There are three primary types of cloud computing services, depending on how much management the cloud users or the cloud provider performs. As the level of management increases, so do the responsibilities. These are Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS).
Generally speaking, ‘X as a Service’ means X is offered to you as a service by a third party. So, in the cloud domain, this can be an infrastructure, a platform, or software provided by the cloud provider, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS). You can leave managing it to the cloud provider and focus on your business.
In this blog post, I will explain cloud service types and their differences so you can clearly understand your responsibilities.
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
The first cloud service type is Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). In this business model, the cloud provider provides essential IT infrastructure, such as compute, storage, and networking, with virtualization.
You request and configure the necessary resources to run your application, which is often a cloud server with an operating system, some storage, and a network connection. But of course, these can be different resources. In the end, you are billed only for the resources you use. So, you pay as you go.
It is your job to maintain the operating system and runtime through security patches, etc. Besides, you code, deploy, and support the software application in the long run. You are also responsible for choosing the correct configuration and protecting the data.
In this model, you are more flexible because you have more control over your cloud resources. The advantage is that you leave infrastructure management to the cloud provider.
What about examples?
Amazon EC2 is a good example of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) on AWS. It provides virtual servers as EC2 instances with many configuration options, including compute sizes, storage, networking, etc.
Another example is Amazon Lightsail, which is a simplified version of EC2 instances with packed features and more comprehensible pricing.
In both services, AWS provides a virtual server with the operating system and other components, which you maintain.
Platform as a Service (PaaS)
The other primary cloud service type, Platform as a Service (PaaS), involves the cloud provider taking over some of your management tasks and responsibilities. In PaaS, the cloud provider also manages the operating system and runtimes, as well as the infrastructure and virtualization.
When a new vulnerability is exposed, the cloud provider patches the operating system for you. So, you don’t have to worry about its maintenance, and AWS has tens of personnel who readily do it for you.
Your job is coding and deploying your software applications and maintaining them. It is also your responsibility to configure the platform correctly and secure and protect your data with those configurations.
What about some examples?
The first is AWS Lambda, which allows you to deploy code in supported programming languages and frameworks, such as Node.js, Python, Go, or Ruby, and execute it whenever needed. It also handles all resource provisioning and operating system maintenance.
The other example is AWS Elastic Beanstalk. You provide a software package in a supported platform, such as Ruby on Rails, Node.js Express, Python Django, or Java Tomcat, and let Elastic Beanstalk provision and manage EC2 instances for you.
Software as a Service (SaaS)
The last cloud service type we will cover is Software as a Service (SaaS). In this business model, the cloud provider performs most of the management tasks, enabling you to focus on your own business.
The service provider handles all infrastructure management, application deployments, data storage, and maintenance. You don’t need to worry about application development and maintenance or anything related to the lower details. You only use the software through an Internet browser, desktop, or mobile app. You pay for your usage as a subscription or on a pay-as-you-go basis.
But don’t you have any responsibilities then?
Yes, you have. Although the service provider manages the data storage, you are still responsible for correctly configuring the service to protect and back up your data.
What about an example?
AWS WorkMail is a fully managed business email and calendar service, like Google Workspace. It is an excellent example of Software as a Service (SaaS) on AWS.
When using AWS WorkMail, you sign up for a monthly fee and use the service via your browser or an email app like Microsoft Outlook or iOS Mail to check your emails. You don’t care how the app is deployed or where the data is stored.
What about AWS services?
Although I have given examples of these cloud computing service types, many AWS services don’t fall into a single category. For example, one can argue that AWS Lambda is an Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) because sometimes you configure its VPC.
However, if you consider VPC settings in AWS Lambda a platform configuration, it can still be considered in the Platform as a Service (PaaS) category. Besides, not all AWS Lambda functions are required to run in a VPC. Still, I understand and respect if your view is different.
Conclusion
Cloud computing services have three primary types: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), or Software as a Service (SaaS).
You are more flexible but have more responsibilities in Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). In contrast, the cloud provider takes most of the management, deployment, and maintenance jobs from you in Software as a Service (SaaS). Regarding responsibilities, Platform as a Service (PaaS) stays in the middle.
AWS doesn’t care whether a service fits into one of these categories. It only designs services to solve your needs. In addition, AWS doesn’t ask you whether an AWS service is Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), or Software as a Service (SaaS) in certification exams.
What matters is you understand these concepts. In this blog post, I aimed to help you by simplifying them.
Thanks for reading, and I look forward to seeing you in another blog post! If you’d like to hear more about AWS and cloud computing in general, follow me on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).
Cheers!
