Models
There are three service models: software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and infrastructure as a service (IaaS). These models determine the type of user the cloud service is designed for: end users, developers, or system administrators.
The different service models also dictate the level of control over software applications, operating systems, networking, and other components. The least control for the end user exists in the SaaS model, with only basic configuration controls available, if any. The most control for the end user is the IaaS model where operating system selection and configuration, patching, and software tools and applications are under the control of the end user.
When the service is provided to a company, the distinction can be less clear. While a PaaS may be intended for use by developers, there may be some administration of the service by the company as well. In fact, the lines often blur when a corporation enters into a business relationship with a cloud provider but does much of the provisioning and administrative work in house.
For example, Office 365 can be considered a SaaS solution, and to the individual consumer there is little or no administrative overhead. But, if a company contracts for Office 365, they may in fact administer the system, overseeing account provisioning, system monitoring, and other tasks that would be the domain of developers and administrators.
Deployment Models
There are four deployment models: public, private, community, and hybrid clouds. These define who owns and controls the underlying infrastructure of a cloud service and who can access a specific cloud service.
A public cloud deployment makes resources available for anyone who chooses to create an account and purchase access to the service. A service like Dropbox is available to the public SaaS deployment. Accounts on various cloud service providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google, and IBM Cloud are also public deployments of services.
A private cloud deployment consists of a set of cloud resources for a single organization (business, non-profit, etc.). The cloud may be located on-premise in the organization’s data center or may be in a single tenant cloud environment provided by a CSP. The services (SaaS, PaaS, or IaaS) are available solely to that organization. You get many of the advantages of a cloud such as the on-demand resources and minimal management effort. However, the company still owns the infrastructure. This can provide the benefits of cloud computing for files and data that are too sensitive to put on a public cloud.
A community cloud is most similar to a public cloud. It is a cloud deployment for a related group of companies or individuals such as a consortium of universities or a group of local or state governments. The cloud may be implemented in one of the organizations, with services provided to all members. Or, it can be implemented in an infrastructure like AWS or Google. However, access to the cloud resources is available only to the members of the group.
A hybrid cloud is any combination of these. A company may have a private cloud that accesses public cloud resources for some of its functions. The hybrid cloud allows the organization of cloud resources in whatever way makes the most sense to the organization. Private individuals are not usually involved in a hybrid cloud. This is because few individuals have their own private cloud or belong to a community cloud as individuals.
These concepts will be discussed further in the “Cloud Deployment Models” section later in this chapter.
Cloud Computing Roles
There are a number of roles in cloud computing, and understanding each role allows clearer understanding of each of the cloud service models, deployment models, security responsibilities, and other aspects of cloud computing.
Cloud Service Customer
The cloud service customer (CSC) is the company or person purchasing the cloud service, or in the case of an internal customer, the employee using the cloud service. For example, a SaaS CSC would be any individual or organization that subscribes to a cloud-based email service. A PaaS CSC would be an individual or organization subscribing to a PaaS resource. A PaaS resource could be a development platform. With an IaaS solution, the customer is a system administrator who needs infrastructure to support their enterprise. In a very real sense, the customer is the individual the particular service model was created to support.
Cloud Service Provider
The cloud service provider (CSP) is the company or other entity offering cloud services. A CSP may offer SaaS, PaaS, or IaaS services in any combination. For example, major CSPs such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud offer both PaaS and IaaS services.
Depending on the service provided (SaaS, PaaS, or IaaS), the responsibilities of the CSP vary considerably. In all cases, security in the cloud is a shared responsibility between the CSP and the customer. This shared responsibility is a continuum, with the customer taking a larger security role in an IaaS service model and the CSP taking a larger role in the security in a SaaS service model. The responsibilities of a PaaS fall somewhere in between. But even when a CSP has most of the responsibility in a SaaS solution, the customer is ultimately responsible for the data and processes they put into the cloud.
The basic infrastructure is the responsibility of the CSP, including the overall security of the cloud environment and the infrastructure components provided. This would include responsibilities such as physical security of data centers. For example, AWS is always responsible for securing the AWS Cloud environment. The customer is responsible for the security of what they do in the cloud. The customer has ultimate responsibility for the security of their customer and other sensitive data and how they use the cloud and cloud components. The CSP may provide many security services, but the customer may choose not to use some or all of those services.
As the cloud environment becomes more complicated, with hybrid clouds and community clouds that federate across multiple cloud environments, the responsibility for security becomes ever more complex. As the customer owns their data and processes, they have a responsibility to review the security policies and procedures of the CSP, and the federated responsibilities that may exist between multiple CSPs and data centers.
Cloud Service Partner
A cloud service partner is a third party offering a variety of cloud-based services (infrastructure, storage and application services, and platform services) using the associated CSP. An AWS cloud service partner uses AWS to provide their services. The cloud service partner can provide customized interfaces, load balancing, and a variety of services. It may be an easier entrance to cloud computing, as an existing customer vendor may already be a cloud service partner. The partner has experience with the underlying CSP and can introduce a customer to the cloud more easily.
The cloud partner network is also a way to extend the reach of a CSP. The cloud service partner will brand its association with the CSP. Some partners align with multiple CSPs, giving the customer a great deal of flexibility.
Some partners provide their own or most of their own infrastructure and extend the service areas they can reach through the use of partnerships. For example, Dropbox extends its reach to service areas where it does not have infrastructure through a continued partnership with AWS. This also allows Dropbox to expand beyond what its own infrastructure will currently handle.
Cloud Service Broker
A cloud service broker is similar to a broker in any industry. Companies use a broker to find solutions to their cloud computing needs. The broker will package services in a manner that benefits the customer. This may involve the services of multiple CSPs. A broker is a value-add service and can be an easy way for a company to begin a move into the cloud. A broker adds value through aggregation of services from multiple parties, integration of services with a company's existing infrastructure, and customization of services that a CSP cannot or will not make.