您听说过人们将他们的图片和文件存储在云中。在工作中，他们可能会说您使用的软件在云端。几乎(Almost)所有东西似乎都在迁移到云端。
但云是什么？以及如何充分利用它？
云是什么？(What Is The Cloud?)
您如何定义旨在模棱两可的事物？至少从 1977 年开始，当绘制计算机网络时，(computer network was drawn)就会使用云图标来表示直接网络之外的未知资源。你知道它就在那里，你只是看不到它的内部，就像天空中真正的云一样。通常，它只是代表与互联网的连接。
这就是云的真正含义——互联网及其连接的所有东西，不在您的家中或办公室。也许你听过有人说，“云只是别人的电脑。” 这并不遥远。它更多的是计算机、服务器、路由器、交换机和各种技术。这是使互联网工作的一切，然后是一些。
云从何而来？(Where Did The Cloud Come From?)
根据您的年龄，您可能还记得听说过大型计算机上的分时。那是从 1960 年代开始的事情。您可以将作业提交到大型机。当大型机不运行其他人的工作时，它会运行该工作。
大型机可能需要几分钟、几天或几周的时间才能有一个开放的时间段。它们在当时是庞大而强大的，但与 1980 年代的计算机相比，它们的功能却非常不足。
当个人计算机出现时，大型机计算变得不那么重要了。在桌面上运行程序更容易、更快、更便宜。但这只是网络计算的缩影。互联网(Internet)将改变这一切。
随着网络和计算技术变得更便宜，科技公司重新开始提供类似大型机的服务是有意义的。每个人都已经在使用互联网(Internet)了，为什么不让它成为完成所有工作的机器呢？
苹果(Apple)、微软(Microsoft)和谷歌(Google)等公司创建了装满强大服务器的大型仓库。他们在上面构建了令人惊叹的程序，我们可以在家中使用。互联网(Internet)速度从水龙头的毛毛雨变成了消防站的洪流。它太大了，太快了，太多的可能性来描述它，所以它被称为云。
我可以用云做什么？(What Can I Do With The Cloud?)
如果你正在阅读这篇文章，那么你已经在使用它了。有云存储、云计算和云基础设施。你不能用云做什么？要充分利用云，您需要对这些事物以及哪些服务可以帮助您充分利用它们有一个高层次的理解。
什么是云存储？(What Is Cloud Storage?)
您可能已将所有文件存储在您的计算机或外部硬盘驱动器上，有些公司在其服务器上提供存储。他们将有一个可供下载的应用程序，它将无缝地将您的文件备份到云中(keep your files backed up to the cloud)，并让您即时访问它们。
云存储的好处是，如果您的计算机死机，您仍然可以访问所有旧文件、图片和视频。缺点是通常有订阅费。
有几个提供有一些限制的免费帐户。如果您愿意，可以付费升级这些计划。Google Drive免费提供 15GB。Microsoft OneDrive和Apple iCloud均提供 5GB 的免费存储空间。
什么是云计算？(What Is Cloud Computing?)
云计算不是在您的本地计算机上运行的程序，而是意味着您正在使用互联网上某处的程序。
您可以看到在您的计算机上发生的一切，但真正的动作发生在可能在数千英里之外的服务器上。就像看新闻一样。您可以在本地电视上看到它，但新闻播音员、气象学家和摄像机操作员的所有工作都在某处的演播室中。电视只是你进入它的窗口。
您可以使用计算机完成的任何操作都可以通过云计算服务完成。如果您使用过Google Docs、Microsoft Office 365、Apple 的 iCloud(Apple’s iCloud)或任何免费的电子邮件服务(free email service)，那么您就使用过云计算。您还可以进行专业级的音乐制作(professional-level music production)、主持视频聊天(host video chats)、与其他人共享您的屏幕(share your screen with other people)，以及许多其他事情。
什么是云基础设施？(What Is Cloud Infrastructure?)
就像运行您的软件的远程服务器一样，远程服务器也可以像硬件和组成网络的部分一样工作。普通家庭用户可能不需要云基础设施，但很高兴知道它就在那里。
以下是云基础设施如何帮助您的示例。想象一下，您正在考虑购买Mac。但是你从来没有用过。在你不确定的事情上花很多钱。有诸如基于云的 Mac 之(cloud-based Macs)类的东西。您访问运行虚拟Mac(Macs)的服务器，然后像使用桌面上的Mac一样使用它。
您还可以使用云作为您的个人媒体服务器来观看您的电影和电视节目，并从世界上任何一台计算机上聆听您的音乐。Plex 媒体服务器(Plex Media Server)就是一个很好的例子。
如何充分利用云？(How Do I Get The Most Out Of The Cloud?)
