Over the years cloud computing became has one of the top-notch technology to access IT infrastructure, software and hardware resources. The technology enables the user to explore applications that are mainly seted-up for business or research. This blog highlights the types of cloud computing and its fruitful benefits

Infrastructure as a Service

As a fully out sourced service, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is the lowest range of cloud computing infrastructure. Through a virtual interface, the IaaS provider delivers the pre-installed configurated software. The complete accessing of the cloud service depends on the customer. For instances, hosting and developmental environments are managed through the offerings of IaaS

Benefits of IaaS solutions

• It reduces the ownership cost and initial expenditures
• The user only has to pay for the services of their needs
• Able to access enterprise-grade IT resources and infrastructure
• Based on the individual requirements the user has the leverage to scale up and scale down at any time

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Apart from its advancement, typically it is more or less similar to IaaS. Apart from providing the infrastructure, in addition, PaaS provides the computing platform and solution stack as a service. This advanced ITinfracture comes with an amazing GUI (graphic user interface), run time libraries and programming language. The companies prefer PaaS when they are in need of development, collaboration, test and deploy cloud solutions (hosting done by the third party). Also, PaaS provides fully configurated sandbox for the user to test and develop cloud applications.

Benefits of PaaS Solutions

• Community is one of the reasons why most people prefer PaaS environment. This helps the development team to build a strong supportive community with the cloud computing system.
• Also, PaaS takes out the barrier of the software infrastructure upgrade. It handles the updates, patches and mandatory maintenance of the software.
• It doesn’t require higher investments in hardware and software. PaaS has it at the least level.   
• It takes the burden of the development team by the simplified deployment infrastructure of cloud applications.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

SaaS has always been the people favourite because of its fully functioning web applications. SaaS applications are most prefered by the business users who are into ERP, CRM, web conferencing, time management and email management.

Benefits of SaaS Solutions

• Rapid Scalability
• Responsive from any location with internet
• Nullifies infrastructure concerns
• Customised service offerings
• Numerous options for maintence and support

Recovery as a Service (RaaS)

When the company are in need of replacement in solutions such as backing up data, archiving or disaster backup RaaS is your go-to option. Furthermore, it provides the company to recover data, OS, applications and configurations. RaaS is also known as DRaaS ( Disaster Recovery as a Service)

• Eliminates the risk of data losses
• Reduces the risk of losing physical infrastructure
• One of the cost-effective way to recover valuable data
• Provides faster and accurate recovery of data

Building a cloud infrastructure? Here are a few requirements you should be known before building a cloud infrastructure

Heterogeneous Systems Support

The cloud management system not only about the advanced hardware,  virtual displays and software solutions. Also, it is about how reliable and supportive as a data-centric infrastructure. Earlier, most of the initial CMS’s focused on the commodity and open source solutions such as general x86 running on open source like Xen with distributors like CentOS. On the other hand, when building their own cloud the larger service providers had the bases for both commodity & proprietary systems. In order to meet the true requirements of the data centre, the cloud management should integrate with conventional IT system.    

Service Management

It is mandatory for the administrator to own a simple tool for establishing and measuring the service offerings. Even if the cloud serves as public or private, the applications and the services of the user has to go through the service provider. The service offerings instil resource management, metering parameters, resource guarantees and billing cycles. The service functions that are listed in the broader offering repository has to be quick and easy for the end user.  

Dynamic Workload & Support Management

In order to satisfy the consumer, the cloud has to be user-friendly and consistent in meeting the standard specifications. It not about just computing and memorising the data also it should be able to virtualise all the components of the data. Once it deployed, it should withstand the workloads and ensure to perform and deliver to the maximum efficiency. Even if the system hits the peak the cloud should deliver the resource. Dynamicity and workload of the service matter a lot when it runs on business priorities.   

Reliability & Security

The way the IT services delivered and consumed cloud computing may have changed. It is important for the new solutions to provide the same support which has been a great necessity for the end user. Whatever the mode of use the cloud it could be a test bed for a developer, prototype for an experiment or updating from existing to the latest version. It has to deliver the functions accurately and precisely. It’s all about reliable and available. Regardless of the failure or error with the cloud, the virtual data should able to remain intact.  In spite, the resources are shared, it should provide authentication only for the authorised user.

Data Management Tools

Even there are new service components available today still there are traditional data centre management tools exists. A few of the tools are used for billing, customer support, provisioning, system management and security. Such essential tools should not be replaced because it becomes important while integrating APIs (Application Programming Interface) to the exixting operations, administrations, maintenance and provisioning systems (OAM&P) out of equations.  

Administrator, Developer and End User Interfaces

Self-servicing portals, deployment models shield are the reasons for the successful existence of cloud computing in the market. This allows the user to reduce the driving adaptation and operational cost. Within the limits of self-portals the server should be able to manage the virtual data, templates and storge. Accessing image libraries should be super quick and easy to operate. Likewise, with the physical resource, the administrative interface should run in a single plane view. On top of all, through API, the interference features should be interchangeable for both the developer and the third party.