An Insight into Cloud Delivery Models
Introduction
Before Cloud existed, the management and hosting of websites and web applications was a hefty and complex task. Cloud brought about a new era in terms of management of resources, now with its help, anyone can host a website with just a few clicks. Cloud Computing is a revolutionary technology that provides you with computing services such as, storage, computing, etc, and with the option of paying only for what you use. Google, Microsoft, and Amazon are some of the leading cloud service providers that provide applications with services to compute, deploy, and test these applications along with providing advanced tools to develop algorithms and more.
To benefit most from these services, it is crucial to have an understanding of different types of cloud computing models, which is the main aim of this post.
Cloud Delivery Models
Cloud delivery/service models represent a pre-packaged deal of different IT resources. Each model has its own unique power and versatility. Three of these models have grown popular and become formalized. These are:
1)Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
2)Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)
3)Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)
Let us gain a better insight into these three established models.
1) Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is also known as ‘on-demand software’ and is a service administered in Cloud that provides users with an entire software suite in pay as you use form. In simpler words, it is a software providing service by Cloud in which applications are hosted by the cloud service provider, which users have the freedom to access with the help of the internet and a web browser.
However, this freedom is constricted, a user is generally given very limited administrative control over the SaaS implementation and is mostly provisioned by the cloud service provider, although it can legally be owned by whoever is the cloud service owner. Let us understand this better with an example. A business organization that acts as a cloud consumer while using and working with a PaaS environment can build a cloud service that it decides to deploy in that same environment as a SaaS offering. The organization can then effectively assume the role of cloud provider as the SaaS-based cloud service is made available to other organizations that act as cloud consumers when using that cloud service.
Let us take a look at the characteristics of the SaaS model, here are a few of them:
· SaaS is managed from a central location
· It is hosted on a remote server
· It is easily accessible over the internet
· The updates occur automatically. Consumers are not liable for hardware or software updates.
· It is a pay-as-you-use basis service.
· It has a multi-tenant model
· It has an independent platform
Example: BigCommerce, Google Apps, Salesforce, Dropbox, ZenDesk, Cisco WebEx, ZenDesk, Slack, and GoToMeeting.
2) Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)
PaaS is a Cloud computing platform that provides a run-time environment that is created for programmers to test, run, integrate, develop and manage the applications. It provides users with the facility of writing, configuring, running, and deploying the code directly. Cloud also automatically manages the system, no matter what language code is written in. This service in AWS is called a light-sail service in which you can use any language such as Python, PHP or JavaScript, to host your website.
PaaS consists of infrastructure; such as servers, networking, and storage; and platform; such as development tools, business intelligence, database management tools, and more; to support the deployed web application
The following are Characteristics of PaaS:
· It provides the user the ability to Auto-Scale
· It supports multifarious languages
· It is accessible to users through the same development application
· It integrates with databases and web services
· It has lower business risk as there is no need for upfront payment
· It facilitates Rapid product development
· Provides extensive pre-coded apps for user benefit.
· It has a web-based interface and supports a mobile workforce
· It also allows third-party integration and multi-tenant architecture.
Example: AWS Elastic Beanstalk, Windows Azure, Heroku, Force.com, Google App Engine, Apache Stratos, Magento Commerce Cloud, and OpenShift.
3) Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is also known as Hardware as a Service. It is the most advanced feature offered by Cloud which facilitates the user to use the Cloud machine resources optimally. This delivery model helps you to configure your system resources according to your need from the marketplace. One can select machine image type from Ubuntu, Amazon, Microsoft etcetera, and can add CPU in batch or parallel for fulfilling the utilization need, user can also choose solid-state device memory (SSD) or hard disk drive memory (HDD) based on the data processing speed and more. Hence, IaaS is considered the efficiency pillar of the architecture of your organization.
Now that we understand the importance of IaaS let us explore their characteristics for a clearer view:
· IaaS helps users avoid the cost and complexity that comes with purchasing and managing the physical servers.
· It is dynamic and flexible
· It offers resources as a service
· It is highly scalable
· Administrative tasks are automated in IaaS
· API and GUI-based access is granted
· IaaS cloud computing platform layer eliminates the need for every organization to maintain the IT infrastructure.
· It has Load Balancing capability
· It provides platform virtualization and virtual server space along with reduced vendor lock-in
Example: DigitalOcean, Linode, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Compute Engine (GCE), Rackspace, and Cisco Metacloud.
Conclusion
Cloud is now expanding its wings to multiple fields now. Many companies such as Netflix, Expedia, and more have successfully migrated their business to the cloud along with a lot of startups, however, some organizations find it difficult to migrate and embrace the cloud infrastructure. This difficulty arises due to a lack of understanding of the working of the cloud and its delivery models. For this cloud domain, experts are there to extend cloud consulting services and support and allow the consumers to choose the right cloud computing service model that fits the modern needs.
With Covid-19 forcing businesses and organizations to turn the virtual world and remote collaboration intensifying, cloud computing along with these resourceful delivery models has emerged as the most suitable alternative for most enterprises around the world.