阅读这样的文章是第一步。了解您可以使用哪些服务。想想您在计算机上所做的事情，然后搜索以查看是否有针对相同事情的云服务。
将该服务的优缺点与您已经在做的事情进行比较。哪个(Which)更便宜？哪个(Which)有你需要的功能？你信任哪个(Which)？当您开始提出这些问题时，您会找到最适合您的计算机和云的组合。
What Is The Cloud & How To Get The Most Out Of It
You’ve heard of peoрle storing their pictures and files in the cloud. At wоrk, they may say that the softwаre you use is in the cloud. Almost everything seems to be moving to the cloud.
But what is the cloud? And how can you get the most out of it?
What Is The Cloud?
How do you define something that is intended to be ambiguous? Since at least 1977, when a computer network was drawn a cloud icon was used to represent unknown resources outside the immediate network. You know it’s there, you just can’t see inside of it much like a real cloud in the sky. Often, it just represented a connection to the internet.
That’s really what the cloud is – the internet and all the things it connects to, that aren’t in your home or office. Maybe you’ve heard someone say, “The cloud is just someone else’s computer.” That’s not far off the mark. It’s more computers, servers, routers, switches, and all sorts of technology. It’s everything that makes the internet work and then some.
Where Did The Cloud Come From?
Depending on how old you are, you might remember hearing about time-sharing on mainframe computers. That’s something that started in the 1960s. You could submit a job to a mainframe. The mainframe would run the job when it wasn’t running someone else’s job.
It could take minutes, days, or weeks before the mainframe had an open timeslot. They were massive and powerful for the time, but very underpowered compared to even the computers of the 1980s.
When the personal computer came along, mainframe computing became less of a thing. It was easier, faster, and cheaper to run your programs right on your desktop. But this was merely a contraction of networked computing. The Internet would change all of that.
As networking and computing technology became cheaper, it made sense for tech companies to start offering mainframe-like services again. Everybody was already using the Internet, why not make it the machine that does all the work?
Companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Google created massive warehouses full of powerful servers. They built amazing programs on them that we could use from home. Internet speeds went from a drizzle out of a tap to a torrent out of a firehouse. It was all too big, too fast, and too full of possibilities to describe it all, so it got referred to as the cloud.
What Can I Do With The Cloud?
If you’re reading this, you’re already using it. There’s cloud storage, cloud computing, and cloud infrastructure. What can’t you do with the cloud? To get the most out of the cloud, you need to have a high-level understanding of these things and what services are available to help you get the most out of them.
What Is Cloud Storage?
Where you may have stored all your files on your computer or an external hard drive, there are companies that provide storage on their servers. They’ll have an app to download that will seamlessly keep your files backed up to the cloud and give you instant access to them.
The upside of cloud storage is that if your computer dies, you’ll still have access to all your old files, pictures, and videos. The downside is that there is usually a subscription fee.
There are several that offer free accounts with some limits. You can pay to upgrade these plans if you’d like. Google Drive offers 15GB free. Microsoft OneDrive and Apple iCloud both offer 5GB of free storage.
What Is Cloud Computing?
Instead of programs running on your local computer, cloud computing means you’re working with programs that are on the internet somewhere.
You see everything that happens on your computer but the real action is happening on a server that could be thousands of miles away. It’s like watching the news. You see it locally on your TV, but all the work of the newscaster, meteorologist, and camera operators are in a studio somewhere. The TV is just your window into it.
Anything that you can do with a computer can be done with cloud computing services. If you’ve used things like Google Docs, Microsoft Office 365, Apple’s iCloud, or any free email service, you’ve used cloud computing. You can also do professional-level music production, host video chats, share your screen with other people, and a host of other things.
What Is Cloud Infrastructure?
Just like remote servers running your software, remote servers can also act like hardware and the parts that make up a network. The average home user probably doesn’t need cloud infrastructure, but it’s good to know that it’s there.
Here’s an example of how cloud infrastructure might help you. Imagine you’re thinking about getting a Mac. But you’ve never used one. That’s a lot of money to spend on something you’re not sure about. There are such things as cloud-based Macs. You access a server that’s running virtual Macs and you use it like you would a Mac sitting on your desk.
You can also use the cloud as your personal media server to view your movies and tv shows, and listen to your music from any computer in the world. The Plex Media Server is a great example.
How Do I Get The Most Out Of The Cloud?
Reading articles like this is the first step. Get a feel for what services are available to you. Think about the things you do on your computer and then search to see if there’s a cloud service for the same thing.
Compare the pros and cons of that service to what you’re already doing. Which is cheaper? Which has the features you need? Which do you trust? When you start asking these questions, you’ll find the best mix of your computer and the cloud for you.
