There are many paths to the cloud. Each path is grouped based on how the services are offered, deployed, and consumed. The cloud is not a technology. A cloud layer does not exist. Each path to the cloud is a response to a requirement or set of needs based on the consumer's current situation, desired future state, available skills, and resources, as well as tolerance for risk. Cloud products and services often establish reusable and reoccurring architectural patterns (building blocks) used for designing, building, and managing applications and infrastructure.
There are primarily three cloud service models: Internet-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). Deployed as needed, all three models require network connections to change resource pools that are measured in great detail, dynamically. However...