Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Glossary

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.

Virtual Private Cloud - An isolated, private network within a public cloud provider where you control IP addressing, subnets, routing, and security. Available as AWS VPC, Azure Virtual Network (VNet), Google Cloud VPC Network, and Oracle Cloud VCN. Like having your own secure, private neighborhood within a large city.

Oracle Cloud's dedicated network connection service that links your data center directly to Oracle Cloud. Like having a private express lane built specifically for your organization's data traffic.

Oracle Cloud's secure VPN service that creates encrypted network tunnels over the internet. Like sending mail in a locked, tamper-proof box - even if someone intercepts it, they can't read what's inside.

Extremely large datasets that require special tools to store, process, and analyze. Like trying to organize all the books in every library in the world.

Network Address Translation Gateway - enables private subnet resources to access the internet for outbound traffic while blocking inbound connections. Available as AWS NAT Gateway, Azure NAT Gateway, GCP Cloud NAT, and OCI NAT Gateway. Like a secure mailroom that sends packages out but rejects unsolicited deliveries.

AWS image and video analysis service powered by machine learning. Like having a super-smart assistant that can instantly identify what's in photos and videos.

Database systems that don't use traditional SQL structure, designed for flexible data storage. Like having different filing systems optimized for different types of information.

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure - Oracle's comprehensive cloud platform offering compute, storage, networking, and database services. Like Oracle's complete digital toolkit for building and running applications.

Oracle's self-managing database that uses machine learning to automate maintenance, security, and performance tuning. Like having a database administrator that never sleeps and constantly optimizes everything.

Oracle's high-performance database machine optimized for running Oracle databases. Like a sports car specifically designed for racing - built for maximum database performance.

AWS platform for real-time data streaming and analytics. Like a high-speed conveyor belt for processing millions of data records per second.

Oracle Cloud's fully managed ETL service for building data pipelines that extract, transform, and load data across Oracle and third-party systems. Like having an enterprise-grade data assembly line optimized for Oracle databases and cloud services.

Oracle Cloud's IoT platform service for connecting, analyzing, and integrating device data with enterprise applications and databases. Like a specialized bridge that connects factory floor devices directly to your business systems and Oracle databases.

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.

Relational Database Management System - software for managing databases that organize data in tables with relationships. Like a sophisticated filing system with connected drawers.

Database architecture pattern that distributes data across multiple database instances. Like splitting a large library into multiple buildings, each containing different sections.

NoSQL database model that stores data in column families rather than rows. Like organizing information by categories where each category can have different attributes.

Database designed for storing and querying data with complex relationships. Like having a map that shows how everything is connected to everything else.

Oracle's comprehensive cloud analytics platform combining business intelligence, data visualization, and augmented analytics with AI. Like having an intelligent analytics assistant that not only shows you what happened but suggests why it happened and what to do next.

Microsoft's unified natural language processing service for understanding text. Like having an AI that can read and understand human language in all its complexity.

Oracle's virtual machine service providing scalable compute resources. Like renting a powerful computer in Oracle's data center that you can configure for any workload.

Oracle's software-defined networking service providing isolated cloud environments. Like having your own private section of the internet with complete control over network rules.

Oracle's service for distributing traffic across multiple compute instances. Like having a traffic director that ensures no single server gets overwhelmed.

Oracle's central hub for connecting virtual cloud networks and on-premises networks. Like having a central switchboard that connects all your different network locations.

Oracle's serverless compute service for running code without managing servers. Like having helpers that automatically appear to do specific tasks when needed.

Oracle's AI service for extracting text, tables, and key information from documents. Like having an AI assistant that can read and understand any document format.

Oracle's computer vision service for analyzing images with pre-trained AI models. Like giving applications the ability to see and recognize objects in pictures.

Oracle's natural language processing service for analyzing text. Like having an AI that can read and understand human language with expert-level comprehension.

Oracle's service for converting speech to text and text to speech. Like having a universal translator between spoken words and written text.

Oracle's service for accessing large language models for text generation and AI applications. Like having access to highly intelligent AI assistants for your business needs.

Oracle's collaborative platform for building, training, and deploying machine learning models. Like having a complete AI laboratory with all the tools data scientists need.

Oracle's platform for building conversational AI interfaces and chatbots. Like having the tools to create intelligent customer service representatives.

Oracle's service for building intelligent AI agents that can reason and execute complex tasks. Like creating AI employees that can think and act independently.

Oracle Container Engine for Kubernetes - Oracle's managed Kubernetes service. Like having Oracle's container experts handle all the complex Kubernetes management for you.

Oracle's serverless compute service for running containers without managing servers. Like ordering delivery containers - you get exactly what you need without owning the infrastructure.

Oracle's managed Docker registry for storing and sharing container images. Like having a secure private library for your containerized applications.

Oracle's managed service mesh for microservices communication and security. Like having an intelligent traffic control system for communication between application components.

Oracle's enterprise-grade network file system with NFS support. Like having a shared network drive that all your cloud applications can access simultaneously.

Oracle's conversational AI platform for building chatbots and virtual assistants with built-in conversation flow management and multi-channel support. Unlike competitors, it includes all-in-one conversation orchestration without requiring separate workflow services.

Oracle's enterprise customer service platform combining contact center, knowledge management, and field service with multi-channel support for voice, chat, and social media. Formerly known as RightNow CX.

Google Cloud's implementation of Virtual Private Cloud, providing global-by-default networking that spans all regions. Unlike AWS VPCs which are regional, GCP VPC Networks can have subnets in different regions within the same network. Equivalent to AWS VPC, Azure VNet, and OCI VCN.

