Broad network access: A cloud computing characteristic where capabilities are available over the network and accessed through standard mechanisms that promote use by heterogeneous thin or thick client platforms.
Cloud computing: A model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction. In the context of FinOps, it shifts costs from capital expenses to operational expenses.
Community cloud: A cloud deployment model offering shared infrastructure for organizations with similar needs, providing cost savings and opportunities for collaboration.
Hybrid cloud: A cloud deployment model that combines public and private clouds, allowing organizations to share data and applications between them for increased flexibility and optimization.
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): A cloud service model providing fundamental building blocks of IT infrastructure such as servers, storage, and networking, where the user has control over the infrastructure but is responsible for managing it.
Measured service: A cloud computing characteristic where systems automatically control and optimize resource use by leveraging a metering capability at some level of abstraction appropriate to the type of service.
On-demand self-service: A cloud computing characteristic where a customer can unilaterally provision computing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, as needed automatically without requiring human interaction with each service provider.
Platform as a Service (PaaS): A cloud service model offering a complete development and deployment environment, where users manage the applications and the cloud provider manages the underlying infrastructure.
Private cloud: A cloud deployment model where infrastructure is used exclusively by a single organization, offering more control over resources and security but often requiring a higher upfront cost.
Public cloud: A cloud deployment model hosted on public servers and managed by a third-party service provider, offering high scalability, flexible pricing, and low maintenance.
Rapid elasticity: A cloud computing characteristic where capabilities can be elastically provisioned and released to scale rapidly outward and inward commensurate with demand.
Resource pooling: A cloud computing characteristic where the provider's computing resources are pooled to serve multiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, dynamically assigning resources according to demand.
Software as a Service (SaaS): A cloud service model providing access to provider-managed applications over the internet on a subscription basis, eliminating the need for the user to install or manage software.
Virtualization: An enabling technology for cloud computing that separates resources from their physical location, allowing software copies of physical processors, memory, and hard disks to be provisioned over the internet.