7 Best Cloud Computing Books For Beginners

Be it on the internet or in reality, sharing resources is what makes the world function. It is important to how and where we store or share our data on the internet, which is when cloud computing comes into play. Here, in this article, we have discussed various books on cloud computing, especially for beginners.

What is Cloud Computing?

The usage of infrastructure and applications through the internet for data storage and computing services without actually installing them is what is referred to as Cloud Computing. Cloud computing is used for everything like document storage and running applications. Cloud Computing overall can be broken down into two different types: public cloud and private cloud. Further, one must also know about three types of cloud service models they are Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS), and Platform as a Service (PaaS). 

Cloud computing is efficient, flexible, secure, cost-effective, and offers strategic value. It is widely used for infrastructure scaling, disaster recovery, application development, big data analytics, and data storage.

How Does Cloud Computing work?

As we know, cloud computing is a concept of sharing on-demand computing resources, information, etc. Cloud basically is a virtual pool that could be accessed when paid. It uses a  network (most often, the internet) to connect users to a cloud platform where they request and access rented computing services. The client and the servers communicate with the help of a central server facilitating the exchange of information. And it is to be noted that there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to cloud computing. That is, the options are vast and what suits one organization/individual may not suit someone else.

7 Best Cloud Computing Books For Beginners

Being one of the most widely discussed IT developments, cloud computing has undergone significant transitions in recent years. Here we have pooled the best books for cloud computing, from which you could learn the basics and further updates. 

1. Explain the Cloud Like I’m 10

Explain the Cloud Like I’m 10: Learn the secrets of AWS, AZURE, GCP, and K8S by written Todd Koff and published in 2017. 

As the name goes, the book explains the concepts of cloud computing in simple terms. Pictures and examples make each explanation even more clear. The book begins with a brief introduction to what is cloud, what it looks like, and basic definitions of cloud computing terms. It discusses the various service models like IaaS, CaaS, PaaS, FaaS, and SaaS. The book also states the differences among AWS, Azure, GCP, Kubernetes, private cloud, on-prem, colors, bare-metal, edge computing, hybrid-cloud, and multi-cloud and provides key points on which one to select. The author also puts light on other cloud services like Kindle, iCloud, Google, etc. The book also deals with advanced cloud topics such as cloud education, cloud jobs, and cloud economics. Apart from all the pros, it also discusses the cons of cloud computing.

 

2. The Basics of Cloud Computing: Understanding the Fundamentals of Cloud Computing in Theory and Practice

The Basics of Cloud Computing: Understanding the Fundamentals of Cloud Computing in Theory and Practice by Derrick Rountree and Ileana Castrillo was published in 2013 by Syngress.

The book provides a complete guide to cloud computing starting from the basics. It provides an overview of how to implement cloud computing in organizations. The book extensively covers all of the cloud computing concepts which begins with an introduction covering the cloud, its adoption inhibitors, and cloud drivers. The book also deals with various cloud deployment models and their drawbacks, the different cloud service models, and how to choose them, evaluating the cloud security and operating a cloud. The authors explain the concepts in practical terms and provide a conceptual understanding and a framework for moving forward with cloud computing.

 

3. Cloud Computing For Dummies

Cloud Computing For Dummies by Judith Hurwitz, Robin Bloor, Marcia Kaufman, and Fern Halper was published in 2009.

If you are someone who has no idea about cloud computing, the book is for you. The book guides you to understand how cloud computing enables you to run a more green IT infrastructure, and access technology-enabled services. The concepts are discussed step by step from introduction to understanding, managing, and planning the cloud. The book clearly explains what cloud computing is from the utility computing standpoint and it also discusses the security concerns. It provides all the practical information one must know. It also manages to cover various concepts such as virtualization, cloud services, architecture, cloud economics, and resources.    

 

4. AWS: The Complete Beginner’s Guide

AWS: The Complete Beginner’s Guide by Stephen Baron was published in 2020.

