What Is Cloud Computing?
什么是云计算？
Simply put, cloud computing is the delivery of computing services – including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence – over the Internet (“the cloud”) to offer faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale. You typically pay only for cloud ser- vices you use, helping lower your operating costs, run your infrastructure more efficiently and scale1 as your business needs change.
简单来说，云计算就是通过因特网（“云”）提供计算服务——包括服务器、存储功能、数据库、联网、软件、 分析功能和智能功能——以加快创新、使资源配置更灵活，实现规模经济。通常你只需为自己所使用的云服务付费，这有助于降低运营成本，更高效地运行基础设施，并根据业务需求的变化作出调整。
Top benefits of cloud computing
云计算的好处
Cloud computing is a big shift from the traditional way businesses think about IT resources. Here are seven common reasons organisations are turning to cloud computing services:
云计算不同于企业对IT资源的传统认知，它是一项重大变革。以下是各机构选择云计算服务的七个常见理由。
Cost
成本
Cloud computing eliminates the capital expense of buying hardware and software and setting up and running on-site2 datacenters – the racks of servers, the round-the-clock electricity for power and cooling, the IT experts for managing the infrastructure. It adds up fast.
云计算免除了用以购买硬 件和软件以及构建并运行本地数据中心的资本支出,包括服务器机架、机器运行和冷却需要的全天候供电,还有维护基础设施的 IT 专业人员——这些费用增长很快。
Speed
速度
Most cloud computing services are provided self service and on demand, so even vast amounts of computing resources can be provisioned in minutes, typically with just a few mouse clicks,giving businesses a lot of flexibility andtaking the pressure off capacity planning.
大多数云计算服务都可自助按需提供，通常只要点几下鼠标，即便是海量计算资源也能在几分钟之内配置好，这给了企业极大的灵活性，也减轻了容量规划的压力。
Global scale
全球范围
The benefits of cloud computing services include the ability to scale elastically. In cloud speak3, that means delivering the right amount of IT resources – for example, more or less computing power, storage, bandwidth – right when it is needed and from the right geographic location.
云计算服务的其中一个好处就是弹性缩放的能力。用云术语来讲，这意味着在刚好需要的时候，从合适的地理位置交付恰当数量的 IT 资源，例如，更多或更少的计算能力、 存储空间和带宽。
Productivity
生产率
On-site datacenters typically require a lot of “racking and stacking4” – hardware setup, software patching, and other time-consuming IT management chores. Cloud computing removes the need for many of these tasks, so IT teams can spend time on achieving more important business goals.
本地数据中心通常需要做许多与“机架和堆栈”相关的工作，包括设置硬件、给软件打补丁，以及其他耗时的日常IT管理事务。云计算省去了对其中很多工作的需求，因此IT团队可以有时间实现更重要的商业目标。
Performance
性能
The biggest cloud computing services run on a worldwide network of secure datacenters, which are regularly upgraded to the latest generation of fast and efficientcomputing hardware. This offers severalbenefits over a single corporate datacenter,including reduced network latency for ap- plications and greater economies of scale.
最大的云计算服务都在各安全数据中心所组成的全球网络上运行，这些数据中心定期升级为最新一代快速高效的计算硬件。相比单个企业数据中心，这有几点好处，包括减少应用程序的网络延迟和扩大规模经济效应。
Reliability
可靠性
Cloud computing makes data backup, disaster recovery and business continuity easier and less expensive because data can be mirrored5 at multiple redundant sites on the cloud provider’s network.
云计算使得数据备份、灾难恢复和保持业务连续性更容易，费用更低，因为数据可做成镜像保存在云提供商网络的多个冗余站点上。
Security
安全性
Many cloud providers offer a broad set of policies, technologies and controls that strengthen your security posture overall, helping protect your data, apps and infrastructure from potential threats.
很多云提供商提供各种政策、技术和控制工具，全面加强你的安全态势，有助于保护你的数据、应用程序和基础设施免遭潜在威胁。
Types of cloud computing
云计算的种类
There are three different ways to deploy cloud services: on a public cloud, private cloud or hybrid cloud.
云服务有三种不同的使用方式：公有云、私有云或混合云。
Public cloud
公有云
Public clouds are owned and operated by a third-party cloud service providers, which deliver their computing resources like servers and storage over the Internet. Microsoft Azure6 is an example of a public cloud. With a public cloud, all hardware, software and other supporting infrastructure is owned and managed by the cloud provider. You access these services and manage your account using a web browser.
公有云由第三方云服务提供商所有和运营，云服务提供商通过因特网提供他们的计算资源，如服务器和存储功能。微软的Azure就是公有云的一个例子。在公有云中，所有的硬件、软件和其他支持性基础设施均由云提供商所有和管理。你可以用网页浏览器来获得这些服务并管理你的账户。
Private cloud
私有云
A private cloud refers to cloud computing resources used exclusively by a single business or organisation. A private cloud can be physically located on the company’s on-site datacenter. Some companies also pay third-party service providers to host their private cloud. A private cloud is one in which the services and infrastructure are maintained on a private network.
