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GC Cloud: Cloud Service Models (DDN2-V42)

Description

This video provides an overview and comparison of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS) to help build a baseline knowledge of cloud computing service models.

Duration: 00:05:56
Published: February 21, 2024
Type: Video


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GC Cloud: Cloud Service Models

Transcript

Transcript

Transcript: GC Cloud: Cloud Service Models

[The text "Discover GC Cloud: Navigating cloud service models" appears.]

[A computer monitor appears in a cloud, with three points emerging from the cloud.]

When learning about cloud computing, there are a few important terms to remember. These include Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service, and Software as a Service.

[A woman wearing glasses is fixing a silver car on a hoist in a mechanic's garage. There are other cars in the garage. Zoom in on the woman doing the repair.]

First let's talk about information technology or IT. Its infrastructure can be likened to a vehicle. When you buy a vehicle, you're responsible for its maintenance and you can buy a new one if you wish to upgrade.

[A silver car drives past high-rise buildings in a city.]

Infrastructure as a Service is like leasing a car. When you lease a car, you choose the car you want and drive it wherever you wish to, but the car isn't yours.

[The car changes to a yellow sports car.]

Want an upgrade? Just lease a different car!

[A computer monitor displays a cloud; zoom in on the cloud until the cloud fills the screen.]

Infrastructure as a Service offers organizations the use of a basic computing platform.

[A smaller cloud appears with the acronym "IaaS" written on it. Lines and images spread out of the IaaS cloud.]

In other words, it is a virtual data centre that generally includes the following features:

[Images coming out of the IaaS cloud include a hand scrolling through a website, a computer monitor, and a hand holding a phone.]

Website or application hosting: You can run your website or application with the help of Infrastructure as a Service.

[The following symbols appear: three stacked servers; silhouette images of a phone, Wi-Fi, computer monitor and desktop computer; two interlocking squares with an arrow pointing up and out of the top-right corner of the larger square.]

Virtual data centres: Infrastructure as a Service is the best solution for building virtual data centres for large-scale enterprises that need an effective, scalable and safe server environment to store data.

[A magnifying glass and a pile of papers with illegible content appear.]

Data analysis: Analyzing huge amounts of data requires incredible computing power; Infrastructure as a Service is the most economical way to get it.

[A blue and grey screen appears with people sitting on steps. A woman in glasses with a prosthetic leg is sitting on one step. A man is sitting on the higher step, holding a phone to his ear. IaaS appears on screen.]

Infrastructure as a Service provides major advantages such as:

[A dollar sign with a line through it appears.]

No need to buy hardware infrastructure. Vendors provide and maintain hardware infrastructure: servers, storage, and networking resources. This means that organizations don't need to invest in expensive hardware.

[Two interlocking squares with an arrow pointing up and out of the top-right corner of the larger square appear.]

It's scalable, reliable and secure. Although all cloud-based solutions are scalable, this is particularly true of Infrastructure as a Service, as additional resources are available in case of higher demand. Apps can also be scaled down if demand is low.

[A padlock appears.]

Vendors need to provide infrastructure that ensures the security of their cloud service.

[The Government of Canada logo appears in the centre of a white screen. Logos for each of the companies appear as they are listed.]

Major Infrastructure as a Service providers used by the Government of Canada include the following: Amazon Web Services, Google Compute Engine, IBM Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Oracle, Salesforce, Servicenow, and ThinkOn.

[A cityscape appears.]

In our government context, who does what in Infrastructure as a Service?

[The Government of Canada logo appears with a grey box listing its responsibilities.]

The government manages hosted applications, development and management tools, and the operating system.

[A cloud with the word "vendor" on it appears with a grey box listing their responsibilities.]

The vendor or cloud service provider manages servers and storage, networking resources and the data centre.

[It's dark outside and a man wearing glasses waits for a taxi on a city street. The moon is in the sky and there is a recycling bin on the street. The man checks his watch as a yellow taxi pulls up from the right in front of him. The taxi picks him up and drives away, off the screen to the left.]

