IaaS

Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) is a cloud computing model that provides virtualized computing resources such as storage, processing, etc over the internet. Virtualization technology is an integral part of this model.

The main feature that makes IaaS popular includes its ability to facilitate the scaling and shrinking of resources based on organizational needs, as well as the pay-as-you-go model. IaaS is deployed through three main models; Public, Private and Hybrid.

Major IaaS providers include Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Web Services, IBM, Serverspace, Dell, and many others.

IaaS Components (Architecture)

IaaS is made up of components such as computing, data centers, storage, and networking that collaborate to ensure the delivery of resources to consumers.

Physical data centers

These are managed by the IaaS service providers and are distributed all over the world. They are made of machines with high computing power, and most of the time, consumers don’t have direct access to these resources.

Computing

As said earlier, virtualization is important in this model. IaaS providers are responsible for the management of hypervisors and any other related components. Users can have access to virtualized resources such as memory and computing power.

Storage

Storage in IaaS is offered in three ways; file storage, block storage, and object storage. Object storage is the most popular form of storage because file and block storage are resistant to scalability and performance.

Networking

Networking is a key element as it facilitates the allocation of advanced networking needs to users through APIs.

Advantages

• Scalability. IaaS provides you with the resources to expand your services at peak times and downgrade when required.
• Improved security. IaaS providers invest a lot of funds in adopting the best data security methods in the market.
• Pay-as-you-go. Most IaaS use this model of payment, which makes it cost-friendly.
• Boost innovation- IaaS has made it possible to create inventions that would otherwise need a lot of resources and skilled man power to create.
• Fair competition- Startups and SMEs have a better chance to compete with the big corporations by having access to high computing power and resources at good prices.
• Reduced downtime. IaaS reduces downtime, which would take inhouse teams a lot of time and effort to solve.

IaaS Drawbacks

• Some types of IaaS are complex to customize
• New vulnerabilities pose threat to user data
• Lack of standard SLAs