UNIT 02

CLOUD COMPUTING
Characteristics of Cloud
 Characteristics of Cloud
A) On demand self services:
i. Computer services such as email, applications, network or server service can
be provided without requiring human interaction with each service
provider.
ii. Cloud service providers providing on demand self services include Amazon
Web Services (AWS), Microsoft, Google, IBM and Salesforce.com.
B) Broad network access:
i. Cloud Capabilities are available over the network and accessed through
standard mechanisms that promote use by heterogeneous thin or thick
client platforms such as mobile phones, laptops .
 Characteristics of Cloud

C) Resource pooling:
The IT resource (e.g., networks, servers,
storage, applications, and services)
present are shared across multiple
applications and occupant in an
uncommitted manner. Multiple clients
are provided service from a same
physical resource.

Multi-tenancy: Cloud computing

providers can support multiple tenants
(users or organizations) on a single set of
shared resources.
 Characteristics of Cloud

D) Rapid elasticity:
i. Cloud services can be rapidly and elastically provisioned, in some cases
automatically to quickly scale out and rapidly released to quickly scale in.
ii. To the consumer, the capabilities available for provisioning often appear to be
unlimited and can be purchased in any quantity at any time.
iii. Rapid elasticity allows users to automatically request additional space in the cloud
or other types of services. Because of the setup of cloud computing services,
provisioning can be seamless for the client or user.
• Elasticity allows the cloud provider’s customers to achieve cost savings and this is
often a core reason for adoption of cloud services
• Example - Say that 10 servers are required for a three month project. With cloud
services the company can provision them within minutes, pay a small monthly
operation + execution fee to run them rather than a large upfront capital investment
cost, and decommission them at the end of the three months with no further charge.
 Characteristics of Cloud

E) Measured service:
i. Cloud computing resource usage can be measured, controlled, and reported
providing transparency for both the provider and consumer of the utilized
service.
ii. Cloud computing services use a metering capability which enables to control
and optimize resource use. This implies that just like air time, electricity or
municipality water IT services are charged per usage metrics – pay per use. The
more you utilize the higher the bill.
iii. Cloud services generally charge users per hour of resource usage, or based on
the number of certain kinds of transactions that have occurred, amount of
storage in use, and the amount of data transferred over a network. All usage
is measured.
 Need for Cloud
Why are so many businesses moving to the cloud?
It’s because cloud computing increases efficiency and offers many more
benefits…
•Flexibility : Cloud-based services are ideal for businesses with growing or
fluctuating bandwidth demands. If your needs increase it’s easy to scale up your
cloud capacity, drawing on the service’s remote servers. Likewise, if you need to
scale down again, the flexibility is baked into the service. This level of agility can
give businesses using cloud computing a real advantage over competitors.
•Disaster recovery :Businesses of all sizes should be investing in robust disaster
recovery, but for smaller businesses that lack the required finance and expertise,
this is often more an ideal than the reality. Cloud is now helping more
organizations buck that trend. According to Aberdeen Group, small businesses
are twice as likely as larger companies to have implemented cloud-based backup
and recovery solutions that save time, avoid large up-front investment and roll
up third-party expertise as part of the deal.
 Need for Cloud

•Automatic software updates: The beauty of cloud computing is that the servers
are off-premise, out of sight and out of your hair. Suppliers take care of them for
you and roll out regular software updates – including security updates – so you
don’t have to worry about wasting time maintaining the system yourself. Leaving
you free to focus on the things that matter, like growing your business.
•Increased collaboration: When your teams can access, edit and share documents
anytime, from anywhere, they’re able to do more together, and do it better. Cloud-
based workflow and file sharing apps help them make updates in real time and
gives them full visibility of their collaborations.
•Capital-expenditure Free : Cloud computing cuts out the high cost of hardware.
You simply pay as you go and enjoy a subscription-based model that’s kind to your
cash flow.
 Need for Cloud

