Even Though.....: Cloud Service Models - SaaS PaaS IaaS

2012년 6월 13일 수요일

Cloud Service Models - SaaS PaaS IaaS - Which One is for You?

ast week I was analyzing Google Analytics data of Techno-Pulse and found a few search keywords related to Cloud Service Models. It seems readers are looking for useful information on service models which can help them make decisions. Though I’ve partially covered this topic in many posts, I’ll cover it here in a way that might help readers better understand and decide which cloud service model they should opt for.

Cloud Service Models simply mean what type of services can be provided to customers. Different models cater to different kinds of requirements, and can achieve different business objectives. A simple search and you may find internet hits with dozens of Cloud * as a Service, where * can be replaced by any one of the following:

Desktop, Security, Data, Software, Platform, Infrastructure, IT, Testing, Hardware, Computing, Database, Storage etc.

All this is a bit confusing. As cloud computing is still evolving, the providers are free to innovate and offer various services, and there are no hard and fast rules governing these service offerings. So, let me simplify and put forward the most accepted type of Service Models, as defined by NIST (National institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce)

NIST identifies 3 Cloud Service Models in its Special Publication 800-146. This document has been prepared for use by Federal agencies. It may be used by nongovernmental organizations on a voluntary basis and is not subject to copyright. For attributions check Reference Section of this article.