Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services—such as servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence—over the internet ("the cloud") to offer faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale. Instead of owning physical hardware or infrastructure, users can access these services on-demand from cloud providers, paying only for what they use.
Key Characteristics:
- On-Demand Self-Service: Users can provision resources automatically without human intervention.
- Broad Network Access: Services are accessible over the internet from various devices.
- Resource Pooling: Providers serve multiple customers using shared infrastructure.
- Rapid Elasticity: Resources can scale up or down quickly to meet demand.
- Measured Service: Usage is monitored, controlled, and billed transparently.
Examples:
- Storage: Storing files on platforms like Tencent Cloud COS (Cloud Object Storage) instead of local hard drives.
- Compute: Running applications on virtual machines (VMs) via Tencent Cloud CVM (Cloud Virtual Machine).
- Databases: Using managed databases like Tencent Cloud TDSQL for scalable and reliable data storage.
Use Cases:
- Startup Development: Launching web apps on Tencent Cloud without upfront hardware costs.
- Big Data Analytics: Processing large datasets with Tencent Cloud EMR (Elastic MapReduce).
- Disaster Recovery: Backing up critical data to Tencent Cloud CBS (Cloud Block Storage) for redundancy.
Tencent Cloud offers a wide range of services to support cloud computing needs, from infrastructure to AI-driven solutions.