A Comprehensive Cloud Computing Mindmap

We are all aware of the hassle of owning a computer or a physical machine. At least I have been boggled with handling all its parts and components. Imagine having many such systems and having to deal with all the updates and maintenance of those systems. What a tedious task! This is where cloud computing comes to the rescue. 

Cloud computing makes the services of a physical machine available to you as per your convenience, demand and budget, that too at the click of a button. It has remodeled businesses by freeing them from physical infrastructure and accelerated their way into the future. It has become a required skill for every technology enthusiast. A meticulous cloud computing certification will help you learn and use this technology effectively.

In the process of learning cloud computing, creating a cloud computing mind map can be a very effectual aid if you are a beginner or even a professional. Mind map helps you grasp the core topics though a cloud computing concept map and helps you understand how those concepts fit together. Let us explore more about cloud computing and mind maps through this blog.

Foundations of Cloud Computing

The foundations of cloud computing are based on some principles and elements that help it function. These elements differentiate cloud technology from the traditional system and are a factor in its rapid growth.

• On-demand self-service - You can provision resources yourself and even manage them yourself if you want to through APIs and interfaces. All you need is an internet connection to use as many resources as you want and from anywhere in the world! 
• Pay-as-you-go – Cloud providers offer pay-as-you-go pricing or even subscription-based pricing for frequent and bulk use. There is a suitable plan for your use, either small or large. 
• Scalability – You are free to provide as many resources as you require, whether more or less, without worrying about availability and high expenditure. This also helps in optimum resource utilization and cutting costs.
• Elasticity – Cloud computing allows you to set up environments that scale your resources depending on the intensity of your workload, allowing you to save costs. 
• Virtualization / Resource pooling – Virtualization allows the division of physical hardware into multiple VMs and makes resource sharing possible. Different types of workloads can run on the same physical infrastructure with optimum resource usage.
• Security/Compliance –The responsibility of security and compliance is a shared one. Cloud providers implement security measures and compliance standards for the protection of data and privacy of their customers, but customers also must be aware of securing their information and applications.
• Service/Deployment Models – Cloud computing offers different service models like IaaS, PaaS and SaaS. Similarly, you can choose your cloud deployment model categorized as public, private, hybrid or community clouds. Depending on what you choose, you decide the accessibility, control and security. 

Service Models Overview

A service model is the way you choose the number of resources you are using and how much control and responsibility you have over your resources.

There are three core service models:

1. Software as a Service (SaaS) – The user does not have to worry about where and how the application is hosted. Imagine you want to watch a video. You go to YouTube and select the video you want to watch. This is SaaS, where YouTube is the software you are using.

2. Platform as a Service (PaaS) – The application is managed by the user, but resources are managed by the provider. You host your own platform, similar to YouTube, using a provider like AWS, Azure, or GCP and their streaming service. 

3. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) – Cloud vendor provides infrastructure and resources, and applications are managed by the user. You can also host your platform on your managed servers. Here, the servers belong to the cloud provider but are managed by you.

Key Cloud Concepts in a Mindmap

A mindmap or concept map, as it says, is a graphic representation of your mind. It helps you summarize what your mind knows and allows you to memorize their correlation with each other. Contrary to note-making, you will make a cloud computing concept map after you have learned and understood cloud concepts. 

An ultimate mindmap should have some essential cloud concepts. Cloud computing is not limited to these concepts. You can expand each topic and add more as per your understanding and need. You can also create more mindmaps specific to each topic and do your own mind map cloud computing.

Major Cloud Providers and Offerings

As cloud computing grows, customers have a lot of options to choose from among cloud service providers depending on their needs and preferences. A cloud provider leases infrastructure and technology to other businesses or individual people for computing, networking or storage purposes. 

The top 3 major providers as of this date are Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform (GCP), with AWS leading the market. The below chart shows the services and offerings of these cloud providers in different fields. Below are the services provided by these cloud providers.

	AWS	Azure	GCP
Compute	Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute)	Azure Virtual Machines	Google Compute Engine
Storage	Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service)	Azure Blob Storage	Google Cloud Storage
Databases	Amazon RDS (Relational Database service)	Azure SQL Database	Google Cloud SQL
Networking	Amazon VPC (Virtual Private Cloud)	Azure Virtual Network	Google Virtual Private Cloud (VPC)
Developer tools	AWS CodePipeline, AWS CodeDeploy	Azure DevOps, Visual Studio Code	Cloud Build, Cloud Source Repositories
IoT	AWS IoT Core	Azure IoT Hub	Cloud IoT Core
AI and ML	Amazon Sagemaker	Azure Machine Learning	Google AI Platform
Serverless Computing	AWS Lambda	Azure Functions	Google Cloud Functions

There are also other cloud providers like Alibaba, IBM Cloud, DigitalOcean Cloud, Salesforce Cloud, etc., which you can explore.

