In an era where almost everything happens “in the cloud,” understanding the basic terms of cloud infrastructure is not just an advantage; it is a necessity. Whether you manage IT systems, develop software, or simply make technology decisions in your company, understanding the cloud ecosystem and its key components will allow you to better evaluate costs, performance, and scalability.
Therefore, this article brings together a glossary with clear and simple definitions of the fundamental concepts that currently dominate the fields of cloud computing, virtualization, orchestration, and containers.
☁️ Cloud Computing and Infrastructure
1. Public Cloud:
Cloud computing services offered by providers such as AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure over the internet, shared among multiple customers. Pay-as-you-go model, high scalability.
2. Private Cloud:
Cloud infrastructure reserved for a single organization, whether in its own data centers or in external facilities. Greater control and security.
3. Hybrid Cloud:
Combines public and private infrastructure. Allows for the movement of workloads between environments based on cost, security, or performance needs.
4. Community Cloud:
Model shared by organizations with common interests, such as the public sector, healthcare, or research.
5. IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service):
Provisioning of resources such as servers, storage, and networking virtually. Example: renting virtual machines without handling the physical hardware.
6. PaaS (Platform as a Service):
Provides a platform ready for application development without worrying about the operating system or infrastructure.
7. SaaS (Software as a Service):
Applications accessible via the web, with no need for local installation. Examples: Gmail, Salesforce, Microsoft 365.
🖥️ Virtualization and Hypervisors
8. Virtual Machine (VM):
A simulated operating system running inside another, allowing multiple isolated environments to operate on a single physical server.
9. Hypervisor:
Software that allows the creation and management of virtual machines. It is divided into:
- Type 1 (bare-metal): runs directly on hardware. Example: VMware ESXi, Hyper-V.
- Type 2: runs on a host operating system. Example: VirtualBox, VMware Workstation.
10. VMware:
One of the leaders in virtualization. Its vSphere platform and ESXi hypervisor are widely used in enterprise environments.
11. Hyper-V:
Virtualization technology developed by Microsoft, integrated into Windows Server. Widely used in Windows environments and well-integrated with Active Directory.
12. Proxmox VE:
Open-source virtualization solution that allows management of virtual machines (KVM) and containers (LXC) from a simple web interface. Very popular among SMEs and self-hosted environments.
13. OpenStack:
Open-source platform for creating public or private clouds. Manages large-scale networking, storage, and computing resources. Used by large companies and governments.
📦 Containers and Orchestration
14. Container:
A lightweight unit that encapsulates an application and its dependencies. Unlike VMs, it does not require a full operating system. More agile and portable.
15. Docker:
Container platform that lets you package, distribute, and run applications reproducibly. Ideal for development and continuous deployment.
16. Kubernetes:
Container orchestration system created by Google. It automates the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications.
17. Docker Compose:
A tool for defining and running multiple containers as a single service, ideal for development environments.
18. Helm:
Package manager for Kubernetes. It allows for deploying complex applications with predefined configurations in the form of “charts.”
🔧 Additional Concepts You Should Know
19. Cluster:
A set of servers that act as a single unit. In Kubernetes, a cluster can run hundreds of containers coordinated with each other.
20. Orchestration:
Automated coordination of tasks and resources, such as deploying containers or load balancing.
21. CI/CD (Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery):
Automated processes for testing, integrating, and deploying code frequently. They accelerate development and reduce errors.
22. API (Application Programming Interface):
A set of functions that enables communication between systems. Fundamental in modern architectures and cloud services.
23. Infrastructure as Code (IaC):
Management of infrastructure resources using configuration files (for example, with Terraform or Ansible), facilitating automation and version control.
24. Horizontal vs. Vertical Scaling:
- Horizontal: adding more instances (servers) to share the load.
- Vertical: increasing the resources (RAM, CPU) of an existing instance.
25. Backup and Disaster Recovery:
Backups and incident recovery plans. Key in cloud environments to prevent data loss and ensure continuity.
📌 Conclusion: The Cloud, a Common Language for the Future
Cloud infrastructure and associated technologies such as virtualization, containers, and automation are redefining modern IT architecture. From startups to large corporations, all players in the digital ecosystem rely on these concepts.
With this glossary as a guide, technical professionals, business decision-makers, and hybrid profiles will be able to navigate more clearly among tools, architectures, and strategic decisions. Because understanding the language of the cloud is the first step to innovating confidently in an increasingly virtual, scalable, and global environment.