http://www.xe.

com/
https://apprenda.com/library/cl
oud/introduction-to-cloud-
computing/
The Three-Tier Model of Cloud
Computing
Cloud services are usually divided into three basic levels, or tiers, that are
differentiated by the level of abstraction they present to consumers.
The lowest tier is infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS). With IaaS, users run software on
machines owned and configured by a third party. IaaS makes up the hardware and
software that supports the whole system, from the server to storage and networks.

The next tier is platform-as-a-service (PaaS). PaaS is basically a platform that supports
the complete life-cycle of building and delivering applications and services over the
Web. PaaS provides services to deploy, test, host, and maintain applications within the
same integrated development environment. With PaaS, each platform component
whether middleware, messaging, integration, or communication is provided as a
service.

The most visible layer to end users is software-as-a-service (SaaS), which rests on top
of the PaaS layer. With SaaS, users can access pre-baked services simply by
navigating to them via a Web browser, without bothering with the hardware and
software details involved in the implementation.
PAAS: A TECHNOLOGY STACK AS A SERVICE

The PaaS tier, the middle layer in the three-tier system, arguably contains some of the
most crucial elements of the cloud. Users of the PaaS layer are developers who
implement their applications and deploy them on the cloud. PaaS providers supply
developers with a programming-language-level environment with a set of well-defined
APIs to facilitate the interaction between the environments and the cloud applications,
as well as to accelerate the deployment of those cloud applications. Developers reap
several benefits with PaaS, from automatic scaling and load balancing to integration
with other services (e.g. authentication services, email services, user interface)
furnished by the PaaS provider. Pricing is typically pay-as-you-go, with no need to buy
software, middleware, or licenses. Developers have the ability to integrate other
services to their applications on-demand, which makes application development less
complicated, accelerates deployment time, and minimizes the faults in applications.
With PaaS, features of the operating system can be changed and updated frequently,
and geographically disparate software-development teams can work together on
projects.

The following are some of the specific components of the PaaS layer:

Database Management Systems-Database management systems (DBMs) often

act as a courier between the upper/middle tiers of a technology stack and the
hardware elements. DBMs often include comprehensive security protocols or
deploy bots for maintenance and organization.
Application Servers- In most cloud networking setups, entire servers or hardware
elements can be reserved for sole use of applications, on the basis of the theory
that congruence between all activities on a particular system results in better
optimization and fewer errors.
Business Process Management Suites- Business process management suites
are complex sets of tasks or applications that are compiled together in one
format, analyzed, and then used to formulate or provide fuel for additional
application-intensive processes. Businesses often use them to automate internal
processes.
Applications / Data integration-Applications and elements responsible for data
integration exist in the middle PaaS layer.
Portals- A portal is an access point between a user and cloud resources. Users
connect to cloud resources through a channel located in the middleware of the
technology stack.

WHO IS USING PAAS?

PaaS is perfectly suited to the needs of users who dont want to shoulder the
responsibility of managing middleware or OS. Some vendors, such as Apprenda,
provide advanced PaaS tiers on which users can easily build traditional Web
applications that include a complete multi-tenant SaaS architecture. PaaS is especially
useful for organizations in which multiple developers have to work together on
development projects or in which other external parties need to participate in the
development process. PaaS has proved an invaluable resource for enterprises with an
existing data source who want to create applications that leverage that data, and for
developers who want to automate testing and deployment services. Advanced PaaS
offerings will sometimes add a layer of indirection between tiers to manage application-
level messaging and to route traffic for the application.

Businesses in particular have begun to reap the benefits of PaaS and to implement it to
assist in decision making processes as well as daily operations. If current trends are
any indication, PaaS will likely continue to grow, incorporating new applications.

\
Cloud Computing Overview
Cloud computing is a growing idea in the world of IT, born out of the
necessity for computing on the go. It brings the user access to data,
applications and storage that are not stored on their computer. For a very
simple cloud computing overview, it can be understood as a delivery
system that delivers computing the same way a power grid delivers
electricity. To the average computer user it offers the advantage of
delivering IT without the user having to have an in depth knowledge of the
technology. Similar to the way a consumer can access electricity without
being an electrician.
CLOUD COMPUTING OVERVIEW: UNDERSTANDING THE CLOUD

Cloud computing is the hottest purpose built architecture created to support computer
users. The cloud addresses three main areas of operation:

SaaS (software-as-a-service)
PaaS (platform-as-a-service)
Iaas (infrastructure as a service)

By delivering this computing, storage and applications as a service, not a product, the
cloud offers both a cost and business advantage. The cloud moves all these services
off-site to either a contractor, or a centralized facility. Centralizing the data allows the
cost to be shared amongst all the users. The cloud accomplishes what IT is always
seeking to; increase computing capabilities, without having to provide a new
infrastructure. The possible uses of cloud computing are exponential. Users interface
with the cloud through their web browser, eliminating the need for installing numerous
software applications.

SIMPLIFIED DEPLOYMENT AND DELIVERY

A cloud computing overview will show how the cloud can not only simplify in house
computing operations, but also change the way products are deployed to its users. A
product developed with a SOA architecture, deployed by the cloud, or a PaaS, will
inherit cloud behavior and capabilities. With the cloud delivery system products can be
developed much more rapidly, and deployed in a much more user friendly way.

Most PaaS options have been through a public PaaS. While it does offer great value as
a technology layer, cloud computing overview shows that a public PaaS does not
sufficiently meet the needs of some businesses, or grant them the free reign and
customization their operation needs. Apprenda delivers the high powered PaaS, without
the restrictions of a public PaaS.

Businesses and organizations who wish to create a cloud computing option, either for
their in house use, or for the development, deployment and running of custom
application need a Platform as a Service solution. One such PaaS option is Apprenda,
which offers a Private PaaS for enterprise applications.

Public Cloud vs. Private Cloud

In a public cloud, a third-party provider offers a range of services to the
general public over the internet. Data from several corporate or individual
clients may share the same server. A private cloud is similar in principle,
but is set up behind a firewall and provides hosted services to only a
limited number of approved users.
ACCESSIBILITY

Public clouds can offer the replication of data to many locations, and thus organizations
with users all over the world can use public clouds as an alternative to content
distribution networks. Because public clouds are accessed over the internet, they may
be subject to bandwidth limitations, whereas private clouds are accessed over the
Ethernet LAN at high speed.

SECURITY

Because public clouds are publicly accessible, users with sensitive data or who need
guaranteed availability and skilled technical support may prefer to use a private cloud.
Because it has limited access, some people see private cloud computing as a way
around the security concerns of a public cloud.
Choosing between a Public vs Private Cloud
Public clouds are easy to implement, and because the cost of the hardware,
applications, and bandwidth are covered by the provider, users pay only for what they
use. Public clouds offer a lower upfront cost and unlimited scalability. Small businesses
may prefer the public cloud because of its low cost, but before opting for the public
cloud, users should look into their providers security policies. Companies like Netflix
and Amazon also use public clouds.

A private clouds dedicated hardware makes it more efficient. Just like a public cloud, it
provides resources on demand, but it is deployed within an organizations internal IT
infrastructure. Many businesses that opt to use private clouds are interested in
preserving the existing infrastructure theyve invested in. Private clouds offer advanced
security, dependable availability, and a high level of control. They can be customized
according to a users specifications and are efficient because they are designed for and
managed by the users they serve. Private clouds are well-suited to independent
software vendors (ISVs) and larger businesses who want to increase efficiency and
interactivity among their staff.

A platform serves as a one-stop solution for enterprises that want to set up an entire
suite of software or speed up the development or deployment of common commercial
applications. One such platform is offered by Apprenda, a private platform-as-a-service
for Microsoft-based (.NET) business application development and deployment.
Apprenda is also the creator of SaaSGrid, the industrys leading SaaS.

