The Internet

• The internet is a worldwide collection of networks
• The internet is a network of networks - it's a WAN which connects devices and networks from all over the world. It's based around the protocol TCP/IP
• The World Wide Web (www) is a collection of websites that are hosted on web servers and accessed through the http protocol
• URLs are addresses used to access web servers and resources on them
• The www is an example of a client-server network
• A Domain Name Service (DNS) is used to translate website domain names into IP addresses - this means you don't need to remember IP addresses to access websites - you can use domain names instead. These services use a network of Domain Name Servers which store IP addresses and matching domain names
• The cloud uses the internet to store files and applications
• Hosting is when a business uses its servers to store files of another organisation. The traditional use for this on the internet is the hosting of websites on web servers
• Businesses use their servers to offer a greater range of services - clients can access data storage, software and processing power remotely over the internet. This is known as cloud computing or simply 'the cloud'
• The cloud acts as an extension of a traditional client-server network where user files are stored centrally on a network server
• There is often a subscription fee to access cloud services, but some providers offer a limited service for fee. This is called a 'freemium' model. Customers can try some parts of the service for free and then have the option to pay to upgrade to the full 'premium service'
• Cloud applications can be run on the remote server, which means the user can access large, powerful applications with a computer that has less expensive hardware
• The cloud can also provide increased computing power. A user has access to more processing power, so they can perform more memory-intensive tasks than they could on a single computer
• Pros of cloud

  • Users can access files and applications from any connected device
  • Easy to increase how much storage is available
  • No need to buy expensive hardware to store data or run complex applications
• Pros of cloud

  • No need to pay IT staff to manage the hardware
  • Cloud host provides security and back-ups
  • Cloud software will be updated automatically
• Cons of cloud

  • Need a connection to the internet to access files or applications
  • Dependent on host for security and back-ups
  • Data stored in the cloud can be vulnerable to hackers
• Cons of cloud

  • Unclear who has ownership over cloud data
  • Subscription fees for using cloud storage and applications may be expensive