In cloud computing there are many layers exist in picture. IaaS is one of most important layer which provide IT infrastructure to the customer organization such as servers, networking, processing, storage, virtual machines and other resources. Customers access these resources over internet i.e. cloud computing platform, on a pay-per-use model. Infrastructure as a Service is sometimes referred to as Hardware as a Service (HaaS).
Salient examples of how IaaS can be utilized by enterprise:
Cloud hosting-
the hosting of websites on virtual servers which are founded upon pooled resources from underlying physical servers. A website hosted in the cloud, for example, can benefit from the redundancy provided by a vast network of physical servers and on demand scalability to deal with unexpected demands placed on the website.
Enterprise infrastructure-
by internal business networks, such as private clouds and virtual local area networks, which utilise pooled server and networking resources and in which a business can store their data and run the applications they need to operate day-to-day. Expanding businesses can scale their infrastructure in accordance with their growth whilst private clouds (accessible only by the business itself) can protect the storage and transfer of the sensitive data that some businesses are required to handle.
Virtual Data Centers (VDC)-
a virtualised network of interconnected virtual servers which can be used to offer enhanced cloud hosting capabilities, enterprise IT infrastructure or to integrate all of these operations within either a private or public cloud implementation.
IaaS offering can deliver the following features and benefits:
Scalability-
resource is available as and when the client needs it and, therefore, there are no delays in expanding capacity or the wastage of unused capacity
No investment in hardware-
the underlying physical hardware that supports an IaaS service is set up and maintained by the cloud provider, saving the time and cost of doing so on the client side.
Utility style costing-
the service can be accessed on demand and the client only pays for the resource that they actually use
Location independence-
the service can usually be accessed from any location as long as there is an internet connection and the security protocol of the cloud allows it.
Physical security of data centre locations-
services available through a public cloud, or private clouds hosted externally with the cloud provider, benefit from the physical security afforded to the servers which are hosted within a data centre
No single point of failure-
if one server or network switch, for example, were to fail, the broader service would be unaffected due to the remaining multitude of hardware resources and redundancy configurations. For many services if one entire data center were to go offline, nevermind one server, the IaaS service could still run successfully.
Disadvantages of IaaS cloud computing layer
There is a risk of IaaS cloud computing platform vendor by gaining the access to the organization???s data. But it can be avoided by opting for private cloud.
1) IaaS cloud computing platform model is dependent on internet availability.
2) It is also dependent on the availability of virtualization services.
3) IaaS cloud computing platform can limit the user privacy and customization options.
Some key point remember about IaaS-
1. IaaS cloud computing platform may not eliminate the need for an in-house IT department. It will be needed to monitor or control the IaaS setup. IT salary expenditure might not reduce significantly, but other IT expenses can be reduced.
2. The IaaS cloud computing platform vendor can get access to your sensitive data. So, engage with the credible companies or organizations. Study their security policies and precautions.
3. IaaS cloud computing platform cannot replace traditional hosting method but it provides more than that and each resources which are used are predictable as per the usage.
Vendors who provides IaaS-
1. Amazon Web Services
Elastic, Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) MapReduce, Route 53, Virtual Private Cloud, etc.
2. Netmagic Solutions
Netmagic runs from data centers in Mumbai, Chennai, and Bangalore, and a virtual data center in the United States. Plans are underway to extend services to West Asia.
3. Reliance Communications
RIDC supports both traditional hosting and cloud services, with data centers in Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Chennai. The cloud services offered by RIDC include IaaS and SaaS.
4. Sify Technologies (Sify IaaS)
Sify’s cloud computing platform is powered by HP’s converged infrastructure. The vendor offers all three types of cloud services: IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS.
References
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing#Infrastructure_as_a_service_.28IaaS.29
