The Cloud: Not the Floridian Cumulonimbus kind

Greg Heffner July 24, 2024

Background

What a word, cloud. Could have been so many things. Why not bucket? Did we not call it bucket because it just sounds weird? One server a drop in the bucket? I went to the bucket to get a server to rent. haha. I guess cloud sounds better. I dont know. Whatever.

The cloud is a place where you can go to get resources to rent. Used to be that if you needed a computer or device to do something you had to own it to do something with it. In the 1960s J.C.R. Licklider needed a way to connect multiple computers together at the same time to do some research for the government. Fast forward 60 years and not only can we connect multiple computers together to work on a single project but if you dont have a computer or if you need a computer to use, the cloud offers a pool of resources you can choose from. Ahhh the power of a motivated engineer. Should it have been called The Pool or The Water park? All the cloud is, is someone elses computer. You are either renting time or resources from someone else.

Offerings

The cloud provides availability, redundancy, and cost effective solutions Ill explain how. Check out the hyperlink in each section title for more info.

Availability: Think about all the streaming services you use at home. Do you think you would get the same experience if you stream a video at your house and someone else streams the same video on the other side of the World? Would it take a while to load? Think about highways and cars traveling today. If all the Worlds traffic went down one road to get to the same place how long would it take for the highway to backup? How long would it take for a restaurant to be full before they couldnt take anymore guests if everyone was going to the same place? Would there be a wait outside the restaurant maybe a line for the next availability, or would people just be turned away and wait for the perfect time to go in while competing with everyone else? What if you could add more lanes to the highway or more restaurants in the shopping centers? Thats the beauty of it all. If you need something get it. Its already there. Once you find a cloud provider that has what you need you know that if you need more of it, its there. At any time. You dont have to worry about waking up an engineer at 2am to increase your disk space in the computer in the closet. You can set it up in your own dashboard and AI will take care of it.

Redundancy: What if you have something that cannot be unavailable. Lets say you host a webpage for local neighborhood and it is about to be summer and you have post the neighborhood yard sale advertisement. You know that if the webpage is down for the yard sale again this year as it was last year your neighbors will be so disappointed. The cloud enables you to build a duplicate system or resource and have it able to be auto-scaled based on needs. This resource either can be used if your primary device fails, or it can be used in tandem with your device to loadbalance the traffic. Check out my blog in the hyperlink for more details. Think about the stress relief you will have if you know at any time if something breaks you have an exact fit and duplicate part for the job waiting and available. What check engine light? hehehe

Cost effective solutions: Computers and computer gear is expensive. Not only do you have to purchase the hard drives for a storage server, for example, think of the things you will need in order to access something remotely from the internet. You need internet, power, environment controls, and finally the resources. Each of those things cost a bunch of money to be running 24/7. Multiply that cost by the number of redundant devices and the availability type you would like to have. The cloud offers you the access to gear that is already on site, with power, internet, environment controls, and resources ready to go across thousands of locations around the World at a fraction of the cost you would see if you had to set it up yourself. Maybe you need a new computer but you are in Florida and you need the computer for your coworker in Chicago today. You can go and rent a computer online and use it for what you need in the same day and just return it either when youre done with it or when you dont need it anymore. Or you can buy one and have it shipped. What type of time are you working with to solve the problem?

The forecast

The cloud has transformed the way we live. It has allow us to achieve possibilities never before imagined. Think what people would say at the drive in movie theater years ago if you told them you wanted to watch/stream a movie with a friend across the world. Imagine if you could only access your bank if you went in the local office for all transactions, no credit, no debit, no online pay. Businesses around the World are looking at ways to efficiently utilize solutions in the cloud to maximize profit. Cloud providers have made it inexpensive enough for home users and students as well to use these same resources for learning and entrepreneurship. Check out 10 Ways The Cloud Is Changing The World. The cloud is a very handy tool to have at your disposal. It is a tool that is used by everyone from schools to the government to non-profit organizations.

If you would like move info on the cloud check out Iulia Feroli - what is the cloud Youtube short. Lulia does an excellent job explaining it for us.

Check out Attacking & Defending AWS (for Personal Use) for a fun room in TryHackMe learning modules

I hope you have been enjoying this blog series. I am trying to post every Wednesday and Sunday. Please share this blog and I really appreciate your time! Going from zero blogs to 6 blogs in one month has been a lot. Feedback is always welcomed and helps with the imposter syndrome surrounding blogs and thoughts being posted online. - Greg

The cloud from BingAI

Imagine the cloud as a magical place where you can store your digital stuff, like photos, videos, and games. Its not a fluffy white cloud in the sky, though! Instead, its a special computer that lives far away, in a big data center.

Heres how it works:

• Storage: The cloud has lots of shelves where it keeps your files safe. When you save something to the cloud, its like putting it on a virtual shelf.
• Access Anywhere: You can reach your stuff from anywhere! Whether youre at home, school, or the park, just open your magic backpack (your device) and grab whatever you need from the cloud.
• Sharing Magic: Want to show your cool drawing to a friend? No problem! You can share it directly from the cloud. Just wave your wand (click a button), and your friend can see it too.
• Backup Spells: Sometimes our devices misbehave (like when your tablet decides to take a nap). But dont worry! The cloud keeps backup copies of your files. So even if your device plays hide-and-seek, your stuff is safe.

Remember, the cloud isnt just for wizards and witches—its for everyone! So next time you save a picture or write a story, think of the magical cloud that keeps it safe and ready to share.