Private Cloud
Private cloud is a type of cloud environment where the cloud software is
managed by internal IT. For example, in private IaaS, internal operations
installs and manages the cloud management platform (CMP) for its
infrastructure. In Private PaaS/Enterprise PaaS internal operations installs
and manages the PaaS software on either internal or public IaaS
infrastructure. Private cloud includes private infrastructure as a service
(private IaaS) and private platform as a service (private PaaS). Private
PaaS is often referred to as Enterprise PaaS to indicate to the user that the
software can be installed on both internal and external cloud environments.
Many public cloud providers have labeled clouds with the private moniker to avoid
confusion about the shared nature of the resources. In those cases, the public cloud is
isolated on the physical server and logical networking layer. Examples of such public
clouds that have adopted the private cloud name include AWS Virtual Private Cloud.

Before 2015, most private cloud efforts have been exclusively focused on private
IaaS. According to Gartners Thomas Bittman, 95% of Private Clouds have failed to live
up to the orginal promise. Gartners suggestion for organizations in 2015 is to start
looking at private PaaS. According to Gartner for Technical Professionals 2015
Planning Guide for Cloud Computing, Private PaaS (Enterprise PaaS) improves
developer productivity, reduces operational effort, and increases hosting density. This
value proposition is too compelling for large enterprises to ignore.

Key Points

Private cloud comes in two primary flavors Private Infrastructure as a Service

(Private IaaS) and Private Platform as a Service (Private PaaS)
Private PaaS is often referred to as Enterprise PaaS
Private PaaS/Enterprise PaaS can be installed on both internal and external
environments. For example, it can be installed on AWS and a customers internal
data center bare metal, virtualized, and private IaaS.
Private PaaS/Enterprise PaaS is not reliant on private IaaS.
Many organizations are using Private PaaS/Enterprise PaaS to supplement or
refocus private cloud strategies.
.NET Cloud
The .NET cloud platform is one of the primary frameworks used to build
custom applications in the enterprise. According to Gartner, through
2017, the Microsoft and Java software platforms will continue to enjoy at
least 85% adoption among Global 2000 IT organizations. Java is
primarily run on Linux servers whereas .NET is entirely run on Windows
servers. Note: ASP.NET 5s teams are working on cross platform
capability that will allow these applications to run on Linux and Mac OS
X.
There are a few types of .NET Cloud:

Type Use Case Examples

Programmable infrastructure
management for .NET cloud
environments. The cloud Microsoft System Center
Private IaaS for .NET
management platform and Windows Azure Pack
software is owned managed
by internal IT.
Programmable infrastructure
management for .NET cloud
environments. The cloud
Microsoft Azure, AWS,
management platform
Public IaaS for .NET Google Compute Engine
software is owned and
(GCE), and others
operated by a third party.
Infrastructure is accessed
using CLI and APIs.
.NET cloud application
middleware, services, and
management delivered
Public PaaS (application through a third party cloud Microsoft Azure Websites
PaaS or aPaaS) provider. The PaaS software and Web Hosting
and infrastructure are
managed by a third party
cloud provider.
Application cloud-
enablement middleware,
Enterprise PaaS/Private services, and management.
Apprenda
PaaS The PaaS software and
infrastructure are managed
by internal IT. Enterprise
 PaaS includes infrastructure
management and can
include IaaS, but
infrastructure clouds are not
a needed for Enterprise
PaaS. Enterprise PaaS can
deployed on premise or in
the cloud.

Organizations often have difficulty determining which types of PaaS to choose.

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then the organization needs to evaluate
Enterprise PaaS/Private PaaS:

Does the application already exist or will not conform to 12 factor standards?
Does the organizations want control over the infrastructure?
Will the application be delivered to employees behind the organizations
firewalls?
If the application is a commercial web property, will it need large scale?

For those organizations interested in evaluating an Enterprise PaaS, Apprenda is the

only Enterprise PaaS that has significant support for the .NET cloud
framework. According to Gartner, Apprenda is the clear leader in the .NET (private
PaaS) market.

Cloud Computing Certification

Cloud computing certification refers to a credentialing process that confirms an
individuals knowledge and competency in cloud computing service technologies. Cloud
computing certification candidates must pass a series of cloud computing examinations
that test their knowledge of various aspects of cloud computing, including: cloud
computing terminology, cloud computing architecture and cloud computing
management. There are two types of cloud computing certification programs: vendor
specific cloud computing certification programs and vendor neutral cloud computing
certification programs.

VENDOR NEUTRAL CLOUD COMPUTING CERTIFICATION

Vendor neutral cloud computing certification programs focus on broad topics within the
realm of cloud computing technology. Many of the certifications that are available in this
category are general in nature, however cloud computing specialty certifications are
also offered by the various entities who provide vendor neutral cloud computing
certification programs. For example, special certifications are available to address key
aspects of cloud computing service delivery such as: SOAArchitecture (leading to a
Cloud Architect Certification), SOA Governance (leading to a Cloud Governance
Specialist Certification), Cloud Security (leading to a Cloud Security Specialist
Certification) and Cloud Storage (leading to a Cloud Storage Specialist Certification).

VENDOR SPECIFIC CLOUD COMPUTING CERTIFICATION

Vendor specific cloud computing certification programs focus on narrow topics having to
do with the design, architecture and functionality of specific web or cloud technologies.
Major IT entities such as IBM and Redhat offer their own vendor specific cloud
computing certification programs. Vendor specific cloud computing certification
programs usually provide a list of recommended prerequisites to certification
candidates, so they may properly prepare for a vendors cloud computing certification
exam(s).

For example, many vendors list the following bodies of knowledge as precursors to
taking their certification exams: cloud computing principles, cloud computing
implementation concepts, cloud computing types (i.e. private, public, community,
hybrid), cloud service types (i.e. software as a service, platform as a service,
infrastructure as a service), cloud computing business models and cloud computing
subtopics (e.g. performance, security, virtualization etc.)

CLOUD COMPUTING PARTNER CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS

Often times, a vendors cloud based service offerings require a higher level of
certification beyond what can be granted to an individual IT professional. For example,
organizations such as SAP offer a certified partner program (i.e. SAP-Certified Cloud
Services Provider) which ensures the highest level of service delivery and management
of the cloud based services offered bySAP.
Cloud Computing Security
Cloud computing security refers to the controls that must be implemented
in order to prevent the loss of data, information or resources belonging to a
cloud services provider or its customers. Cloud solution providers must
implement a variety of security controls for the SaaS (software as a
service) solutions,PaaS (platform as a service) solutions and the IaaS
(infrastructure as a service) solutions that they provide to their customers
or clients.
As with traditional computer or data security, there are many bases that must be
covered, in orderto ensure a safe computing environment. Computer security (including
cloud computing security)can be implemented by taking the following security measures
(as appropriate): restricting access to applications and system resources, logging
access & use of applications and systems; and controlling & monitoring access to
physical computing resources like servers & data centers, etc.

Many of the security methods that cloud service providers implement are driven by
privacy, compliance or legal rules for managing consumer data that specific industries
must adhere to. In any event, security breeches can result in major financial losses for
any organization, as costly fines and legal expenses may be incurred; along side a loss
of confidence in the organizations ability to protect customer data, which can lead to
further losses in business revenue.

PUBLIC CLOUD COMPUTING SECURITY

Since Cloud Computing is an newly evolving model for the delivery of software,
platforms and infrastructure; it provides a new set of challenges to IT network and data
security personnel. Most organizations that are considering moving their applications to
the cloud have a variety of security concerns, which are in many ways, certainly
warranted. Ironically, in some cases, a public cloud may provide better security for data
and IT resources than what could be provided by a firms on-premise IT staff; as the
element of employee loss or theft of data or computing assets is significantly reduced
when an enterprise uses a public cloud services provider to deliver IT services to the
organization. Nevertheless,while public cloud service providers may be able to
significantly reduce the threat of employee loss or theft of data or IT assets, they still
must competently guard against the outside threat that is intrinsic to delivering services
via the Internet: hackers who can launch an attack against the public cloud services
being delivered by a cloud service provider.
PRIVATE CLOUD COMPUTING SECURITY

Private clouds offer the framework for a more secure computing environment than what
is available within the sphere of public clouds. Along these lines, many organizations
with high security requirements frequently opt to deliver IT services via an enterprise
private cloud, which is secured by a network firewall. The implementation of an
enterprise private cloud provides organizations with the maximum level of control over
their data, applications and systems. An enterprise private cloud eliminates threats from
Internet hackers, as well as reducing the occurrence of intellectual property theft, which
could easily occur if a company stores its sensitive data and proprietary information in a
public cloud. Apprendas Private PaaS (platform as a service) offering serves as an
ideal solution for organizations who want to seamlessly and securely deliver cloud
computing services via an enterprise private cloud.

