Cloud computing — Technology, 14–17 years
How remote computers provide storage and processing through a network. Technology, 14–17 years.
Using computers elsewhere
Cloud computing means using storage, programs or processing power on computers in a data centre, reached through a network. Your device sends work or data there and receives a result. The “cloud” is not mysterious: it is a large collection of real machines managed by someone else.
Why put it elsewhere?
Buying enough computers for the busiest moment is expensive, and much of that equipment would sit unused afterwards. Cloud providers share large data centres among many customers and can add machines when demand rises. This makes services easier to scale, but it also means trusting a provider and depending on a network connection.
A photo backup
You take a photo on a phone. First, the app compresses it and sends a copy through the network to a storage service. The service saves it on its servers and may make another copy in a different data centre. Later, a tablet signs in, requests the file and downloads it. The photo is available, but only while the service and connection work.
The cloud is not automatic safety
It is reasonable to think that a cloud copy can never disappear: the file seems to be somewhere else and the provider looks large. But accounts can be hacked, files can be deleted, services can fail and companies can change their rules. A cloud copy is useful, not magical; important files need a recovery plan and suitable privacy settings.
Everyday remote computing
Streaming video, online documents, photo backups, multiplayer games and many school platforms use cloud computers. A streaming service stores many versions of a film and sends a suitable stream to your device when you press play. The screen is local, but much of the storage and processing happens elsewhere.
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