Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is a cloud computing function that delivers virtualized resources such as compute, networking and storage on demand over the internet. In an IaaS model, a cloud provider manages these resources and delivers them to clients via virtual machines.
Cloud service providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform and DigitalOcean are all primary examples of IaaS. Organizations typically lease resources on demand from these providers and access them through an API. Cloudways supports multiple top-end IaaS providers including DigitalOcean, Google Cloud Platform, Vultr, Linode and Amazon Web Services.
IaaS provides a simpler, faster and more cost effective way of operating a workload without having to own the underlying infrastructure. By leasing that infrastructure from a third party, organizations can significantly reduce costs while having access to on-demand scalability, enhanced disaster recovery capabilities and a number of robust security features.
IaaS clients use the services of the cloud provider to install the remaining components of an application stack after gaining access to resources and services via a wide area network (WAN), such as the internet. For instance, the user can sign in to the IaaS platform to build virtual machines (VMs), install OS systems in each VM, deploy middleware, create storage buckets for workloads and backups, and install the enterprise workload onto that VM. Clients can also use the supplier to manage disaster recovery, balance network traffic, track costs, monitor performance, and track expenditures.