Cloud Computing vs.

Virtualization
Cloud computing is a term that refers to the hosting and delivery methods
used to provide software,
platform and infrastructure services to clients on a remote basis over the internet.
Virtualization is a term that is commonly used in conjunction with the term cloud
computing, but the terms are not
synonymous, since virtualization refers to the logical creation of an IT resource that
doesnt physically exist. Examples of virtualization include the creation of virtual
application servers and virtual storage devices like hard drives. Virtualization is
something entirely different from cloud computing, since the creation of virtual resources
does not depend on the existence of a cloud computing environment.

VIRTUALIZATION IN USE

There are many different types of virtualization, including hardware, software, desktop,
memory, storage, data and network virtualization. Hardware virtualization is one of the
most common types of
virtualization. It is synonymous with platform virtualization, which occurs through the
creation of a virtual machine that behaves like a a real computer or computer operating
system. Desktop virtualization is also another widely used type of virtualization that
creates and stores a clients desktop on a server that can be remotely accessed by the
client over a network. Software virtualization is yet another commonly used type of
virtualization that allows different versions of an operating system to coexist and run on
the same physical machine, providing the ability to run applications in different
environments without the need to invest in additional hardware. As with all types of
virtualization, cloud computing is not a prerequisite to its implementation or use. Veteran
technology firms like Citrix Systems and junior technology firms, like VMWare are a few
of the major players in the virtualization landscape, that continues to grow in popularity
and use within the enterprise.

ADVANTAGES OF VIRTUALIZATION

Virtualization brings many advantages to an enterprise. It shares several common

threads with the IaaS (information as a service) component of cloud computing;
including a reduction in capital expenditures on IT infrastructure (but to a lesser degree)
and the ability to deliver flexible and scalable IT resources to an enterprise.
Virtualization facilitates the smarter and more efficient use of IT resources within an
enterprise; simplifying maintenance and speeding up the configuration and deployment
of IT resources. Virtualization also provides another key benefit for an enterprise: a
reduction in energy consumption, providing additional operational cost savings for
organizations that use the technology.

Deployment to the Cloud

Cloud deployment refers to the enablement of SaaS (software as a service),
PaaS (platform as a service) or IaaS (infrastructure as a service) solutions
that may be accessed on demand by end users or consumers. A cloud
deployment model refers to the type of cloud computing architecture a
cloud solution will be implemented on. Cloud deployment includes all of
the required installation and configuration steps that must be implemented
before user provisioning can occur.
SAAS DEPLOYMENT & CLOUD DEPLOYMENT MODELS

Cloud deployment can be viewed from the angle of management responsibility for the
deployment of the SaaS, PaaS and/or IaaS solutions in question. From this perspective,
there are two possible approaches: the cloud solution(s) may be deployed by a third
party (under a community cloud, public cloud or private cloud deployment model) or the
cloud solution(s) may be deployed by a single entity (under a private cloud deployment
model).

SaaS deployment is a type of cloud deployment that is typically initiated using a public
cloud or a private cloud deployment model, however SaaS deployment may also be
initiated using a hybrid cloud deployment model, when hybrid cloud resources are
owned and/or managed by the same entity. Expanding on this theme is the existence of
virtual private clouds that can be used for SaaS deployment as well. Virtual private
clouds are technically public clouds that function the same as private clouds, since only
trusted entities may gain access to the virtual private cloud resources.

Regardless of whether or not a SaaS solution is deployed in a public cloud, a private

cloud , a virtual private cloud or a hybrid cloud; many SaaS solutions provide automatic
deployment for the cloud services being delivered. SaaS deployment provides many
additional benefits over the traditional model of software deployment, including
scalability, where application users can be added or subtracted on demand without
concerns over capital investments in additional hardware or software. SaaS deployment
also provides above average up-time for enterprise applications as compared to on
premise software deployment.

After cloud deployment has been completed for a SaaS, PaaS or IaaS solution, user
provisioning can occur based on user permissions, where access is provided for cloud
resources based on the consumers classification as either a trusted or untrusted entity.
Trusted entities may receive access permission to managed cloud, private cloud or
hybrid cloud resources. Untrusted entities may receive access permission to public
cloud, managed cloud or hybrid cloud resources. The key difference between trusted
and untrusted entities is that untrusted entities never receive access permission to
private cloud resources.

Enterprise Cloud Management

Enterprise Cloud Management refers to the execution of the requisite tasks
associated with the establishment and delivery of enterprise cloud services.
Whether an organization has a need to manage a private cloud or a hybrid
cloud, it will need to employ cloud management tools to facilitate the
management of its enterprise cloud resources. Enterprise Cloud
Management tools provide a platform and interface for centralized
administrative control over enterprise cloud service delivery. An enterprise
can effectively manage internal and external cloud resources (i.e. its global
infrastructure), including virtualized resources and business policies
deployed to the enterprise cloud, using enterprise cloud management tools.
Enterprise Cloud Management facilitates increased IT efficiency and cost
savings for the enterprise, in a variety of ways, as follows:
Cloud management tools allow organizations to easily establish and change
automation rules for their entire enterprise cloud resource pool, resulting in a
more efficient and cost effective utilization of IT resources.
Cloud management tools may be used to deliver Infrastructure as a Service
(Iaas) thereby enabling provisioning and configuration of IT resources on
demand. Moving to a self-service or automated model of delivery for many IT
services can eliminate a variety of time consuming and repetitive administrative
IT tasks, allowing IT personnel to focus their energy on higher level IT concerns.
Enterprise cloud management tools can also be leveraged to deliver data
security services on demand, including password recovery assistance, etc.
Enterprise Cloud Management tools can facilitate increased IT efficiency through
the availability of web service management tools. Such tools provide an interface
to a centralized repository of all available web services that exist in an enterprise
cloud. IT administrators can easily track web service dependencies and web
service versions to more efficiently handle configuration and change
management tasks within the enterprise cloud computing environment.
Enterprise Cloud Management tools also provide a capacity to automate IT
auditing tasks that may be required for operational compliance with industry
regulatory agencies. Organizations can use cloud management tools to automate
IT audit processing based on various data access events, which reduces the
need for manual IT monitoring of processes, applications and data for audit
purposes. The potential economic benefit to an enterprise can be huge, since
compliance failures can lead the the incursion of massive fines or legal expenses
to defend an enterprise against lawsuits for data breeches, etc.

Enterprise Cloud Services

Enterprise Cloud Services refers to the extension of software,
infrastructure and platforms as a service, within a private cloud computing
environment. Enterprise Cloud Services may be delivered internally, using
on-premise IT resources, or may be delivered externally, by a third party
enterprise cloud services provider. Enterprise Cloud Services can provide a
variety of benefits to an organization,which contribute to its increasing use
and popularity, as an alternative to traditional methods of delivering IT
services within an enterprise.
COST SAVINGS BENEFITS OF ENTERPRISE CLOUD SERVICES

Organizations of all sizes can realize a significant cost savings for IT services, such as
lowered IT operational costs and lowered capital expenses for IT assets, by deploying
enterprise cloud services. Organizations who use enterprise cloud services no longer
need to invest in server hardware, network infrastructure or security tools. Instead,
these IT resources can be purchased on a subscription basis from a third party
enterprise cloud services provider, for a fraction of the cost, thereby freeing up capital
for other business uses. In addition, many software applications will no longer need to
be maintained or upgraded, since software can also be purchased on a subscription
basis. This provides a significant cost savings to any enterprise that has been
previously saddled with the need to constantly upgrade or replace on-premise software
applications, etc. New business start-ups and small businesses, in particular, have a
great deal to gain from using enterprise cloud services, since they typically have smaller
budgets available for the procurement of IT resources.

