By Giorgio Bonuccelli
Last updated on March 23, 2022
Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) are offered on Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing platform. Together with Software as a Service (SaaS), they are essential components for building, deploying, and managing applications hosted on Azure or any other cloud computing platform. There is some confusion surrounding PaaS and SaaS, though. It is essential to understand the differences between the two so that organizations can determine the most suitable solution for their requirements.
Azure SaaS
Before getting into the details of Azure PaaS, it’s necessary to understand Azure SaaS – which is the full complement of services that allows organizations to develop, deploy, and manage their applications from end to end on the platform. In Azure SaaS, your applications and databases are hosted on Microsoft’s data centers. Your organization utilizes the Azure portal to manage applications and various other tools like operating systems, servers, storage, firewalls, and other security features offered on the Azure platform. Depending on your application’s traffic, the platform decides when to scale the application up or down based on user-provided settings.
Azure SaaS encompasses both Azure PaaS and Azure IaaS.
Azure PaaS
Azure PaaS (like Azure IaaS) is built on top of Azure SaaS, stopping just short of the application and data side. This means that an organization that selects Azure PaaS is still responsible for managing its applications and data, e.g., deciding when to scale them up to meet future demand. Thus, Azure PaaS requires your organization to have expert personnel who can manage applications. However, application maintenance is still easier than managing your own servers (Azure also takes care of hosting). Your developers still rely on all of the other features and services offered on the platform.
Operating systems, development tools, database management, and business analytics are among the wide range of services Azure PaaS offers. Also included are the components and services that form part of Azure IaaS. Thus, Azure PaaS offers organizations a relatively easy yet affordable way to develop and deploy cloud-based applications. It is ideal for organizations looking to simplify development and utilize analytics, business intelligence, and other services offered on the Azure platform.
Azure IaaS
Like Azure PaaS, Azure IaaS is built on top of Azure SaaS. As the word “infrastructure” in its name suggests, Azure IaaS comprises the servers and storage, networking firewalls and security, and the actual physical data centers on which your applications run. The servers reside on completely virtual machines.
Azure IaaS is the minimum component that your organization can take advantage of on the Azure platform. With it, your organization is free from worrying about server hardware and other equipment that form the backbone of your applications and services. However, you still need to purchase, install and manage the operating systems, databases, middleware, development tools, and other applications that are on the virtual machines.
Organizations using Azure IaaS require trained people who can maintain the platforms you develop on, e.g., Windows Servers, Visual Studio.NET, and SQL Server. Administrators need to maintain operating systems, perform backups, configure antivirus software and install patches, among other tasks. Azure IaaS is ideal for organizations looking to scale up testing and development, host websites and web apps, or utilize high-performance computing involving complex calculations and extensive data analysis.
Benefits of Using Azure PaaS
Azure PaaS delivers infrastructure as a service, allowing organizations to tap into the benefits of IaaS. However, it also incorporates middleware such as programming tools and other business tools, giving organizations more advantages, including:
- Efficient management of application lifecycle. You get all the tools and features from the same integrated environment to support the complete application lifecycle from development to deployment.
- Cut coding time. PaaS reduces the time it takes to code a new application and get it up and running. Developers can leverage pre-coded components such as directory services and search options to fast-track application development.
- Multi-platform support. Azure PaaS provides you with an environment where you can implement apps that run on multiple platforms such as mobile devices, PCs, and browsers.
- Cost savings. Azure PaaS provides you with hardware and software, eliminating upfront capital expenditure costs that could be prohibitive for an organization. Besides, PaaS’s “pay-as-you-go” pricing scheme means you only pay for what you’ve used.
- Geo-distributed development. By allowing developers to access the development environment over the Internet, Azure PaaS enable remote teams to collaborate on projects.
Differences Between Azure PaaS and IaaS
Azure PaaS and Azure IaaS are distinct from each other in the following ways:
- Azure PaaS allows development and deployment on the cloud, so administrators need only to manage applications and data. It frees your organization from managing the platform and other software, speeding up development work. With multiple development tools at your disposal on Azure PaaS, developers are ready to start working immediately. With IaaS, you need to install and configure your development platform. You also need to maintain the database software and/or middleware required in your applications. These tasks are not trivial.
- Azure IaaS requires your organization to acquire and maintain development tools and other software from the start, entailing a potentially significant financial outlay. With Azure PaaS, you pay for tools only when you need them.
- Azure PaaS allows tapping of pre-built application components, allowing your current staff to train and develop using these components. Your organization does not need to ramp up personnel. Azure IaaS does not offer prebuilt components.
- Azure PaaS suits itself more to remote work since you access the development environment on the cloud.
The above list makes it easy to see when and where your organization should use Azure PaaS and Azure IaaS. If your organization does not have trained administrators and it just wants to go into development straight away, Azure PaaS may work for you. If you want flexibility and have personnel that can help maintain your development platform, you may want to go with Azure IaaS instead.
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