* [Topics](/en/topics "Topics") * What is cloud infrastructure? What is cloud infrastructure? ============================= Published May 28, 2019•*3*-minute read Copy URL Jump to section --------------- OverviewHow does it work?What's included?ComponentsCloud infraInfrastructure vs architectureWhy build a Red Hat cloud? Overview -------- Cloud infrastructure is a term used to describe the components needed for [cloud computing](/en/topics/cloud-computing), which includes hardware, abstracted resources, storage, and network resources. Think of cloud infrastructure as the tools needed to build a cloud. In order to host services and applications in the cloud, you need cloud infrastructure. Standardize to improve IT efficiency: 8 considerations How does cloud infrastructure work? ----------------------------------- An abstraction technology or process—like [virtualization](/en/topics/virtualization)—is used to seperate resources from physical hardware and pool them into clouds; [automation](/en/topics/automation/what-is-it-automation) software and [management](/en/topics/management) tools allocate these resources and provision new environments so users can access what they need—when they need it. Red Hat resources ----------------- [Keep reading](/en/resources "Keep reading") What's included in cloud infrastructure? ---------------------------------------- Cloud infrastructure is made up of several components, each integrated with one another into a single architecture supporting business operations. A typical solution may be composed of hardware, virtualization, storage, and networking components. As a term, cloud infrastructure can be used to describe a complete cloud computing system—once all the pieces are put together—as well as the individual technologies themselves. Components of cloud infrastructure ---------------------------------- ### Hardware Although you probably think of clouds as being virtual, they require hardware as part of the infrastructure. A cloud network is made up of a variety of physical hardware that can be located at multiple geographical locations. The hardware includes networking equipment, like switches, routers, firewalls, and load balancers, storage arrays, backup devices, and servers. Virtualization connects the servers together, dividing and abstracting resources to make them accessible to users. ### Virtualization Virtualization is technology that separates IT services and functions from hardware. Software called a [hypervisor](/en/topics/virtualization/what-is-a-hypervisor) sits on top of physical hardware and abstracts the machine's resources, such as memory, computing power, and storage. Once these virtual resources are allocated into centralized pools they’re considered clouds. With clouds, you get the benefits of self-service access, automated infrastructure scaling, and dynamic resource pools. ### Storage Within a single datacenter, data may be stored across many disks in a single storage array. Storage management ensures data is correctly being backed up, that outdated backups are removed regularly, and that data is indexed for retrieval in case any storage component fails. Virtualization abstracts storage space from hardware systems so that it can be accessed by users as [cloud storage.](/en/topics/data-storage/what-is-cloud-storage) When storage is turned into a cloud resource, you can add or remove drives, repurpose hardware, and respond to change without manually provisioning separate storage servers for every new initiative. ### Network The network is composed of physical wires, switches, routers, and other equipment. Virtual networks are created on top of these physical resources. A typical cloud network configuration is composed of multiple subnetworks, each with varying levels of visibility. The cloud permits the creation of virtual local area networks (VLANs) and assigns static and/or dynamic addresses as needed for all network resources. The cloud resources are delivered to users over a network, such as the internet or an intranet, so you can access [cloud services](/en/topics/cloud-computing/what-are-cloud-services) or apps remotely on demand. Public, private, and hybrid cloud infrastructure ------------------------------------------------ The basic elements of cloud infrastructure are the same whether you have a [private cloud](/en/topics/cloud-computing/what-is-private-cloud), [public cloud](/en/topics/cloud-computing/what-is-public-cloud), or a combination. To get started with any of the cloud computing types, you need a cloud infrastructure. You can create a private cloud by building it yourself using resources dedicated solely to you, or you can use a public cloud by renting the cloud infrastructure from a [cloud provider](/en/topics/cloud-computing/what-are-cloud-providers) so you don’t have to set it up yourself. [Compare public, private, and hybrid clouds](/en/topics/cloud-computing/public-cloud-vs-private-cloud-and-hybrid-cloud) Cloud infrastructure vs. cloud architecture ------------------------------------------- A [cloud architecture](/en/topics/cloud-computing/what-is-cloud-architecture) is how individual technologies are integrated to create cloud computing environments. It’s the way all the components that make up clouds—hardware, virtual resources, networks, operating systems, middleware, automation, management, containers, and more—are connected. If cloud infrastructure is the tools you need to build a cloud, then cloud architecture is the blueprint for how you’ll build it. Think of it like building a house. You need materials and a blueprint to construct a house. Without a blueprint, you have nothing more than resources—wood, concrete, and nails. With a blueprint, those materials can be strategically combined to create the foundation, roof, and walls that make a house. Why build a Red Hat cloud? -------------------------- Our [open hybrid cloud strategy](/en/products/open-hybrid-cloud), supported by our open source technologies brings a consistent foundation to any cloud deployment: public, private, or hybrid. With a standard operating system (like [Linux](/en/topics/linux/linux-for-cloud-computing)) that works the same in any environment, a container platform that allows packaged apps to move from cloud-to-cloud, and