OPERATIONAL BENEFITS OF ENTERPRISE CLOUD SERVICES

A variety of operational benefits may be realized by organizations who deploy enterprise

cloud services including: a capacity to rapidly deliver new or enhanced software, an
ability to rapidly meet an increased demand on IT hardware resources during times of
peak use and the ability to optimize the the utilization of on-premise IT resources by
introducing virtualization, automation and service management methods into the private
cloud computing environment. In addition, another benefit of enterprise cloud computing
services, when hosted on-premise, is that many of the advantages of public cloud
services can be gained, without sacrificing security. This is because, unlike public cloud
services, an on-premise (private) enterprise cloud can be firewalled to limit the threat of
malicious attacks against organizational IT resources. Whats more, externally hosted
enterprise cloud services provide a higher level of fault tolerance and a capacity for
disaster recovery that simply can not be rivaled by most enterprise IT departments.
Enterprise Cloud Solutions
An Enterprise Cloud Solution is a term that may refer to a cloud service
platform or it may refer to the SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS
(Platform as a Service) or IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) offerings
delivered via a cloud service platform. When an Enterprise Cloud Solution
is not a cloud service platform, it typically follows the traditional model of
IT service delivery: it is designed to handle a specific business operation;
such as accounting, document storage, electronic message delivery,
software development, etc.
Enterprise Cloud Solutions that serve as cloud service platforms are distinguished from
the SaaS, PaaS or IaaS offerings that they deliver, in the following way: they extend the
actual cloud infrastructure services and cloud application services that are required to
successfully deliver SaaS, PaaS or IaaS offerings to an enterprise. Regardless of the
application, an enterprise cloud solution must ultimately provide all of the resources
needed to perform the required business functions in an integrated manner, within the
framework of the cloud architecture that delivers the solution. In any case, the end goal
of any enterprise cloud solution is to provide the necessary tools to manage or support
a specific set of business functions, systems or resources.

ENTERPRISE CLOUD SOLUTION INTEGRATION

An Enterprise Cloud Solution can be implemented in a private cloud or in a public cloud.

When a private cloud is used, an organization takes full responsibility for the delivery of
each cloud solution within its enterprise private cloud. Conversely, when an organization
uses a public enterprise cloud, the external vendor has to extend the required cloud
platform to the Internet, to facilitate the delivery of its enterprise cloud solutions to each
customer (organization). The external vendor (i.e. cloud services provider) can deliver
any type of cloud solution to an enterprise, including a private enterprise cloud within a
public cloud, that is only accessible by a single organization or entity.

External vendors of cloud services can deliver their solutions through a PaaS
implementation, like Apprendas Private PaaS offering, without making a costly capital
investment in platforms, infrastructure or software. Apprenda provides a flexible and
cost effective solution for SaaS (Software as a Service) delivery, including automated
customer on-boarding and provisioning, application lifecycle management, subscription
management; and billing and metering. Customers who implement Apprendas Private
PaaS with SaaS enablement will be in alignment with the lowest cost model of
application delivery that is currently available in the IT marketplace today.
Enterprise Software
Deployment
The term Enterprise Software Deployment refers to all of the activities that
must take place to make a software application available to end users.
Enterprise Software Deployment technically begins after a software
application has been written, tested, packaged and delivered to an
enterprise. Enterprise Software Deployment is a recurring phase of the
software development lifecycle, since software is constantly being
upgraded, to fix bugs or add new features. This fact makes Enterprise
Software Deployment a core element in the administration of IT services
within an enterprise.
The traditional method of software deployment places a heavy burden on enterprise IT
resources, as they must devote a significant amount of time and attention to the
installation and maintenance of all applications that exist within the enterprise
computing environment. Conversely, under a SaaS (Software as a Service) model of
software delivery, cloud architecture provides a SaaS provider with a mechanism to
easily deliver software over the Internet, thereby eliminating the need to deploy software
to each application user, as required under the traditional model of software delivery.
The SaaS model of software delivery promises enormous savings opportunities for the
enterprise, in terms or labor utilization and operational expenses for software
deployment and maintenance.

It is important to note the infrequently mentioned missing link in the equation for
optimizing Enterprise Software Deployment under the SaaS model of software
delivery: SOA (Service Oriented Architecture). SaaS and SOA are the perfect pairing,
asSOA-enabled SaaS providers have the capacity to serve thousands of clients from a
single instance of an application that is pushed out to an enterprise cloud. This makes
the delivery of software a seamless event, due to the additional level of flexibility,
scalability and version control that is available when SOA is coupled with SaaS.

SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) provides a framework where software components

are delivered as services, which significantly reduces the cost of software deployment
and maintenance. SOA facilitates the integration of individual software components into
an unlimited number of applications on demand. Each component is maintained by its
owner (the web service provider). This provides organizations with the ability to virtually
build entire applications without a need to ever worry about software updates or
upgrades, as this is handled by the web service providers. Organizations can use the
various web services and APIs made available by various web service providers to build
a variety of SaaS solutions to be delivered via the enterprise cloud.

Future of Cloud Computing

A cloud allows users to access application, information, and data of all
sorts on an online level rather than by use of actual hardware or devices. A
company offering reliable cloud technology allows for computing to be
done in a much more shared way, as a cloud provides a service rather than
a product. Users get and share their information in a way that can allow
them to access and give access to the whole world or any groups of people
within their cloud.
WHAT THE FUTURE OF CLOUD COMPUTING HOLDS

With cloud computing and the technology behind it there are many potential
opportunities and capabilities. Cloud computing can open a whole new world of jobs,
services, platforms, applications, and much more. There are thousands of possibilities
beginning to form as the future of cloud computing starts to really take off.

For instance, vendors and service providers can get on board to develop new and
different ways of selling their goods and services to the cloud users through the cloud
technology. It opens up a whole new platform for designers and web developers.
Businesses and organizations can organize themselves and conduct business much
more affordable and professionally. Social networking and keeping in touch with friends
gets a great deal easier as well.

WHY CLOUDS ARE SO BENEFICIAL TO THE DATA SHARING WORLD

The main reason that the future of cloud computing will be as powerful and expansive
as it portends to be is that cloud technology is extremely beneficial. For one thing, the
extreme agility and accessibility of a cloud is far superior to the use of current
technology. No matter where in the world someone happens to be, or what device they
are using, they can access their cloud and continue to do their work or share their
information.
Not only that, but cloud technology is extremely cost effective, and a company could
end up saving thousands by choosing this option. For the reliability a cloud offers, the
security it provides, and the performance it boasts of, the cost of a cloud makes it an
incredible option for individuals and corporations alike. The future of cloud computing is
bright, and wise people of any kind should begin to get on board with trusted cloud
computing providers like Apprenda.
IaaS Pricing
IaaS (infrastructure as a service) pricing refers to the billing model(s) used
by vendors who deliver IT infrastructure services via the cloud. As with
any business, a cloud IaaS vendor has to meet several requirements in
order to successfully price its services. To start with, a cloud services
provider must know what its operational costs are for its physical IT
resources, to determine the COGS (cost of goods sold). Secondly, a cloud
services provider must also determine the required profit margin for its
services, taking into account all operational costs for the business, in order
to achieve the targeted levels of profitability. Furthermore, an organization
also needs to do the proper amount of market research prior to premiering
any IaaS offering, to ensure that its IaaS pricing is feasible, based on a
competitive analysis of similar cloud computing services available in the
marketplace.
PRICING CONSIDERATIONS

As previously noted, the COGS (Cost of Goods Sold) needs to be calculated before
IaaS pricing can be determined. TheCOGS is inclusive of all expenses that may be
associated with the delivery of an IaaS offering, such as (but not limited to): the cost of
utilities for the data center the IaaS offering is built upon, the development costs for the
IaaS offering and ongoing labor costs for supporting the IaaS offering. All costs
associated with the delivery of an IaaS offering must be carefully analyzed and
controlled, especially in the case of start-up IaaS vendors, who may have difficulty
estimating cash flow, due to the differences in revenue recognition that can occur under
the cloud computing model of IT service delivery.