Cloud Security and Compliance

In this time, where everyone and everything is on the internet, the security of data in the cloud is a major and valid concern. Policies and practices that protect your applications, data and infrastructure refer to cloud security, whereas compliance means adhering to certain industry standards and legal frames. 

Cloud computing providers offer you numerous ways to secure your cloud infrastructure.

• Identity and Access Management (IAM) – IAM tools help you control who accesses your account resources and what activities they can perform.
• Data Encryption – Cloud providers have various mechanisms to protect data both in transit and at rest. Encrypted data remains unreadable without proper encryption keys.
• Security Groups / Firewalls – You can control inbound and outbound network traffic through security groups and firewalls. This regulates your contact with undue traffic.

Besides these, security monitoring helps you track and respond to security breaches. Cloud providers also provide tools for customers to be compliant with certain standards like HIPAA, ISO 27001, etc.

Cloud Compliance includes

• Regulatory Compliance and Certifications – Cloud providers have to adhere to industry-specific regulations. They undergo third-party audits and certifications to validate their compliance.
• Data Residency – Some countries have strict guidelines about how and where data can be stored. Cloud providers, therefore offer different locations for customers to choose suitable regions to store their data.
• Audit Trails – Cloud providers provide audit trails and logging to validate compliance with regulations. They offer data encryption and access controls to help customers meet data protection guidelines. 

Cloud Networking and Architecture

Cloud networking covers designing, implementing and managing network infrastructure that enables connectivity between various components in the cloud. A cloud network includes

• Virtual Private Network (VPC) – A logically isolated network to deploy your resources.
• Subnet – A smaller section of a VPC to organize your resources.
• Load Balancing – Dividing your inbound traffic to prevent overuse of a single server.
• Security groups / Firewalls – Enhancing your security by controlling inbound and outbound traffic.

Other than these, Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), Direct Connect and VPN connectivity are also essential components to provide secure and fast connectivity.

Cloud Architecture

While designing a cloud computing architecture, it is essential to incorporate the correct elements to meet business and technical environments.

• Resource Provisioning – Choosing the right type and size of resources
• Service Models – Picking the correct service model based on the level of control and management required
• Microservices – This type of architecture scales independently, promoting scalability.
• Containers – Containers simplify application deployment and management. Use technologies like Docker and Kubernetes to package and manage containers.
• Serverless Computing – Serverless architecture boosts event-based and cost-effective approaches.
• High Availability and Scalability – Design and use tools to ensure redundancy and growth.
• Data Storage and Management – Select an appropriate cloud storage solution for data availability and security.
• Monitoring – Set up tools to gain visibility and resolve issues actively.
• Security and Compliance – Implement security tools and ensure compliance with industry standards.
• Cost Optimization – Implement cost management tools to reduce spending.

Learn more about cloud architecture with our architecting on AWS course.

Emerging Trends in Cloud Computing

The recent variety in the use of cloud computing is a mirror of the evolving technology and business requirements. Some very interesting recent trends have come up.

• MultiCloud and Serverless Computing – Organizations are leaning towards using multiple cloud providers and serverless platforms like AWS Lambda and Azure Functions.
• AI and Machine Learning Integration - Cloud providers offer AI and ML services making it easier for businesses to incorporate them for various applications.
• Blockchain as a Service – Cloud providers are offering blockchain platforms to simplify deployment of blockchain applications particularly in finance and healthcare.
• Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) – Cloud services are increasing being used in gaming and virtual scenarios.

These are only a few of the very prominent trends. If you are interested in exploring the vast possibilities of cloud computing, take the KnowledgeHut cloud computing certification to gain a heads-up in the field. 

Best Practices for Cloud Migration

If you are planning to migrate to a cloud environment, make sure you follow the below practices to migrate in a secure and successful manner.

• Assessment / Inventory – Make sure what is to be migrated.
• Security / Compliance – Implement security measures and be compliant to protect data during and after migration.
• Backup / Recovery – Have backup plans to minimize data loss and downtime.
• Testing / Validation – Test applications to make sure they work as expected in the cloud. 
• Training – Equip your It team to manage cloud resources efficiently.
• Communication – Inform stakeholders of migration to handle changes and feedback.

Other practices include documentation, post-migration review, and vendor relationships.  

Conclusion

In conclusion, cloud computing has revolutionized the data processing and application deployment landscape by providing scalability, high availability, and cost-efficiency. As businesses continue to harness the power of the cloud, a cloud computing mind map becomes an indispensable tool for navigating this dynamic technology landscape. It empowers individuals and organizations to not only master the intricacies of cloud computing but also to leverage its capabilities effectively, fostering innovation and agility in an increasingly digital world. Embracing the cloud is not just a choice; it's a necessity for staying competitive and responsive to the evolving demands of the modern era.