What Is Cloud Computing?
Cloud Computing — delivering computing services — servers, storage, networking, applications — over the internet on demand, instead of owning and running physical hardware yourself.
How it works
Instead of buying servers, organisations rent computing resources from providers (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) and pay for what they use. The cloud provider runs the physical infrastructure; you configure virtual resources through a console or API. Models range from raw infrastructure (IaaS) to complete applications (SaaS). Networking in the cloud (VPCs, subnets, load balancers) mirrors traditional networking concepts.
Why it matters
Cloud is where much of networking is heading, and networking fundamentals transfer directly — cloud networking uses the same concepts (subnets, routing, firewalls) under different names. This is why a networking background is a major advantage in cloud careers. See the cloud network engineer guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is cloud computing?
Delivering computing services — servers, storage, networking, applications — over the internet on demand, paying for use instead of owning physical hardware.
What are the main cloud service models?
IaaS (raw infrastructure like virtual servers), PaaS (platforms for building apps), and SaaS (complete applications delivered over the web).
Does networking knowledge help in cloud computing?
Greatly — cloud networking (VPCs, subnets, routing, firewalls) mirrors traditional networking concepts, so a networking background accelerates cloud learning.
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