•Work from anywhere: With cloud computing, if you’ve got an internet connection you
can be at work. And with most serious cloud services offering mobile apps, you’re not
restricted by which device you’ve got to hand. As a result, the businesses can offer more
flexible working perks to employees so they can enjoy the work-life balance that suits
them – without affecting productivity.
•Document control :According to one study, "73% of knowledge workers collaborate with
people in different time zones and regions at least monthly".
When you make the move to cloud computing, all files are stored centrally and everyone
sees one version of the truth. Greater visibility means improved collaboration, which
ultimately means better work and a healthier bottom line.
Security :Lost laptops are a billion dollar business problem. And potentially greater than
the loss of an expensive piece of kit is the loss of the sensitive data inside it. Cloud
computing gives you greater security when this happens. Because your data is stored in
the cloud, you can access it no matter what happens to your machine. And you can even
remotely wipe data from lost laptops so it doesn’t get into the wrong hands.
 Need for Cloud
•Competitiveness : Moving to the cloud gives access to enterprise-class
technology, for everyone. It also allows smaller businesses to act faster than big,
established competitors. Pay-as-you-go service and cloud business applications
mean small outfits can run with the big boys, and disrupt the market, while
remaining lean and nimble.
•Environmental friendly :While the above points spell out the benefits of cloud
computing for your business, moving to the cloud isn’t an entirely selfish act. The
environment gets a little love too. When your cloud needs fluctuate, your server
capacity scales up and down to fit. So you only use the energy you need and you
don’t leave oversized carbon footprints. This is something done at Salesforce,
where they try to create sustainable solutions with minimal environmental
impact.
Cloud Architecture
 Cloud Architecture
Cloud Computing Architecture is divided into two parts, i.e., front-end and
back-end. Front-end and back-end communicate via a network or internet.
1.Front-End
• It provides applications and the interfaces that are required for the cloud-
based service.
• It consists of client’s side applications, which are web browsers such as
Google Chrome and Internet Explorer.
• Cloud infrastructure is the only component of the front-end.
• Cloud infrastructure consists of hardware and software components such as
data storage, server, virtualization software, etc.
• It also provides a Graphical User Interface to the end-users to perform
respective tasks.
 Cloud Architecture
2.Back-End
• It is responsible for monitoring all the programs that run the application on the
front-end
• It has a large number of data storage systems and servers.
I. Application
• It can either be a software or a platform
• Depending upon the client requirement, the application provides the result to
the end-user (with resources) in the back end
II. Service
• Service is an essential component in cloud architecture
• Its responsibility is to provide utility in the architecture
• In a Cloud, few widely used services among the end-users are storage
application development environments and web services
 Cloud Architecture
III. Storage
• It stores and maintains data like files, videos, documents, etc. over the internet
• Some of the popular examples of storage services are below:
– Amazon S3
– Oracle Cloud-Storage
– Microsoft Azure Storage
• Its capacity varies depending upon the service providers available in the market
IV. Management
• Its task is to allot specific resources to a specific task, it simultaneously performs
various functions of the cloud environment
• It helps in the management of components like application, task, service, security, data
storage, and cloud infrastructure
• In simple terms, it establishes coordination among the cloud resources
V. Security
• Security is an integral part of back-end cloud infrastructure
• It provides secure cloud resources, systems, files, and infrastructure to end-users
• Also, it implements security management to the cloud server with virtual firewalls
which results in preventing data loss
 How does cloud architecture work?
• In cloud architecture, each of the components works together to create a
cloud computing platform that provides users with on-demand access to
resources and services.
• The back end contains all the cloud computing resources, services, data
storage, and applications offered by a cloud service provider.
• A network is used to connect the frontend and backend cloud architecture
components, enabling data to be sent back and forth between them.
• When users interact with the front end (or client-side interface), it sends
queries to the back end using middleware where the service model carries out
the specific task or request.
• The types of services available to use vary depending on the cloud-based
delivery model or service model you have chosen.
 Cloud architecture layers
• Hardware: The servers, storage, network devices, and other hardware that
power the cloud.
• Virtualization: An abstraction layer that creates a virtual representation of
physical computing and storage resources. This allows multiple applications to
use the same resources.
• Application and service: This layer coordinates and supports requests from the
frontend user interface, offering different services based on the cloud service
model, from resource allocation to application development tools to web-based
applications.
NIST :Cloud Reference Model
NIST :Cloud Reference Model
 NIST :Cloud Reference Model