tools that help you manage and automate it all, a Red Hat cloud gives you the ability to succeed on hundreds of certified public cloud platforms—or build your own private cloud. Red Hat brings the interoperability, workload portability, and flexibility of open source projects—built by thousands of developers in communities working to connect datacenters to clouds, incorporate infrastructure with containers, and test security capabilities—to enterprise hybrid cloud environments. [Learn more](/en/topics/cloud-computing/why-choose-red-hat-cloud) The official Red Hat blog ------------------------- Get the latest information about our ecosystem of customers, partners, and communities. [Keep reading](/en/blog "The official Red Hat blog") All Red Hat product trials -------------------------- Our no-cost product trials help you gain hands-on experience, prepare for a certification, or assess if a product is right for your organization. [Keep reading](/en/products/trials "All Red Hat product trials") Keep reading ------------ ### What is hybrid cloud? Find out more about hybrid cloud, a combination of computing environments that share information and run a uniform series of applications. [Read the article](/en/topics/cloud-computing/what-is-hybrid-cloud "article | what is hybrid cloud") ### What's the difference between cloud and virtualization? Learn the key differences between virtualization and cloud computing, their definitions, configurations, costs, scalability, tenancy, and security benefits. [Read the article](/en/topics/cloud-computing/cloud-vs-virtualization "article | what's the difference between cloud and virtualization") ### Why are financial services slow to adopt the cloud? Find out why the financial services industry is slow to adopt the cloud, and why it's still a good idea to get started. [Read the article](/en/topics/financial-services/why-financial-services-are-slow-to-adopt-cloud "article | Why are financial services slow to adopt the cloud?") Hybrid cloud resources ---------------------- ### Related content * Blog post [A decade of open innovation: Red Hat continues to scale the open hybrid cloud with Microsoft](/en/blog/decade-open-innovation-red-hat-continues-scale-open-hybrid-cloud-microsoft) * Analyst material [Open Source Hybrid Cloud: Europe's Strategic Lever in the Age of Digital Sovereignty](/en/resources/idc-hybrid-cloud-digital-sovereignty-analyst-material) * Analyst material [Open Source Hybrid Cloud: Europe's Strategic Lever in the Age of Digital Sovereignty](/en/engage/idc-hybrid-cloud-digital-sovereignty-analyst-material) * Blog post [Stop managing the past and start building IT’s future](/en/blog/stop-managing-past-and-start-building-its-future) ### Related articles * [Linux for cloud computing](/en/topics/linux/linux-for-cloud-computing) * [What is cloud migration? And how can automation help?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-cloud-migration) * [Why run Linux on AWS?](/en/topics/linux/linux-on-aws) * [What is hybrid cloud?](/en/topics/cloud-computing/what-is-hybrid-cloud) * [What is serverless?](/en/topics/cloud-native-apps/what-is-serverless) * [Why choose Red Hat Enterprise Linux on Azure?](/en/technologies/linux-platforms/enterprise-linux/why-choose-red-hat-enterprise-linux-on-azure) * [What's the difference between cloud and virtualization?](/en/topics/cloud-computing/cloud-vs-virtualization) * [Why choose Red Hat Enterprise Linux on AWS?](/en/technologies/linux-platforms/enterprise-linux/why-choose-red-hat-enterprise-linux-on-aws) * [What is CloudOps?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-cloudops) * [Linux on Azure](/en/topics/linux/linux-on-azure) * [Why run Linux on Google Cloud?](/en/topics/linux/linux-on-google-cloud) * [Why choose Red Hat Enterprise Linux on Google Cloud?](/en/technologies/linux-platforms/enterprise-linux/why-choose-red-hat-enterprise-linux-google-cloud) * [Why are financial services slow to adopt the cloud?](/en/topics/financial-services/why-financial-services-are-slow-to-adopt-cloud) * [What is Cloud Foundry?](/en/topics/application-modernization/what-is-cloud-foundry) * [What is the role of the cloud in embedded finance?](/en/topics/financial-services/the-role-of-cloud-in-embedded-finance) * [OpenShift vs. OpenStack: What are the differences?](/en/technologies/cloud-computing/openshift/openshift-vs-openstack) * [Cloud services for financial services](/en/topics/financial-services/cloud-services-for-financial-services) * [Kubernetes vs OpenStack](/en/topics/openstack/kubernetes-vs-openstack) * [What is telco cloud?](/en/topics/cloud-computing/what-is-telco-cloud) * [What is cloud orchestration?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-cloud-orchestration) * [What is cloud governance?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-cloud-governance) * [What is public cloud?](/en/topics/cloud-computing/what-is-public-cloud) * [Cloud vs. edge](/en/topics/cloud-computing/cloud-vs-edge) * [Why build a Red Hat cloud?](/en/topics/cloud-computing/why-choose-red-hat-cloud) * [What is multicloud?](/en/topics/cloud-computing/what-is-multicloud) * [What is cloud architecture?](/en/topics/cloud-computing/what-is-cloud-architecture) * [What is cloud automation?](/en/topics/automation/what-is-cloud-automation) * [Types of cloud computing](/en/topics/cloud-computing/public-cloud-vs-private-cloud-and-hybrid-cloud) * [What is cloud-based digital banking?](/en/topics/cloud-computing/what-is-cloud-based-digital-banking) * [Do banking APIs benefit from cloud technology?](/en/topics/api/banking-api) * [What is payments infrastructure?](/en/topics/financial-services/what-is-payments-infrastructure) * [What is multitenancy?](/en/topics/cloud-computing/what-is-multitenancy) * [What is private cloud?](/en/topics/cloud-computing/what-is-private-cloud) * [What is IT infrastructure?](/en/topics/cloud-computing/what-is-it-infrastructure) * [Hybrid cloud security](/en/topics/security/what-is-hybrid-cloud-security) * [What is cloud storage?](/en/topics/data-storage/what-is-cloud-storage) * [What is cloud security](/en/topics/security/cloud-security) * [What is cloud management?](/en/topics/cloud-computing/what-is-cloud-management) [More about this topic](/en/topics/cloud-computing "More about this topic")