Cloud computing

Terms related to cloud computing, including definitions about on-demand, distributed computing and words and phrases about software-as-a-service, infrastructure-as-a-service and storage-as-a-service.

cloud access security broker (CASB) - A cloud access security broker (CASB) is a software tool or service that sits between an organization's on-premises infrastructure and a cloud provider's infrastructure.
cloud adaptor - A cloud adaptor is a software utility that controls the transfer of information between local back office systems and a cloud provider.
cloud aggregator - A cloud aggregator is a type of cloud broker that packages and integrates multiple cloud computing services into one or more composite services.
cloud analytics - Cloud analytics is a service model in which one or more key element of data analytics is provided through a public or private cloud.
cloud application - A cloud application, or cloud app, is a software program where cloud-based and local components work together.
cloud application performance management (cloud APM) - Cloud application performance management (cloud APM) is the process of monitoring resources that support software application performance in public cloud, private cloud and hybrid cloud environments, and ultimately taking actions to resolve issues and maintain optimal performance.
cloud architect - A cloud architect is an IT professional who is responsible for overseeing a company's cloud computing strategy.
cloud archive - A cloud archive is storage as a service for long-term data retention.
cloud audit - A cloud audit is a periodic examination an organization does to assess and document its cloud vendor's performance.
cloud automation - Cloud automation is a broad term that refers to the processes and tools an organization uses to reduce the manual efforts associated with provisioning and managing cloud computing workloads and services.
cloud broker - A cloud broker is a third-party individual or business that acts as an intermediary between the purchaser of a cloud computing service and the sellers of that service.
cloud browser - A cloud browser is a cloud-based combination of a web browser application with a virtualized container that implements the concept of remote browser isolation.
cloud bursting - Cloud bursting is an application deployment technique in which an application runs in a private cloud or data center and bursts into a public cloud when the demand for computing capacity spikes.
cloud cartography - Cloud cartography is a scheme for pinpointing the physical locations of Web servers hosted on a third-party cloud computing service.
cloud computing - Cloud computing is a general term for anything that involves delivering hosted services over the internet.
cloud computing maturity model (CCMM) - A Cloud Computing Maturity Model (CCMM) is a model that defines and analyzes the progress of an organization’s ability to deliver cloud services in key areas such as capabilities, domains, maturity and adoption.
cloud configuration - Cloud configuration is the process of setting hardware and software details for all elements of a cloud to ensure that they can interoperate and communicate.
cloud controller - A cloud controller is a device that moves data between on-premises storage and the cloud.
Cloud Controls Matrix - The Cloud Controls Matrix is a baseline set of security controls created by the Cloud Security Alliance to help enterprises assess the risk associated with a cloud computing provider.
cloud cost analysis tool - A cloud cost analysis tool is a software product designed to help corporations minimize the cost of their online operations.
Cloud Cruiser - Cloud Cruiser is a vendor that offers cost-analtyics software for hybrid cloud and multi-cloud computing environments.
cloud data management - Cloud data management is a way to manage data across cloud platforms, either with or instead of on-premises storage.
Cloud Data Management Interface (CDMI) - The Cloud Data Management Interface (CDMI) is an international standard that defines a functional interface that applications use to create, retrieve, update and delete data elements from cloud storage.
cloud database - A cloud database is a collection of informational content, either structured or unstructured, that resides on a private, public or hybrid cloud computing infrastructure platform.
cloud database - A cloud database is a collection of informational content, either structured or unstructured, that resides on a private, public or hybrid cloud computing infrastructure platform.
cloud disaster recovery (cloud DR) - Cloud disaster recovery (cloud DR) is a combination of strategies and services intended to back up data, applications and other resources to public cloud or dedicated service providers.
cloud drive - A cloud drive is an umbrella term used to describe any Web-based service that provides storage space on a remote server.
cloud economics - Cloud economics is the branch of knowledge concerned with the principles, costs and benefits of cloud computing.
cloud ecosystem - A cloud ecosystem is a complex system of interdependent components that all work together to enable cloud services.
cloud encryption (cloud storage encryption) - Cloud encryption is a service offered by cloud storage providers whereby a customer's data is transformed using encryption algorithms into ciphertext and stored in the cloud.
cloud engineer - A cloud engineer is an IT professional responsible for any technological duties associated with cloud computing, including design, planning, management, maintenance and support.
cloud ERP - Cloud ERP is a type of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software that runs on a provider's cloud computing platform, rather than on premises in an enterprise's own data center.
cloud federation - Cloud federation is the practice of interconnecting service providers' cloud environments to load balance traffic and accommodate spikes in demand.
cloud file sharing - Cloud file sharing is a method of allowing multiple users to access data within a public cloud, private cloud or hybrid cloud.
cloud file storage - Cloud file storage is a storage service that is delivered over the Internet, billed on a pay-per-use basis and has an architecture based on common file level protocols such as Server Message Block (SMB), Common Internet File System (CIFS) and Network File System (NFS).
cloud file syncing - Cloud file syncing is an application that updates files held in different locations through the cloud.
