# Hello and welcome to this course
I have decided to share my experience with you to bring you closer to the Cloud ecosystem.
I'm a Senior Software Engineer and in my career I touched many different teconologies and layers: frontend, backend and Cloud as well.
I wanted to give a different slant to what you might find on YouTube videos or technical articles, the idea is to address to those who develop frontends and who therefore might feel light years away from this world.
# Local and production build
When you develop your frontend application locally you usually use a command to run and view it in your browser.
On working days you implement new features or correct the code to perform the required fixes. When you perform this type of operation you are running your application exactly as it should be made in production to make your application available.
Clearly when you run the production build, behind the scenes, a more laborious process is performed to optimize resources, but the way to serve your application does not change.
When we visit a particular URL in our browser there is a webserver that takes care of the request and returns the resources associated to a specific URL.
So in fact every time you visit a page you are loading files and the webserver is like a waiter at a restaurant, receives the orders and seeks to satisfy your requests. Clear proof of this can be found by checking the build's HTML files, you will probably find few links.
Here is an example of HTML that could be part of our application.
Example
The browser, during the parsing of this HTML, will request resources from the server which will have the task of returning them if present in its system.
We just said that the server allows us to run our applications and serves the resources created by the production build.
The server has another very important task which is to make our application accessible to the public.
Let's think about "google.com", this is a public address and everyone in the world can reach it. Simplifying a little we can say that behind the scenes there is a server that responds to us with the page we requested and in the case of the example, contains the famous search engine.
# The old way
Not many years ago it was normal to have a dedicated server in the company that managed the applications. In the most virtuous cases, a room was dedicated to safely providing the servers, with air conditioning, dedicated racks, and state-of-the-art cabling. However, I often happened to find servers in the strangest and most unsafe areas in terms of external agents. Closets, under stairs, and even in the bathrooms, right next to the water taps.
Here you will understand for yourself that it is not good practice to place the servers in these positions.
Net of the physical place where to put them, it was necessary to consider the light, the air conditioning, and all the work that one or more employees had to do to wire the system.
Furthermore, it was necessary to consider the installation of the operating systems, the continuous updates, the licenses, and last but not least the configuration of the system to be accessible from the outside.
All these jobs were the responsibility of individual companies who had to have skills on how to carry out these jobs without ignoring system security.
We could rely on external companies to do this type of work, but regardless of whether the work was done at home or with consultants this whole system was very expensive.
We can compare this way of acting to creating the house of our dreams, we
design it as we want and we build it with the materials we deem most
appropriate and we rely on external companies unless we can carry out the work
ourselves with the necessary licenses and certifications.
We can compare this way of acting to creating the house of our dreams, we
design it as we want and we build it with the materials we deem most
appropriate and we rely on external companies unless we can carry out the work
ourselves with the necessary licenses and certifications.
# Conclusion
You've explored the basics of cloud computing, covering everything from fundamental concepts to its diverse applications.
The cloud offers a powerful and flexible solution for individuals and businesses alike, providing access to resources and services previously unimaginable.
Remember, the cloud is not a magic solution. It requires planning, understanding your needs, and selecting the right services for your specific requirements.
However, with the right approach, the cloud can become a valuable asset, empowering you to achieve your goals and innovate with greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
As technology continues to evolve, the cloud will undoubtedly play an increasingly central role.
By embracing the possibilities it presents, you can unlock a world of opportunity and propel your journey towards a more connected and empowered future.
Go straight to the next lesson to see the various types of Cloud services that are on the market.
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