It seems that everyone wants to be in the “cloud” these days. We see it on television commercials and hear about it online, but many of us are left scratching our heads about what the “cloud” actually is. Now some web hosting companies are offering cloud hosting. Let’s take a look at exactly what this mysterious term means.
What is the “Cloud?”
You can relax. The “cloud” is simply the Internet, but, to be more specific, “cloud” computing refers to being able to access your information without knowing exactly where or how it is stored. Get it? You don’t know the details, so your knowledge is “cloudy.” Of course, just like we’re not sure about things in the cloud, many developers can’t agree on the exact definition either. Seems like we’re all a little confused.
What is Cloud Hosting?
Cloud hosting is actually a little easier to understand. Instead of hosting your website on a single server or even a static set of servers, cloud hosting, also known as cluster or enterprise hosting, uses an entire network of interconnected servers. In many cases, the machines aren’t in the same data center, or even in the same country. Most cloud hosting companies have data centers around the globe.
Should I Switch?
Although there are many benefits to cloud hosting, it is up to you. However, as the industry moves in this direction, you probably won’t have a choice at some point. As per some online courses, this type of configuration allows for easy disaster recovery as it includes duplication of servers and automatic fail-over capabilities. It removes the issue of losing your website if a single server, or even a single data center, is destroyed. If it works according to the “cloud” theory of computing, you would never even know that your website just switched from a server in Singapore to one in London because of a natural disaster.
Isn’t it great to know there’s nothing intimidating about the “cloud?”
