Compute in cloud computing refers to the processing power, memory, and networking required to run software computation. It is a generic term used to reference computing resources that are available on-demand over the internet. Compute resources can be physical servers or virtual machines that are located on remote servers owned and managed by cloud service providers. Compute services are also known as Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS).
In cloud computing, applications can simultaneously access more processing resources from many physical devices, which is not possible when running on a single physical device. Cloud computing eliminates the need for individuals and businesses to self-manage physical resources themselves, and they only pay for what they use. Compute infrastructure management is done by the cloud provider.
Cloud computing relies heavily on virtualization and automation technologies. Virtualization enables the easy abstraction and provisioning of services and underlying cloud systems into logical entities that users can request and utilize. Automation and accompanying orchestration capabilities provide users with a high degree of self-service to provision resources, connect services, and deploy workloads without direct intervention from IT staff.
Overall, compute in cloud computing refers to the computing resources that are available on-demand over the internet, including processing power, memory, and networking, which can be physical servers or virtual machines located on remote servers owned and managed by cloud service providers.