New to developing websites for the cloud? Your questions answered

Cloud computing is growing in popularity with most companies jumping on board as quickly as they can. But with this new technology comes new confusing terms and a concept that takes some time to fully understand.

But in the fast pace world of websites and applications being launched daily, most often you don’t have time to learn everything you need to to get started in cloud services for your website or application.

If you’re new to cloud computing and cloud services for websites and applications, here are some questions you may have and the answers you’re hoping for. At the end, you’ll find a nice deal from TNW Deals that will help you learn even more about cloud computing and becoming an Amazon Web Services certified engineer.

What exactly is cloud computing?

Cloud computing is the availability and on-demand nature of IT and technology resources and applications via the internet. It is often structured as a pay-as-you-go. The difference between cloud computing and traditional storage and operating servers is that you use and pay for only what you need, when you need it.

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You aren’t shelling out money for resources you don’t need or want, nor are you caught where you need to rapidly upgrade your resources but are unable to put the physical pieces together quick enough.

A very simple way to think about this is the typical electric setup for a home. You need electricity to live, but you don’t want to fork over millions to have your own mini power plant in your yard. You pay an electric company to turn on the electric and deliver electricity to you as you use it. You then will only pay for what you use.

If you don’t use much (say, during the spring and fall months), then your bill is low. If you end up needing quite a bit to stay warm or cool during winter or summer, then your bill increases because you’re using more electricity.

Is it more expensive than traditional server environments?

No. Matter of fact, thanks to the large economies of scale that cloud computing employs, you actually get to pay much less for what you use. Because there are thousands of customers who use the same ‘cloud’ you do, the pool of resources is larger, and tapping into those resources requires less capital from you.

Also, the cloud company is able to have these large clouds and provide pieces to you much less than traditional environments.

What are some of the services that cloud computing offers for websites and applications?

There’s a general understanding that there are three different services that are available: software-as-a-service (SaaS), infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), and platform-as-a-service (PaaS). SaaS is the most common one and has been around before the phrase “cloud computing” was coined, and is used for applications that are delivered over the web.

IaaS allows you to remotely access storage and server capacities. PaaS allows you to both build and deploy applications from the cloud without hosting it on your computer first.

How can cloud computing help me with my website or application?

There’s actually several things you can benefit from cloud computing when it comes to your website or application. A couple of the benefits were outlined above, but they include allowing you to pay for only what you use, keeping costs down by not having to maintain server space or other resources you may not need, and allowing you to ramp up as demand for your website or application increases.

A couple of other benefits include being able to access your website or application from anywhere (instead of relying on in-house servers or restricted servers) and being able to tap into software that may otherwise be cost-prohibitive for you to access, such as many different kinds of SaaS applications.

How safe is my website files or application files in the cloud?

Nothing is 100 percent safe. Hackers can and have managed to hack into cloud computing systems just like they have with traditional servers and IT resources. However, with cloud computing, there is a central company or organization (i.e. Amazon or Google) that often takes the responsibility in making sure the cloud they are offering to you is safe and secure.

They will provide security patches and updates, provide secure IT resources, and often run backups and distribute copies of data and files and distribute them through different locals to help keep information safe and secure from hackers, server failures, viruses, and the like.

Become an Amazon Web Services certified cloud developer

If developing and working with the cloud is something that appeals to you, you may be interested then in this new deal from The Next Web Deals. Become a certified Amazon Web Services (AWS) developer and cloud guru with this three part course designed to give you all the information you need to pass all three AWS exams.

With 26 hours of instruction, you can learn more about the AWS platform, create fault-tolerant architectures in the cloud, and get hands-on practice. This bundle is normally offered for $237 dollars, however on TNW Deals you can purchase this deal for $29, that’s 87 percent off the normal price.

Conclusion

If you’ve been wondering what the cloud is all about, how it can benefit you and your website or applications, or even wanted to boost your career with learning more about the cloud and becoming AWS certified, the tips and bundle above will help you understand cloud computing better and possibly help you land a career in cloud computing as well.