• The NIST cloud computing reference architecture is a generic high-level

conceptual model that is a powerful tool for discussing the requirements,
structures, and operations of cloud computing.
• It is intended to facilitate the understanding of the operational intricacies
in cloud computing.
• The design of the NIST cloud computing reference architecture serves the
objectives to: illustrate and understand various cloud services in the
context of an overall cloud computing conceptual model.
• The NIST cloud computing reference architecture defines five major
actors: cloud consumer, cloud provider, cloud auditor, cloud broker, and
cloud carrier (Cloud Actors).
 NIST :Cloud Reference Model
Cloud Consumer-
• A cloud consumer represents a person or organization that maintains a
business relationship with, and uses the service from, a cloud provider.
• A cloud consumer browses the service catalog from a cloud provider,
requests the appropriate service, sets up service contracts with the cloud
provider, and uses the service.
NIST :Cloud Reference Model
 NIST :Cloud Reference Model
Cloud provider
• A cloud provider can be a person, an organization, or an entity responsible
for making a service available to cloud consumers.
• A cloud provider builds the requested software/platform/ infrastructure
services, manages the technical infrastructure required for providing the
services, provisions the services at agreed-upon service levels, and protects
the security and privacy of the services.
• For SaaS, the cloud provider deploys, configures, maintains, and updates the
operation of the software applications on a cloud infrastructure so that the
services are provisioned at the expected service levels to cloud consumers.
• For PaaS, the cloud provider manages the cloud infrastructure for the
platform, and provisions tools and execution resources for the platform
consumers to develop, test, deploy, and administer applications.
• For IaaS, the cloud provider provisions the physical processing, storage,
networking, and other fundamental computing resources, as well as
manages the hosting environment and cloud infrastructure for IaaS
consumers.
NIST :Cloud Reference Model
 NIST :Cloud Reference Model
• Service Deployment- As identified in the NIST cloud computing definition, a
cloud infrastructure may be operated in one of the following deployment
models: public cloud, private cloud, community cloud, or hybrid cloud.
• Service orchestration- It refers to the arrangement, coordination, and
management of cloud infrastructure to provide the optimizing capabilities of
cloud services, as a cost-effective way of managing IT resources, as dictated by
strategic business requirements.
• Cloud Service Management- includes all of the service-related functions that
are necessary for the management and operation of those services required
by or proposed to cloud consumers.
• Security- The Combined Conceptual Reference Diagram, involving end-to-end
security that ranges from physical security to application security, and in
general, the responsibility is shared between cloud provider and federal cloud
consumer.
• Privacy-Cloud providers should protect the assured, proper, and consistent
collection, processing, communication, use, and disposition of personal
information (PI) and personally identifiable information (PII) in the cloud
system.
NIST :Cloud Reference Model

Cloud Service Management

 NIST :Cloud Reference Model
Cloud auditor -A cloud auditor is a party that can conduct independent
assessment of cloud services, information system operations, performance,
and the security of a cloud computing implementation.
• A cloud auditor can evaluate the services provided by a cloud provider in
terms of security controls, privacy impact, performance, and adherence to
service level agreement parameters.
 NIST :Cloud Reference Model
Cloud Broker- an entity that manages the use, performance, and delivery of cloud
services, and negotiates relationships between Cloud Providers and Cloud
Consumers.
• As cloud computing evolves, the integration of cloud services may become too
complex for cloud consumers to manage. In such cases, a Cloud Consumer may
request cloud services from a Cloud Broker instead of directly contacting a Cloud
Provider.
• A cloud broker is a third party that helps organizations select cloud computing
solutions. A cloud service provider (CSP) is a third-party company that offers
cloud-based services.

