The expanse of cloud computing is quite vast, which is why different industries consider the valuable benefits. Other than the types of cloud computing, which involve private, public, and hybrid clouds, it is also classified based on the delivery model.
This blog post will cover the Infrastructure As a Service (IaaS) model of cloud technology in detail.
What is Infrastructure As a Service?
IaaS refers to the computing model that offers on-demand scalable resources to individuals and businesses via the Internet. One of the three main categories of cloud computing delivery models is Software as a Service (SaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS).
In this model, the chosen cloud provider manages the IT infrastructure, such as server, storage, and networking resources, and then delivers it to the users.
What makes Infrastructure As a Service an attractive cloud delivery model is eliminating the need to acquire additional computing resources. To run an enterprise, you must invest time and capital in procuring servers, data storage units, and other hardware/software. Then, once the infrastructure is deployed, you need professionals to maintain the same. But with IaaS, you get all the base infrastructure or ‘platform’ delivered to you through service.
As your cloud provider manages the infrastructure and ensures data security, you can concentrate more on the core business-related tasks.
Benefits of Infrastructure As a Service
The core benefits of cloud computing for businesses are accessibility, elasticity, and cost savings. Here are some of the advantages of IaaS in particular:
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Budget-friendly
IaaS resources are available on-demand, and you only need to pay for your storage, computing, and networking resources. Besides this, this cloud delivery model has no upfront cost or setup cost.
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Efficient Delivery
By selecting IaaS, you can avoid or reduce common delays while expanding in-house infrastructure and procuring resources to overbuild capacity. In addition, IaaS resources are available for use when you need them and do not require much time for deployment.
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Enhanced Productivity
With IaaS, the cloud provider is responsible for setting up the underlying infrastructure. Hence, it frees up time for your IT department, and you can redirect the resources to other strategic business activities.
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Reliability
IaaS delivery infrastructure is designed so that if one hardware resource fails, another takes place to maintain continuity of service to the end-users. Since there is no point of failure, businesses consider it to be a reliable way to benefit from cloud technology.
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Easy Scalability
IaaS is known for its capability to rapidly scale resources up or down depending on the business needs. In addition, the least TAT to switch between different cloud hosting plans makes it highly advantageous for businesses.
Disadvantages of Infrastructure as a Service
- In some cases, IaaS billing can be quite granular and detailed to reflect the exact usage of services. This can often give businesses a financial shock on finding the cost to be higher than expected.
- Since IaaS providers own the infrastructure, its performance and configuration details may not be available to the end-users.
- The workload’s availability is highly dependent on the provider. In case of any bottleneck faced by the provider, users may experience server downtime.
What is IaaS Used for?
- To set up test and development environments
- To improve disaster recovery
- To perform big data analysis
- To handle the seasonal spike in traffic
- For Application hosting
- For storage, backup, and recovery
- For high-performance computing
Infrastructure As a Service Examples
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Microsoft Azure
- IBM Cloud
- Oracle Cloud
Do You Need IaaS?
Infrastructure As a Service provides businesses with server, storage, and networking resources. You do not need to purchase them, reducing capital expenditure. However, if yours is an enterprise that experiences unpredictable workload volumes, you should switch to IaaS to support operations in a better way.
You need IaaS if you experience or are expecting:
- Business growth that will outpace the current infrastructure capabilities
- An unpredictable rise in demand for infrastructure
- Under-utilization of existing infrastructure
- Slow response time with on-premise business applications
- Slow hardware refresh cycles
Also Read: All About Software as a Service
