Mirco Cloud Primer
The Cloud Concept Library
About 100 cloud computing terms, each explained the same way: a one-sentence definition, an everyday analogy, when to use it, when to avoid it, a common mistake, and related concepts. No pricing, no vendor comparisons, no sales pitch.
What's inside each entry
One-sentence definition
No run-on paragraphs — a clear, single-sentence answer to "what is this?"
Everyday analogy
A comparison to something outside of computing, so the idea sticks.
When to use / avoid
Practical guidance on when a concept fits — and when it's the wrong tool.
Common mistake
The single mistake beginners most often make with this concept.
Related concepts
Jump sideways to connected terms instead of hunting through the whole library.
Deeper article
Where a concept deserves more depth, the card links to a full, 900+ word article.
Search, filter, compare, save
The Explorer lets you search freely, or filter by category, level (beginner/intermediate), service model (IaaS/PaaS/SaaS), or tag. Found two concepts you keep mixing up — like a virtual machine and a container? Add both to the compare tray and see them side by side in one table.
Save concepts you want to revisit with the favorites button on any card. Favorites are stored only in your own browser (see our Privacy Policy) — we never see or collect them. You can print your favorites list for offline reference at any time.
Browse by category instead
What the library can't do
We'd rather tell you our limits than overstate what's here.
- It's vendor-neutral by design — we don't rank, recommend, or review any specific provider's product.
- Provider service names change often; every entry shows the date it was last reviewed, and it can fall out of date.
- It doesn't replace official vendor documentation for anything you're about to configure for real.
- It has no pricing information and makes no cost comparisons between providers.
See exactly where this content comes from on our Methodology & Sources page, or how to flag something wrong on our Corrections page.