Cloud computing is a combination of services directed on meeting the various IT needs of an organization so it can’t be considered as a uniform or solid kind of offering. Infrastructure as a service or IaaS is one of the main types of cloud services along with Software as a service (SaaS) and platform as a service (PaaS) which render virtualized computing resources to organizations typically via the internet.
In this model, third-party service providers host hardware equipment, operating systems, and other software, servers, storage systems, and various other IT components for clients in a profoundly automated performance model. Seldom IaaS providers also manage tasks such as ongoing systems maintenance, data backup, and business continuity.
Typically, IaaS provides hardware, storage, servers, and data center space or network components; it may also include software. For more clarification Gartner’s simplified IT glossary defines IaaS as follows; “Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) is a standardized, highly automated offering in which computing resources owned by a service provider, complemented by storage and networking capabilities, are offered to customers on demand. Resources are scalable and elastic in near real time and metered by use. Self-service interfaces, including an API and a graphical user interface (GUI), are exposed directly to customers. Resources may be single-tenant or multitenant, and are hosted by the service provider or on-premises in a customer’s data center.”
Pros of IaaS
- Since the data center infrastructure and environment are handled by the service providers, the inhouse team won’t have many responsibilities and shouldn’t take many risks.
- The team efficiency increases as the expertise is outsourced.
- Initial startup cost for purchasing and building infrastructure can be eliminated
- Pay as you go so pay only as you need and when you need it.
- Improved performance, accuracy, reliability and flexibility.
- Increased physical data center security offered by the service providers
- Providers guarantees end to end monitoring which is almost impossible with DIY solutions.
- Enhances business continuity and disaster recovery (BC/DR) since the data is not stored within the client premises.
- High scalability which ensures quick upsizing and downsizing.
- Easier to experiment on new products which helps with the marketing efforts
- Relocation is easier than ever since the infrastructure doesn’t have to move along with the team.
Cons of IaaS
- IaaS will be not beneficial if you already have already invested for a team for infrastructure.
- Clients might not have complete control over data center or any infrastructure within it.
- Renting Infrastructure and owning it is totally different and renting wont be a good option for large scale businesses.
- IaaS can end up being more or less secure depending on the cloud type used.
- Expenses can actually spike up when using an infrastructure model.
- Finding an efficient service provider with top notch support can be difficult.
IaaS clients obtain sources and services through a wide area network (WAN) and can use the cloud provider’s assistance to install the spare elements of an application stack. Any cloud computing model necessitates the cooperation of a provider. The provider is often a third-party organization that concentrates in selling IaaS. Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) are examples of sovereign IaaS providers. A company might also opt to deploy a private cloud, becoming its provider of infrastructure services.
