When diving into the cloud, it’s not just all sunshine and rainbows. It’s essential to know who’s holding which joystick (or responsibility) to ensure a smooth gaming (or operational) experience.
1. The Shared Responsibility Model – What’s It?
Imagine co-op gaming. You and your gaming buddy (or in this case, the cloud provider) are working together to achieve a common goal. But each player has specific tasks or roles to perform. In the cloud realm, this is called the Shared Responsibility Model.
2. On-Premises vs. Cloud Models
In a classic single-player mode (On-Premises), you’re in charge of everything – from maintaining the hardware to updating your game. In cloud multiplayer modes (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS), you share responsibilities with the cloud provider.
3. Breaking Down the Levels:
🕹️ IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service):
- Cloud Provider’s Level: Physical security, infrastructure maintenance, and virtualization layer.
- Your Level: OS updates, software installation, data security, and network configurations.
🎮 PaaS (Platform as a Service):
- Cloud Provider’s Level: Everything from physical security to runtime environment.
- Your Level: App deployment, data management, and access controls for the apps you deploy.
👾 SaaS (Software as a Service):
- Cloud Provider’s Level: Almost everything! From physical security to the app’s functionality.
- Your Level: Mainly user access and data management.
4. Quick Takeaways:
- On-Premises: Total control, total responsibility.
- IaaS: A mix – you manage the apps and data, but the cloud provider takes care of the heavy infrastructure lifting.
- PaaS: An even split – they handle the platform, and you play in it.
- SaaS: Chill mode – they run the show; you just use the software.
By knowing your role and that of the cloud provider, you can ensure that no game over screens (or security breaches) pop up unexpectedly!