Cloud Foundry - Cloud Foundry is an open source cloud platform as a service (PaaS) on which developers can build, deploy, run and scale applications on public and private cloud models.
cloud hosting - Cloud hosting is the process of outsourcing an organization's computing and storage resources to a service provider that offers its infrastructure services in a utility model.
cloud infrastructure - Cloud infrastructure refers to the hardware and software components, such as servers, storage, networking, virtualization software, services and management tools, that support the computing requirements of a cloud computing model.
cloud insurance - Cloud insurance is any type of financial or data protection obtained by a cloud service provider.
cloud integration - Cloud integration is the act of combining different cloud-based systems into an integral whole.
cloud integration platform - A cloud integration platform is a product that facilitates the integration of an organization’s onsite (non-cloud-based) business resources with cloud-based resources.
cloud integrator - A cloud integrator is a product or service that helps a business negotiate the complexities of cloud migrations.
cloud load balancing - Cloud load balancing is the process of distributing workloads across computing resources in a cloud computing environment and carefully balancing the network traffic accessing those resources.
cloud management platform - A cloud management platform is a suite of integrated tools that an enterprise can use to monitor and control cloud computing resources.
cloud marketplace - A cloud marketplace is an online storefront, operated by a cloud provider, through which customers may subscribe to Software as a Service (SaaS) applications that are built on, integrate with or complement the cloud provider's main infrastructure, platform or software service.
cloud NAS (cloud network attached storage) - Cloud NAS (network attached storage) is remote storage that is accessed over the internet as if it is local.
Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) - The Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) is an open source software foundation that promotes the adoption of cloud-native computing.
cloud networking - Cloud networking is when some or all of an organization's networking resources are hosted in the cloud.
cloud object storage - Cloud object storage is a format for storing unstructured data in the cloud.
cloud orchestration (cloud orchestrator) - Cloud orchestration is the use of programming technology to manage the interconnections and interactions among workloads on public and private cloud infrastructure.
cloud outage - A cloud outage is a period of time during which cloud services are unavailable.
cloud portability - Cloud portability is the ability to move applications and data from one cloud computing environment to another with minimal disruption.
cloud provider API - A cloud provider API is an application program interface that allows the end user to interact with a cloud provider's service.
cloud provisioning - Cloud provisioning is the allocation of a cloud provider's resources and services to a customer.
cloud robotics - Cloud robotics is the use of remote computing resources to enable greater memory, computational power, collective learning and interconnectivity for robotics applications.
cloud security - Cloud security, also known as cloud computing security, is the practice of protecting cloud-based data, applications and infrastructure from cyberthreats and cyber attacks.
Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) - The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) is a nonprofit organization that promotes research into best practices for securing cloud computing and the use of cloud technologies to secure other forms of computing.
cloud security architecture - Cloud security architecture is a security strategy designed around securing an organization's data and applications in the cloud.
Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) - Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) is a market segment for IT security tools that are designed to identify misconfiguration issues and compliance risks in the cloud.
cloud seeding - Cloud seeding is a strategy for uploading large amounts of data to a cloud storage service.
cloud server - A cloud server is a compute server that has been virtualized, making its resources accessible to users remotely over a network.
cloud service latency - Latency greatly affects how usable and enjoyable devices and communications are.
cloud service provider (cloud provider) - A cloud service provider, or CSP, is a company that offers some component of cloud computing -- typically, infrastructure as a service (IaaS), software as a service (SaaS) or platform as a service (PaaS).
cloud services - Cloud services is an umbrella term that may refer to a variety of resources provided over the internet, or to professional services that support the deployment of such cloud-based resources.
cloud SLA (cloud service-level agreement) - A cloud SLA (cloud service-level agreement) is an agreement between a cloud service provider and a customer that ensures a minimum level of service is maintained.
cloud sourcing - Cloud sourcing is an arrangement in which a company pays a third-party cloud hosting provider to deliver and support IT services that could be provided in-house.
