What is Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)?

So you've heard of cloud computing, but what is IaaS? IaaS is a model of cloud computing in which providers deliver compute resources, such as servers and storage, over the Internet. IaaS can be used for a variety of purposes, such as storing data, running applications, or hosting websites. In this post, we'll talk more about what IaaS is and how it could benefit your business. 

Types of Cloud Service Models

There are three main types of cloud service models: PaaS, SaaS, and IaaS. Each one has its own benefits and features, so it's important to pick the model that will best fit your company's needs. 

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Platform as a Service, or PaaS, is a model of cloud computing in which the provider offers complete development and execution environments to their clients. PaaS typically includes tools and services that make it easy to develop, test, and deploy applications. 

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Software as a Service, or SaaS, is a software delivery model in which users access licensed and centrally hosted software on a subscription basis. The key benefit of SaaS is that it allows organizations to consume software as a service, not as a product. This means that organizations can more easily and quickly get software up and running without installing and managing  it themselves. 

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Infrastructure as a Service, or IaaS, is a cloud service model that gives users access to virtual machines, storage, and other resources. IaaS allows users you to create and manage your own virtual infrastructure. IaaS is one of the most popular cloud service models, and it is often used by businesses that need to quickly deploy virtual machines or storage. 

Comparison of services

Key differences between IaaS vs PaaS vs SaaS

The simplest way to understand the difference between IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS is by understanding which items are managed by the vendor and which are managed by the end user. In a typical IT environment, the end user manages the entire stack, from hardware to virtualization to the operating system. 

IaaS removes physical computing, network, storage, and technology from the equation. PaaS goes further by eliminating the need to manage the operating system. Serverless computing takes it one step further by abstracting away everything but the application code itself. Finally, as-a-Service end user applications are provided by SaaS. 

Benefits summary

Cloud computing delivery varies and each method has its advantages and disadvantages. With IaaS, businesses rent IT infrastructure—servers, storage, networking—from a provider on a pay-as-you-go basis. IaaS allows businesses to pay only  for resources used. 

PaaS is one step up from IaaS. With PaaS, businesses not only outsource the physical infrastructure needed to run their applications, but also outsource the application development environment. 

Like IaaS, SaaS allows businesses to rent software from a provider on a subscription basis. SaaS applications are typically delivered via the web and accessed from any device with an internet connection. 

Benefits of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Cloud service models have been around for a while, but the Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) cloud model is relatively new. The following are the key benefits of IaaS. 

Optimize Cost-Effectiveness

The IaaS cloud computing model is the most cost-effective way for organizations to outsource their infrastructure needs. As mentioned earlier, IaaS allows businesses to pay for only the resources they use, which reduces waste and lowers costs. Additionally, IaaS providers offer a wide range of services and features, so businesses can choose the options that best suit their needs. 

Increase Scaling Capabilities

IaaS cloud computing allows for increased scaling capabilities for organizations. By using IaaS, companies can quickly and easily add more resources as their needs increase. This allows businesses to avoid the cost and hassle of adding on-premises hardware and dealing with related management and security issues. 

Support Business Continuity

IaaS supports business continuity by providing a platform for businesses to  recover from outages quickly and easily. By hosting critical applications and data in the cloud, businesses can minimize downtime and secure uninterrupted operation. 

Support Application Modernization

IaaS supports application modernization by providing an agile and scalable platform. Applications can be deployed quickly and scaled up or down, if necessary, making it easy to adapt to changes in demand. IaaS also provides a secure and reliable environment for applications, ensuring that they are always available when needed. 

Uses for Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

The IaaS cloud service model provides users with access to virtual computing resources, such as servers, storage, and networks. IaaS can be used for a variety of reasons. 

Disaster Recovery

Disaster recovery is one of the most important benefits of IaaS. By replicating your critical infrastructure components in the cloud, you disaster-proof your business continuity planning objectives. 

Secure Backup

One advantage of using IaaS for secure backup is that your data is stored in a remote location, away from your physical infrastructure. This can help protect your data during disasters or system failures. 

Modernizing Legacy Applications

Another key benefit of IaaS is that it helps modernize legacy applications. By moving these applications to the cloud, businesses can take advantage of the scalability and flexibility that IaaS provides. 

Lift and Shift

Lifting and shifting refer to the process of moving an organization's IT infrastructure to the cloud.  

This can be done using IaaS to lift your operating system, data, and applications off of your on-premise servers and shift them over to the new IT infrastructure in the cloud. 

Types of Cloud Computing Deployment

You can use IaaS to deploy your own applications, or you can use it to host applications that the provider delivers as a service.  

On-Premise

On-premise deployment is a model where infrastructure and applications are hosted on-site, typically in the organization's data center. In this model, the organization is responsible for managing and maintaining the infrastructure and applications. 

Cloud

The cloud computing model hosts applications and data outside of your organization. The service provider manages all aspects of application and data hosting. 

Hybrid Approach

The hybrid approach combines cloud and on-Premise deployment models, allowing organizations to use a combination of cloud computing and on-premise data centers to host the infrastructure and applications. 

IaaS provides your business with a secure and reliable environment for hosting applications and data. IaaS is also the most cost-effective way to outsource your infrastructure needs, which can save your business time and money. If  you are still not sure if IaaS is right for you, our team of experts would be happy to help you make that decision. Contact us here to learn more about how IaaS can benefit your organization.