Cloud carrier- It acts as an intermediary that provides connectivity and transport of

cloud services between cloud consumers and cloud providers. Cloud carriers
provide access to consumers through network, telecommunication, and other
access devices.
 Cloud Deployment Models
•Cloud Deployment Model acts as a virtual computing environment that offers a
choice of deployment model according to how much data users want to store and
who will have access to the infrastructure.
• It signifies how servers are deployed and provisioned over the internet so that
various organizations and companies can access these servers without configuring
them.
•Deployment models define the type of access to the cloud.
Public cloud – As the name indicates, the public cloud is available for the general
public who want to use computing resources such as software and hardware over
the internet.
•It is a good choice for companies and organizations with low-security concerns.
•There is no need to manage these resources as cloud computing providers
configure and manage these services.
•Generally, public clouds are used for application development and testing.
•Example -Google Workspace, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Dropbox, and
Microsoft offerings like Microsoft 365 and Azure, as well as streaming services like
Netflix.
 Cloud deployment models
Public Cloud
 Cloud deployment models
Private cloud- As the name suggests, private cloud lets you use
the infrastructure and resources for a single organization.
• Users and organizations do not share resources with other users. That is why it is also
called as Internal or corporate model.
• Private clouds are more costly than public clouds due to their costly maintenance.
•Managed by the organization or a 3rd party
•Located on or off premise
•Ex - Amazon VPC, HPE, VMware, and IBM
Community cloud - The community Deployment Model is somewhat similar to the Private
cloud.
•In the private cloud, only one user or organization owns the cloud server. In Community
Cloud, several companies with the same backgrounds share the cloud server.
•If all organizations or companies have the same set of security protocols and
performance requirements, and goals, this multi-tenant architecture can help them save
cost and boost efficiency.
•This model can be used in the case of project development, implementation, and
maintenance.
Ex– Scientific research sector. Research organizations with common interests require a
large, distributed infrastructure for effective and efficient sharing of data.
Cloud deployment models
Private Cloud Community Cloud
 Cloud deployment models
Hybrid cloud - A hybrid cloud deployment model combines public and private
clouds.
•Creating a hybrid cloud computing model means that a company uses the public
cloud but owns on-premises systems and provides a connection between the
two. They work as one system, which is a beneficial model for a smooth transition
into the public cloud over an extended period.
•Some companies cannot operate solely in the public cloud because of security
concerns or data protection requirements. So, they may select the hybrid cloud
to combine the requirements with the benefits of a public cloud.
•It enables on-premises applications with sensitive data to run alongside public
cloud applications.
Ex-AWS Outposts, Azure Stack, Azure Arc, Azure VMware Solution, Google Anthos
 Cloud deployment models
Hybrid Cloud
 Public Cloud -Advantages

1. COST SAVING - The most prevalent benefit in a public cloud is cost savings. Organizations
do not buy, install, operate or maintain servers or other equipment as they would with
private clouds. Organizations may develop their own applications, but they are hosted by
a public cloud provider.
2. RELIABILITY -Since public cloud employs large number of resources from different
locations, if any of the resource fail, public cloud can employ another one.
3. FLEXIBILITY -It is also very easy to integrate public cloud with private cloud, hence gives
consumers a flexible approach.
4.LOCATION INDEPENDENCE -Since, public cloud services are delivered through Internet
therefore ensures location independence.
5. UTILITY STYLE COSTING -Public cloud is also based on pay-per-use model and resources
are accessible whenever consumer needs it. It helps businesses, especially the small and
medium size, to tightly control their costs by paying for the infrastructure only based on their
needs.
6. HIGH SCALABILITY -Cloud resources are made available on demand from a pool of
resources, i.e., they can be scaled up or down according the requirement.
7. No Maintenance-The cloud provider is responsible for the maintenance of the hardware,
software, and networks in the cloud. Businesses, therefore, do not need to worry about
keeping their infrastructure up-to-date or worry about aspects like security and upgrades.
 Public cloud- Disadvantages

