National Handcraft Training Center

Name: Dlamini Lethukuthula

Course: Advanced I.T

Date: 30 April 2024

Lecturer: Mr Mashaba

Due date: 8 May 2024

Assignment 1

Question
Explain and discuss cloud storage and cloud computing.
Introduction
One of the most trending techie words these days is “the cloud”. The cloud is simply a network of
computers whereby it refers to a network of computers owned by one person or company, where
other people or companies can store their data. In this paper we shall explain and discuss cloud
storage and cloud computing.
Cloud Storage
Cloud Storage is a cloud computing model in which data is stored on remote servers and accessed
over the internet or through a dedicated private network connection. The storage infrastructure is
maintained, operated and managed by the cloud storage service provider. Cloud storage allows
data to be accessed from anywhere and the cost of cloud storage is typically based on a flat rate
“x” amount of data (Margaret Rouse,2024). According technopedia, 2024, cloud storage provides
end users and applications with a virtual storage architecture that is scalable according to
application requirements.
Types of cloud storage
There are three main types of cloud storage: Public, private and hybrid cloud storages.
1. Public Cloud Storage
According to Margaret rouse, Public cloud storage is a cloud storage model that enables
individuals and organizations alike to store, edit and manage data. In Public cloud storage the
customer uses the inter net to connect to a storage that’s maintained by a cloud provider and used
by other companies.

2. Private cloud storage

According to Margaret Rouse, Private cloud storage is a type of storage mechanism that stores an
organization’s data at in-house storage servers by implementing cloud computing and storage
technology. In private cloud storage the customer builds their own storage that is accessed through
a private connection and cannot be used by other companies.

3. Hybrid cloud storage

According to Margaret Rouse, 2024 Hybrid cloud storage is a type of cloud storage model that
derives and combines the functionality of public and private cloud storage services whereby the
customer stores sensitive information in a private cloud and uses public cloud storage services to
store data that is not sensitive.
Advantages of cloud storage
According to Matthew Mister, 2019 cloud storage has the following advantages:
a) Cost: Purchasing physical storage can be expensive. Without the need for hardware cloud
storage is exceptionally cheaper per GB than using external drives.
b) Accessibility: using the cloud for storage gives you access to your files from anywhere that
has an internet connection.
c) Recovery: in the event of a hard drive failure or other hardware malfunction, you can
access your files on the cloud. It acts as a backup solution for your local storage on
physical drives.
d) Security: cloud storage providers add additional layer of security to their services. Since
there are many people with files stored on the cloud these providers go to extra lengths to
make sure your files don’t get accessed by someone who shouldn’t.
Disadvantages of cloud storage
According to Matthew Mister,2019 cloud storage has the following disadvantages:
a) Internet connection: cloud based storage is dependent on having an internet connection. If
you are on a slow network, you may have issues accessing your storage.
b) Costs: There are additional costs for uploading and downloading files from the cloud. These
can quickly add up if you are trying to access lots of files often.
c) Hard drives: support for cloud storage isn’t the best, especially if you are using a free
version of a cloud provider. Many providers refer you to a knowledgebase or FAQs.
d) Privacy: when you use a cloud provider your data is no longer on physical storage. There is
no assurance that your data is safe.
Cloud Computing
Cloud computing is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on demand network access to a
shared pool of configuration computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications
and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or
service provider interaction (Mell P, GranceT,2011).

Types of cloud computing

1. Software as a service (SaaS): it is licensing model in which access to software is provided
on a subscription basis where the software is located on external servers rather than on
servers located in house(Grant,2022)
2. Platform as a service(PaaS):it is cloud computing platform where a third party offers the
necessary software and hardware resources (Kanade,2022)
3. Infrastructure as a Service(IaaS): it is a cloud computing model that provides on demand
access to computing resources such as servers, storage, networking and virtualization
Advantages of cloud computing.
According to Carl Mazzanti, cloud computing has the following advantages:
a) Scalability: the cloud is elastic meaning that resource allocation can be bigger or smaller
depending on demand. Elasticity enables scalability which means that the cloud can scale
upwards for peak demand and download for lighter demand. Scalability also means that an
application can scale when adding users and when application requires change.
b) Self-service Access: cloud customers can get cloud services without going through lengthy
process. All you have to do is request a specific amount of computing storage or software
from the service provider. After you use these resources they can be automatically shut
down by disconnecting from the internet.
c) General user interface: cloud services should have standardized interfaces which provides
instructions on how two applications or data sources can communicate with each other. A
standardized interface lets the customer more easily linked cloud services together.
d) Free or service use metering: right now there are a number of free cloud services for basic
document preparation capabilities for example. Some targeted cloud services such as
payroll or accounting software are based on a pay as you go model or monthly/ annual fee.
Disadvantages of cloud computing
According to Avgoustinous constantinides cloud computing has the following disadvantages:
a) Internet connection is required: it is impossible to work if your internet connection is down.
Since you are using the internet to connect to your cloud PC, if there is no internet
connection simply you cannot connect.
b) It is sometimes slow: with fast connections sometimes you might experience delays since
web based applications can sometimes be slower than accessing a similar software
program on your desktop PC. The reason for that is because of the demanding upload and
download bandwidth that web applications need.
c) Stored data might not be secure: if your data goes missing, you will have no physical or
local backup of your data.

Conclusion
Cloud storage is a great way to store data and files. It is convenient, reliable and secure.
However cloud computing makes it easy for companies to provide their products to end
user without worrying about hardware configurations and other requirements of servers.
References

1. http://www.techopedia.com
2. http://www.promax.com
3. NIST, Mell P, Grance T, 2011
4. http://www.emazzanti.net
5. http://www.ibs.com.cv
6. http://www.spiceworks.com
7. http://www.cloud.google.com