A communications network. The word "cloud" often refers to the Internet, which more precisely means a datacenter full of servers connected to the Internet performing a service. However, the term "cloud computing" refers to the software and services that have enabled the Internet to become so prominent in everyday life (see
cloud computing). See
private cloud and
personal cloud.
A Cloud Can Be Any Network
A cloud can be a wide area network (WAN) like the public Internet or a private network of any size, local or global.
Network Cloud
For decades, diagrams have used a cloud symbol to reduce a network into entry and exit points when the network architecture is not material to the explanation. Inside the cloud, cables, routers and switches handle the forwarding of data from one point to another. See
router and
switch.
Today's Cloud
What a Cloud Looks Like
Cloud datacenters are facilities with rows of rack-mounted servers. They are devoid of humans except when repairs have to be made.