- bare metal server
- physical server that is deployed for a single business that provides the business full access to the server resources
- business continuity
- plan that an organization puts in place to maintain its operational status in an emergency scenario
- capital expenditure
- cost for the acquisition of assets
- cloud computing
- (also, the cloud) information technology resources that are available through the internet on an on-demand or pay-as-you-go basis without the users needing to manage it
- cloud consumer
- entity that uses and maintains access to computing resources of a cloud provider
- cloud provider
- company that provides on-demand services such as data storage, applications, and infrastructure in a platform accessible through the internet
- commercial off-the-shelf
- commercially produced software or hardware that is available for sale and ready to install and use without customization
- Communication as a Service (CaaS)
- service that allows for the cloud-based delivery of services such as Voice over Internet Protocol, videoconferencing, and internet-based telecommunication services
- community cloud
- infrastructure shared by multiple organizations with a common interest
- customer relationship management (CRM)
- application that organizations use to manage customer interactions and lead management, and perform analytics
- cybersecurity specialist
- person who identifies and develops security strategies, verifies needed security improvements, and implements security strategies for an organization
- data migration tool
- software-based tool that is designed to move data from one data repository to another
- Database as a Service (DBaaS)
- service that gives cloud consumers the ability to manage and maintain relational and nonrelational databases
- delivery model
- resources offered by a cloud provider
- deployment model
- location, method, and entity responsible for controlling the infrastructure
- disaster recovery
- process an organization follows to reestablish operational status after an incident causes a system failure
- elastic storage
- ability for a cloud storage resource to expand or collapse based on demand
- end user
- entity that makes use of the technology provided by an organization
- Firewall as a Service (FWaaS)
- cybersecurity service that a cloud provider offers to protect the perimeter of a company’s network
- home-grown application
- software that is developed for an organization in-house, based on the development requirements of the organization
- hot site storage
- cloud service in which mission-critical data are stored in one location where the organization can have immediate access to the data
- hybrid cloud
- combination of public and private models that can be combined with on-premise infrastructure
- infrastructure
- facility and system used to support an organization’s operations
- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
- cloud services deployment model that involves delivery of infrastructure resources, such as networking and storage
- market share
- sales a company has in its industry, usually calculated as a percentage
- migration strategy
- plan an organization will follow to move to the cloud
- mission-critical platform
- an application or program that will cause a financial burden if there is a loss of service
- network engineer
- person with the skill to design, implement, and manage a network in support of an organization’s mission
- network-attached storage (NAS)
- cloud service–provided storage system that is flexible and attaches to an organization’s network infrastructure
- NIST Cloud Computing Reference Architecture
- federal standard that can provide direction for an organization in the selection process, industry definitions, and components of a cloud architecture
- on-premise environment
- physical hardware, such as servers, network equipment, workstations, and network infrastructure
- ongoing cost
- expense for day-to-day operations
- open-source software
- free software that is available for use and modification without licensing
- Platform as a Service (PaaS)
- cloud services deployment model that involves management of the software and hardware resources for the purpose of development
- private cloud
- infrastructure dedicated to a single organization
- public cloud
- infrastructure that provides services in an on-demand environment
- request for proposal
- documentation of the details of a project, including the information technology resources that might be needed, in order to support the bidding process to get a fair price
- request for quote
- process for determining the pricing of information technology resources based on the organization’s understanding of what is needed
- return on investment (ROI)
- metric that determines the value of an investment
- scalability
- ability of a resource to be scaled up or down with minimal effort
- Security as a Service (SECaaS)
- cybersecurity service that a cloud provider offers to protect cloud consumers
- service-level agreement (SLA)
- document that outlines levels of service that a cloud provider assures the cloud consumer they will receive
- Software as a Service (SaaS)
- cloud services deployment model that involves delivery of applications in the cloud
- software-defined network (SDN)
- network that uses software for traffic management in programmable controllers and interfaces
- storage-area network (SAN)
- network that provides high-speed connectivity to a storage environment
- supply chain management (SCM)
- optimization of an organization's production and distribution of goods and services
- system administrator
- person who manages and maintains the information technology and information systems resources for an organization
- Testing as a Service (TaaS)
- service that cloud providers have built to outsource testing of software, application, and other components that would normally be performed in the organization
- total cost of ownership
- investment in a product for the lifetime of the product
- up-front cost
- expense for services before delivery
- virtualization
- service in which a physical computer environment creates a simulated computer environment