1. Lacks proper controls: The client has no control of data or infrastructure.

There are issues of data privacy and integrity. The service level policies and
compliances are completely enforced by the service provider.
2. Weak on Security: Since the hardware resource is shared between multiple
users, IT security issues are more profound and data is vulnerable to thefts.
3. Performance: The performance of the network depends on the speed of the
internet connectivity.
 Private Cloud - Advantages
The private cloud allows systems and services to be accessible within an
organization. It is more secured because of its private nature. Datacenter are not
available for rental.
1.) HIGHER SECURITY AND PRIVACY Private cloud operations are not available to
general public and resources are shared from distinct pool of resources, therefore,
ensures high security and privacy. This restricted access of private cloud can
integrate with a firm's firewall and other remote access policies, offers an
additional layer of security.
2) Improved reliability: When compared to either dedicated hardware or public
cloud alternatives, private cloud offers a greater degree of reliability thanks to a
fault resilient and redundant architecture that isn't shared in any way.
3) Increased flexibility: Unlike a physical machine, a virtual machine can be scaled
up and down seamlessly. And when you own all the virtual machines, you can
reallocate resources dynamically, wherever they are needed most.
4) Total Control - Private clouds have more control on its resources and hardware
than public cloud because it is accessed only within an organization. Although
there is a fair amount of universal best practice that you should no doubt follow,
you are free to build and configure your private cloud in any way you like. For
example, you have the freedom to use any operating systems and applications you
please and to allocate resources in any way you see fit.
5)Better performance - A private cloud stays inside company's intranet
network behind a firewall. It provides access to the same resources as the public
model, but with less exposure to Internet security risks.
 Private cloud - Disadvantages

1. RESTRICTED AREA - Private cloud is only accessible locally and is very difficult
to deploy globally.
2. INFLEXIBLE PRICING & Higher Cost- In order to fulfill demand, purchasing
new hardware is very costly. Private clouds are more expensive than public
because they require both hardware and maintenance. You will need not only
the hardware but also the operating system and licenses for software
applications.
3. LIMITED SCALABILITY - Private cloud can be scaled only within capacity of
internal hosted resources.
4. ADDITIONAL SKILLS - In order to maintain cloud deployment, organization
requires more skilled and expertise.
6. Maintenance - Set up and support for private cloud is more expensive and
time consuming than deploying on a public cloud service. It's an investment
that needs continuous support and maintenance. A private cloud service
requires in-house IT administration.

Example - SBI , Oracle Cloud Platform, Cisco ONE Enterprise Cloud Suite, HP Data
Centers
Private vs. Public Cloud
Private vs. Public Cloud
 Hybrid Cloud-Advantages

1. SCALABILITY
• It offers both features of public cloud scalability and private cloud scalability.
2. FLEXIBILITY
• It offers both secure resources and scalable public resources.
3. COST EFFICIENCIES
• Public cloud are more cost effective than private, therefore hybrid cloud can have
this saving.
4. SECURITY
• Private cloud in hybrid cloud ensures higher degree of security.
• Protecting valuable data is always a challenge in any networked enabled
applications.
5. Control - Rather than entrusting all aspects of IT infrastructure to a third-party cloud
provider, companies can customize the private end of their hybrid cloud model to
their specific needs and adjust them accordingly as they see fit.
6. Speed – Though this model is not as much as faster than public cloud but still it is
better than private one.
 Hybrid Cloud-Disadvantages

1.NETWORKING ISSUES (complex system architecture)

• Networking becomes complex due to presence of private and public cloud.

