Cloud service models

1. Cloud service models

In this video, we’ll break down the different cloud service models. The three most common are Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service, and Software as a Service. And to make it easy, let’s compare them to ride-sharing! Instead of buying IT infrastructure, companies "rent" it from cloud providers, just like you rent a ride using Uber or Lyft. No maintenance, no fuel costs—just pay for what you use. Now, let’s compare cloud models to different transportation options based on how much control you want. Owning a car is similar to the on-premise approach: you're responsible for everything — maintenance, insurance, parking, fuel, driving, and finding a route. Infrastructure as a Service or I-a-a-S is comparable to renting a car. With IaaS, you get the basics: networking, storage, and servers—but you handle everything else. Like renting, your provider supplies the vehicle or in cloud terms, your infrastructure, but you’re in charge of driving, refueling, and navigation. Platform as a Service known as P-a-a-S is the same as ride-sharing. PaaS includes everything in IaaS plus the tools needed to build applications, like operating systems and middleware. This is like taking an Uber—you choose the destination on your app, but the driver or cloud provider handles the actual driving. Software as a Service known as S-a-a-S is like taking the bus. With SaaS, everything is managed for you. You just log in and use the software—no setup, maintenance, or infrastructure needed. Think of it like hopping on a bus—you don’t worry about fuel, navigation, or parking. You just enjoy the ride. In summary, IaaS is a scalable, cloud-based infrastructure. These are used by system admins like AWS EC2 or Google Cloud Compute Engine. PaaS is a full development environment, saving developers time. Examples of these are Google App Engine, and AWS Elastic Beanstalk. And SaaS is software available online, no installation needed. These are everyday staples like Google Workspace, Dropbox, and Office 365. Most businesses use a mix of these services. Cloud services can be stacked like a pyramid—as you go up, you trade control for convenience. Then there’s Function as a Service also known as FaaS—also called serverless computing. Instead of managing servers, you just run functions, like processing payments or verifying user logins. You only pay for what you use! Beyond these, there’s XaaS or Anything as a Service, covering everything from databases to disaster recovery. The cloud keeps evolving, offering more flexibility, scalability, and efficiency than ever before. Now, let’s put this into practice!

2. Let's practice!

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