In today’s fast-paced business world, companies depend on technology to stay competitive. Cloud computing is one of the best ways to stay on top of technology while reducing expenses. Yet, you have more than one option when it comes to the cloud – two of which are Azure IaaS vs. PaaS.
In this article, we look at these two leading cloud computing services. We’ll discuss the biggest differences between infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and platform as a service (PaaS). By examining the benefits, use cases, and limitations of each service, you can make a more informed decision on which is best for your business.
Before we jump into the benefits and limitations of each model, let’s begin by understanding the key differences between IaaS and PaaS.
Infrastructure as a service is a cloud-based solution that enables you to rent infrastructure from a cloud provider.
Infrastructure components include an operating system (OS), servers and storage, networking, security, and compute through virtual machines (VMs). IaaS is the most barebones cloud service model.
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In addition to all the underlying infrastructure associated with IaaS, PaaS offers a complete development and deployment environment for web applications.
With PaaS, you get access to sophisticated dev tools, libraries, middleware, container orchestrators, and business analytics (BI).
Keep in mind that both IaaS and PaaS are distinct from another common cloud computing service model, software as a service (SaaS).
Now that we have a basic understanding of IaaS and PaaS, let’s see how each of these cloud computing services can be leveraged through Microsoft Azure.
Azure IaaS is ideal for businesses that need essential storage, networking, and compute resources. Plus, migrations are fast and affordable since you don’t need to refactor your architecture.
With Azure’s cloud service IaaS, your back-end lives in the Microsoft Azure infrastructure. The pay-as-you-go model also means a massive reduction in hardware and overhead expenses associated with on-prem data centers, and a sharp increase in on-demand scalability.
Because you’ll still be responsible for managing individual components of your IT ecosystem, a strong engineering team is recommended. Consider IaaS in Azure for business scenarios like:
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If you need to manage, develop, and deploy more cloud-based applications than you can track, Azure PaaS may be the right choice for you.
Unlike IaaS Azure, PaaS services in Azure support end-to-end app development at every stage in the life cycle. This means you can build, test, deploy, manage, and update—all within Azure cloud. The result? Improved dev capabilities with reduced coding times.
Common business scenarios for PaaS include:
Now that we have a basic understanding of Azure IaaS vs. PaaS, let’s see how each can benefit your business.
IaaS is best for businesses that require complete control over their IT infrastructure. For example, if your business runs legacy or custom apps, you may need specific configurations and environments. IaaS offers that flexibility. Other benefits include:
As we’ve seen, PaaS is best suited to businesses that want to focus on app development and deployment. This model empowers devs to build apps without fussing over underlying infrastructure.
In addition to the IaaS benefits mentioned above, PaaS also boasts a few other advantages, like:
As we’ve seen, both IaaS and PaaS are great options for businesses. Before deciding which one is right for you, it’s important to also consider their potential limitations.
Both IaaS and PaaS offer enormous benefits to organizations. IaaS grants you complete control over your IT infrastructure, while PaaS boasts a sophisticated development and deployment environment. Before deciding which cloud service is right for you, however, take the time to carefully evaluate the advantages and limitations of each.
Need advice? At Atmosera, we’ve been helping businesses with their IT needs for nearly three decades. As a leading Azure MSP, we’ll find the perfect cloud solution to fit your needs. We also provide ongoing support and maintenance to ensure optimal performance and efficiency—always.
Ready to take your business to the next level? Contact us today.
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