Platform as a Service is like taking a taxi. You don't drive the taxi yourself, but simply tell the driver where you need to go and relax in the back seat.

[Two bullet points appear on a grey screen. A yellow taxi pulls up from the right of the screen under the bullet points, and then drives off the screen to the left.]

Platform as a Service precludes the need to manage the underlying infrastructure, usually hardware and operating systems, and allows you to focus on the deployment and management of applications.

[The Government of Canada logo appears on a white screen. Logos for each of the companies appear as they are listed.]

Platform as a Service examples used in the Government of Canada include Salesforce and Google App Engine.

[The background is purple with a computer monitor mid-screen. PaaS and SaaS appear in a cloud on the monitor. Zoom in as the acronyms blur.]

As cloud providers are adding new features the differences between Platform as a Service and Software as a Service are becoming increasingly blurred.

[The Government of Canada logo appears on a cityscape background with a grey box listing its responsibilities.]

Who does what in Platform as a Service in government? The government manages hosted applications.

[A cloud with the word "vendor" written on it appears with a grey box listing their responsibilities.]

The vendor or cloud service provider manages development and management tools, the operating system, servers and storage, networking resources, and the data centre.

[Three people are waiting at a bus stop: there's a man wearing glasses, a woman, and a person holding a white cane. A blue and grey bus pulls up to the bus stop, entering the screen from the right. It picks up the three passengers and drives off the screen to the left.]

Software as a Service is like traveling by bus. Buses have assigned routes, and you share the ride with other passengers.

[A woman wearing glasses and a head scarf is sitting at a desk typing at a computer. A thought bubble appears above her head.]

Software as a Service is also known as "software on demand" and provides you with a completed product that is run and managed by the service provider. You don't have to think about how the service is maintained or how the underlying infrastructure is managed, but only about how you will use the software.

[A computer monitor has the word "Pros" written on the left side. A hand appears, flipping a coin repeatedly.]

Software as a Service is a subscription service, making it more affordable than purchasing licenses.

[An analogue clock with moving hands appears.]

And it's usually fast, with the application ready to go as soon as you get your login and password.

[The word "Cons" appears on screen with an exclamation point inside a triangle. A wavy purple line moves up and down between the Pros and Cons lists.]

However, buyer beware! It is important to know the boundaries, protocol, and who to talk to before signing up for any Software as a Service.

[IaaS appears on the Cons list along with a security logo.]

For example, your Software as a Service may require Infrastructure as a Service, and some may be a security risk.

[An envelope and company logos appear.]

Email services like Gmail are a familiar example of Software as a Service. Microsoft 365 is one example that is being implemented across the Government of Canada.

[The Government of Canada logo appears on a cityscape background with a grey box listing its responsibilities.]

Who does what in the Software as a Service in our government context? The government (which might mean you, as an individual employee) manages software set-up, including user IDs, passwords and access control.

[A cloud with the word "vendor" written on it appears with a grey box listing their responsibilities.]

The vendor or cloud service provider manages hosted applications, development and management tools, the operating system, servers and storage, and networking resources.

[A digital map shows a route moving across the map to a destination point. Zoom in to destination.]

Let's summarize. In all service models, the management of where you want to go is your responsibility.

[Four people are at a bus stop: a man and three women. A blue and grey bus pulls up to the bus stop, entering the screen from the right. It picks up the four passengers and drives off the screen to the left.]

You plan your route and stop or get on and get off as you please. So before planning your "as a service" trip, be sure to know your destination and map out how you want to get there!

[A computer monitor on a purple background shows a magnifying glass with the word "Search" beside it.]

One final note. If the vehicle analogy doesn't work for you, take a few minutes to search online for an analogy that resonates.

[A pizza appears. All but one slice disappears. A hand takes the last slice of pizza.]

Pizza as a Service is a popular one but be forewarned that it just might make you hungry!

[Logo for Canada School of Public Service appears, followed by "canada.ca/school."]

[The Government of Canada logo appears.]

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