Many IaaS providers price their services based on the billable hours of usage. For
example, an IaaS provider may bill a specific monetary amount, usually calculated in
cents (the cent based pricing model), based on the amount of GBs (gigabytes)
of RAMused per hour. An IaaS vendor can determine the IaaS pricing for their services
by first calculating their hourly operational costs per server, per hour and then adding
the desired amount of mark-up, to meet organizational revenue targets. The cent based
pricing model that many IaaS vendors subscribe to is also closely related to the pay-as-
you-grow concept that is intrinsic to most paid cloud service offerings.

From the consumers perspective, the flexibility to only pay for the IT services needed,
exactly when needed is what makes IaaS cloud computing such a formidable alternative
to traditional on-premise IT resource delivery. With IaaS, any business can quickly
expand or contract its IT infrastructure on demand by subscribing to the appropriate mix
of IaaS offerings, for pennies per use. IaaS provides organizations of all sizes with
access to an unlimited pool of computing resources at very affordable prices.

IaaS vs PaaS: Software

Platforms & Infrastructures-as-
a-Service
Software platforms delivered as services can be divided in two tiers of
varying scale:
IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)
PaaS (Platform as a Service)

Generally speaking, IaaS is more comprehensive, including integration down to the

hardware level, whereas PaaS is mostly concerned with software interfacing.

PLATFORM AS A SERVICE

PaaS, or solution stack, offers a more comprehensive approach to the cost effective
application deployment need of todays developers. This service provides the necessary
hardware architecture and software framework needed to put an application into
service, without having to own, manage and upkeep all the required resources.

The responsibility of maintaining, upgrading, data storing, helper applications and

system operating fall into the developers hands. Compared to IaaS, the PaaS offers
complete solutions for the design, creation, testing and deployment of the clients
application combined with team members connectivity, software configuration
management, version control, integration of databases and customer web service.
Taking things a step further, Apprenda offers all of the above-mentioned elements in a
high data security environment for enterprises.
INFRASTRUCTURE AS A SERVICE

IaaS, in comparison to the PaaS, provides equipment for operations, networking, data
storage and hardware with the use of the internet, so that the subscriber is no longer
confronted with location and purchase costs.

The provider of these computing resources has only the responsibilities of maintaining
the hardware running and housing all the devices. In return, the client will pay strictly for
the use of the hardware or hardware related services that were accessed. This kind of
solution will offer the client the possibility to acquire server/network resources instantly
without taking up any space.

PAAS VS. IAAS

Even though the differences between PaaS and IaaS are very clear, there are
advantages that weigh in favor of each one of them, depending on the clients
necessities. Considering that todays IT market is heading towards a self-sufficiency
future of computing (and by this we mean that providers presently offer more and more
complete solutions), the tendency is to incline towards PaaS type of services.

Internal Cloud Computing

Internal Cloud Computing refers to computing applications, platforms and
infrastructure being delivered as a bundle of services to users within a
private enterprise. Also known as private cloud computing, this type of
computing environment provides many of the same efficiency benefits as
public cloud computing. The chief difference between an internal (private)
cloud and an external (public) cloud is that the former incorporates an
additional layer of security by leveraging an enterprise firewall. Likewise,
a private cloud or internal cloud is theoretically the most secure type of
cloud computing environment, as compared to a public cloud, community
cloud or hybrid cloud computing environment.
OVERVIEW

With internal cloud computing, the cloud services provider and the cloud services
consumer are the same entity (the enterprise). This parallel translates into additional
capital and operational expenses that must be incurred by any enterprise that
implements an internal private cloud. In an internal (private) cloud computing
environment, the cloud provider (enterprise) is responsible for maintaining its own
physical computing resources; including servers and data storage, etc. which generates
capital expenses for the organization. Operational expenses are generated by the
human labor requirements for the tasks of configuring, maintaining and managing the
SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service) and IaaS (Infrastructure as
a Service) resources within the enterprise private cloud.

INTERNAL CLOUD VS. EXTERNAL CLOUD

The decision to implement internal cloud computing within an organization can not be
motivated by cost savings, as with other types of cloud computing environments. In fact,
in many cases, organizations will have to invest more capital into infrastructure, than
what is required in a traditional on-premise IT operation, in order to ensure there are
enough computing resources available during times of peak demand. However, when
this occurs (over-provisioning), an enterprise may be able to offset some of the costs
associated with its cloud services delivery, by selling off unused capacity on the cloud
spot market.

Since a private organization has to incur the costs of additional software, platforms and
infrastructure when implementing an enterprise private cloud, the extra expense should
be justified by concrete business requirements. For example, when an enterprise needs
to deliver computing services that adhere to special compliance, legal or regulatory
requirements, an internal cloud is the appropriate cloud solution. In addition, when an
enterprise has a strong need to guard its proprietary information or trade secrets, etc.
an internal cloud may be preferred over an external cloud.

Public Cloud Computing

There are a few models of cloud computing, and each has different benefits
and practical uses. The three main types of cloud computing are public,
private, and hybrid. A public cloud is one that is open to general use and
access and is created by a third party company. A private cloud is one that
is created by an individual or company for their private use. A hybrid
cloud is one that is created and used by both third party creators and
private companies or individuals.
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF PUBLIC CLOUD COMPUTING

A public cloud can be a great option for an individual, group, or company. There are
many reasons why a public cloud is useful, and all of these work together to make it
such a good option. One of the reasons that a public cloud is so practical is that it allows
a company or group to be able to access a whole world of shared information without
having to use any sort of hardware or servers. As long as the cloud is hosted properly
and set up well, the company will not have any problems accessing it.

A public cloud can be used by any company or group that wants to be able to share
information. A cloud can be scaled to fit any and all company needs. Not only that, but
cloud users will end up saving money and time. Instead of having to buy servers and
hosting space, you simply upgrade and pay a little more for cloud space to
accommodate your needs.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A PUBLIC CLOUD

If you are considering making use of a public cloud computing option, then you need to
make sure you choose one that fits all your needs and is reliable. Find an option with
good and affordable prices but also with a reliable reputation. Find one that is used
often by other companies or groups similar to yours, one which your friends have
recommended if possible. Most of all, find one that has enough features and options for
your needs. There are many options out there, and you need to consider all of them
carefully.

A cloud computing service, like Apprenda can be a great way for a company or group to
take advantage of public clouds. A public cloud may not be the right option for some
companies or individuals, but it can be perfect in many cases.

Uses of Cloud Computing

The potential uses of cloud computing are only beginning to be grasped.
Visions are being built on as the vast possibilities of cloud computing are
realized. On both individual and corporate level, cloud computing is likely
to change the way we use operate.
FOR ENTERPRISES

For businesses, the cloud has the potential to transform operations, as well as cut
costs. Offices running computer networks would no longer have to deal with software
installation for each computer, as well as licenses. This alleviates a tremendous IT load.
Uses of the cloud include data storage, offering remote access to any work related data.

The role of cloud computing on a corporate level can be either for the in house
operations, or as a deployment tool for software or services the company develops for
the public. Through the PaaS, much of the administration, maintenance and deployment
of the software becomes the job of a third party, the PaaS.

MOBILITY

One of the other most obvious uses of cloud computing is the mobility that it brings,
both to the recreational user, as well as to the corporate and business user. Many of us
are already familiar with some cloud computing services, like Google Docs, or even
email services. With these apps we can access documents or mail that is not stored on
our PCs, but is available to use because it is stored on a cloud, or remote location.

Businesses who wish to create a cloud computing platform for their operations can
choose between either a private or a public cloud, depending on their need. A
customized PaaS can be created for them b by companies that specialize in cloud
computing, such as Apprenda.

In addition to all the uses of cloud computing, from an IT or administrational view point
of view, cloud computing is fairly easy to manage. Cloud computing reduces the load on
servers, and the IT team as well. It centralizes and unifies computing standards. A new
implementation can quickly take on cloud behavior as soon as it is deployed on the
cloud. Every user who accesses the product will have access to the same standard
product.

Because of the many uses of cloud computing, both consumers and enterprises are
taking advantage of it, and enlisting the help of companies that specialize in Paas and
SaaS.

