Cloud Computing vs. Cloud Networking: Related but Distinct IT DomainsCloud Computing vs. Cloud Networking: Related but Distinct IT DomainsCloud Computing vs. Cloud Networking: Related but Distinct IT Domains
While networking is essential to cloud functionality, cloud computing and cloud networking represent separate professional disciplines. Here's how they differ.
At a Glance
- Cloud computing and cloud networking are fundamentally different disciplines.
- Cloud computing encompasses broader resource types and tools, while cloud networking focuses on connectivity resources.
- Cloud administrators typically earn higher salaries than cloud networking specialists.
The network is an intrinsic part of the cloud, in the sense that you can't connect to cloud resources without a network connection.
However, this doesn't mean that cloud networking and cloud computing are the same thing. They're quite distinct when viewed from the perspectives of how they work, which technologies they entail, which types of skills they demand, and — last but not least — which roles and career paths they center around.
What Is Cloud Computing?
In the broadest sense, cloud computing is any type of computing architecture that makes IT resources available to remote users. When you use the cloud, the compute, memory, and storage resources available to you are not limited to those that exist in your local machine; instead, you can take advantage of remote servers and other infrastructure to meet your computing needs.
Cloud computing has been a dominant theme within the IT industry for well over a decade, with the cloud having become the "default" infrastructure solution for most organizations.
What Is Cloud Networking?
Cloud networking is the practice of providing connectivity for resources hosted in the cloud, as well as connecting cloud-based workloads to those that reside elsewhere (such as in on-prem environments).
Again, since remote access to resources is a core feature of cloud computing, networking is an essential ingredient in virtually any cloud. (One could argue that air-gapping — a practice in which organizations deliberately disconnect resources from the network, typically for security reasons — can lead to cloud resources without network connections, but air-gapped environments are not common.)
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Note, by the way, some folks (like AWS ) also define cloud networking as the use of cloud-based services to provide connectivity within an organization. This is a narrower perspective that treats cloud networking as a category of cloud service, not a paradigm central to the operation of cloud environments themselves. This article focuses on cloud networking as the practice of connecting resources within the cloud, not as a type of cloud service or product.
Differences Between Cloud Computing and Cloud Networking
While you can't (in most cases) have cloud computing without cloud networking, operating a cloud and operating a cloud network are distinct practices that center on different types of tools and roles.
The following are the main differences between cloud computing and cloud networking:
1. Cloud resource types
Cloud computing as a whole encompasses a broad range of resource types, such as virtual machines and various types of cloud storage services . In contrast, cloud networking is narrower in that it focuses (unsurprisingly) on cloud resources related to networking, like cloud firewalls and load balancers.
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2. Tooling
Along similar lines, the tools used to manage cloud networks are distinct from (or at least represent a narrow subset of) cloud tools in general.
To implement and administer cloud networks, you'll need to learn to work with tools and services like virtual private clouds (VPCs), cloud firewalls, and, in some cases, interconnection products.
Cloud administration generally focuses on a different set of tools, like Identity and Access Management (IAM) frameworks and the various cloud services used to provision cloud servers or storage resources.
It's worth noting that there is some overlap in cloud computing and cloud networking tools; for example, knowing how to use infrastructure-as-code (IaC) solutions can be helpful in both contexts. But in general, the tool sets are distinct.
3. Delivery models and architectures
Cloud computing delivery models fall into several distinct categories — including infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), software-as-a-service (SaaS), and platform-as-a-service (PaaS). You can also categorize clouds based on their architectures, such as public clouds, private clouds, and hybrid clouds .
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No such categorization exists for cloud networking. While the tools and approaches used to implement networks might vary somewhat between a public cloud and a private cloud, overall cloud networking approaches and architectures are the same across all types of cloud environments.
4. Skills and career paths
The distinct nature of cloud computing versus cloud networking means that different types of people specialize in each role.
Folks responsible for managing cloud environments typically have titles like cloud admin or cloud engineer. In contrast, those who specialize in cloud networking usually hold roles dedicated to that specific task.
This means that a cloud admin can't typically become a cloud networking engineer without acquiring some additional skills — and that cloud networking specialists may need to upskill to qualify for roles that center on cloud administration in general.
For what it's worth, salaries for cloud admins and cloud engineers tend to be higher than those for cloud network engineers — likely because employers view cloud networking as requiring a narrower skill set than cloud administration as a whole. That said, given the importance of efficient networking for optimizing cloud performance — not to mention minimizing cloud networking costs — skilled cloud networking specialists are in a strong position to deliver value and command high salaries.
About the Author
Technology analyst, Fixate.IO
Christopher Tozzi is a technology analyst with subject matter expertise in cloud computing, application development, open source software, virtualization, containers and more. He also lectures at a major university in the Albany, New York, area. His book, "For Fun and Profit: A History of the Free and Open Source Software Revolution ," was published by MIT Press.
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