Google Cloud Platform Glossary

Companies that own massive computer centers and rent out computing power. Think of them as tech landlords.

The largest cloud providers that operate at massive global scale with millions of servers across multiple continents. Like the giants of the cloud industry that can serve billions of users simultaneously.

A building full of servers and networking equipment. Think of it as a giant computer warehouse.

Saving your files on someone else's computers via the internet instead of on your device. Like a safety deposit box for data.

Google's cloud computing services that help you build, deploy, and scale applications using Google's infrastructure. Like using Google's massive computer network for your projects.

Google Cloud service that provides private connectivity between your on-premises network and Google's network. Like building a private bridge between your building and Google's data center.

Google Cloud service that creates secure VPN connections between your on-premises network and your Google Cloud VPC. Like creating a secure, encrypted highway tunnel that connects two separate cities.

Cloud services available over the internet to anyone who wants to use them, shared among multiple organizations. Like renting an apartment in a building where multiple tenants share infrastructure.

Google Cloud's platform for building and hosting web applications without managing servers. Like renting a fully-managed restaurant kitchen where you just need to provide the recipes.

Google Cloud's serverless data warehouse for analyzing massive datasets quickly. Like having a super-computer that can answer complex questions about huge amounts of data in seconds.

Google Cloud's messaging service that allows applications to communicate asynchronously. Like a mail system where applications can send messages without waiting for replies.

Google Cloud's globally distributed database that combines the benefits of relational databases with horizontal scaling. Like having a database that works like a local one but can handle global-scale traffic.

Google Cloud's stream and batch data processing service. Like having a factory assembly line that can process both steady streams of data and large batches efficiently.

Google's mobile and web application development platform with real-time database and hosting. Like having a complete backend service that handles all server-side needs for mobile apps.

Single Sign-On - authentication system that allows users to log in once and access multiple applications. Like having a master key for all doors in a building.

Using services from multiple cloud providers to avoid vendor lock-in and optimize performance. Like shopping at different stores to get the best deals and products.

Google Cloud's serverless compute service that runs code in response to events. Like having helpers that automatically spring into action when specific things happen.

Google Cloud serverless platform for running containerized applications. Like having a hosting service that automatically adjusts resources based on demand.

Google Cloud's object storage service for storing and retrieving any amount of data. Like having unlimited digital storage space accessible from anywhere.

Google Cloud's NoSQL wide-column database for real-time analytics. Like having a massive spreadsheet that can handle billions of rows and columns instantly.

Google Cloud's managed Apache Spark and Hadoop service for big data processing. Like renting a supercomputer cluster that's pre-configured for data analysis.

Google Cloud service for developing, deploying, and managing APIs. Like having a professional receptionist service that handles all API requests and manages access.

Google Cloud security service that provides DDoS protection and web application firewall. Like having a digital security guard that protects your applications from attacks.

Storing copies of data in multiple geographic locations to protect against regional disasters. Like keeping important documents in safe deposit boxes in different cities.

Google's unified machine learning platform for building, deploying, and scaling AI models. Like having Google's AI expertise available as a complete toolkit for your projects.

Google's global load balancing service that distributes traffic across regions. Like having a worldwide traffic management system that routes users to the best servers.

Google's service for dynamic routing in virtual networks using BGP. Like having an intelligent GPS system for network traffic that automatically finds the best paths.

Google's service for monitoring performance and health of cloud applications. Like having a dashboard that shows the vital signs of all your applications in real-time.

Google's machine learning service for image analysis and computer vision. Like giving applications the ability to see and understand visual content like humans do.

Google's service for understanding and analyzing human language. Like having an AI that can read and comprehend text with human-like understanding.

Google's advanced neural machine translation service. Like having Google Translate's power available for your applications with enterprise features.

Google's service for converting audio to text with high accuracy. Like having a professional transcriptionist that works instantly and supports many languages.

Google's service for converting text into natural-sounding spoken audio. Like having a professional voice actor that can read any text in multiple languages and voices.

Google's service for extracting structured data from documents using machine learning. Like having an AI assistant that can read and organize any type of document.

Google Kubernetes Engine - Google's managed Kubernetes service for container orchestration. Like having Google's container experts manage your application deployment infrastructure.

Google's service for storing and managing Docker container images. Like having a private warehouse for your containerized applications with version control.

Google's hybrid and multi-cloud application platform for modernizing applications. Like having a universal translator that makes applications work the same way across different cloud environments.

Google Cloud's Virtual Private Cloud network that provides global connectivity for your cloud resources.

Google Cloud's virtual machine service that provides scalable, high-performance virtual machines.

Google Cloud's fully managed relational database service for MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server.

A website that helps you find information on the internet by typing keywords. Like a librarian who can instantly find any book or information you need.

Uniform Resource Locator - the web address you type to visit a specific website. Like a postal address that tells your browser exactly where to go.

When you become dependent on a specific cloud provider's proprietary services and switching to another provider becomes difficult or expensive. Like building your house with custom parts that only work with one supplier.

Global Positioning System - technology that uses satellites to determine your exact location on Earth. Like having a digital compass that always knows exactly where you are.

Using someone else's computers over the internet for specific tasks instead of doing everything on your own device. Like renting specialized equipment instead of buying it.

Applications that run on cloud servers instead of entirely on your device. Like using a tool that exists in a workshop you can visit anytime, rather than owning the tool yourself.

Keeping multiple copies of important data in different locations to prevent loss. Like having photocopies of important documents stored in different safe places.

Working together on projects using cloud-based tools that let multiple people edit and share files in real-time. Like having a shared workspace that everyone can access simultaneously.

Domain Name System - translates human-readable website names into computer addresses. Like a phone book that converts 'Pizza Place' into the actual phone number.

Moving applications, data, or infrastructure from one environment to another, such as from on-premises servers to the cloud or between cloud providers. Like relocating a business to a new building while keeping everything running.