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.

public cloud storage - Public cloud storage, also called online storage, is a service model that provides data storage on a pay-per-use basis.
SaaS ERP - SaaS ERP is a type of cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) software that runs on the vendor's or cloud provider's servers, is sold through subscription and delivered as a service over the internet.
Salesforce - Salesforce, Inc.
Salesforce Platform (formerly Force.com) - The Salesforce Platform -- formerly known as Force.
SAP Analytics Cloud - SAP Analytics Cloud (or SAP Cloud for Analytics) is a software as a service (SaaS) business intelligence (BI) platform designed by SAP.
SAP Cloud Platform - SAP Cloud Platform (SCP) is a platform-as-a-service (PaaS) product that provides a development and runtime environment for cloud applications.
SDDC (software-defined data center) - An SDDC (software-defined data center) is a data storage facility in which networking, storage, CPU and security are virtualized and delivered as a service.
serverless computing - Serverless computing is a cloud computing execution model that lets software developers build and run applications and servers without having to provision or manage the back-end infrastructure.
sharding - Sharding is a type of database partitioning that separates large databases into smaller, faster, more easily managed parts.
single-tenancy - Single-tenancy is an architecture in which a single instance of a software application and supporting infrastructure serves one customer.
SMAC (social, mobile, analytics and cloud) - SMAC (social, mobile, analytics and cloud) is the concept that the convergence of four technologies is currently driving business innovation.
software-defined perimeter (SDP) - A software-defined perimeter, or SDP, is a security technique that controls access to resources based on identity and forms a virtual boundary around networked resources.
SPI model - The SPI model is an abbreviation of the most common cloud computing service models: software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS) and infrastructure as a service (IaaS).
stateless app - A stateless app is an application program that does not save client data generated in one session for use in the next session with that client.
subscription-based pricing model - A subscription-based pricing model is a payment structure that allows a customer or organization to purchase or subscribe to a vendor's IT services for a specific period of time for a set price.
Testing as a Service (TaaS) - Testing as a service (TaaS) is an outsourcing model in which testing activities associated with some of an organization's business activities are performed by a service provider rather than in-house employees.
The Boomi Platform - The Boomi Platform, previously known as Boomi AtomSphere, is a low-code and cloud-native integrated Platform as a Service (iPaaS).
TOSCA (Topology and Orchestration Specification for Cloud Applications) - The Topology and Orchestration Specification for Cloud Applications (TOSCA) is an open source language used to describe the relationships and dependencies between services and applications that reside on a cloud computing platform.
unified computing system (UCS) - A unified computing system (UCS) is a converged data center architecture that integrates computing, networking and storage resources to increase efficiency and enable centralized management.
usage-based pricing - Usage-based pricing is a consumption-based pricing model in which customers are charged only when they use a product or service.
utility storage - Utility storage is a service model in which a provider makes storage capacity available to an individual, organization or business unit on a pay-per-use basis.
vendor lock-in - Vendor lock-in is a situation in which a customer using a product or service cannot easily transition to a competitor's product or service.
vertical cloud - A vertical cloud, also known as an industry cloud platform, is a set of cloud computing services optimized for use in a particular industry or for a specific business model.
virtual firewall - A virtual firewall is a firewall device or service that provides network traffic filtering and monitoring for virtual machines (VMs) in a virtualized environment.
virtual private cloud (VPC) - A virtual private cloud (VPC) is the logical division of a service provider's public cloud multi-tenant architecture to support private cloud computing.
wake word - A wake word is a phrase spoken to the Amazon Echo hands-free speaker and virtual assistant that causes the device to "wake up" and process a user's request.
WAN optimization (WAN acceleration) - WAN optimization -- also known as WAN acceleration -- is a collection of technologies and techniques used to improve the efficiency of data transfer across a wide area network (WAN) between organizations' centralized data centers and their remote locations.
What is a cloud database? An in-depth cloud DBMS guide - A cloud database is an organized and managed collection of data in an IT system that resides on a public, private or hybrid cloud computing platform.
What is a private cloud? - Private cloud is a type of cloud computing that delivers similar advantages to public cloud, including scalability and self-service, but through a proprietary architecture.
What is cloud backup and how does it work? - Cloud backup, also known as online backup or remote backup, is a strategy for sending a copy of a physical or virtual file or database to a secondary, off-site location for preservation in case of equipment failure, site catastrophe or human malfeasance.
What is cloud management? Definition, benefits and guide - Cloud management refers to the exercise of control over public, private or hybrid cloud infrastructure resources and services.
What is cloud migration? Essential guide to moving to the cloud - Cloud migration is the process of moving data, applications or other business elements to a cloud computing environment.
What is fog computing? - Fog computing is a decentralized computing infrastructure in which data, compute, storage and applications are located somewhere between the data source and the cloud.
What is hybrid cloud? The ultimate guide - A hybrid cloud is a cloud computing environment that uses a mix of on-premises, private cloud and third-party public cloud services with orchestration among these platforms.
What is iPaaS? Guide to integration platform as a service - This guide explains all about integration platform as a service (iPaaS), a set of automated tools that integrate software applications that are deployed in different environments.
What is PaaS? Platform as a service definition and guide - Platform as a service (PaaS) is a cloud computing model where a third-party provider delivers hardware and software tools to users over the internet.
What is public cloud? Everything you need to know - A public cloud is a third-party managed platform that uses the standard cloud computing model to make resources and services available to remote users around the world.
What is Software as a Service (SaaS)? - Software as a service (SaaS) is a software distribution model in which a third-party provider hosts applications and makes them available to customers over the Internet.
white box server - A white box server is a data center computer that is not manufactured by a well-known brand name vendor.
Windows containers - Windows containers provide abstracted, isolated, lightweight and portable operating environments for application development on a single system.
XaaS (anything as a service) - XaaS is a collective term that refers to the delivery of anything as a service.
zero client - Zero client, also known as ultrathin client, is a server-based computing model in which the end user's computing device has no local storage.