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DA6. Cloud Computing Service Models

Statement

In this discussion, you are tasked with exploring the world of cloud computing service models. Specifically, you will focus on any two of the following service models: SaaS, IaaS, PaaS, or more recently RaaS.

For each service model you choose, please provide a detailed description, including:

  • Benefits of using the service model
  • Possible disadvantages (if any)
  • Practical areas of application

Finally, share your opinion on the future prospects of cloud computing. What trends do you see emerging, and what impact do you think these trends will have on businesses and individuals?

Please support your opinions with evidence and examples from credible sources. You should also engage in active dialogue with your peers by comparing and contrasting your answers to those of your peers.

Answer

Cloud computing promises that you only hire what you need; it eliminates the need to buy things that you may not use. Different businesses have different requirements and needs, and also different levels of expertise. Cloud computing offers different service models to accommodate various business needs. The most common service models are SaaS, IaaS, PaaS, and RaaS.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is the most custom service model; it lets you rent raw infrastructure, that is, virtual machines, storage, and networking. This model is suitable for businesses that have very custom needs that can not be found in other models; it also requires experienced staff to manage the hired infrastructure. Example: hiring raw empty EC2 instances from AWS, but then the company has the responsibility to install and manage that instance.

Platform as a Service (PaaS) is a service model that provides a platform allowing customers to develop applications with less overhead than IaaS. In this mode, the cloud provider sells a virtual machine preloaded with some main software that is tasked to do specific tasks. This model is suitable for businesses that do not want to start from scratch but use a preloaded environment. Example: hiring a Database server from AWS: the customer hires a VM + OS + main software (DBMS), which are all managed by AWS. The benefits of this model are that updates are managed by the cloud provider, and the provider has usually better teams that work on developing the platform. The disadvantage is that the customer has less control over the environment, and vendor lock-in, and is limited to whatever the software provides as you can not add more features (Microsoft, 2024).

Software as a Service (SaaS) is a service model that provides software over the Internet. This model is useful for both businesses and individuals; it gives access to the end software without the need to install or configure anything. The benefits of this model are that it is easy to use, and the software is always up to date. The disadvantages are that everything including the software and the data is managed by the provider and you are limited to the features that the software provides (IBM, 2024). Examples: Google Workspace, Slack, and Salesforce.

Recovery as a Service (RaaS) is a service model that provides backup and recovery services. Backup is such a tedious but important task, and it has its complexity in making the backup, securing it, and then accessing it when needed to recover. This model is suitable for businesses that want to outsource their backup and recovery process. Example: WindStream (Rashid, 2019).

To conclude, the presented service models reflect various business needs. In today’s world, most businesses use more than one solution; and most cloud providers sell all models. The good part is that you start with the least complex service model, and as your business grows, you can change the model on the go. The future indicates moving toward the cloud, there will be a huge demand for SaaS products; the introduction of AI/ML may increase the demand for PaaS products as well.

References