A comprehensive introduction to cloud computing and its benefits for businesses

Are you ready to select and implement cloud infrastructure for your critical services?

In this technical and practical guide, we explore *A Comprehensive Introduction to Cloud Computing* from the perspectives of webmasters, developers, DevOps, traders, gamers, and AI enthusiasts. The goal is to provide architectural patterns, best server configurations, and practical tips for deploying services on a cloud infrastructure with global coverage (over 85 locations), GPU servers, anti-DDoS servers, trading and gaming VPS, and CDN and BGP services.

A comprehensive introduction to cloud computing — basic concepts and models

*Cloud computing* refers to the provision of computing resources (processing, storage, networking, and software services) over the Internet. The main service models are:

• IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service): VM, network, storage provisioning (e.g. cloud server, VPS, dedicated server on network properties).
• PaaS (Platform as a Service): Managed platforms for running applications (e.g., managed database services, CI/CD).
• SaaS (Software as a Service): Pre-built software (such as managed GitLab hosting, email services, and ERP).

Implementation models include: Public Cloud, Private Cloud and Hybrid & Multi-cloud They are used for access, security, and cost and capability optimization.

Fundamental components of cloud infrastructure

Compute

VM/VPS, cloud servers with virtual or dedicated CPUs, compute servers, and graphics processing units (GPUs) are available for AI and rendering. When selecting resources, you should consider vCPU or dedicated coresPay attention to memory and storage type (NVMe for high I/O, SSD/SATA for lower cost).

Storage

Types of storage include: Block storage (operating system disk), Object storage (S3-compatible for files and backups), Snapshots, and Archives. For high IOPS databases, use NVMe and EBS-like blocks.

Network

The network includes NICs with 1Gbps/10Gbps, support for BGP, Anycast, CDN, and Load Balancer. Using an anti-DDoS service and WAF is essential for network and application layer protection.

Why use cloud infrastructure? Benefits for businesses and technical teams

• Scalability and flexibility: Add/remove resources in seconds or minutes.
• Global Access: With 85+ locations, you can place the application near target users or services, and latency reduced.
• Specialized selection: GPU server for AI, dedicated server for sensitive databases, anti-DDoS server for protection.
• Cost and efficiency: Pay-as-you-go and automate to reduce costs.
• Network capabilities: BGP, Anycast, and CDN to distribute traffic and reduce ping for gamers.

Comparing locations and choosing the right one (game, trade, AI, website)

To decide on a location, you need to consider the type of workload:

• Trading (Forex/Crypto): Low latency is important for trading servers; dedicated trading VPS in locations close to exchanges and using BGP or direct routes are recommended.
• Game: Choosing a location close to the game's data center or target users, access to local peering and CDN is important to reduce ping.
• Artificial Intelligence and Rendering: You need data centers with powerful GPUs (A100, V100, RTX 4090) and a high-bandwidth internal network.
• Web and application hosting: Region selection with a balance between cost, latency, and data regulations (e.g., European centers for GDPR).

The best configurations for different applications

VPS for trading

Basic offer:

• CPU: At least 4 vCPUs (or dedicated), RAM: 8-16GB, NVMe for boot and log speed.
• Network: 1Gbps with the possibility of increasing, direct route or VPN to the exchange.
• Security: SSH key, Fail2Ban, firewall configuration (ufw/iptables).

apt update && apt upgrade -y
apt install -y fail2ban ufw
ufw allow ssh
ufw enable

VPS for gaming

Requirements include a powerful single-core CPU, low-latency NIC, and SSD/NVMe. Enabling TCP BBR is recommended to improve ping:

echo "net.core.default_qdisc=fq" >> /etc/sysctl.conf
echo "net.ipv4.tcp_congestion_control=bbr" >> /etc/sysctl.conf
sysctl -p

It is also useful to use CDN and Anycast to reduce users' RTT.

Graphics server for AI and rendering

For ML training and rendering, you need to choose the GPU that suits the task: *A100* for training, *RTX4090/3090* for rendering. Installing the NVIDIA driver and runtime for Docker is an example of the setup process.

apt update && apt install -y nvidia-driver nvidia-docker2
systemctl restart docker

docker run --gpus all -it --rm nvidia/cuda:11.8-base nvidia-smi

Cloud Security — Practical Advice

Key security tips:

• Auth and Access: Use SSH keys, disable root login (PermitRootLogin no), and use MFA and IAM for management services.
• Firewall and IDS: UFW for basic configuration and Fail2Ban installation to prevent brute-force.
• Network layer protection: Use anti-DDoS servers, CDN, and WAF for web services.
• Encryption: TLS with Certbot and disk encryption with LUKS for sensitive data.
• Backup: Regular snapshot and backup schedule to object storage (S3-compatible) and test restore.

ufw default deny incoming
ufw default allow outgoing
ufw allow 22/tcp
ufw allow 80,443/tcp
ufw enable

apt install -y certbot python3-certbot-nginx
certbot --nginx -d example.com

Automation, IaC and DevOps

It is recommended to use Terraform to define the infrastructure and Ansible for configuration. Cloud-init is suitable for bootstrapping VMs, and CI/CD is essential for automating deployment and testing.

provider "yourcloud" { region = "eu-central" }
resource "yourcloud_instance" "web" {
  name = "web-01"
  image = "ubuntu-22.04"
  size = "small"
}

#cloud-config
packages:
  - docker.io
runcmd:
  - [ sh, -c, "usermod -aG docker ubuntu" ]

Monitoring, logging and cost optimization

Recommended tools include Prometheus + Grafana for metrics and Alertmanager for alerts. Log collection with ELK/EFK or managed services is recommended.

• Cost optimization: Choose the right instance, reserved/preemptible for non-sensitive tasks, off/autoscale for development environments, and use storage tiering (hot/warm/cold).
• Backup and DR: Design RPO/RTO policy and test failover scenarios between locations.

Networking and BGP — Tips for Performance and Global Accessibility

BGP and Anycast are essential for distributing traffic to the nearest POP and CDN for caching static content and reducing server load. Peering and Direct Connect are suitable for fast and stable communication with clients and exchanges.

Practical examples — Rapid web service deployment with HA and CDN

1. Creating two VMs in two locations close to users (e.g. Europe and the Middle East).
2. Install Nginx and enable HTTPS with Certbot.
3. Configure Load Balancer with health checks and sticky sessions (if needed).
4. Enable CDN with Anycast to distribute static content.
5. Implement daily backups to object storage and weekly snapshots.

apt update && apt install -y docker.io docker-compose
usermod -aG docker $USER
systemctl enable --now docker

echo "net.core.default_qdisc=fq" >> /etc/sysctl.conf
echo "net.ipv4.tcp_congestion_control=bbr" >> /etc/sysctl.conf
sysctl -p

Practical Pre-Production Checklist

• Choosing the right location based on target users.
• Security configuration: SSH keys, Fail2Ban, Firewall, WAF.
• Storage settings: NVMe for high I/O, backups, and snapshots.
• Active monitoring and alerting.
• DR policy and failover testing.
• Auto-scaling and Load Balancer for HA.
• Cost and billing alerts to prevent overspending.

Conclusion

In this hands-on introduction to cloud computing, we explore everything from basic concepts to deployment patterns for gaming, commerce, AI, and the web. Globally-covered infrastructure (85+ locations), GPU and anti-DDoS servers, CDN, BGP, and managed services enable teams to deliver stable, secure, and low-latency services. Automation, monitoring, and security are the foundation of any successful deployment.

Frequently Asked Questions