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. This cloud model is composed of five essential characteristics (on-demand self-service, broad network access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity, measured service), three service models (Software as a Service or SaaS, Platform as a Service or PaaS, Infrastructure as a Service or IaaS), and four deployment models (private cloud, community cloud, public cloud, hybrid cloud).