What is cloud infrastructure?

It includes all the pieces needed to host, manage, and deliver cloud-based apps that serve as the backbone of the modern internet.

Components of cloud infrastructure

• Hardware: The physical or virtual machines that run cloud services and apps, providing the computational power needed to process and execute its functions. A cloud network may comprise a range of physical hardware at multiple geographic locations. This can include switches, routers, firewalls, load balancers, servers, and backup devices. The servers are connected by virtualization.

• Virtualization: The technology that separates IT services and functions from their hardware, making them into virtual resources instead of material computer parts. Virtualization allows for the creation of virtual resources, like virtual storage, providing scalability and elasticity to cloud infrastructure. This process relies on software called a hypervisor, which sits atop physical hardware and abstracts the machine’s resources, such as computing power or memory. These virtual resources are then collected in centralized pools, called clouds.

• Storage: Cloud infrastructure includes a storage system that lets you store and retrieve data. Block storage is used to store structured data like files and data, and object storage is used to store unstructured data, like images and documents. Virtualization abstracts the storage space from hardware systems, enabling it for use as cloud storage.

• Network: Networks connect the various components of cloud infrastructure, allowing for communication between servers, storage system, and other elements. A network is a physical set of wires, routers, and switches upon which a virtual network is created. Resources in a cloud, like internet service, are delivered to users via a network.

Providers of cloud infrastructure, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, bundle and offer these components as a service. This allows a business to use cloud resources on-demand rather than assume the cost of building and maintaining their own infrastructure.