Cloud Computing Glossary
A comprehensive list of common cloud computing terms and their definitions. Currently, this glossary contains 41 terms.
API Gateway
A server that acts as an API front-end, receiving API requests, enforcing throttling and security policies, and routing requests to the appropriate service.
Auto Scaling
A cloud computing feature that allows a service to automatically adjust the number of active servers to meet demand.
Backup as a Service (BaaS)
A cloud service model for backing up data to a remote, cloud-based storage system to protect against data loss.
Big Data
Large volumes of structured and unstructured data that can be analyzed for insights using data processing technologies.
Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB)
A security solution that sits between cloud service users and cloud applications to enforce security policies.
Cloud Automation
The use of tools and processes to reduce the manual effort needed to manage cloud resources.
Cloud Computing
The delivery of computing services over the internet, including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, and analytics.
Cloud Governance
A framework for managing and controlling the use of cloud resources to ensure compliance, security, and cost efficiency.
Cloud Migration
The process of moving data, applications, or other business elements to a cloud computing environment.
Cloud Native
An approach to building and running applications that exploit the advantages of the cloud computing delivery model.
Cloud Orchestration
The automated coordination and management of complex cloud workloads and services.
Cloud Storage
A service model in which data is maintained, managed, and backed up remotely and made available to users over a network.
Compliance as a Service (CaaS)
A cloud service model that provides compliance and regulatory services to help organizations meet specific standards.
Containerization
A lightweight form of virtualization that packages code and its dependencies to run uniformly across different environments.
Content Delivery Network (CDN)
A distributed network of servers that delivers web content based on the geographical location of the user.
Data Encryption
The process of encoding data to prevent unauthorized access, essential for cloud data protection.
Data Lake
A storage repository that holds large amounts of raw data in its native format until it is needed for analysis.
DevOps
A set of practices that combines software development and IT operations, aiming to shorten the development lifecycle.
Disaster Recovery
A set of policies and procedures that enables the recovery of essential IT systems after a catastrophic failure.
Edge Computing
A distributed computing paradigm that brings computation and data storage closer to the location where it is needed to improve response times.
Elasticity
The ability of a cloud service to automatically scale resources up or down based on demand.
Function as a Service (FaaS)
A cloud computing model that allows developers to execute code in response to events without managing servers.
Hybrid Cloud
A cloud computing environment that combines on-premises infrastructure, private cloud services, and a public cloud.
IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)
A cloud computing service that provides essential compute, storage, and networking resources on demand.
Identity and Access Management (IAM)
A framework of policies and technologies ensuring that the right users have access to the right resources in a cloud environment.
Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
The process of managing and provisioning computing infrastructure through machine-readable configuration files.
Kubernetes
An open-source platform for automating deployment, scaling, and operations of application containers across clusters of hosts.
Latency
The time it takes for a data packet to travel from one point to another in a network.
Load Balancing
The process of distributing network or application traffic across multiple servers to improve reliability and performance.
Machine Learning as a Service (MLaaS)
A range of cloud-based services that provide machine learning tools for businesses.
Microservices
An architectural style that structures an application as a collection of small services, each serving a specific function.
Multi-Cloud
The use of multiple cloud services from different providers to avoid dependency on a single vendor.
Observability
The ability to measure the internal states of a system based on the data it produces, crucial for monitoring and troubleshooting.
PaaS (Platform as a Service)
A complete development and deployment environment in the cloud, with resources that enable you to deliver everything from simple cloud-based apps to sophisticated enterprise applications.
Private Cloud
A cloud computing environment exclusively used by one organization, offering greater control and security.
Public Cloud
A cloud environment that is available to multiple users over the internet, provided by a third-party cloud provider.
SaaS (Software as a Service)
A software licensing and delivery model in which software is licensed on a subscription basis and is centrally hosted.
Serverless Computing
A cloud computing execution model where the cloud provider automatically manages the infrastructure needed to run code.
Service Level Agreement (SLA)
A contract between a service provider and a customer that defines the expected level of service and performance.
Virtual Machine (VM)
A software emulation of physical computers that runs an operating system and applications like a physical server.
Zero Trust
A security model that assumes no trust, requiring verification at each stage of digital interactions and access to resources.