2.SECURITY COMPLIANCE
• It is necessary to ensure that cloud services are compliant with organization's
security policies.

3.COST - While the public cloud can offer an attractive option for its flexibility and
relatively low cost to operate, building a private enterprise cloud requires significant
expenditure and can become expensive very quickly with all the physical hardware
necessary.

4.COMPATIBILITY - Compatibility across infrastructure can prove itself to be a major

issue when building a hybrid cloud. With dual levels of infrastructure, a private cloud
the company controls and a public one that it doesn’t, the chances are that they will be
running different stacks.
 Community cloud-Advantages

1.COST EFFECTIVE
• Community cloud offers same advantage as that of private cloud at low cost.
2.Flexibility & Scalability
• The community cloud is very scalable and flexible as it is mostly compatible
with every user and they can modify as per their use.
3.Availability & Reliability
• The replication of data is done in the cloud to protect it against the disaster. It
is replicated to various places which are safe and secure. The cloud replicates
your system, applications, and data to an alternate facility
4.SECURITY & COMPLIANCE
• Community cloud is comparatively more secure than the public cloud.
 Community cloud-Disadvantages

• Since all data is housed at one location, one must be careful in storing data in
community cloud because it might be accessible by others.

• It is also challenging to allocate responsibilities of governance, security and

cost.

• Costly than public cloud

Ex –
• Gov Cloud by Google
• Nebula by NASA
 Cloud Service Models

•Cloud Computing can be defined as the practice of using a network of remote

servers hosted on the Internet to store, manage, and process data, rather than a
local server or a personal computer.
• Companies offering such kinds of cloud computing services are called cloud
providers and typically charge for cloud computing services based on usage.
There are three main types of service models of cloud computing.
•Each type of cloud computing provides different levels of control, flexibility, and
management so that you’ll select the proper set of services for your needs.
• Infrastructure-as–a-Service IaaS
• Platform-as-a-Service PaaS
• Software-as-a-Service SaaS
 Infrastructure-as-a-Service IaaS
• It is the most flexible type of cloud service which lets you rent the hardware
and contains the basic building blocks for cloud and IT.
• It gives complete control over the hardware that runs your application (servers,
VMs, storage, networks & operating systems).
• It’s an instant computing infrastructure, provisioned and managed over the
internet.
• IaaS gives you the very best level of flexibility and management control over
your IT resources.
• It is almost like the prevailing IT resources with which many IT departments
and developers are familiar.
• Examples of IaaS are virtual Machines or AWS EC2, Storage or Networking.
DigitalOcean, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Compute
Engine (GCE), Rackspace, and Cisco Metacloud.
 Infrastructure-as-a-Service IaaS
IaaS provides access to the following • This model delivers computer infrastructure
fundamental resources such as: on an outsourced basis to support enterprise
operations
• physical machines, • All of the above resources are made available
• virtual machines, to end user via server virtualization.
• virtual storage,
• Moreover, these resources are accessed by
• rent processing, storage,
the customers as if they own them.
• N/W capacity and computing
resources,
• Firewall, load balance, etc.
• Load Balancer
• IP Adresses
• Software Bundels
• Data Center Space
• Network Component
 IaaS Benefits

• Cost savings: IaaS is more cost-effective than building your own data center.
You pay only for what you need — storage space, CPU power, bandwidth, and
other resources. This makes it easier to scale up or down as needed.

• On-demand access: You can instantly provision new resources whenever

they’re needed without having to invest in new hardware and software or hire
additional IT staff members. The cloud provider takes care of all the
maintenance and upgrades required to keep your servers online 24/7 with 99
percent uptime guarantees (or better).

