Chapter 3. Selecting a Service Platform

When I hear someone touting the cloud as a magic-bullet for all computing problems, I silently replace “cloud” with “clown” and carry on with a zen-like smile.

—Amy Rich

A service runs on a computing infrastructure called a platform. This chapter provides an overview of the various types of platforms available in cloud computing, what each of them provides, and their strengths and weaknesses. It does not offer an examination of specific products but rather a categorization that will help you understand the variety of offerings. Strategies for choosing between these different services are summarized at the end of the chapter.

The term “cloud” is ambiguous; it means different things to different people and ...

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