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📘 07-01: Cloud Service Models

Network Systems

Module 07: Cloud Computing and Remote Access

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📌 The Three Core Models

Cloud services differ by how much the provider manages vs. you.

Model Provider manages You manage Example
IaaS Hardware, virtualization, network OS, apps, data AWS EC2, Azure VMs
PaaS + OS, runtime, middleware Just your code/data Azure App Service, Heroku
SaaS Everything Just your usage/config Microsoft 365, Salesforce

More letters "as-a-Service" you offload upward = less you manage. IaaS = most control; SaaS = least effort.


📌 The "Pizza as a Service" Analogy

  • IaaS — they give you the kitchen; you cook.
  • PaaS — they give you the oven and dough; you add toppings.
  • SaaS — pizza delivered, ready to eat.

📌 Other "as-a-Service" Terms

Term Delivers
DaaS Virtual desktops (VDI in the cloud)
DBaaS Managed databases
XaaS "Anything" as a service

📌 Shared Responsibility

The provider secures the layers they manage; you secure your OS/apps/data/access according to the model. Responsibility shifts more to the provider as you move IaaS → PaaS → SaaS.


Tip

Key idea — IaaS = VMs/infra, PaaS = dev platform, SaaS = finished apps. The higher the service, the less you manage — but you always secure your data and access.

See also: Cloud Deployment Models & Characteristics, Virtualization