• Flexibility: With cloud computing, you can easily add more resources when
demand increases without having to upgrade equipment or hire more IT
professionals.
 IaaS Issues
1. Changing the provider is very much complicated
2. Possible privacy issues due to the provider's server locations
3. Security
The enterprise does not have any control over cloud security in an IaaS environment.
They need to review the Cloud Service provider’s service level agreement (SLA) to help them
understand its security obligations and thereby identifying gaps in their security coverage
4. Lack of flexibility
Service providers maintain the software, but they do not upgrade the software for some of
the businesses
5. Technical problems
Organizations faces some downtime with IaaS, and it will restrict their access to
applications and data
6. Over Dependency
• Having IaaS in your organization means have a full dependency on the provider or third
party for your data
7. Upgrade & Maintenance
• The organization is solely responsible for any upgrades of software and maintenance of
tools or data system.
 PaaS
• PaaS is a cloud service model that gives a ready-to-use development environment
where developers can specialize in writing and executing high-quality code
to make customized applications.
• It helps to create an application quickly without managing the underlying infrastructure.
For example, when deploying a web application using PaaS, you don’t have to install an
operating system, web server, or even system updates. However, you can scale and add
new features to your services.
• This cloud service model makes the method of developing and deploying applications
simpler and it is more expensive than IaaS but less expensive than SaaS.
• This helps you be more efficient as you don’t get to worry about resource procurement,
capacity planning, software maintenance, patching, or any of the
opposite undifferentiated work involved in running your application.
• Examples of PaaS:Google's App Engine, Force.com Microsoft Azure, AWS, Aneka,
salesforce.com, IBM Google, Ali Baba are examples of PaaS offering vendors. AWS
Elastic Beanstalk, Heroku, Apache Stratos.
• Developer may log on to these websites and use the built-in API to create web-based
applications.
 PaaS - Benefits
Automated Updates:
• software updates are automatically done and you get access to all the latest versions,
updates etc.
• There is no risk of missing out on an update. This can save you plenty of resources and
time. Security patches take care of any bugs and other security issues.
Low Investments:
• You can use the software without having to make any investment in infrastructure that
otherwise they procure in an in-house environment.
Reduced Costs:
• Since the payment model is pay-as-you-use, there is considerable savings for you without
having to install the necessary software like databases, server etc to run the applications.
Collaboration:
• Since it is an internet-based platform, it enables the employees to login and work on the
applications from anywhere, make their updates without physically being present in the
business premises.
Focus:
• Your IT team can focus better on core applications rather than being diverted on
maintenance of the system.
 PaaS Disadvantages
Vendor lock-in:
• This is one possibility you must check thoroughly before signing up with a provider. If you get
locked in a specific language, program, or interface that could affect you with some
unnecessary system that you do not require.
Dependency on Vendor
• On the one hand, it’s a great advantage that a certain part of work is done by the provider
without you having to make an effort.
• On the other hand, your business will still be governed by the provider’s functional
capabilities, speed and reliability.
• That’s why it’s very important to be confident in your business partner and be prepared for
some unforeseen circumstances that may happen to even the most reliable provider.
• At the very least, you should perform your own data backup, for your peace of mind.
Compatibility of Existing Infrastructure
• A new platform is a new environment where legacy solutions are supposed to continue to
work. Undoubtedly, some difficulties and contradictions may arise when two systems come
into contact. Thus, it’s crucial to understand possible compatibility problems beforehand and
to prepare to solve them.
Security Risks
• As a rule, PaaS software is available in a public environment where multiple end users have
access to the same basic resources.
 Software as a Service
• SaaS provides you with a complete product that is run and managed by the service
provider.
• The software is hosted online and made available to customers on a subscription basis or
for purchase in this cloud service model.
• With a SaaS offering, you don’t need to worry about how the service is maintained or
how the underlying infrastructure is managed. It would help if
you believed how you’d use that specific software.
• Examples of SaaS: Microsoft Office 365, Oracle ERP/HCM Cloud, SalesForce, Gmail, or
Dropbox.
 SaaS Benefits
Reduced Expenses : SaaS removes the need for organizations to install and run applications on their own
computers or in their own data centers. This eliminates the expense of hardware acquisition,
provisioning and maintenance, as well as software licensing, installation and support.
• The expense of buying and installing the entire software and IT infrastructure in-house is negated
when the software is rented from a third-party service provider.
Flexible payments: Rather than purchasing software to install, or additional hardware to support it,
customers subscribe to a SaaS offering. Generally, they pay for this service on a monthly basis using
a pay-as-you-go model.
Scalable usage: Cloud services like SaaS offer high vertical scalability, which gives customers the option to
access more, or fewer, services or features on-demand.
Trouble Free Up gradation
• It is a cumbersome task to upgrade your existing software and hardware to the newer versions.
• In many cases, businesses do not have the budget or the IT manpower to upgrade software every
subsequent year.
• This in turn leaves the software vulnerable to external threats.
• On the other hand, when you opt for a SaaS application, this is one burden less for you to bear and
removes a significant workload from your in-house IT department. The extra human bandwidth can
be used for other tasks such as integration with in-house applications.
 SaaS Benefits
Modest Software Tools
• The SaaS application deployment requires a little or no client side software installation
which results in the following benefits:
• No requirement for complex software packages at client side

