Skip to main content
diversification.com
← Back to I Definitions

Infrastructure as a service

What Is Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)?

Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) is a fundamental service model within cloud computing that provides virtualized computing resources over the internet. As a core component of information technology, IaaS offers essential computing infrastructure, including virtual machines, data storage, network infrastructure, and operating systems, which clients can provision and manage remotely. This allows users to deploy and run arbitrary software, including operating systems and applications, without the need to manage the underlying physical hardware infrastructure. Instead, the cloud provider maintains the servers, networking equipment, and data centers.

History and Origin

The concept of providing computing resources as a utility has roots in the 1960s with time-sharing systems, but the modern form of Infrastructure as a service began to take shape in the early 2000s. A significant milestone occurred in 2006 when Amazon Web Services (AWS) launched its Simple Storage Service (S3) and later Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2)7. These services allowed individuals and businesses to rent computing capacity and storage on a pay-as-you-go basis, laying the groundwork for widespread IaaS adoption. This move by Amazon, initially focused on internal efficiency, effectively pioneered the commercial IaaS model, enabling developers to build and scale applications independently without needing to invest in extensive physical hardware5, 6.

Key Takeaways

  • Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) provides virtualized computing resources, including servers, storage, and networking, over the internet.
  • Users gain control over operating systems, applications, and deployed software, while the cloud provider manages the physical infrastructure.
  • IaaS offers high scalability and flexibility, allowing resources to be adjusted quickly based on demand.
  • It shifts significant upfront capital expenditures to ongoing operational expenditure.
  • IaaS is a foundational component of modern cloud computing and supports various digital transformations.

Interpreting the Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) Model

The IaaS model is interpreted as a flexible framework where the customer has significant control over their computing environment. Unlike traditional on-premise setups, interpreting IaaS means understanding that while the physical hardware management is offloaded to the provider, the user retains responsibility for configuring and maintaining the operating systems, applications, middleware, and data. This allows for extensive customization and control over the software stack, making IaaS suitable for diverse workloads. The "as a service" aspect implies a utility-based consumption model, where resources are provisioned on demand and billed based on actual usage, similar to how electricity or water utilities operate.

Hypothetical Example

Consider a growing e-commerce startup, "GadgetGrove," that experiences fluctuating website traffic. Instead of purchasing and maintaining a large number of physical servers to handle peak loads (which would sit idle during off-peak times), GadgetGrove opts for Infrastructure as a service.

  1. Initial Setup: GadgetGrove provisions several virtualization instances (virtual servers) and allocates a certain amount of data storage from an IaaS provider. They install their preferred operating systems, web server software, and e-commerce application onto these virtual machines.
  2. Scaling for Black Friday: As Black Friday approaches, GadgetGrove anticipates a massive surge in traffic. Through the IaaS provider's dashboard, their IT team can quickly provision additional virtual servers and increase network bandwidth within minutes. This dynamic resource allocation ensures their website remains responsive under heavy load.
  3. Post-Peak Adjustment: After the holiday season, traffic returns to normal. GadgetGrove can then easily de-provision the excess virtual servers, significantly reducing their computing costs, as they only pay for the resources actively consumed. This flexibility avoids the over-provisioning and underutilization issues common with traditional hardware.

Practical Applications

Infrastructure as a service is widely adopted across various industries for its flexibility and cost-efficiency. Businesses leverage IaaS for:

  • Website Hosting: Hosting complex websites and web applications that require scalable infrastructure.
  • Big Data Processing: Providing the necessary computing power and storage for analyzing large datasets, often used in conjunction with data analytics tools.
  • Development and Testing Environments: Creating on-demand environments for software development, testing, and staging, which can be quickly spun up and torn down.
  • Disaster Recovery: Implementing robust disaster recovery solutions by replicating data and systems in the cloud, offering redundancy and rapid recovery capabilities.
  • High-Performance Computing (HPC): Supporting computationally intensive tasks, such as scientific simulations or financial modeling, by providing access to powerful virtualized hardware.

The adoption of cloud computing, including IaaS, has shown positive effects on economic outcomes, particularly in sectors like information and communications and manufacturing, contributing to efficiencies and cost reductions for businesses3, 4.

Limitations and Criticisms

Despite its numerous advantages, Infrastructure as a service also presents certain limitations and criticisms:

  • Management Complexity: While the physical infrastructure is managed by the provider, users are still responsible for managing the operating systems, middleware, and applications. This requires internal expertise in server administration and software configuration.
  • Security Responsibilities: While cloud providers handle the security of the cloud infrastructure, the user is typically responsible for security in the cloud, including securing their data, applications, and operating systems. Ensuring proper cybersecurity configurations and adherence to compliance regulations remains with the client.
  • Vendor lock-in: A significant concern is the potential for vendor lock-in, where migrating data and applications from one IaaS provider to another can be complex, time-consuming, and costly due to proprietary technologies, service APIs, or specialized features unique to a provider1, 2. This can limit a business's flexibility and negotiating power over time.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) vs. Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) are both cloud service models, but they differ significantly in the level of control and management provided to the user. IaaS gives users the most control, essentially providing raw computing resources—like virtual machines, storage, and networks—which the user then configures with their preferred operating systems and applications. It is akin to renting an empty plot of land on which you build your entire house.

In contrast, PaaS offers a complete development and deployment environment, including operating systems, programming language execution environments, databases, and web servers. With PaaS, users focus solely on their application code and data, as the underlying infrastructure and platform software are fully managed by the cloud provider. This is like renting an apartment that comes with all the necessary appliances and utilities already installed, allowing you to move in and start living immediately. The choice between IaaS and PaaS depends on the level of control a user needs versus the desire to minimize infrastructure management responsibilities.

FAQs

How is IaaS billed?

IaaS providers typically bill based on usage, often measured by the hour or minute for compute instances, by the gigabyte for data storage, and by data transfer volume. This "pay-as-you-go" model allows businesses to manage costs efficiently by only paying for the resources they actually consume.

What are common use cases for IaaS?

Common uses for Infrastructure as a service include hosting websites and web applications, supporting development and testing environments, enabling big data analytics, and providing disaster recovery solutions. Its flexibility makes it suitable for workloads that require significant scalability and customization.

Is IaaS suitable for small businesses?

Yes, IaaS can be highly beneficial for small businesses. It allows them to access powerful computing resources without the large upfront capital expenditures associated with purchasing and maintaining their own physical servers and network infrastructure. This shifts costs to a more predictable operational expenditure model.