Cloud Systems and

Technologies
A cloud system or cloud computing technology refers to the computing
components (hardware, software and infrastructure) that enable the
delivery of cloud computing services such as: SaaS (software as a service),
PaaS (platform as a service) and IaaS (infrastructure as service) via a
network (i.e. the Internet). Cloud system users access computing services
using web browsers, which represents a computing model that shifts the
computing workload to a remote location. Internet based email
applications are a prime example of a cloud system that provides a
platform for the delivery electronic messaging services. Cloud computing
is also sometimes referred to as utility computing, since consumer usage of
cloud systems is metered and billed in a manner similar to a commodity
like water or electric services.
KEY COMPONENTS

There are two key elements at the core of cloud computing technology, which
are: SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) and cloud virtualization, which are described
in further detail below:

SOA Architecture this element of cloud technology allows organizations to access

cloud based computing solutions with features that can be modified on demand, as
business needs change. Service Oriented Architecture allows independent web services
to communicate with each other via the Internet in real time, providing the flexibility that
is required to rapidly reconfigure the service delivery for a specific cloud computing
offering. SOA places the responsibility and costs of development, deployment and
maintenance of web service components on the web services provider, which allows a
web services consumer to access various web services with out the expense or
overhead that is associated with traditional methods of IT services delivery. SOA is a
powerful technological component of cloud computing because it facilitates centralized
distribution and component reuse, which significantly drives down the cost of software
development and delivery.
Cloud Virtualization is another important aspect of a cloud system that facilitates the
efficient delivery of cloud computing services. The implementation of virtual computing
resources in the cloud, that mimic the functionality of physical computing resources,
serves as a flexible load balancing management tool that allows for the swift adjustment
of computing services delivery on demand. Virtualization technology provides
organizations with a tool that promotes high levels of availability, scalability and
reliability; in terms of the cloud systems or cloud computing technology that an
enterprise can access to meet its information technology needs. Virtualization is also a
very important component of cloud computing technology for the purposes of disaster
recovery and fail-over support.
Advantages of Cloud
Computing
In the world of marketing and mass media, there has been growing buzz
about the new technology called cloud computing. But what exactly is the
cloud? Cloud computing has become increasingly popular for a variety
of reasons in recent years, and as time goes on it continue to become more
popular. There are many benefits to cloud computing some of which are
obvious and some of which are less so. Using cloud computing services,
especially from companies like Apprenda which are both reliable and
affordable, can be a great decision and a good investment for any company
or group.
SOME ADVANTAGES OF CLOUD COMPUTING

One of the most obvious benefits of using cloud computing technology is the versatility
that it provides. You get a great deal of flexibility from the fact that everything is
completely internet based. You can access all your data from anywhere in the world,
and from any device or computer. You dont have to be limited to just one computer or
even a computer at all, as smart phones, tablets, and other mobile devices can all allow
access.

Not only that but the cost of using cloud technology is far reduced as compared to
current technology. You will end up paying a great deal less than you would normally for
a variety of reasons. Once you pay for the service you dont have to pay for anything
else. This means you save on paying for a whole variety of things.

A third advantage is that everything is online and extremely automatic, so that you and
your IT staff have much less to do. You dont have to work through problems yourself,
because the cloud computing service takes care of all of it for you.

OTHER ADVANTAGES AND BENEFITS OF CLOUD TECHNOLOGY

One advantage of cloud computing that is more indirect but still extremely beneficial is
that IT services and companies will be freed to innovate in new and different ways.
Cloud technology is so easy, practical, ad low maintenance that IT doesnt really even
have to worry about it. The focus of the companies can shift from always trying to
maintain the services and fix the problems and can instead turn to solving other
problems and creating new options.
Cloud computing can add a whole new world of benefits to the way companies and
groups work. The advantages listed above are only a few of the things that make cloud
computing a phenomenon that will take over the internet world.

Cloud FAQ
WHAT IS THE CLOUD?

Cloud computing refers to the delivery of computing resources as a service. This term
generally makes reference to a three tiered architectural computing model or cloud
stack that is inclusive of SaaS (software as a service), PaaS (platform as a service) and
IaaS (infrastructure as a service) delivery that may be obtained from a variety of cloud
solution providers or hosted internally via a private cloud. Cloud computing may also
include the delivery of other types of IT assets as a service; including: storage as a
service, databases as a service, security as a service and backend as a service
offerings. This article contains answers to several frequently asked questions about
cloud computing in the section provided below.

Question: What are the benefits of cloud computing?

Answer: The adoption of cloud computing by organizations has increased exponentially

in recent years, due to the efficiency and cost saving benefits that this computing model
promises to deliver, which is especially appealing to organizations with limited IT staff
and/or limited IT budgets. Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) in particular, can also
substantially benefit from the cloud computing model for the delivery of software
applications as a service, which offers many operational and administrative cost saving
advantages over the traditional model of on premise software delivery for software
providers.

Question: What are the drawbacks of cloud computing?

Answer: There are very few disadvantages that apply to cloud computing, with one key
exception: the risk of low quality service delivery from a cloud provider. Choosing the
wrong cloud computing service provider can be extremely detrimental for any
organization, as their reliance on cloud SaaS, PaaS and/or IaaS solutions from a single
vendor may place all of the responsibility for IT service delivery within their business on
the shoulders of a third party. Likewise, any enterprise that is considering the use of
cloud computing services needs to ensure that they have properly assessed the
scalability, availability and flexibility of the cloud solutions they plan to adopt and they
also need to investigate the reliability of the cloud solution provider(s) that their
organization plans to engage.

Question: How will I know which cloud computing solution fits my business needs?

Answer: As with on-premise computing solutions, any business that is considering

moving to cloud computing needs to have a feasibility assessment completed for their
organization to ensure the selection of the proper solution that meets the goals of their
organization. Considerations such as which cloud computing model to use (public,
private or hybrid) is one of the outcomes of a cloud feasibility assessment. In addition, a
cloud feasibility assessment can also provide insight into cloud migration requirements,
which will shed light on which cloud solutions your business should consider for
implementation.

Cloud Platform As A Service

Cloud platform as a service refers to the delivery of a computing platform
solution as a service. Synonymous with PaaS (platform as a service), cloud
platform as a service delivery provides a complete framework that
facilitates the development, deployment and management of on-demand
software, which is also known as SaaS (software as a service) or
applications as a service. Some PaaS solutions provide an open platform
that allows the use of any programming language, database, operating
system or server.
CLOUD PLATFORM AS A SERVICE (PAAS) TYPES

There are essentially two types of PaaS solutions: application delivery only PaaS
solutions and complete PaaS solutions. The former only delivers the bare bones
functionality that is needed to host applications in the cloud. Facilities for developing,
debugging or testing SaaS solutions are not available with this type of PaaS solution.
The later, provides a robust computing platform with a full solution stack that enables
the efficient management and delivery of on demand software.
Complete PaaS solutions provide a platform for SaaS Development, SaaS Deployment
and SaaS Testing, in support of the full application life cycle. A complete PaaS solution
may also offer the following capabilities: team collaboration tools, security management
tools, database integration tools, application version management and more. On a
detailed level, a complete PaaS solution includes the following features: user on-
boarding or provisioning, subscription management, billing & metering, payment
processing, reporting & analytics and more. Apprendas Private PaaS offering is an
example of a complete PaaS solution that delivers a full set of features that fully support
the operational requirements of SaaS solution providers or ISVs (independent software
vendors).

CLOUD PLATFORM AS A SERVICE (PAAS) KEY CHARACTERISTICS

There are several key traits that PaaS solutions have in common with one another, that
go beyond the ability to host, develop, deploy, test or maintain on-demand software
solutions. These characteristics are related to PaaS architecture. One of these traits is
multi-tenant architecture, which is a characteristic of PaaS design that facilitates the
concurrent use of the same cloud computing resource by multiple users. Multi-tenancy
is a primary factor in the cost efficient delivery cloud computing services. Another key
PaaS design trait is the inclusion of SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol)
interfaces, REST (Representational State Transfer) interfaces or Web APIs, which
allow PaaS to support the delivery of a conglomeration of services, also sometimes
referred to as mash-ups. The inclusion of these interfaces also facilitate component
reuse and data integration from various applications, which provide further efficiency
and cost savings opportunities for organizations that utilize PaaS solutions in the cloud.

