Cloud computing is a model where computing resources such as servers, storage, and databases are provided over the internet on demand. Instead of buying and managing physical hardware in your own data center, you rent capacity from a cloud provider. Cloud platforms expose resources as services with APIs, dashboards, and automation tools. This makes it possible to scale applications up or down quickly as demand changes. Pricing is usually pay as you go, based on usage of compute time, storage, and network traffic. Cloud computing has become the default environment for many modern applications.
key characteristics
Cloud computing is often described in terms of service models such as infrastructure as a service, platform as a service, and software as a service. Providers offer building blocks like virtual machines, managed databases, object storage, and messaging services. Regions and availability zones help distribute workloads for reliability and lower latency. Cloud environments integrate tightly with DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure as code tools. While the cloud can simplify many tasks, it also introduces concerns around cost management, security, and vendor lock in. When working with AI on architecture questions, being clear about whether the system runs in the cloud and which services are used helps produce realistic designs.