“Cloud computing” , its equivalent in English cloud computing or simply “cloud”, are terms that are increasingly present in the communication between entrepreneurs and business owners. With the development of more applications and platforms that no longer depend on their own servers and with the significant drop in acquisition or subscription costs, the use of this technology has become widespread and has brought many benefits for small and medium-sized businesses .
But in addition to these words, others are appearing that, when we are not technology specialists, can complicate us when understanding the operation and scope of an app or what it means to integrate this type of service with the current business infrastructure . That is why in this note we want to share a list of 10 terms related to the cloud that you need to know , explained in a simple way.
- API ( Application Programming Interface)
It refers to an interface or communication mechanism between two applications that allows data to be requested from each other and shared according to specific and predetermined formats and standards.
- Data Processing Center (CPD)
These are the physical locations where the servers and other equipment necessary for the storage and management of a client’s data are located.
3.Cluster _
It refers to a set of servers that are connected to each other through a network , often separated by hundreds or thousands of kilometers to guarantee the security of the data and the continuity of the service in case any of the equipment experiences a failure. .
- SaaS ( Software as a Service)
Software as a service is the most widespread version of the cloud , the one we use every day when we watch movies through a streaming platform , we communicate with our friends through a social network; we use a collaborative work app, we generate an invoice or a payroll receipt or we open a store on an e-commerce platform.
- IaaS ( Infrastructure as a Service)
With infrastructure as a service, access to resources such as servers, storage capacity and memory is given according to the needs and requirements of the company over time. It is ideal, for example, for online stores that have peak visits and sales during seasons such as the Hot Sale or the New Year holidays. This is the case of Amazon Web Services (AWS).
- PaaS ( Platform as a Service)
Platform as a Service works similarly to SaaS, but is aimed at developers of software running over the Internet who have specific infrastructure and storage demands.
- Network latency
It is the time it takes for a data packet to be transferred between a server and a user over the Web.
- Private Cloud
It is a form of cloud computing in which the environment and the resources involved are for the exclusive use of a single company or organization . Its main advantage is that functions such as infrastructure management and maintenance are in the hands of a third party who is paid for their service .
- Public cloud
In this case, a cloud service provider offers resources through an infrastructure that is shared by several organizations at the same time. This is the typical case of those companies that sign a pay-per-use contract, in which the storage and data management capacity varies according to demand .
- Hybrid cloud
This model combines the dedicated computing resources of the private cloud —for critical systems and data, such as those in the financial area— with the shared resources of the public cloud, which can be triggered by peak demand.
