Microsoft Windows Azure, which was later renamed as Microsoft Azure in 2014, is a cloud computing platform, designed by Microsoft to successfully deploy, build, and manage the Applications and Services through a global platform of data centers. This tutorial explains the various features of this flexible platform and provides a step-by-step description of how to use the same. The popular trend in today's technology and tech thirsty world is Cloud Computing. Cloud computing can be referred to as the storing and accessing of the data over the internet rather than your computer's hard disk. This means you don’t have access to the data from either your computer's hard disk or over a dedicated computer network (home or office network). Cloud computing means data is stored at a remote place and is synchronized with other web information. One projecting example of cloud computing is Office 365 which allows users to store, access, edit their MS Office documents online (in the Browser) without installing the actual program on their device.

Architecture of Cloud Computing


The architecture of Cloud Computing includes the components, mentioned below.

Front-end Devices

These are basically the devices that are used by the clients to access the data or program, using the Browsers or different Applications.

Back-end Platform
There are various computers, Servers, virtual machines, laptops, etc. and that association is required to become a back-end platform.

Types of Cloud

There are three types of Clouds, which are shown below.

Public Cloud

A Service provider makes the Clouds available to the general public, which means to every one which is termed as a Public Cloud. These Clouds are accessed through the internet by the customers. These are open to the public and their arrangement is owned and operated by the Service providers as in the case of Google and Microsoft.

Private Cloud

These Clouds are dedicated to a particular organization or particular company. This particular company can use the Cloud to store the company's data, hosting business Application, Websites etc. The data stored on Public Cloud can't be shared with other organizations. The data is only accessed by the current organization.

Hybrid Cloud

When two or more Clouds combine together to offer the benefit of both Public and Private Clouds they are termed as Hybrid Cloud. The organizations can use Private Clouds for confidential/sensitive Application/Services, while Public Clouds are required for non-confidential Applications. Hybrid Clouds provide flexible, scalable and cost-effective solutions to the organizations.

Benefits of Cloud

There are many benefits of Clouds and a few are listed below.

  • It saves on cost by reducing the capital infrastructure.
  • It allows the user to access the Application unrestricted by his location and hardware configuration.
  • It simplifies the network and lets the client access the Application without purchasing the license for the individual machine.