Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900)Describe cloud conceptsMedium
A software development company is migrating its existing monolithic application to a cloud environment. They want to maintain significant control over the operating system, runtime, and middleware components, but wish to offload the management of physical hardware and virtualization. Which cloud service type would best meet these requirements?
- AInfrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
- BFunction as a Service (FaaS)
- CSoftware as a Service (SaaS)
- DPlatform as a Service (PaaS)
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) provides virtualized computing resources over the internet. The customer manages the operating system, applications, and data, while the cloud provider manages the underlying infrastructure (physical hardware, virtualization, networking). This aligns with the need to control OS, runtime, and middleware while offloading hardware management.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. FaaS is a subset of PaaS, abstracting even more infrastructure and focusing on event-driven functions, offering minimal control over OS or runtime.
- C. SaaS offers fully managed applications, providing no control over OS or runtime components.
- D. PaaS manages the OS and runtime for the customer, offering less control than required.
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
A cloud computing service model where a provider offers virtualized computing resources over the internet, including virtual machines, storage, networks, and operating systems.
- Provider manages hardware, virtualization, networking
- Customer manages OS, middleware, applications, data
- Highest level of control for the customer among cloud service models
Memory trick: IaaS is like building your house on a rented foundation.