Introduction to the Cloud - Beginning iOS Cloud and Database Development - page 18

Summary
In this chapter, we took a look at cloud services. Because of the recent advances in smaller, more
efficient devices, there has been a push to move data to cloud service platforms. The data doesn't
need to be stored locally, and many of the complex calculations can actually be performed on
the server before being sent to the device, which allows for a simple, streamlined experience. A
cloud database allows for these devices to not only quickly pull data from the server, but also for
swift syncing between multiple devices, with the cloud database as the central hub. This also lets
programs running on multiple platforms be synced via one central location. A cloud solution may not
be the best in every situation, but in today's modern, synchronized, and global world, it has become
a necessity in many instances.
We also discussed several aspects of cloud services in this chapter, such as how APIs handle the
movement of key values, documents, and Core Data. With iCloud specifically, we learned about the
efficient process of breaking the data into chunks, which are then sent between iCloud and a user's
devices to optimize the amount of data that is sent. We talked about the Ubiquity Container, which
serves as the master file and vehicle that passes your document data between iCloud and your
devices. And finally, we discussed how iCloud handles data exchange between OS X and iOS, and
what programming knowledge you should reasonably be expected to have before moving forward.
In the next chapter, we'll be discussing more examples of applications that have benefited from
different cloud databases.