Sending files from your device to the internet or another computer. Like mailing a package - you're sending something from your location to somewhere else.

Online platforms where people share content, communicate, and connect with friends and communities. Like digital town squares where people gather and talk.

A centralized facility or cloud service that handles customer communications across multiple channels including phone calls, emails, chats, and social media. Like a modern call center that can handle any type of customer communication.

A subdivision of a virtual network that segments resources by IP range for security, organization, and routing control. Used across all cloud providers: AWS subnets within VPCs, Azure subnets within VNets, GCP subnets within VPC Networks, and OCI subnets within VCNs. Like dividing a building into floors with different access rules.

Oracle Cloud's managed build service for automated code compilation, testing, and artifact creation. Like a quality control station that ensures code is properly built and tested before deployment.

Oracle Cloud's deployment orchestration service supporting automated deployments with rolling updates, blue-green strategies, and approval gates. Like a deployment coordinator that safely manages how new versions reach production.

Database Migration Service - AWS service for migrating databases to the cloud with minimal downtime. Like hiring professional movers who can relocate your office while you keep working.

Cryptographic protocols that provide secure communication over computer networks. SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) was the original protocol, now replaced by TLS (Transport Layer Security). Like a secure envelope that protects your mail from being read in transit, SSL/TLS encrypts data between your browser and websites. AWS Certificate Manager, Azure App Service Certificates, Google Cloud SSL Certificates, and OCI Certificates all provide managed TLS certificate services.

A specialized server that acts as a secure gateway for accessing private resources in a cloud network. Like a security checkpoint at a building entrance, a bastion host is the single controlled entry point for administrators to access internal servers that aren't directly exposed to the internet. AWS offers EC2 Instance Connect and Session Manager, Azure provides Azure Bastion, GCP has Identity-Aware Proxy, and OCI offers Bastion service.

A software development practice where developers frequently merge code changes into a shared repository, with each change automatically built and tested. Like a quality control checkpoint on an assembly line that catches defects early, CI ensures code changes don't break existing functionality. AWS CodeBuild, Azure Pipelines, Google Cloud Build, and OCI DevOps all provide CI services.

A centralized repository of information used to store, organize, and retrieve knowledge for users or AI systems. In cloud computing, knowledge bases power AI assistants, customer support systems, and enterprise search. AWS Kendra and Bedrock Knowledge Bases, Azure AI Search, Google Cloud Vertex AI Search, and OCI Generative AI all provide managed knowledge base services.

A messaging pattern where senders (publishers) broadcast messages to a topic without knowing who receives them, and receivers (subscribers) listen to topics they're interested in. Like a radio station broadcasting to anyone tuned in, pub/sub decouples producers from consumers. AWS SNS, Azure Service Bus Topics, Google Cloud Pub/Sub, and OCI Notifications all implement this pattern.

The practice of copying data or resources across multiple geographic regions for disaster recovery, low-latency access, or compliance requirements. Like having backup copies of important documents in different cities, regional replication ensures data survives regional outages. AWS S3 Cross-Region Replication, Azure Geo-Redundant Storage, Google Cloud multi-regional storage, and OCI Cross-Region Replication all provide this capability.

Software as a Service - a cloud delivery model where applications are hosted and managed by a provider, accessed via the internet on a subscription basis. Like renting an apartment instead of building a house, SaaS eliminates the need to install, maintain, or upgrade software. Examples include Salesforce, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and Oracle Cloud Applications. Cloud providers also offer SaaS marketplaces (AWS Marketplace, Azure Marketplace, Google Cloud Marketplace, OCI Marketplace).

A cloud-based collaboration platform that combines workplace chat, video meetings, file storage, and application integration. Part of the Microsoft 365 suite, Teams integrates deeply with Azure services for enterprise deployments. Similar collaboration tools exist across cloud ecosystems: AWS offers Amazon Chime, Google provides Google Meet and Chat, and Oracle offers Oracle Cloud collaboration features.

Secret tokens used to authenticate and authorize access to cloud services and APIs. Like a password for software applications, API keys identify the calling application and control what actions it can perform. AWS uses Access Keys and Secret Keys, Azure provides Subscription Keys and Service Principal credentials, GCP uses API Keys and Service Account Keys, and OCI uses API Signing Keys.

The practice of using code and tools to automatically provision, configure, and manage cloud infrastructure instead of manual processes. Like having robots build and maintain your data center, infrastructure automation ensures consistent, repeatable, and error-free deployments. Tools include Terraform, AWS CloudFormation, Azure Resource Manager, Google Cloud Deployment Manager, and OCI Resource Manager.

Strategies and practices for reducing cloud spending while maintaining performance and reliability. Like finding ways to reduce your utility bills without sacrificing comfort, cost optimization involves right-sizing resources, using reserved capacity, eliminating waste, and choosing cost-effective architectures. AWS offers Cost Explorer and Trusted Advisor, Azure provides Cost Management, GCP has Cost Management tools, and OCI offers Cost Analysis.

A network component that acts as an entry point or intermediary between different networks or services. Like a toll booth on a highway, gateways control and manage traffic flow. In cloud computing, common gateway types include API Gateway (manages API traffic), NAT Gateway (enables outbound internet access for private resources), VPN Gateway (connects on-premises networks), and Internet Gateway (connects VPCs to the internet). AWS, Azure, GCP, and OCI all offer managed gateway services.