Cloud Computing Basics

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is now more than just a catchphrase. Today, many companies are already leveraging the cloud to save on IT costs, boost collaboration, increase disaster recovery capabilities, introduce business agility, and improve on several other areas in the business. If the idea of the cloud is still a bit cloudy to you, this article would be a good place to start clearing it all up.

Overcome Limitations in your existing IT Environment

By now, the computing devices in your organization should consist of old and new servers, desktops, laptops, and a large number of handheld devices. Many of these handheld devices are probably owned by employees who use them to access both personal and corporate data.

Having to manage a diverse collection of devices can be very challenging. For example, you would have difficulty in:

Cloud computing can simplify all that.

Types of Cloud Computing

There are several different kinds of cloud computing models and services. Not every cloud is the same, and not everyone should use the same kind of cloud computing. The development of several models, varieties, and services has made it possible to provide the ideal solution for your requirements.

Models of Cloud Computing

There are four main models of cloud computing:

Public Cloud

The public cloud, the most popular type of cloud deployment strategy, makes resources accessible to the general public online. This service is available for free or by subscription. The public cloud’s computing capabilities vary depending on the supplier. Solutions for the public cloud provide more elasticity and scalability at a cheaper price.

Private Cloud

The private cloud solution is intended for a single usage, as the name indicates. Typically, the private cloud’s resources are housed on-site or are managed by a separate provider off-site. Through a private, secure network that is not shared with other customers, third-party providers isolate the computer resources.

Hybrid Cloud

In the hybrid cloud, which combines public and private cloud solutions with an integrated architecture, common services are hosted in the public cloud while sensitive applications are privatized. Both private and public clouds’ application and data workloads are accessible to users.

Multi-Cloud

A hybrid cloud and a multi-cloud may initially seem to be the same thing. The two, however, differ greatly from one another.

A multi-cloud model defines how enterprises employ a mix of various cloud providers to suit business demands, whereas a hybrid cloud model refers to the combination of private (on-premises) and public clouds. Using resources, apps, containers, and microservices from many cloud providers is what is meant when a strategy is referred to as multi-cloud. A hybrid cloud is not a multi-cloud, however virtualization may be used in multi-cloud solutions.

Types of Cloud Computing Services

One or more of the cloud computing services listed below are provided by cloud computing providers. These include Software as a Service (SaaS),and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS).

Infrastructure as a Service

Instead of using a typical datacenter, infrastructure as a service (IaaS) offers on-demand infrastructure to businesses on a pay-as-you-go basis through the Internet.

Platform as a Service

The infrastructure required for the whole application lifecycle—development, testing, deployment, and maintenance—is leased by developers under a PaaS model. Developers rent the servers, networking, and storage components, similar to IaaS.

Software as a Service

In this business model, software as a service (SaaS) providers host the software on their servers and rent it to businesses on a subscription basis. The SaaS approach enables users to access the application via a web browser and log in using their usernames and passwords rather than having IT managers install the program on each user’s workstation.

Benefits of Cloud Computing

cloud computingBy virtualizing your desktops and applications, and making them available through the Internet using an application delivery and remote desktop solution, you can eliminate many of the limitations mentioned earlier.

You would be able to deliver applications or even entire desktops to almost any Web-enabled device, whether a computer desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone. You can even make them accessible to old machines, thereby extending the lifespan of those devices.

Because everything would be managed from a central location, it would be much easier for your IT admins to implement security policies, perform updates and carry out other administrative functions, all of which can be done remotely.

If a user’s device malfunctions, you can easily replace it with a standby unit and then stream that user’s virtualized desktop and applications into it. There would be no need to assign a technician to install the OS, install all relevant software applications and perform the necessary configurations. In effect, you would be able to greatly reduce downtime.

Furthermore, the same capabilities can be easily scaled up and applied to your disaster recovery plan. With cloud computing, your organization would be able to recover much faster from a major disaster.

So how does Parallels Remote Application Server fit into the picture? Well, it’s the brush that paints the picture!


How Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) helps to bring your business to the cloud

Parallels Remote Application Server (RAS) delivers virtual desktops and applications to all your devices. It uses RDP, Microsoft’s proven remote desktop protocol.

Parallels RAS supports various client platforms such as Windows, Linux, Mac, iOS, and Android. Thinking of adopting a BYOD policy but don’t know how to manage different platforms efficiently and securely? Parallels RAS is the answer to that problem.

On the server side, Parallels Remote Application Server takes charge of your hypervisors. It supports all of the top hypervisor brands including VMWare vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, Citrix Xenserver, and Parallel Virtuozzo Containers, among others.

Don’t wait, download Parallels Remote Application Server to deliver virtual desktops and applications from a central location, providing continuous availability, resource-based load balancing and complete end-to-end network transparency for administrators.

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