Handling Data on the Cloud

What is cloud computing? By definition, it is the idea of getting things done with someone else’s computer. Have you noticed that little cloud-shaped icon in the “shapes and icons” collection in word editors that we use to represent the internet, in our flow charts and architecture diagrams? That is where it started. The idea of hosting any service on the internet became known as cloud computing, inspired by the icon. Cloud computing was created to accommodate the exponentially growing volumes of data, resources, and services that organizations use, which has been causing more expense and a lot of maintenance effort for several decades now. It is the kind of technology where we store, process, maintain, and visualize applications and data and other dependencies in a central, managed environment, basically with someone else’s resources (the provider who hosts and manages).

In this chapter, we’ll dive into the details of...