you can connect to virtual networks and have access to hundreds of processes and applications. 

This enables remote access because anyone can sign on via the internet, open up the apps they need and get to work. 

Storage 

Storage maintains and secures the data apps need to work. Some common types of storage include: 

Network 

The network in the cloud enables you to share resources between users, different locations and applications. The cloud serves as your networking hub, enabling you to share across geographical regions and between different apps. 

Cloud infrastructure vs. cloud architecture 

Cloud infrastructure and cloud architecture are two different things, even though you may see them used interchangeably. Cloud infrastructure refers to the components involved in cloud computing, while cloud architecture is the design of your cloud environment. 

In a way, cloud infrastructure and architecture are a lot like a house. The infrastructure of your home includes its electrical and plumbing systems, its frame, windows, doors and other components. But the architecture of your home is its design. The cloud is no different. For example, someone can design cloud architecture without building a cloud infrastructure. 

At the same time, as is the case with a house, infrastructure and architecture work together. A cloud architect designs the best cloud computing solution for a specific user or company, and then a cloud infrastructure engineer or cloud security engineer puts the components in place to turn that architecture into your computing "home." 

Benefits of using cloud infrastructure 

There are a variety of cloud infrastructure benefits, making it ideal for a vast variety of business and personal uses: 

Limitations and challenges 

Computing in the cloud also comes with some potential drawbacks that could impact how you use it or how you choose to enter the cloud computing profession. For instance, cloud technology changes very quickly, so it may be difficult to keep up with the latest innovations. 

You also need a very strong network to enable users to access the processes they need to do their work. Otherwise, there may be latency or dropouts that could significantly impact your business.