Efficient use of Software Licenses

• The client can have single license for multiple computers running at different locations
which reduces the licensing cost. Also, there is no requirement for license servers
because the software runs in the provider's infrastructure.
Centralized Management & Data
• The data stored by the cloud provider is centralized. However, the cloud providers may
store data in a decentralized manner for sake of redundancy and reliability.
Platform responsibilities managed by provider
• All platform responsibilities such as backups, system maintenance, security, hardware
refresh, power management, etc., are performed by the cloud provider. The consumer
needs not to bother about them.
 SaaS Disadvantages
Insufficient Data Security
This is one of the top concerns for companies who are looking to opt for a SaaS-based application
model. Issues such as identity and access management need to be addressed before trusting any third
party service provide with your company's sensitive data. Particularly in the case of accessibility from a
mobile device, strict measures need to be taken before any kind of sensitive data is divulged to the
service provider.
Connectivity requirement –
since the SaaS model is based on web delivery, if your internet service fails, you will lose access to your
software or data
Performance –
SaaS may run at somewhat slower speeds than on-premise client or server applications, so it's worth
keeping performance in mind your software isn't hosted on a local machine.
Difficulty with Regulations Compliance
When your business critical data is stored in the service provider's data center, it is difficult to comply
with the government's data protection regulations. Your company will need to learn which rules apply to
your business, ask the right questions from your service provider, and address any kind of
inconsistencies in the process.
Troublesome Software Integration
When working with an external SaaS service provider to host multiple apps, there might be an
integration problem with the existing in-house software. The in-house APIs and data structures might
not integrate properly with the external software. As a result, you should always perform compatibility
checks with all SaaS applications for better results.
 Recovery as a service (RaaS)

• Recovery as a service (RaaS), sometimes referred to as disaster

recovery as a service (DRaaS), is a category of cloud computing
used for protecting an application or data from a natural or human
disaster or service disruption at one location by enabling a full
recovery in the cloud.
• RaaS differs from cloud-based backup services by protecting data
and providing standby computing capacity on demand to facilitate
more rapid application recovery.
• RaaS capacity is delivered in a cloud-computing model so recovery
resources are only paid for when they are used, making it more
efficient than a traditional disaster recovery warm site or hot site
where the recovery resources must be running at all times
 Activity Test-2 marks
• What are some emerging trends and technologies in cloud
computing and how are they likely to shape the industry in the
coming years?
• What are the common challenges that organization face when
adopting cloud computing, and how they can be addressed?
• What is cloud computing and how does it differ from traditional
on-premises computing models?
• Compare and contrast the three main cloud service models. Give
example of each and explain the advantages and disadvantages
under each category.