How to Build a Private Cloud

If youre nervous about running your business applications on a public
cloud, many experts recommend that you opt for a private cloud instead.
But building a private cloud within your data center is not just another
infrastructure project.
An internal, on-premise private cloud begins with data center consolidation,
rationalization of OS, hardware and software platforms, and virtualization up and down
the stack servers, storage, and network. Elasticity and pay-as-you-go pricing are
guiding principles that allow for the standardization, automation, and commoditization of
IT. But it goes beyond infrastructure and provisioning resources. Its also about
application building and the users experience with IT. Despite all the hype, internal
clouds are still at an early stage. Only 5% of large enterprises are even capable of
running an internal cloud, and only about half of those actually do. If youre interested in
being at the forefront of this movement, heres what you need to know about how to
build a private cloud.

FIRST STEPS: STANDARDIZATION, AUTOMATION, SHARED RESOURCES

To go forward with building a private cloud on-premises, you must have standardized
and documented procedures for operating, deploying, and maintaining that cloud
environment.

Standardized operating procedures that allow efficiency and consistency are critical for
automation, which enables self-service capabilities. In terms of the private cloud, self-
service means that an enterprise has established an automated workflow whereby
resource requests go through an approvals process.

Once approved, the cloud platform automatically deploys the specified environment.
Depending on their needs, developers typically specify the parameters for VMs, storage
volume, and bandwidth.

UNDERSTAND YOUR SERVICES

Many enterprises misguidedly think about building a private cloud from a product
perspective before they consider services and service requirements, but services need
to be considered first. Whether a workload has affinity with a private, public, or hybrid
model depends on a number of attributes, including obvious ones like compliance and
security but also things like latency and interdependencies of components in
applications.

If youre going to commit to building a private cloud, you need to know what your
services are, and what the service-level agreements, costs, and road maps are for each
of those. Common services with relatively static interfaces, even if your business is
highly reliant on them, are those you should be considering for cloud-style computing.
E-mail is one example: You may use it frequently, but instead of wanting it to be
integrated tightly with the company, you want to make it as separate as possible, easy
to use, and available from self-service interface. If youve customized this type of
service over time, youve got to make it as standard as possible. Once you understand
which services are right for the cloud and how long it will take to get them to a public-
readiness state, youll be ready to start to look at building a private cloud from a
technology perspective.

FOUR TIERS OF COMPONENTS FOR BUILDING A PRIVATE CLOUD

First is the resource tier comprising infrastructure, platforms, or software. Raw

virtualization comes to mind immediately. Rapid re-provisioning technology is another
option. Above the resource pool sits the resource management tier, where the pool is
managed in an automated manner.
These two levels are fairly mature. Next comes the service management tier. Here you
want something that lets you do service governance and convert pools of resources into
service levels. You ultimately need to be able to present to the user some kind of
service-level interface that says performance or availability and have the services
management tier delivering on that.

Sitting atop it all is the access management tier, which is all about the user self-service
interface. It presents a service catalog, gives users all the knobs to turn, and lets you
manage subscribers. The interface has to be tied in some way to costing and
chargeback, or at least metering?at that level, it ties to the service management tier.

ITS ALL ABOUT THE BUSINESS

While building a private cloud means you need to think in terms of elasticity,
automation, self-service, and chargeback, you shouldnt be too rigid about the
distinctions at this stage of clouds evolution. You might get to SaaS eventually, and in
the meantime do as much automation as you can, introducing concepts slowly so your
organization has time to adapt to the cloud model. The bottom line is, you have to think
about the value the cloud will bring to your organization. Cloud platform providers such
as Apprenda have been noted for their ability to make multi-tenancy less complex, to
make architecture more mature, and to allow businesses to direct their energy toward
efficiency and innovation.

Introduction to Cloud
Computing
Cloud computing consists of three distinct types of computing services
delivered remotely to clients via the internet. Clients typically pay a
monthly or annual service fee to providers, to gain access to systems that
deliver software as a service, platforms as a service and infrastructure as a
service to subscribers. Clients who subscribe to cloud computing services
can reap a variety of benefits, depending on their particular business needs
at a given point in time. The days of large capital investments in software
and IT infrastructure are now a thing of the past for any enterprise that
chooses to adopt the cloud computing model for procurement of IT
services. The ability to access powerful IT resources on an incremental
basis is leveling the playing field for small and medium sized
organizations, providing them with the necessary tools and technology to
compete in the global marketplace, without the previously requisite
investment in on premise IT resources. Clients who subscribe to computing
services delivered via the cloud are able to greatly reduce the IT
service expenditures for their organizations; and gain access to more agile
and flexible enterprise level computing services, in the process.
SAAS

Saas (Software as a Service) provides clients with the ability to use software
applications on a remote basis via an internet web browser. Software as a service is
also referred to as software on demand.

Clients can access SaaS applications from anywhere via the web because service
providers host applications and their associated data at their location. The primary
benefit of SaaS, is a lower cost of use, since subscriber fees require a much smaller
investment than what is typically encountered under the traditional model of software
delivery. Licensing fees, installation costs, maintenance fees and support fees that are
routinely associated with the traditional model of software delivery can be virtually
eliminated by subscribing to the SaaS model of software delivery. Examples of SaaS
include: Google Applications and internet based email applications like Yahoo! Mail,
Hotmail and Gmail.

PAAS

PaaS (Platform as a Service) provides clients with the ability to develop and publish
customized applications in a hosted environment via the web. It represents a new model
for software development
that is rapidly increasing in its popularity. An example of PaaS is Salesforce.com. PaaS
provides a framework for agile software development, testing, deployment and
maintenance in an integrated environment. Like SaaS, the primary benefit of PaaS, is a
lower cost of use, since subscriber fees require a much smaller investment than what is
typically encountered when implementing traditional tools for software development,
testing and deployment. PaaS providers handle platform maintenance and system
upgrades, resulting in a more efficient and cost effective solution for enterprise software
development.

IAAS

IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) allows clients to remotely use IT hardware and

resources on a pay-as-you-go basis. It is also referred to as HaaS (hardware as a
service). Major IaaS players include companies like IBM, Google and Amazon.com.
IaaS employs virtualization, a method of creating and managing infrastructure resources
in the cloud. IaaS provides small start up firms with a major advantage, since it
allows them to gradually expand their IT infrastructure without the need for large capital
investments in hardware and peripheral systems.

Infrastructure as a Service
(IaaS)
Cloud infrastructure services, known as Infrastructure as a Service
(IaaS), deliver computer infrastructure, storage, and networking.
Infrastructure as a Service refers to a combination of hosting, hardware,
provisioning, and the basic services needed to run a cloud. Using IaaS, an
organization can outsource the equipment used to support operations,
including storage, hardware, servers, and networking components. Service
providers, including providers of platforms like Apprenda and many
traditional IT vendors, own the equipment and are responsible for its
housing, running, and maintenance. Instead of having to purchase
software, servers, or network equipment, users can buy these as a fully
outsourced service. Basically, in exchange for a fee, a third-party provider
allows clients to install a virtual server on their IT infrastructure. Costs are
typically determined using a utility billing model, so clients pay only for
what they use.
IAAS SOFTWARE AND IAAS SERVICES

With Infrastructure as a Service, users gain an infrastructure on top of which they can
install any required platforms. IaaS services provide a cost-effective and flexible
solution, allowing businesses to minimize their use of internal IT resources. Application
integration tools, made available using the self-service model, can be configured,
deployed and managed from a web browser or similar interface without requiring the on-
premises installation of software or hardware. Companies that have multiple
organizations can use the multi-tenant approach to isolate respective business units
while maintaining their control of the system.

