This article was last updated 10 years ago.

Cloud has created its own vocabulary, with new words and phrases to describe technologies, practices and concepts that had scarcely been imagined five or ten years ago.

And while everyone can agree on the definition of some of them, others are still in flux and used in different ways by different vendors and groups. It’s a bit of a minefield.

Canonical’s Cloud Glossary
Our new glossary focuses on the 50 key terms used in cloud computing today. We’ve tried to be as neutral as possible, but we’ve added a few Canonical-specific terms to help you understand where our technology and services fit in.

And, finally, as a small bonus we’ve broken out some of the most significant definitions into bigger explanations. The cloud can sound more complex than it really is, so we hope this helps you get to grips with the issues that really count for the future of your business.

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