Overview

Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) is an instant computing infrastructure, provisioned and managed over the internet. IaaS quickly scales up and down with demand, letting you pay only for what you use. It helps you avoid the capital expense and complexity of buying and managing your own physical servers and other datacenter infrastructure. Each resource is offered as a separate service component, and you only need to rent a particular one for as long as you need it. In addition to virtual servers, some vendors also offer physical servers as options within their IaaS. This is often needed for applications and databases that are more resource intensive or legacy applications that do not run well on virtual servers.

Let's Unpack That

The following key terms help define IaaS by introducing and the various tools available through its platform.

(VM) Virtual Machine –  is a software program or operating system that not only exhibits the behavior of a separate computer but is also capable of performing tasks such as running applications and programs like a separate computer.

(vCPU) Virtual CPU – represents a portion or share of a physical CPU that is assigned to a virtual machine (VM).

(RAM) Random Access Memory – is a type of computer memory that can be accessed randomly; that is, any byte of memory can be accessed without touching the preceding bytes. RAM is found in servers, PCs, tablets, smartphones and other devices, such as printers.

Storage – is a digital medium that allows servers and/or devices to record data.  Usually Storage Area Networks (SANs) are utilized in an IaaS environment. 

(OS) Operating System – is the core software on any device that allows applications to communicate with the device’s hardware. 

Host Machine – is the computer or server that runs one or more virtual machines

Guest Machine – is the virtualized servers running on host machines

Hypervisor – is the software, firmware, and/or hardware that creates and runs the actual virtual machines.  Used to help deploy/manage the virtual machines by allowing the guest machines to share resources like CPU, ram, and storage.

(IOPS) Input/output operations per second – is  an input/outperformance measurement used to characterize computer storage devices like hard drives and SANS.

Why Work With Us?

• We are independent and can deliver multiple options
• We will learn your existing business structure and goals
• We will understand your existing applications and determine which applications can be virtualized
• We will determine the application tiers and prioritization
• We will research to source the optimal supplier
• We will implement and support the selected solution
• After implementation, we will provide ongoing support, including through customer service and escalations
• We will become integrated within your organization’s ecosystem
  

Is Infrastructure Right for My Organization?

Scalability – All businesses see periods of increased and decreased economic activity. When the demand for your services is high, you need more resource inputs to satisfy the increase; however when the demand is low, your business must scale down to cut expenses wherever possible. Along with increased flexibility in this aspect, migrating to infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) means you don’t need to worry about outdated equipment or hardware lifecycles, as you can scale your infrastructure capacity up or down at a moment’s notice by contacting your migration service provider.

Cost-effectiveness – Cloud computing removes hardware expenses, as hardware is provided by a vendor. There’s no need to buy, install, configure, and maintain servers, databases, or other components of your runtime environment. Moreover, using cloud-based solutions means you pay only for what you use, so if you don’t need extra resources you can simply scale down and not pay for them.

Convenience – Cloud computing also removes the need for real estate in your own building or datacenter.  Along with no longer needing to maintain your own equipment, you are also freed from any need to physically move the servers should you relocate offices.

Reliability – When physical infrastructure's malfunction, a business is faced with the potential for severe downtime and tremendous loss. Shifting to infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) eliminates that possibility. This is because contrary to on-premises infrastructure, cloud-based infrastructure or IaaS works on the principle of resource sharing. This means that it works across multiple servers and even multiple data centers. Performance IaaS providers equip their data centers with a high-performance computing infrastructure that guarantees low network latency with high IOPS for your applications.  Building your own server environment with similar specifications will typically be more expensive than it’s worth when  compared to subscribing to an IaaS service.

Security – IaaS providers have tight security controls in place to protect computing environments from breaches. Along with ensuring a provider has the proper certifications and a proven track record is essential.