Cloud Computing Types
Cloud Computing is everywhere around us, whether we use Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, Zoom, or Citrix servers to connect to our work remotely. There are countless examples of cloud computing. Therefore, the statement that Cloud Computing technology, platform, or services have influenced us in many ways seems very convincing.
So, the obvious question is what cloud computing is?
Cloud computing is essentially about providing some sort of service over the internet. Based on the kind of services it provides, it has been categorized into different types. In this post, first, I’ll define what the terms cloud and cloud computing are. Then I’ll define its related terms: cloud services, cloud computing platform, cloud computing platform provider. In the final section, I’ll describe different types of cloud computing platforms.
Table of Contents
Let’s start with the terms cloud and cloud computing. The “cloud” in cloud computing is used as a metaphor for “the Internet.” Thus, the term “cloud computing” refers to Internet-based computing. In “cloud computing,” computing resources such as servers, storage, network, and software applications are delivered over the Internet.
In other words, Cloud computing is essentially about providing: infrastructure, platform, software, other related services over the Internet. The “over the Internet” is the key phrase in the context of cloud computing. Cloud computing’s underpinning hardware is the same physical server, storage, and network. The only difference is that cloud architecture enables cloud providers to organize and consolidate massive hardware such as computing resources, storage, network, and software available over the internet.
Cloud Computing Platform, Cloud Services
The back-end system which is providing services is called a “cloud computing platform.” The services provided by the back-end system over the Internet are called “cloud service(s).”
Cloud Computing Platform Provider
The providers such as AWS, Google, Microsoft, which provide cloud services from their cloud computing platform, are called “cloud computing platform providers.”
Cloud computing deals with providing infrastructure, platform, software, and other related services over the internet to revise. The back-end system of cloud computing is called a “cloud computing platform,” and the services are called “cloud service(s).” The providers providing cloud services from their cloud computing platform are called “cloud computing platform providers.”
Cloud Computing Platform Types
Cloud computing platform is a general term. Mainly, there are three types of cloud computing platforms: IaaS, which is “Infrastructure as a Service,” PaaS, which is “Platform as a Service,” and SaaS, which is “Software as a Service.”
In the cloud computing pyramid diagram, IaaS is at the foundation or the bottom. Then, there is PaaS, which can use IaaS. Then, at the top, there is SaaS which can use PaaS, IaaS.
Recently with revolution and modernization in data science and data engineering, DaaS, which is Data as a Service, has emerged as one of the categorizations of the cloud computing platform.
There is also a service called Desktop as a Service, which delivers desktop services. In addition, you can use Remote Desktop Services to access virtual desktops.
And Function-as-a-Service, which is a synonymous term for serverless computing, is another type of cloud computing platform.
To summarize, a Cloud computing platform is a general term. Mainly, there are three types of cloud computing platforms: SaaS, PaaS, IaaS, “Infrastructure as a Service.” And there are other platform types as well which have emerged recently, such as DaaS and FaaS.
Infrastructure-as-a-Service
Infrastructure as a service since this is at the bottom of the pyramid. IaaS provides virtual computing infrastructure which is provisioned, managed, and maintained over the Internet. So, for example, IaaS provides virtual servers, storage, network as a service.
Infrastructure-as-a-Service Advantages
The advantage of the IaaS type of cloud computing platform is that it eliminates the setup and maintenance expense of on-premises data centers. As a result, it’s an excellent choice for small companies and startups that don’t have the resources or time to set up their technology infrastructure.
It also takes away the operational expense and the burden of day-to-day computing infrastructure, such as taking backup, applying a patch, ensuring that the system is secured and not a security risk, etc.
Infrastructure-as-a-Service Examples
Concrete examples of IaaS are AWS EC2 which is an AWS service to launch virtual servers on the cloud, AWS EBS, which is a storage service that is commonly used with EC2; and AWS Internet Gateway, which is used if you would like to manage Internet access for your servers launched on AWS.
To revise, IaaS essentially provides virtual servers, storage, and network as services over the internet. Thus, it eliminates the setup and maintenance expenses of on-premises data centers. It also helps in reducing operational expenses and the burden of the day-to-day management of the computing infrastructure.
Platform-as-a-Service
The next cloud computing platform type is PaaS, which is a platform as a service. PaaS provides platform infrastructure to build, test, and deploy software.
IaaS is very open as the IaaS platform provides virtual servers, storage, and network to the user and allows the users to do whatever they would like. It’s like if you got a brand-new Linux machine. PaaS is a bit more specialized or focused compare to IaaS. PaaS can utilize IaaS for computing infrastructure.
Platform-as-a-Service Advantages
PaaS is beneficial for the companies involved in building application software, such as web applications. PaaS eliminates in-house buying and setup of databases, web servers, and dev tools needed for application development.
Platform-as-a-Service Examples
PaaS provides database, web servers, and tools which can be accessed anytime on-demand from anywhere over the Internet. Thus, PaaS not only saves cost but saves time as well. Concrete examples of PaaS are AWS RDS, a PaaS to launch the database, EMR, a PaaS to launch Hadoop, and a Spark cluster on AWS. Google App Engine, which is a PaaS for developing and hosting web applications.
To revise, PaaS provides a database, web servers, and tools which can be accessed anytime on-demand from anywhere over the Internet. Thus, it eliminates in-house buying and setup of databases, web servers, and dev tools; also, the services can be accessed from anywhere, anytime, on-demand over the Internet. AWS has many PaaS services such as AWS RDS, EMR to name a few.
Software-as-a-Service
We discussed IaaS and PaaS. The next one is SaaS, which is also called Sas. SaaS is a very familiar and popular type of Cloud Computing platform. SaaS is at the top of the cloud computing pyramid diagram. SaaS is essentially a software solution delivered as a service over the Internet. SaaS software is typically licensed on a subscription basis.
