The Five Characteristics

of
Cloud Computing

Getting Started with Cloud

Computing - Level 1
(Online Course – Udemy)
 What is “Cloud Computing” ?
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

"Cloud computing is a model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a

shared pool of configurable 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. This cloud model is composed of five
essential characteristics, three service models, and four deployment models.”

5 Essential Characteristics 3 Service Models 4 Deployment Models

1 On Demand Self-Service

A Consumer can unilaterally provision computing capabilities, such as server time and
network storage, as needed automatically without requiring human interaction with
each service’s provider.

(NIST – Cloud Computing Definition)

Service Requests
Automation Cloud Services
Framework
 1 On Demand Self-Service

Web-based Management Portal

Command-line Tools Cloud System

Web APIs
2 Broad Network Access

Capabilities are available over the network and accessed through standard mechanisms that
promote use by heterogeneous thin or tick client platforms (e.g. mobile phones, tablets,
laptops, and workstations).

(NIST – Cloud Computing Definition)

3 Resource Pooling

Virtual Resources Cloud System

VM VM VM
Resource Pool

Applications Applications Applications

OS OS OS
Cloud Management Platform
Virtualization

Computing Storage Networking

 3 Resource Pooling

Clients initiating access

Entering….

Cloud System

Clients using
the cloud services

Leaving….
Clients terminating access
3 Resource Pooling

The provider’s computing resources are pooled to serve multiple consumers using a muli-tenant
model, with different physical and virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according
to consumer demand. There is a sense of location independence in that the customer generally has
no control or knowledge over the exact location of the provided resources but may be able to
specify location at a higher level of abstraction (e.g. country, state or datacenter). Examples of
resources include storage, processing, memory, and network bandwidth.

(NIST – Cloud Computing Definition)

4 Rapid Elasticity

Capabilities can be rapidly and elastically provisioned, in some cases automatically, to

scale rapidly outward and inward commensurate with demand. To the consumer, the
capabilities available for provisioning often appear to be unlimited and can be
appropriated in any quantity at any time.

(NIST – Cloud Computing Definition)

A platform that is designed to be elastic

 Avoid the cost of idle computing resources

 Quickly response to changing demands
4 Rapid Elasticity

Application Workloads

Static Scaling Elastic Scaling

4 Rapid Elasticity

Auto-Scaling

Upscaling

Provision Configure
Monitor Resources
Cloud Service Scaling Policies

Downscaling
5 Measured Service

Cloud systems automatically control and optimize resource use by leveraging a metering
capability at some level of abstraction appropriate to the type of service (e.g. storage,
processing, bandwidth, and active user accounts). Resource usage can be monitored, controlled,
and reported, providing transparency for both the provider and consumer of the utilized service.

(NIST – Cloud Computing Definition)

5 Measured Service

“Pay-as-you-go”
 Amount of CPUs and memory size
 Type of OS being used
 Location/Region
 Storage type and capacity
 Bandwidth consumed by the application
 SLA Billed per hours/minutes basis
 Support etc.