This is why Cloud Computing requires fiber optic broadband

You sure have heard the term cloud computing a lot lately since it has become closely linked to several aspects of our lives. And, surely, you have asked yourself what is the cloud and where exactly is it.

As it turns out, cloud computing means storing and accessing data and programs over the Internet instead of your computer’s hard drive. It allows for customers and businesses to use services and sotfwares without having to build, run and maintain the servers in-house. Therefore, in this case, the word “cloud” is used as a metaphor for “the Internet”.

Cloud computing means not to store data and run programs from computers that are close to you or others computers from that local network because that’s simply local storage and computing. It is just considered cloud computing when you access to your files and applications over the Internet.

You see… there’s a good chance you use Cloud Computing on your daily basis, like accessing to your Gmail, Yahoo or Outlook e-mail, downloading an app from Google Play or the App Store, or watching a Netflix series.

Think about it, instead of running those programs on your computer or phone, you access the web and remotely log-in into your account. The software that stores your e-mails, apps and movies doesn't exist in your computer, it is on the services’ cloud.

And how exactly does it work?

Cloud computing consists of layers, the front-end, the side you as a consumer interact with, for this you need your computer and the applications required to access to the cloud. And the back-end, that refers to the computers, servers and data storage systems that fuel the interface you see and manage at the front-end. The back-end systems apply high-performance computing able to perform tens of trillions of computations per second.

Cloud computing includes IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service) and SaaS (Software as a Service) as layers of services.

IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service): Allows you access to storage and computer power through a web-based system. Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure are accurate examples of IaaS.

PaaS (Platform as a Service): It gives developers the tools to build and host web applications.

SaaS (Software as a Service): The applications are accessible from various client devices through a client interface, such as a web browser.

Where does fiber-optic have a role on Cloud Computing?

Being an Internet-based server layer, cloud computing productivity solutions efficient performance depends on your Internet connection. Without enough bandwidth, cloud computing would be impossible.

With more than 1 Exabyte of data stored in the cloud, connections need to be high-speed, reliable and trustworthy in order to allow computers resources to be easily distributed. Therefore, optical fiber will be persistent in the new network architectures as bandwidth requirements increase.

Currently, there is no technology more effective for meeting data increasing demands than fiber optics, because it is the only practical telecommunication medium able to carry trillions of bits per second.

When migrating to cloud computing infrastructure, businesses need to ensure their Internet connection can keep up, by finding a right commercial ISP that’s able to deliver the type of  fiber WAN that is suited for this architecture.

On the other hand, data centers need to meet these challenging data increasing requirements by using advanced fiber optic cabling in core network functions, backhaul systems, and storage arrays, which delivers reliability and scalability without giving up density.

And, also, by choosing proper media conversion tools that enable them to freely change between fiber and copper.