What Is Cloud Infrastructure?
If you’re starting out at understanding the cloud and how exactly it functions, an important term that you will come across frequently is cloud infrastructure. We get a lot of questions related to cloud infrastructure and so we will address all of those queries as well as answer the most important question of what exactly it is.
Cloud infrastructure is basically all the set of mechanisms and tools used to configure and set up a cloud. All the various elements that go into cloud computing, such as hardware, storage, abstracted resources and network resources, are collectively referred to cloud infrastructure. Without it, you will not be able to host any application or service in the cloud.
What Is The Process Of Cloud Infrastructure?
Usually some process or technology is used, such as virtualization in order to extract the necessary data from the physical hardware and collectively store it on the cloud. Two other players that play a huge role in this process are management tools and automation software, which work to prescribe and create new environments for the data extracted so that anyone operating the cloud can have access to it.
What Does Cloud Infrastructure Consist Of?
A typical system of cloud infrastructure consists of the 4 primary elements:
· Virtualization
· Hardware
· Networking Components
· Storage
When all the elements of cloud infrastructure are combined together, they can be used synonymously with a whole cloud computing system, provided that all the elements as well as the technologies themselves are synchronized together.
What Are The Elements Of Cloud Infrastructure?
Each one of the primary elements will be described in detail below:
· Hardware
When one thinks of the cloud, they think that it’s all virtual and that it can’t have the quality of tangibility to it. However, there is quite a bit of hardware that is necessary for the formation of a cloud as well that makes it one of the primary elements of cloud infrastructure. In fact, the physical hardware that is used to keep a cloud functioning can be located at up to multiple different locations. This physical hardware that is necessary for the functioning of the cloud can consist of several different networking tools such as:
- Switches
- Firewalls
- Storage Arrays
- Routers
- Backup Devices
- Load Balancers
- Servers
· Virtualization
Virtualization is a very important player in the process of building a cloud, as virtualization is what makes it possible to connect together the physical hardware such as servers and extracting the necessary data from them to convert them into the files that can be accessed by those with access. Virtualization is known as the technology that is the middle man between the physical aspect and the virtual aspect of cloud hosting processes. Generally used to set up the process of virtualization is a software called hypervisor, which occupies a place above the physical hardware and proceeds to abstract certain resources of data such as:
- Computing Power
- Storage
- Memory
· Storage
Storage is also a vital component of cloud infrastructure, given that the very idea behind cloud hosting rests strongly on being able to store information. The technology behind the storage for a cloud is quite complex, but highly efficient at the same time. It is so efficient that various different sources of data can be stored in just a singular storage array. When the stage of the conversion of storage into a cloud resource is complete, users can be able to access what they want easily and maneuver the hardware however they want, whether they want to add new drives or remove old ones, or even if they want to respond to the changes in the system without having to individually set up storage servers each time they do.
Storage management is a very important aspect of storage due to the holistic effect it has on a cloud computing system. Storage management includes having to regularly check for and remove outdated backups and replace it with newer, more accurate backups. At the same time, the function of keeping an archive of potentially important data is also ensured to be done so that no important information is lost in case of a technical glitch in storage management.
· Network
When talking about network in cloud infrastructure, there are two broad categories of network. One is associated with the physical aspect of cloud infrastructure while the other is a virtual one. The virtual aspect of networks is positioned above the physical aspect of the networks. Both these categories of networks are situated to blend together to make it possible for users to access cloud servers from a distance.
In Conclusion
Cloud hosting has become increasingly popular on both sides of the spectrum; the developing end as well as the consuming end. That is because of the endless list of benefits that come with using cloud servers, such as enabling easy self-service for users, the creation of combined resources that can be tinkered with and edited in one simple task, the integration with automatic procedures installed to get the infrastructure to work, and more. We at Serverspace are delighted to be at the very top when it comes to cloud server technology and offer these services for you to make use of in order to reap all the benefits that come with hosting your data on the cloud.
