SaaS vs PaaS vs IaaS
Cloud Services usually come in three models:
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).
- *Software as a Service (SaaS)*
The consumer in this case is an end-user. The consumer uses applications that happen to be running on a cloud. The applications can be as varied as email, calendars, video streaming, and real-time collaboration. The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure, including network, servers, operating systems, storage, or even individual application capabilities, with the possible exception of limited user-specific application configuration settings.
- *Platform as a Service (PaaS)*
The consumer in this case is a developer or system administrator. The platform provides a variety of services that the consumer may choose to use. These services can include various database options, load-balancing options, availability options, and development environments. The consumer deploys applications onto the cloud infrastructure using programming languages and tools supported by the provider. The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure, including network, servers, operating systems, or storage, but has to control over the deployed applications and possibly application hosting environment configurations. Some levels of quality attributes (e.g., uptime, response time, security, fault correction time) may be specified by service-level agreements (SLAs).
- *Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)*
The consumer in this case is a developer or system administrator. The capability provided to the consumer is to provision processing, storage, networks, and other fundamental computing resources where the consumer is able to deploy and run arbitrary software, which can include operating systems and applications. The consumer can, for example, choose to create an instance of a virtual computer and provision it with some specific version of Linux. The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure but has control over operating systems, storage, deployed applications, and possibly limited control of select networking components (e.g., host firewalls).
As you can see each cloud model offers specific features and functionalities, and it is crucial for you and your organization to understand the differences between them. Whether you need cloud-based software for storage options, a smooth platform that allows you to create customized applications or complete control over your entire infrastructure without having to physically maintain it, there is a cloud service for you.