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In this video, we’ll define what “the cloud” is, and go over some of the benefits that make it so popular. We’ll also talk about AWS’s place in the cloud.
New Terms:
- The Cloud — Other computers on the internet that run software and digital services for you, in exchange for payment. Essentially, renting other people’s computers.
- Cloud provider — A company that runs software and digital services for others, in exchange for payment.
- AWS — Amazon Web Services, the largest cloud provider.
- Maintenance costs — Time and money spent on keeping computers running. This can include electricity, cooling, replacing faulty hardware, and so on.
- Fixed, upfront costs — Costs that must be paid at start of a project, regardless of whether the project succeeds or fails. For example, buying your own hardware for a project.
- Flexible costs — Costs that vary depending on usage, paid over time.
Further Reading:
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[MUSIC]
0:00
Hey, I'm DB.
0:04
In this course,
0:06
we'll learn about how to get started
with Amazon Web Services, or AWS.
0:06
If you've heard of the Cloud, but
0:11
you don't know what it is,
you're in the right place.
0:13
We're gonna start from
the very beginning and
0:15
cover some of the basic concepts
you'll need to be successful.
0:17
So, what is the Cloud, anyway?
0:20
The Cloud is just renting
other people's computers.
0:22
When you use the Cloud,
you pay a company, like Amazon for
0:25
example, to run computer programs for you.
0:27
That company is known as a Cloud Provider.
0:30
Amazon isn't the only Cloud Provider
out there, there are many others.
0:32
Including well-known companies
like Google, Microsoft, and HP.
0:35
But also less well-known companies like
Rackspace, Digital Ocean, and SoftLayer.
0:39
But right now, Amazon is the biggest,
0:44
most well-known and most actively
used Cloud provider in the world.
0:46
That's why people sometimes use
the terms AWS and Cloud interchangeably.
0:49
Even when they actually
mean two different things.
0:53
It's sort of like how people refer
to all tissues as Kleenex or
0:56
all copy machines as Xerox.
0:59
So, the Cloud is renting
computers from other companies.
1:02
And AWS is the biggest, most popular
company that you can rent computers from.
1:05
Well, whats the big deal?
1:09
Why don't people just buy their own
computers instead of renting them
1:10
from others?
1:13
There are two main reasons.
1:14
Avoiding maintenance and flexible costs.
1:16
Let's talk about maintenance first.
1:19
Computers have needs, and sometimes those
needs are deceptively difficult to meet.
1:21
Computers need electricity,
and they need it reliably.
1:25
A Cloud provider makes sure that
the computers they rent out have
1:29
back up generators so that they'll keep
running even if the power goes out.
1:31
Computers need to be kept cool,
so they don't overheat.
1:35
A Cloud provider makes sure that computers
are cooled appropriately at all times.
1:38
Computer hardware can break.
1:42
A Cloud provider is always ready
to replace the breakage or
1:44
immediately give you a replacement
computer that works properly.
1:47
Hard drives can fail,
resulting in data loss.
1:50
If you store your data with a Cloud
provider, they'll copy it to multiple hard
1:53
drives so that even if one of them
fails your data is still safe.
1:56
Criminals can steal computers to access
sensitive information like credit
1:59
card numbers.
2:03
Cloud providers keep their computers
in secure facilities with guards,
2:04
to be sure that your data
can't be physically stolen.
2:08
Developing an application is hard enough,
2:10
without also dealing with
all of these problems.
2:12
Cloud providers take care of
the maintenance computers need,
2:14
to give you a solid foundation to
build your application on top of.
2:17
So the Cloud lets you avoid maintenance,
which is great.
2:21
The other reason why people like
the Cloud is because of flexible costs.
2:24
In the past, before the Cloud existed,
a company would have to spend
2:27
thousands of dollars at the start of every
project buying the computers they needed.
2:31
Sometimes they could reuse old computers,
but technology improved so
2:35
quickly that it usually make sense to
buy new computers every few years.
2:39
These computers needed to be powerful
enough to run the project at
2:43
maximum capacity even though you
very rarely reach maximum capacity.
2:46
This is known as a fixed upfront cost.
2:51
It's fixed because it can't be changed.
2:54
You almost always need
to buy a new computers.
2:56
And it's upfront because you pay
it at the start of the project.
2:59
Even if something goes wrong
after only a few days and
3:03
the whole project gets cancelled,
you still have to pay upfront.
3:05
The Cloud isn't like that.
3:09
Instead of fixed upfront costs,
you only pay for what you use.
3:11
That means if you just need
a small computer for testing and
3:15
development, it's very cheap.
3:17
If you need to scale up to
a more powerful computer for
3:19
production, it costs a bit more, but it's
still cheaper than buying it yourself.
3:22
As you scale up, your price rises, but
as you scale down, your price drops.
3:26
Without fixed upfront costs, you can pay
to support your average capacity instead
3:31
of your maximum capacity and
scale up for those peak times.
3:36
It's also much easier to try out
short experimental projects.
3:41
Everyone wins.
3:44
Cloud providers like Amazon rent
out their computers to others and
3:46
they handle the maintenance
of those computers.
3:49
Flexible costs also make
the Cloud more affordable, but
3:52
how much does that actually cost?
3:55
We'll talk about that in the next video.
3:57
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