It is a recent addition to the cloud computing books and so it helps with a lot of updated concepts. The book extensively deals with AWS (Amazon Web Services). AWS is now one of the most powerful platforms used by various organizations to store and process their data. The book gives an introduction to cloud computing and its types. It then discusses the pros of using AWS and all the business prospects involved in choosing the same. Amazon Web Services such as Amazon S3 and Amazon Glacier and a guide on how to use them is provided in the book. The book also lets the reader know about the usage of hardware resources. As the book clearly explains how to learn AWS, it is best recommended to beginners looking forward to navigating through the platform. Further, the security issues, the infrastructure, etc. are also discussed in brief. Thus, the book is the ultimate guide to those seeking to work with Amazon Web Services.

 

5. Cloud Computing: A Hands-On Approach

Cloud Computing: A Hands-On Approach by  Arshdeep Bahga and Vijay Madisetti was published by the latter in 2014.

This book is said to transfer knowledge through a “hands-on approach” by providing guidance to those working with the clouds. Basically, the book imparts guidance and knowledge in coding real-life applications. The book is divided into three major parts where the first one deals with the introduction and basic cloud computing concepts. The cloud services (IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS), cloud-based services, and service and deployment models are discussed in the same part. Further, it is more of cloud computing concepts and technologies like virtualization, scalability, elasticity, replication, MapReduce, Billing, etc. Cloud services and platforms such as storage, database, application, content delivery, analytics, and management services are included. The second part is about coding the cloud. This part also lays out Python basics and also Python required for the cloud. The third major part covers advanced topics like big data analytics, multimedia, tuning, security, some major applications, etc.

 

6. Cloud Computing: Methodology, Systems, and Applications

Cloud Computing: Methodology, Systems, and Applications by Lizhe Wang, Rajiv Ranjan, Jinjun Chen, and Boualem Benatallah were released by CRC Press in 2017.

The book summarizes progress in state-of-the-art research and offers step-by-step instructions on how to implement it. The book in total could be divided into three parts. The first one provides the concepts, methodologies, and an overview. The overview dives into the present, past, and future of cloud computing, the architecture and deployment techniques, services, applications, and issues. Further, IasS, QoS Management, Cloud Middleware, Performance Analysis, Intercloud, etc. The Second part is all about the functionalities and provisioning of Cloud Computing. The TrustStore Framework, TS3 (Trust Enhanced Secure Cloud Storage Service), HPC (High-Performance Computing), LoM2HiS Framework, Multitenancy, SOA and QoS Management, Auto scaling, Monitoring, Cloud bursting, Security, and so on are covered in this part of the book. The final chapter deals with case studies, applications, and future directions. The detailed instructions and implementations guide beginners in the best possible way. 

 

7. Cloud Computing: Concepts, Technology & Architecture

Cloud Computing: Concepts, Technology & Architecture written by Zaigham Mahmood, Ricardo Puttini, and Thomas Erl was published by Pearson in 2013.

The book is well-organized and details the concepts of Cloud Computing. The introductory chapters let you know how you can go through the book and a few case study backgrounds. Part I then deals with the fundamentals of Cloud Computing defining the key concepts and terminologies. Followed by which, the cloud computing mechanisms are dealt with in Part II. The next one is dedicated to the cloud computing architecture. Various advanced and specialized architectures are discussed in detail. Part IV of the book is about how you work with the clouds, which includes the delivery model considerations, cost, and service quality metrics, pricing, etc. The final part describes the standards, various frameworks, templates, and provisioning contracts.

Conclusion

Cloud computing, as we know is a vast and important domain. It requires a detailed study and knowledge of the basics are a must for which the above-mentioned book would be useful. Hope this article on the best cloud computing books helped you get an idea of what to expect from each book. It’s now time that you dive deep into the books according to your requirement and take the right path with the cloud computing prospects.