1.3.1. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
đź’ˇ First Principle: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) provides virtualized computing resources over the internet, giving users high control over operating systems, applications, and network configuration.
IaaS is the most basic category of cloud computing services. With IaaS, you rent IT infrastructure—servers and virtual machines, storage, networks, operating systems—from a cloud provider on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Key Characteristics of IaaS:
- High Control: Users manage the operating system, applications, and network settings. The cloud provider manages the virtualization layer, servers, and physical data centers.
- Flexibility: Provides the most flexibility for customization and control over your computing resources.
- Pay-as-you-go: Only pay for the resources you consume.
- Examples: Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) is a primary IaaS service on AWS. Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service) can also be considered IaaS for storage.
Scenario: A traditional company wants to migrate its existing applications to the cloud. They need to maintain full control over the operating systems and installed software, similar to their on-premises environment.
Reflection Question: How does Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), by providing virtualized computing resources (like virtual servers and storage) with high control, fundamentally allow businesses to shift to the cloud while maintaining flexibility over their IT environment?