Cloud infrastructure is the backbone of today’s digital world. It’s becoming more popular as it becomes affordable and convenient for businesses to use. It has become an integral part of our digital world and offers many benefits.
Choosing the right cloud infrastructure to provide modernised cloud computing, networking, and data storage resources can be tricky if you’re unsure of the various service models and environments.
However, with more Australian businesses utilising the cloud than ever before, there has never been a better time to migrate to the cloud: it enables you to work securely from any location and utilise modern technologies to better connect with your customers and stay ahead of the competition.
What is cloud infrastructure?
Cloud infrastructure is a broad term; however, it largely refers to the various components that are required for cloud computing.
Cloud infrastructure has several key components:
- Software
- Hardware
- Servers
- Storage
- Network devices
These components create applications that are accessed via the cloud.
Types of cloud service models
The cloud infrastructure you choose will depend on a number of factors, including the size and complexity of your business, the level of security needed for your data, and the level of control you need over your infrastructure.
There are three main diverse delivery models of hosted services over the internet used in practice: Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure-as-a Service (IaaS).
PaaS
Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) is an application delivered from the cloud as a software or service.
PaaS offers a complete platform for software development in the form of services, such as storage, operating systems, databases, web application framework and so on. Cloud vendors such as Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services provide PaaS. Customers only need to subscribe to these services and they can quickly set up their own applications without having to worry about buying hardware or investing in development by themselves.
SaaS
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is a technology model for software licensing and distribution whereby the off-the-shelf software is licensed on a monthly or annual subscription basis.
The cloud architecture ensures that there is scalability, high availability, and fault tolerance. Moreover, it offers a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) than other traditional environments, such as on-premise models.
Users are not required to dedicate machine resources or data storage for use of the SaaS application. Such applications can be made accessible from various devices with an internet connection and browser.
IaaS
With Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), you are renting an infrastructure to run your applications and store your data without owning any of the hardware.
This means you don’t need to worry about managing hardware, software, or other operational details; IaaS providers will do this for you, and handle everything from data storage, to application programming and disaster recovery. All you need is a web browser and an internet connection.
IaaS has been seen as an increasingly attractive option for those with smaller IT budgets or no in-house IT team.
Choosing your cloud environment
Private cloud
Private cloud allows you to utilise the cloud with your own servers. This has many advantages over traditional methods of storing data; it does not have an expiration date, and it provides stronger security and privacy measures.
This means that companies don’t need to invest in expensive new hardware when they need more storage space, or in-excess bandwidth to transfer files between two different levels of the company. They can simply add more resources to their private cloud at any time they want without worrying about technical limitations or vendor lock-in contracts.
The company has complete control over the security and backup of their data when using a private cloud. Private clouds are also used for “cloud bursting”, which means your business can scale up quickly when needed.
Public cloud
Public cloud is a form of networked computing that provides shared resources and services to computers and other devices on demand.
The public cloud is the most popular form of cloud computing at present, and it is growing in importance. It has many benefits, such as increased convenience, more accessibility, and more reliability. It also has a lower total cost of ownership compared with private clouds, as there are no capital expenditure investments needed for hardware storage, cooling, and power supply.
Hybrid cloud
Hybrid cloud computing enables users to combine both private and public clouds. With this type of model, companies can get the best of both worlds – high security and customised features.
The benefits of the cloud, like scalability and flexibility, are combined with the benefits of on-site infrastructure. It is a great option if you don’t want to completely abandon your on-site data and rely solely on the cloud.
Get the right advice from the cloud experts
Choosing the right cloud computing model can be difficult, and you may not know exactly what you need until after the fact.
The cloud engineers at Lindentech can help you find the right solution for your business and migrate all your data over smoothly and efficiently. Talk to them today and get started.
