Cloud Computing Foundations and Tradeoffs

Cloud computing definition and ISO/NIST framing

Cloud computing is defined by ISO as a paradigm that enables network access to a scalable and elastic pool of shareable physical or virtual resources, with self-service provisioning and administration available on demand. In this framing, the “cloud” is not just a metaphor for remote servers, but a model where users obtain computing resources through standardized network access while the provider manages the underlying infrastructure and service operations. NIST further characterizes cloud systems using five essential characteristics: on-demand self-service, broad network access, resource pooling (typically multi-tenant), rapid elasticity, and measured service. Together, these characteristics describe how cloud resources can be provisioned automatically, accessed from diverse client platforms, shared across consumers, scaled quickly to match demand, and metered for transparency and cost/accounting. ISO later expanded and refined these ideas in subsequent standards, reinforcing that cloud computing is both a service delivery model and a set of operational properties.

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NIST essential characteristics of cloud systems

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