What is the cloud ?

Cloud basics

The term “cloud” refers to the set of networked servers (including operating systems and software), installed in a datacenter, which perform the processing and storing of the data. You can access your data from anywhere, as long as you have access to the Internet.

Cloud computing is a method of processing customer data, which is operated via the Internet in the form of services provided by a supplier. Computing power and storage are managed by remote servers to which users connect via a secure Internet connection. The desktop or laptop computer, the cell phone, the tablet computer and other connected things (IIoTs) become access points to run applications or consult data that are hosted on the servers.

Cloud computing is the outsourcing of IT infrastructure to remote servers. Data is sent via the Internet to remote servers located in secure, video monitored storage centers with limited access. The processing is done by these same servers. The cloud is also characterized by its flexibility, which allows managers to automatically adapt storage capacity and computing power to users’ needs. It allows users and companies to free themselves from the need to manage physical servers themselves or to run software applications on their own equipment.

There are several types of cloud computing services. We mainly distinguish :

• IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service): the operating system and applications are installed by customers on servers to which they connect to work as if it were a conventional computer.
• PaaS (Platform as a Service): the cloud service provider administers the operating system and its tools. The customer can install his own applications if needed.
• SaaS (Software as a Service): applications are provided as ready to use services to which users connect via an Internet browser, as is the case with Astn’go.

3 pooling models

• The public cloud without a private notion, as commonly found in services – often free – to individuals. One can think of the world famous webmail services like Gmail or Outlook as examples. This type of service can modernize organizations at all levels: from startups looking to launch their solutions as quickly as possible to global organizations that need on-demand resources for specific projects or applications.
• The public but private cloud, “single tenant”. This is a hosted service generally accessible via the Internet, but the provider guarantees that the infrastructure user is alone on “his” servers (this separation can be physical or logical/virtual). Each tenant lives in his own house. The risks involved are quite different in each case. Sometimes a “single tenant” provider relies on subcontractors to provide the service, in particular to ensure scalability when needed.
• The private public cloud, “multiple tenant”. This is the standard for services offered to companies: the resources are shared between several customers by the provider. Each tenant is housed in the same building. The service comes with a high degree of assurance of confidentiality and resilience, resources are shared to a greater or lesser extent between clients. This makes it possible to share a number of resources such as electricity or heating. The private cloud is usually hosted on site or in a data center owned by the organization offering the cloud service.

The Astn’go solution is hosted in a private cloud.

What are the advantages of the cloud ?

In a company, having a cloud is important from a financial point of view. Indeed, it allows the reduction of some expenses: the professionals do not need to update their servers any more because it is the provider of the cloud which takes care of it. It also allows to break some borders since the data is accessible anywhere in the world with a fast and secure data sharing. Clouds can also be modified and customized according to the services the company offers. Finally, all data and applications are grouped in a secured location.