IaaS- the sunny side of cloud

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1 IaaS- the sunny side of cloud Cloud computing continues to evolve not just from the private and public cloud front, but also at platformas-a-service (PaaS), software-as-a-service (SaaS) and infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) levels. While IaaS clouds were hovering around the enterprise horizon, thoughts pervading the enterprise world were clouded in mystery. Though trendsetters were busy trying to showcase the potential of cloud, they were looked upon as dreamers having their heads in the clouds. Not anymore. Now, the enterprise world has realized that there is a sunny face to the IaaS cloud. With IaaS, it is very simple - Enterprises rent out storage, infrastructure-servers and networking-on demand. IaaS has slotted easily into the top position of the list comprising potentially transformative technologies. The ability to mitigate IT complexity, cut costs and enhance enterprise efficiency has catapulted IaaS to the top spot. As of now, it is not about enterprises buying into cloud promise, but it is about enterprises plan to come up with a bold strategy enabling hassle-free transition to cloud. Key characteristics of the IaaS delivery model For gaining a clear understanding of IaaS delivery model, it becomes important to take a closer look at the key characteristics of the environment.

2 Dynamic scaling Dynamic scaling is one of the key characteristics, where an IaaS provider optimizes the environment to make sure that the operating system, hardware and automation support several workloads. It helps enterprises in scaling resources either way, up and down, depending on requirements pertaining to the application. Service levels IaaS services are rendered in many ways. Some opt for rent capacity built on on-demand model, without any contract. Consumers go in for a contract made for specific amount pertaining to computation or storage. Typical IaaS contract comes with service guarantee offered at some level. Rental model Renting is a significant component of cloud computing, providing the base for gauging scalability and cost benefits pertaining to various cloud models. Enterprises rely on IaaS to rent out storage, server or other components related to IT infrastructure For a fee depending on the tenure of usage and quantity of resources. Though this rings true, differences can be observed between this rental plan and that of the traditional rental models. Licensing Licensing model for the software that needs to be run in cloud environment is yet another important feature. IaaS providers unveil BOYL or bring your own license plan, allowing customers to use their license in cloud as well as in traditional environments. Customers also make use of the PAYG or pay as you go option that promotes integration of software licenses with that of on-demand infrastructure services. Metering and costs Users request and use the right amount of resources that fall in line with their requirements. IaaS providers bring metering into play, with the view to adopt consistent procedure to measure usage. The metering process serves IaaS providers in letting them charge users depending on the consumption of instance of computing. The memory, storage and CPU power consumed in one hour is termed as instance. Apart from the basic per-instance charge, there are other charges such as the storage charge, data transfer charge and optional services charge. Typical billing options include Pay as you go, Reserved pricing and Trial use. 8 things to consider before sourcing IaaS provision In August 2013, Gartner came up with the latest Magic Quadrant on public IaaS. Gartner also unveiled its prized findings that turn out to be of immense value for enterprises keen on lapping up the best IaaS offering. IaaS not a commodity Going by theory, IaaS has little to offer, but lock-in providers have started offering value-added services. The more those capabilities are used by an enterprise, the more value gets extracted from the offering, and the more an enterprise is bounded to the specific offering. Not to fall for one-size-fit-all approach Though there are providers addressing differentiated customer needs, most providers work with one-size-fit-all approach. This approach complicates the process of identifying a specific vendor for a particular business as well as technical needs.

3 Convergence of private and public cloud As per Gartner, leading providers will come up with the option of a single, flexible platform extending across their data centres as well as that of customer data centres. Hybrid cloud is still not a reality Though VM images are being moved from a specific cloud to another, hybrid multicloud scenarios are far from being common. IaaS for broadening range of workloads There has been a shift towards infrastructure platforms that promise physical and virtual resources, with the pricing depending on the level of performance, availability, isolation and security sought by the customer. IaaS and diverse buying centres IaaS providers turn their attention towards IT operations audience or developer audience, aligning their style of service and feature set with specific target audience in mind. Scale and size of the provider matters Providers size, their customer relationships and brand strength matter most to gain traction and capture market share. Many providers varying in quality Gartner has also come up with the startling update that most providers are finding it difficult to meet requirements of the rapidly evolving market. Most providers come up with a basic offering, but are unable to go beyond the limited value-add and differentiation.

4 Gartner s Magic Quadrant on Public Infrastructure-as-a-Service Providers How enterprises use IaaS Enterprise Infrastructure IaaS paves way for internal business network established through a private cloud and that of virtual local networks, by making use of networking resources and pooled server allowing storage of company data and running of applications that need to be operated each day. Cloud hosting Without having to store hardware within its facilities, enterprises are now provided with the option of hosting websites as well as virtual servers by way of a pooled collection comprising physical servers elsewhere. Virtual data centers A virtualized network comprising interconnected networks enhances cloud hosting capabilities, setting up an environment that is ideal for implementing private or public cloud.

5 Source: opus interactive IaaS Key benefits Improved cash flow IaaS paves way for improved cash flow, without any upfront commitments and with the pay-per-use consumption model. Scalability Resources are readily available as when there is a dire need, aiding to get rid of a situation where unused capacity is wasted or capacity expansion is delayed. IT management efficiency IaaS offers control and visibility over activity, resources and costs, taking IT management efficiency up by a notch. Avoid single point of failure In this case, if a server fails, the remaining hardware resources as well as redundancy configurations ensure that the broader service does not get affected. Location Independence With the internet connection being allowed by the security protocol pertaining to the cloud, services get accessed from any location.