1.3. Types of Cloud Computing

Cloud computing offers different models for delivering computing services, categorizing the level of management and control you have over the underlying infrastructure. Understanding these "as a Service" models is fundamental to grasping how cloud providers deliver value.

💡 First Principle: The First Principle is that cloud computing services abstract increasing levels of infrastructure management, from raw compute power to fully managed applications, providing flexibility and shifting operational burden to the cloud provider.

This section explores the three main types of cloud computing: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS).

Responsibility at a Glance:

• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS):
  • You manage: Applications, Data, Runtime, Middleware, Operating System.
  • Provider manages: Virtualization, Servers, Storage, Networking.
• Platform as a Service (PaaS):
  • You manage: Applications, Data.
  • Provider manages: Runtime, Middleware, Operating System, Virtualization, Servers, Storage, Networking.
• Software as a Service (SaaS):
  • You manage: Nothing (you just use the software).
  • Provider manages: Everything from the application down to the physical data center.

Scenario: A company needs to decide how much control they want over their IT infrastructure in the cloud. Some teams want full control over servers, others prefer to focus on code, and some just need a ready-to-use application.

Reflection Question: How do the different "as a Service" models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) fundamentally allow businesses to choose varying levels of management and control over their IT infrastructure, shifting more or less operational burden to the cloud provider?