What cloud model gives you complete control of the operating system?

Software as a service (SaaS) is a software licensing and distribution model in which your full-application stack is delivered as a cloud service. Your software application and its underlying infrastructure is centrally hosted on your vendor’s cloud service, and is fully maintained and updated by them. The vendor controls the entire computing stack, which you can access through a web browser. Your applications run on the cloud and you can use the vendor’s cloud services by paying a license fee or get it for free with limited access. SaaS does not require any installations or downloads in your existing computing infrastructure. This eliminates the need for installing applications separately on each device you use. Application maintenance and support is handled by the vendor. Common examples of SaaS include Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Slack, InfinCE and ReachOut Suite among others.

2. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is a cloud service model in which the cloud provider hosts the infrastructure components that provide compute, storage, networking, and virtualization capabilities to the subscriber on an on-demand basis via the internet. IaaS eliminates the need for enterprises to procure, configure, or manage infrastructure themselves. They only need to pay for what they use.

IaaS avoids the costs and complexity associated with building and maintaining physical infrastructure in an on-premises data center. As a subscriber, you only need to focus on installing, configuring, and managing software and keeping your data secure. Google Compute Engine, AWS EC2, and Azure IaaS are popular examples of IaaS.

3. Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Platform as a Service (PaaS) is a cloud service model that offers users a flexible and scalable cloud platform to develop, deploy, run, and manage apps. It provides the hardware and software resources needed for cloud application development. Developers don’t have to worry about updating the operating system and development tools or maintaining hardware. The entire PaaS environment is delivered via the cloud by a third-party service provider.Development teams can simply purchase pay as you go access to everything they need to build custom apps, including servers, operating systems, networking, storage, middleware, infrastructure, development tools, and much more. Applications built directly on the PaaS environment can be rapidly deployed. It gives developers the freedom to focus on their application code.

SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS are the three main cloud computing service model categories. You can access all three via an Internet browser or online apps available on different devices. The cloud service model enables the team to collaborate online instead of offline creation and then share online.

Table of Content:

• What are the Cloud Service Models?
• Platform as a Service (PaaS)
• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
• Other important As a Services
• How You can select the Best SaaS Service Provider

Software as a Service (SaaS) is a web-based deployment model that makes the software accessible through a web browser. SaaS software users don’t need to care where the software is hosted, which operating system it uses, or even which programming language it is written in. The SaaS software is accessible from any device with an internet connection.

This cloud service model ensures that consumers always use the most current version of the software. The SaaS provider handles maintenance and support. In the SaaS model, users don’t control the infrastructure, such as storage, processing power, etc.

Characteristics of SaaS

There are the following characteristics of SaaS:

• It is managed from a central location.
• Hosted directly on a remote server.
• It is accessible over the Internet.
• SaaS users are not responsible for hardware and software updates.
• The services are purchased on a pay-as-per-use basis.

Advantages SaaS

Here are the important advantages/pros of SaaS:

• The biggest benefit of using SaaS is that it is easy to set up, so you can start using it instantly.
• Compared with on-premises software, it is more cost-effective.
• You don’t need to manage or upgrade the software, as it is typically included in a SaaS subscription or purchase.
• It won’t use your local resources, such as the hard disk typically required to install desktop software.
• It is a cloud computing service category that provides a wide range of hosted capabilities and services.
• Developers can easily build and deploy web-based software applications.
• You can easily access it through a browser.

Disadvantages SaaS

Here are the important cons/drawbacks of SaaS:

• Integrations are up to the provider, so it’s impossible to “patch” an integration on your end.
• SaaS tools may become incompatible with other tools and hardware already used in your business.
• You depend on the SaaS company’s security measures, so your data may be compromised if any leaks occur.

Things to Consider Before SaaS Implementation

Here are essential things you need to consider before SaaS implementation:

• It would help if you opted for configuration over customization within a SaaS-based delivery model.
• You must carefully understand the usage rates and set clear objectives to achieve the SaaS adoption.
• You can complement your SaaS solution with integrations and security options to make it more user-oriented.

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) provides a cloud computing framework for software application creation and deployment. It is a platform for the deployment and management of software apps. This flexible cloud computing model scales up automatically on demand. It also manages the servers, storage, and networking, while the developers manage only the application part. It offers a runtime environment for application development and deployment tools.

This Model provides all the facilities required to support the complex life cycle of building and delivering web applications and services entirely for the Internet. This cloud computing model enables developers to rapidly develop, run, and manage their apps without building and maintaining the infrastructure or platform.

Characteristics of PaaS

There are the following characteristics of PaaS:

• Builds on virtualization technology, so computing resources can easily be scaled up (Auto-scale) or down according to the organization’s needs.
• Support multiple programming languages and frameworks.
• Integrates with web services and databases.

Advantages PaaS

Here are the important benefits/pros of PaaS:

• Simple, cost-effective development and deployment of apps
• Developers can customize SaaS apps without the headache of maintaining the software
• Provide automation of Business Policy
• Easy migration to the Hybrid Model
• It allows developers to build applications without the overhead of the underlying operating system or cloud infrastructure
• Offers freedom to developers to focus on the application’s design while the platform takes care of the language and the database
• It helps developers to collaborate with other developers on a single app

Disadvantages of SaaS

Here are the important cons/drawbacks of PaaS:

• You have control over the app’s code and not its infrastructure.
• The PaaS organization stores your data, so it sometimes poses a security risk to your app’s users.
• Vendors provide varying service levels, so selecting the right services is essential.
• The risk of lock-in with a vendor may affect the ecosystem you need for your development environment.

Things to Consider Before PaaS Implementation

Here are essential things you need to consider before PaaS implementation:

• Analyze your business needs, decide the automation levels, and also decides whether you want a self-service or fully automated PaaS model.
• You need to determine whether to deploy on a private or public cloud.
• Plan through the customization and efficiency levels.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) is a cloud computing service offering on-demand computing, storage, and networking resources. It usually works on a pay-as-you-go basis.

Organizations can purchase resources on-demand and as needed instead of buying the hardware outright.

The IaaS cloud vendor hosts the infrastructure components, including the on-premises data center, servers, storage, networking hardware, and the hypervisor (virtualization layer).

This Model contains the basic building blocks for your web application. It provides complete control over the hardware that runs your application (storage, servers, VMs, networks & operating systems). IaaS model gives you the best flexibility and management control over your IT resources.

What cloud model allows complete control over the operating system?

Which cloud service model allows the user to run any operating system and application?

Is operating system IaaS or PaaS?

What are the 3 models of cloud computing?