Inconsistent Cloud Computing Terminology Confuses Everyone

The cloud computing market is becoming increasingly difficult to understand. According to personnel from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the cloud market has come to encompass goods and services well beyond the narrow definitions of infrastructure, platform, and software-as-a-service. In an effort to clear the air, we have provided some definitional clarity.

Common Cloud Computing Terminology:

1. On-demand self-service. An individual can determine individual computing requirements, such as server time and network storage, without requiring interaction with each service provider.
2. Broad network access. Capabilities are available over the network and accessed through varying platforms (e.g., mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and workstations).
3. Resource Pooling. The provider’s computing resources are pooled to serve multiple customers, with different physical and virtual resources allocated according to consumer demand.
4. Rapid elasticity. Services can be rapidly scaled or diminished based on consumer needs.
5. Measured service. Cloud systems automatically control and optimize resource use by utilizing a metering capability. Resource usage can be monitored controlled, and reported.

Service Models:

1. Software as a Service (SaaS). The capability provided to the consumer is to use the provider’s applications running on a cloud infrastructure. The applications are accessible from various devices through an interface such as a web browser, or a program interface.
2. Platform as a Service (PaaS). The capability provided to the consumer is to deploy onto the cloud infrastructure consumer-created or acquired applications created using programming languages, libraries, services, and tools supported by the provider. The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure including network, servers, operating systems, or storage, but has control over the deployed applications and possibly configuration settings for the application-hosting environment.
3. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). The capability provided to the consumer is to provision processing, storage, networks and other fundamental computing resources where the consumer is able to deploy and run arbitrary software, which can include operating systems and applications.

Deployment Models:

1. Private Cloud. The cloud infrastructure is used exclusively by a single organization. It may be owned, managed, and operated by the organization, a third party, or it may exist off-premise.
2. Community Cloud. The cloud infrastructure is provisioned for exclusive use by a specific community of consumers from organizations that have shared values (e.g., mission, security requirements, policy, and compliance needs).
3. Public cloud. The cloud infrastructure is provisioned for open use by the general public.
4. Hybrid Cloud. This option combines two or more cloud infrastructures (private, community, or public) that remain unique entities, but are bound together by standardized or proprietary technology that enables data and application portability.