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Cloud computing hosting means running workloads, applications, or data on computing resources delivered through a cloud model: customers can access a shared pool of resources over a network, request them when needed, and release them with little management effort or provider interaction. Simply hosting something online does not, by itself, establish that it meets this definition.
What is the formal definition of cloud computing?
NIST defines cloud computing as “a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.” The definition appears in NIST Special Publication 800-145, written by Peter Mell and Timothy Grance and published September 28, 2011.
In plain language, a provider operates underlying hardware and software, while customers access computing capabilities over a network. The resources are pooled and assigned as needed; capacity can expand or contract; and usage can be measured. NIST describes the model through five essential characteristics, three service models, and four deployment models.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesWhat characteristics make a service cloud computing?
NIST’s five characteristics distinguish cloud computing from a service that is merely hosted online:
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- On-demand self-service: A customer can provision computing capabilities when needed without requiring each request to be handled through direct human interaction with the provider.
- Broad network access: Capabilities are available over a network and accessible through different client types.
- Resource pooling: The provider’s computing resources are pooled to serve multiple customers, with resources assigned and reassigned as demand changes.
- Rapid elasticity: Capacity can be provisioned and released rapidly as requirements change.
- Measured service: Resource use is monitored or measured, allowing the provider and customer to account for consumption.
The characteristics are useful as a set: a provider calling a product “cloud” does not establish that the service has all five. For a systematic way to assess a capability against SP 800-145, consult NIST Special Publication 500-322, published February 23, 2018.
How do SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS differ?
These service models describe what computing capability the provider supplies and how much of the underlying stack the customer manages.
- Software as a Service (SaaS): The customer uses a finished application provided as a service.
- Platform as a Service (PaaS): The customer deploys their own application onto a provider-managed platform.
- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): The customer provisions infrastructure such as virtual servers and storage.
They represent different divisions of responsibility, not different deployment arrangements.
How do public, private, community, and hybrid cloud differ?
Deployment models describe how a cloud environment is organized and for whom it is provisioned:
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- Public cloud: A cloud environment provisioned for use by the public.
- Private cloud: A cloud environment provisioned for the exclusive use of a single organization.
- Community cloud: A cloud environment provisioned for the exclusive use of a specific community of organizations with shared concerns.
- Hybrid cloud: A composition of distinct cloud infrastructures that remain separate but are connected to enable data and application portability.
Service and deployment models are separate classification axes. “Public” describes deployment; “IaaS” describes the service capability and customer responsibilities. One label does not determine the other.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How can you judge a cloud-hosting claim?
Look beyond the word “cloud” and check how the service actually works. Ask whether customers can provision resources themselves over a network, whether the provider pools and assigns resources, whether capacity can scale rapidly, and whether usage is measured. Then identify whether the service is SaaS, PaaS, or IaaS, and separately whether it is public, private, community, or hybrid. NIST’s evaluation guide provides a method for checking borderline cases against the formal definition.
That distinction matters for hosting websites, applications, databases, or other workloads: their presence on a server outside a customer’s premises is not enough to classify the arrangement as cloud computing. The applicable label depends on the service’s characteristics and operating model.
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