The ‘Cloud’
is actually a stack of different services commonly referred to as Software as a
Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service
(IaaS) that collectively make up the ‘Cloud’.
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
Infrastructure
as a Service (IaaS) is a service model that delivers computer infrastructure on
an outsourced basis to support enterprise operations. Typically, IaaS provides
hardware, storage, servers and data center space or network components; it may
also include software. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is also known as
Hardware as a Service (HaaS).
IaaS providers
make a very compelling argument for businesses to stop running their own data
centers and simply purchase server capacity on-demand and scale up and down as
needed. IaaS is an excellent option for organizations with little capital for
hardware, fast growing organizations and for those requiring temporary
infrastructure.
IaaS refers to the delivery of scalable cloud
computing infrastructure including servers, storage, network and operating
system software as an on-demand service. What users gain with IaaS is
infrastructure on top of which they can install any required platforms. They
may get an operating system, but they still have to manually configure, manage
and update numerous components.
Some free examples:
Note: Usually
providers take your credit card details when you sign up and store them, ready
to start taking your money. If you don’t want to pay for a cloud service,
remember to cancel it!
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
PaaS is
known as Platform as a Service and also as Cloud Computing Platform. It refers
to infrastructure/services that you can use to deploy your own
software/solutions.
PaaS can be
thought of as a computing platform that allows the creation of software
applications quickly and easily without having to purchase and manage the
underlying software and hardware infrastructure. It is a little like
middleware, the software layer that developers can tap to handle tasks like
transactions, security, and clustering, so they can focus on building their
custom applications instead of solving those problems repeatedly. But with
middleware, you still have to configure it, deploy it on servers, manage, and
monitor it. PaaS pulls together all of these middleware functions and offers
them to developers. It provides all of the facilities required to support the
complete lifecycle of building and delivering web-based applications.
PaaS is
highly scalable.
With PaaS,
vendors manage runtime, middleware, O/S, virtualization, servers, storage, and
networking, but users manage applications and data.
PaaS is a
software development platform on which you can design and develop your SaaS
application.
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Software as
a Service (SaaS) is a software delivery model. It allows end users to
access commercial software that is managed from a central location without
having to deal with upgrades and patches. The reduced management effort lowers
cost of ownership and allows human capital to be allocated elsewhere. Most SaaS applications can be
run directly from a Web browser, without any downloads or installations
required. SaaS eliminates the need to install and run applications on
individual computers.
SaaS refers
to a specific application/solution that any business can use. SaaS apps are
normally used directly by the end customer. Usually SaaS is sold to the end
consumers.
Example: Google’s services such as GMail, Calendar, Maps and Drive.
