What is cloud computing?
Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services over the internet: servers, storage, databases, networking, software and analytics. Instead of buying and running your own hardware, you rent what you need from a provider such as Microsoft Azure and pay for what you use.
What you get from the cloud
| Service | What it means | Azure example |
|---|---|---|
| Compute | processing power to run applications |  Virtual Machines,  Azure Functions |
| Storage | space to keep files and data |  Azure Blob Storage,  Azure Files |
| Networking | connecting resources to each other and to users |  Azure Virtual Network |
| Databases and analytics | managed data services |  Azure SQL Database,  Azure Cosmos DB |
The provider owns and operates the data centres, the physical servers, the cooling, the power and the network cables. You get access to those resources on demand, usually within minutes, through a web portal, a command line or an API.
Why organisations move to the cloud
- No up-front hardware cost. There is no need to buy servers that might sit idle.
- Speed. A new server takes minutes instead of weeks of ordering and installation.
- Scale. Resources grow or shrink with demand.
- Global reach. Run applications in data centres close to users around the world.
- Focus. Less time maintaining hardware means more time building what matters to the business.
The words you will see everywhere
- Resource: anything you create in Azure, such as a virtual machine, a storage account or a database.
- On demand / self-service: you provision resources yourself, whenever you need them, without waiting for the provider.
- Pay as you go: you are billed for what you actually use.
- Data centre: a facility full of servers. Azure has hundreds of them, grouped into regions around the world.
Finished this lesson?Mark it complete to earn +20 XP and move your progress on.