cloud sprawl - Cloud sprawl is the uncontrolled proliferation of an organization's cloud instances, services or providers.
cloud storage - Cloud storage is a service model in which data is transmitted and stored on remote storage systems, where it is maintained, managed, backed up and made available to users over a network (typically the internet).
cloud storage API - A cloud storage API is an application programming interface that connects a locally based application to a cloud-based storage system so that a user can send data to it and access and work with data stored in it.
cloud storage gateway - A cloud storage gateway is a hardware- or software-based appliance that serves as a bridge between local applications and remote cloud-based storage.
cloud storage infrastructure - Cloud storage infrastructure is the hardware and software framework that supports the computing requirements of a private or public cloud storage service.
cloud storage provider - A cloud storage provider, also known as a managed service provider (MSP), is a company that offers organizations and individuals the ability to place and retain data in an off-site storage system.
cloud storage service - A cloud storage service is a business that maintains and manages its customers' data and makes that data accessible over a network, usually the internet.
cloud testing - Cloud testing is the process of using the cloud computing resources of a third-party service provider to test software applications.
cloud uptime - Cloud uptime is the amount of time that cloud systems and cloud services hosted by a cloud provider are up and accessible by end users.
cloud washing - Cloud washing (also spelled cloudwashing) is the purposeful and sometimes deceptive attempt by a vendor to rebrand an old product or service by associating the buzzword 'cloud' with it.
cloud-in-a-can (cloud in a box) - A cloud-in-a-can, also called a cloud in a box, is a marketing term used to describe a turnkey product for private cloud deployments.
cloud-native application - A cloud-native application is a program that is designed for a cloud computing architecture.
cloud-oriented architecture (COA) - A cloud-oriented architecture (COA) is a conceptual model encompassing all elements in a cloud environment.
Cloudability - Cloudability is a software vendor that provides financial management tools for monitoring and analyzing cloud computing costs.
CloudAV - CloudAV is a program that combines multiple antivirus applications and scans user files over a network of servers.
CloudBees - CloudBees is a former platform as a service cloud provider that now focuses on open source continuous integration.
cloudbook - A cloudbook is a thin client notebook computer with a browser operating system (OS) and interface.
Cloudburst VM escape - Cloudburst VM (virtual machine) escape is an exploit method, credited to research firm Kostya Kortchinsky Immunity Inc.
CloudCheckr - CloudCheckr is a vendor that provides a cloud management platform intended to give an organization more control over and visibility into its cloud computing costs, performance and security.
Cloudify - Cloudify is an open source cloud and network functions virtualization (NFV) orchestration platform.
cloudlet - A cloudlet is a small-scale data center or cluster of computers designed to quickly provide cloud computing services to mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets and wearable devices, within close geographical proximity.
CloudOps (cloud operations) - Cloud operations (CloudOps) is the management, delivery and consumption of software in a computing environment where there is limited visibility into an app's underlying infrastructure.
CloudStack - Apache CloudStack is an open source infrastructure as a service (IaaS) platform that allows IT service providers to offer public cloud services.
CloudTrust Protocol (CTP) - The CloudTrust Protocol or CTP is a mechanism that helps cloud service customers request and retrieve standardized inquiries about cloud provider transparency.
cloudware - Cloudware is software that runs on a remote Web server rather than on a mobile computing device, personal computer (PC) or traditional on-premises application server.
clustered file system (CFS) - Clustered file systems are file systems that run on multiple storage servers and can be accessed and managed as a single system.
colocation (colo) - A colocation facility, or colo, is a data center facility in which a business can rent space for servers and other computing hardware.
Common Assurance Maturity Model (CAMM) - The Common Assurance Maturity Model (CAMM) is a global project to list the information assurance maturity of suppliers offering provisioning services (for example, cloud providers).
Common Service Center (CSC) - A Common Service Center (CSC) is an information and communication technology (ICT) access point created under the National e-Governance Project of the Indian government.
compliance as a service (CaaS) - Compliance as a Service (CaaS) is a cloud service service level agreement (SLA) that specified how a managed service provider (MSP) will help an organization meet its regulatory compliance mandates.
computing arbitrage - Computing arbitrage is a cloud services business model in which a company purchases computing resources -- typically a large block of bandwidth – at wholesale rates and offers it in smaller packages, with a greater cumulative value, to other companies.
confidential computing - Confidential computing is a concept that prioritizes software and hardware-based security -- specifically pertaining to data in the cloud.
consumption-based pricing model - A consumption-based pricing model is a service provision and payment scheme in which the customer pays according to the resources used.

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