私有云是指专供单个企业或机构使用的云计算资源。私有云可实际位于公司的本地数据中心内。有些公司也会雇请第三方服务提供商托管他们的私有云。私有云是在专用网络上维护服务和基础设施的云。
Hybrid cloud
混合云
Hybrid clouds combine public and private clouds, bound together by technology that allows data and applications to be shared between them. By allowing data and applications to move between private and public clouds, a hybrid cloud gives your business greater flexibility, more deployment options and helps optimise your existing infrastructure, security and compliance.
混合云结合了公有云和私有云的特点，通过共享数据和应用程序的技术将两者连接在一起。通过允许数据和应用程序在私有云和公有云之间移动，混合云可以为企业提供更大的灵活性和更多的部署策略，帮助优化企业现存的基础设施、安全性和兼容性。
Uses of cloud computing
云计算的用途
The first cloud computing services are barely a decade old, but already a varietyof organisations – from tiny startups to global corporations, government agencies to non-profits – are embracing the technology for all sorts of reasons.
距第一批云计算服务问世还不到十年，但已有各种机构——从小型初创企业到跨国公司，从政府机构到非盈利机构——因各种原因采用云计算技术。
Here are a few examples of what is possible today with cloud services from a cloud provider:
以下是目前云提供商所能提供的云服务的一些实例：
Create cloud-native7 applications
构建云原生应用程序
Quickly build, deploy and scale applications – web, mobile and API8. Take advantage of cloud-native technologies and approaches, such as containers, Kubernetes9, microservices architecture, APIdriven communication and DevOps10.
快速构建、部署和缩放应用程序，包括网页端、移动端和应用程序编程接口。利用云原生技术和方法，比如容器、Kubernetes、微服务架构、API驱动的通信和DevOps。
Test and build applications
测试和构建应用程序
Reduce application development cost and time by using cloud infrastructures that can easily be scaled up or down.
通过使用可轻松升降级的云基础设施来缩减应用程序的开发成本和时间。
Store, back up and recover data
存储、备份和数据恢复
Protect your data more cost-efficiently – and at massive scale – by transferring your data over the Internet to an offsite cloud storage system that is accessible from any location and any device.
通过将数据由因特网传送到从任何位置、任何设备都可访问的场外云存储系统中，以超大规模和更具成本效益的方式保护数据。
Analyse data
分析数据
Unify your data across teams, divisions and locations in the cloud. Then use cloud services, such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, to uncover insights for more informed decisions.
统一云中各团队、各部门、各地区的数据。然后用云服务（例如机器学习和人工智能）发掘洞见以做出更有根据的决定。
Stream11 audio and video
在线播放音频和视频
Connect with your audience anywhere, anytime, on any device with high-definition video and audio with global distribution.
用遍布全球的高清视频和音频在任何地点、任何时间、任何设备上与受众进行联系。
Embed intelligence
内嵌智能
Use intelligent models to help engage customers and provide valuable insights from the data captured.
用智能模式来吸引客户，利用捕获的数据提供有价值的见解。
Deliver software on demand
按需提供软件
Also known as software as a service (SaaS), on-demand software lets you offer the latest software versions and updates around to customers – anytime they need, anywhere they are.
按需软件也被称为软件即服务，可以让你向客户提供最新的软件版本和更新——无论他们身在何处，何时需要。
注释：
1. scale改变大小。
2. on-site场区内。
3. speak行话，术语。
4. stack堆栈。堆栈是一个特定的存储区或寄存器，它的一端是固定的，另一端是浮动的。所有的数据存入或取出，只能在浮动的一端进行，严格按照“先进后出”的原则存取。
5. mirror映照。镜像（mirroring）是一种文件存储形式，是冗余的一种类型。一个磁盘上的数据在另一个磁盘上存在一个完全相同的副本，即为镜像。
6. 微软发布的基于云计算的操作系统，旨在为开发者提供一个支持互操作的开放式平台，帮助开发可在云服务器、数据中心、Web 和个人电脑上运行的应用程序。
7. cloud-native云原生。这是一个组合词。云（cloud）是和本地相对的，表示应用程序位于云中，而不是传统的数据中心；原生（native）表示应用程序从设计之初即考虑到云的环境，为云而设计，在云上以最佳状态运行，充分利用和发挥云平台的弹性和分布式优势。
8. API = Application Programming Interface应用程序编程接口，API是一些预先定义的函数，目的是提供应用程序。
9. 谷歌开源的容器集群管理系统，它可以简化应用程序的工作流，加快开发速度。
10. Development和Operations的组合，是一组过程、方法与系统的统称，用于促进开发（应用程序/ 软件工程）、技术运营和质量保障（QA）部门之间的沟通、协作与整合。它的出现是由于软件行业日益清晰地认识到：为了按时交付软件产品和服务，开发和运维工作必须紧密合作。
11. stream 用流式传输，流播（无须待整个文件下载到计算机便可播放互联网上的视频或音频文件）。