Saas providers manage all the aspects of software, such as delivery and management, ensuring that service level agreement is maintained. Thus, for example, the software is available whenever or wherever the customer needs it, and it performs as per the service level agreement.
SaaS software is mostly executed directly within a web browser. This feature of SaaS eliminates the need to install or download the software to execute it. In addition, since SaaS is delivered over the Internet, you don’t need to deploy or install the software. As a result, it can be up and running very quickly and can scale as needed.
Software-as-a-Service Advantages
The value proposition of the SaaS type of cloud computing platform is that it has enabled smaller or startup organizations to use or subscribe to costly software such as CRM, ERP, HR software, and many others if they need SaaS software solutions to help grow their business.
Software-as-a-Service Examples
Some examples of SaaS are Salesforce, Gmail, Microsoft Office 365, and Google Apps.
To revise, SaaS is delivered over the Internet. It is typically licensed on a subscription basis. Saas Providers manages all aspects of delivery and management. Saas software is mostly executed within a browser. For advantages, no need to install any software for SaaS; it can be up and running very quickly, as typically, no installation is needed on the client-side. In addition, scalability is built in the architecture so it can scale as needed. Examples are Salesforce, Gmail, Microsoft Office 365, Google Apps.
Data-as-a-Service
Let’s discuss DaaS, which is a more recent cloud computing platform type. Recently with revolution and modernization in data science and data engineering, DaaS has emerged as one of the categorizations of cloud computing platforms. Essentially DaaS providers provide access to some form of processed data or data product.
Data-as-a-Service Advantages
Data as a Service cloud computing platform has the following advantages. First, DaaS adds agility to the data product; data can be access on-demand from anywhere, which is a huge advantage; for example, DaaS providers can provide real estate data about properties daily.
It also adds cost-effectiveness, as with an automated ETL job. Once you have developed your data pipeline and automated the process of data ingestion, data transformation, and publishing, you save huge on your data product as these are the most repeatable type of work.
DaaS improves the data quality and adds test cases in your data pipeline to ensure that the data product is producing the correct result.
Data-as-a-Service Examples
To revise, Data-as-a-Service enables on-demand access to data products over the Internet, which is efficient in cost and time to make processed data available to its users.
Desktop-as-a-Service
Now let’s discuss Desktop as a service or DaaS. DaaS delivers virtual applications and desktop services over the Internet. This service can be accessed like any other cloud service via a web browser or a secure application downloaded to a desktop, laptop, or tablet device. DaaS is offered as a subscription service and is multi-tenant in nature.
Cloud providers host the backend virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). DaaS providers stream virtual desktops to an end user's device.
Desktop-as-a-Service Advantages
DaaS makes monitoring, auditing, securing, managing desktop infrastructure easier and more efficient because of the centralization as clients don’t need to install any software to use their desktops. Instead, they can connect to their desktops just using an HTML browser.
Desktop-as-a-Service Examples
For example, if your workplace uses a Desktop as a service, you can connect to your workplace desktop remotely using a browser or some client, Citrix client, to get full Windows-based virtual desktops; essentially, you are using DaaS.
To revise, DaaS essentially delivers virtual applications and desktop services over the Internet, monitoring, auditing, securing, and managing desktop infrastructure easier and more efficiently.
Function-as-a-Service
The next cloud computing platform type is FaaS, which is functions as a service. FaaS is a synonymous term for serverless computing. FaaS providers provide infrastructure and computing resources to run functions without users having to set up the infrastructure and computing resources to execute the function.
This allows users to focus only on code; we deploy the code to function, and the FaaS provider executes the code. And the execution environment scales up or down automatically; we only pay for the computing resources used by the function call – essentially pay-as-go-pricing model.
FaaS Advantages
This is an excellent solution choice for method or function calls with a dynamic workload that fluctuates significantly.
The only drawback of FaaS is the execution time. Since the function needs to have resources provisioned each time they run, some performance lag is possible.
FaaS Examples
One example of FaaS is AWS Lambda. for example, say you have an image processing function for generating thumbnail images. You can write the function in your language choice, such as Java, Python. And let AWS Lambda execute the function. In this use case, you only need to write a function for image processing and configure the computing resource requirement on AWS lambda. AWS Lambda will take care of the allocation of computing resources and running your image processing function.
Summary
We went through different cloud computing platform types. Let’s review key points about cloud computing. Cloud Computing essentially is about providing services over the Internet.
If you are getting any software-related services over the Internet, you are using a Cloud Computing platform. On the back-end, the platform providing all kinds of cloud computing services such as IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, DaaS, or similar is called Cloud Computing Platform.
The main types of cloud computing platforms are IaaS, PaaS, SaaS. The other cloud computing platforms covered in the post are Data-as-a-Service, Desktop-as-a-Service, and Function-as-a-Service.
You don’t need to make large up-front investments and long planning to procure hardware. Instead, you can provide the right type and size of computing resources whenever you need them. Cloud computing providers — for example, AWS — maintain all the hardware and network-connectivity set up, and you provide the services you require based on your needs.
Cloud computing helps manage many software quality attributes — such as availability, security, monitoring, auditing of your application, and many others – without adding much coding effort–just by adding some configurations and other related minimal efforts.
SK Singh is the founder, a software, cloud, and data engineer. He has been involved in the software industry for around 25 years. He has a bachelor's degree in computer science and engineering from India and a master's degree in software engineering from the Pennsylvania State University. SK has been involved in a wide range of software projects for many governments, private, start-ups, and large public companies in various software engineering roles. He has many professional certifications such as AWS, Hadoop, Kafka, Oracle, Unix, Java, Java-related frameworks, and many others related.
