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Cloud Computing Fundamentals · Module 2 of 10

Service models: IaaS, PaaS, SaaS

Cloud services differ by how much the provider manages for you.

📖 Key ideas

  1. IaaS gives virtual machines, networks and disks (e.g. EC2, Azure VMs).
  2. PaaS runs your code without managing servers (e.g. App Engine, Heroku, Firebase).
  3. SaaS is finished software you just use (e.g. Gmail, Zoho, Salesforce).
  4. Serverless / FaaS runs single functions on demand (Lambda, Cloud Functions).
  5. More management by the provider means less control for you.
💡 Real-life example: Like food: IaaS is buying vegetables and cooking, PaaS is a meal kit, SaaS is eating at a restaurant.
IaaSInfrastructure as a Service
PaaSPlatform as a Service
SaaSSoftware as a Service
FaaSFunctions as a Service