Organizations that opt to use IaaS often have considerable in-house IT skills. IaaS
software clients select basic software servers for their part of the cloud, load their
libraries, applications, and data, and then configure them themselves. Vendors manage
virtualization, servers, hard drives, storage, and networking, while IaaS users maintain
the management of applications, data, runtime, middleware, and O/S. Virtualization
allows IaaS providers to offer nearly unlimited instances of servers to clients and to
increase the cost-effectiveness of hosting hardware. Using IaaS software, organizations
can rapidly build new versions of environments or applications without the need to order
and configure new hardware. Many organizations also use IaaS to host their websites;
providers take charge of keeping the site available and monitoring traffic, while the IaaS
services allow clients to prevent the website from draining the IT resources of their
internal infrastructure.

Cloud Architecture
An Enterprise Cloud is a hosted computing environment that delivers
software, platform or infrastructure services to business users via a
network. Enterprise Cloud Computing provides organizations with the
ability to deliver computing services in a controlled and secure manner,
since a cloud for the enterprise makes use of a network firewall. Entities
that store, mange or process sensitive data, including government agencies
and health care organizations, are likely to use enterprise cloud computing
services, as opposed to using public cloud computing services.
Many businesses who own on-premise IT systems can maximize their IT investment
through Enterprise Cloud Computing. A Cloud for the Enterprise promises to deliver an
extremely agile computing environment for client users within private organizations.
These organizations can gain many of the same operational benefits available within a
public cloud computing environment. Extending a private cloud that incorporates
methods such as virtualization, automation and service management; can result in
increased operational efficiency within an organization.

IMPLEMENTING AN ENTERPRISE CLOUD

Enterprise Cloud Computing can be implemented in one of two ways: as a private cloud
that is hosted on the premises of an organization; or as a private cloud that is hosted
externally by a third party provider. Organizations that use externally hosted enterprise
cloud computing services often experience the benefits of lower IT infrastructure and
maintenance costs. Another frequent benefit of externally hosted enterprise cloud
computing services is lower IT operational expenses, due to a decreased need for
internal IT support staff.

Some organizations gain the benefits of both an internally hosted and an externally
hosted enterprise cloud computing environment, by implementing hybrid enterprise
cloud computing services for their businesses. Under such a configuration,
organizations internally host their more sensitive applications that require a highly
secure computing environment and move applications with less stringent security
requirements to an externally hosted cloud for the enterprise.

A hybrid enterprise cloud computing environment typically uses a cloud management

interface, to provide a coherent platform for enterprise cloud service delivery. Cloud
management methods require the establishment of a cloud as a platform, where an
enterprise can provide hybrid cloud computing services on demand from existing IT
systems and processes. Cloud management software provides a platform to easily
register users, create work group services profiles, manage virtual resources and more.
PaaS Overview (Platform as a
Service)
PaaS is a service providing remote utilization of an application
development platform utilizing cloud computing. This includes not only
the remote use of software (as in Software-as-a-Service) but a complete
application development and distribution platform. This allows the
developer to design, test and implement their software on the same
platform that their end-user clients will be utilizing to run the application.
This one platform technique streamlines development by eliminating the
need to customize the code to run on different platforms. Additionally, the
developer can make changes to the product on the PaaS directly, avoiding
the need to distribute updates.
PAAS FEATURES

Typical PaaS services offered include Add-On Development Facilities, Stand-alone

Development Environments, Application Delivery-only Environments and Open
Platform-as-a-service. These environments are typically web-accessible allowing end-
users ease of access to the system from remote locations. User accessibility can be
controlled and monitored through the service, allowing for the collection of user-specific
data and usage statistics. This control facilitates user customization and per-use billing.
Specific features of an application can also be monitored to help the developer allocate
their efforts to those which receive the most use.

PAAS BENEFITS

Another benefit of PaaS technology is the ability it gives developers to develop, test and
deploy their software in one comprehensive environment. Distribution takes place on
the same platform on which it is developed, avoiding software and hardware conflicts for
clients. Also, this single platform environment frees the developer from the need to tailor
their applications to work on various OS and hardware.

Gartner and PaaS (Platform as

a Service)
Gartner has a growing body of research on PaaS (Platform as a Service),
including private PaaS, which it formerly referred to as Cloud Enabled
Application Platforms (CEAP). According to one survey, 88% of
enterprises are interested in private PaaS while 34% of enterprises are
already implementing or evaluating private PaaS (Detecting a Red Shift in
Enterprise Software Development).
GARTNER REPORTS ON PLATFORM AS A SERVICE (PAAS), PRIVATE PAAS, &
HYBRID CLOUD INCLUDE:

Platform as a Service: Definition, Taxonomy and Vendor Landscape, 2014

Market Trends: Cloud IaaS Providers Expand Into PaaS, 2014
2015 Planning Guide for Cloud Computing
Hype Cycle for Cloud Computing, 2014
Hype Cycle for Application Development, 2014
Market Guide: On-Premises Application Platforms
Predicts 2015: Private, Public and Hybrid: PaaS Advances
Database Middleware
Solutions with PaaS
Database middleware is one of the best things that a company can employ
to help their company. Database middleware offers companies an
additional layer of performance management, and security for their
database administrators. There are two basic kinds of the database
middleware native database and database-generic. The native database
middleware is known as a proprietary access mechanism thats used for a
certain database server.
The database middleware thats database-generic enables packages and applications
to communicate across various network protocols, native APIs and SQL dialects, using
the common interfaces.

Even though database access is being standardized by the database industry, theres
still a hodgepodge of the proprietary access mechanisms. So it makes sense to hide an
access to a native database behind Middleware layers. If you are looking for a
searching for a provider of database middleware, there are a few things that can use in
order to find the right provider. Here are three ways that you can find the right provider:

Research The first thing that you can do in order to find the right provider of
database middleware is to do some research to find out what companies there
are to find the one that is right for you. Make a list of the companies that offer
database middleware and then move onto the next step.
Review The second thing that you can do in order to find a good provider of
database middleware is to review the companies that you have listed. Look what
other people have said about them and find out what they liked about the
companies.
Choose The third thing that you want to do is to decide which of the companies
that found that you want to choose. Think about the reviews that you have found
about the companies that you read and use them to make a choice about the
right company.

There are a lot of companies that offer database middleware that you can choose from
but there is one company that has been in business a long time and has a long
standard of excellence. This company is known as Apprenda. Along with database
middleware, they have a lot of other business solutions to make your business run in a
way that is cost effective that will offer you a company that runs much more smoothly.
Apprenda can help your company with just about anything that you need for your
business.

Database Middleware
Solutions with PaaS
Database middleware is one of the best things that a company can employ
to help their company. Database middleware offers companies an
additional layer of performance management, and security for their
database administrators. There are two basic kinds of the database
middleware native database and database-generic. The native database
middleware is known as a proprietary access mechanism thats used for a
certain database server.
The database middleware thats database-generic enables packages and applications
to communicate across various network protocols, native APIs and SQL dialects, using
the common interfaces.

Even though database access is being standardized by the database industry, theres
still a hodgepodge of the proprietary access mechanisms. So it makes sense to hide an
access to a native database behind Middleware layers. If you are looking for a
searching for a provider of database middleware, there are a few things that can use in
order to find the right provider. Here are three ways that you can find the right provider:

Research The first thing that you can do in order to find the right provider of
database middleware is to do some research to find out what companies there
are to find the one that is right for you. Make a list of the companies that offer
database middleware and then move onto the next step.
Review The second thing that you can do in order to find a good provider of
database middleware is to review the companies that you have listed. Look what
other people have said about them and find out what they liked about the
companies.
Choose The third thing that you want to do is to decide which of the companies
that found that you want to choose. Think about the reviews that you have found
about the companies that you read and use them to make a choice about the
right company.
There are a lot of companies that offer database middleware that you can choose from
but there is one company that has been in business a long time and has a long
standard of excellence. This company is known as Apprenda. Along with database
middleware, they have a lot of other business solutions to make your business run in a
way that is cost effective that will offer you a company that runs much more smoothly.
Apprenda can help your company with just about anything that you need for your
business.
Middleware Software /
Platforms
The technology world is constantly changing and in order to be a success,
a business has to keep up with the world of technology. One of the biggest
ways that a company can do that is through using the latest innovations in
software.
The recent increase in the focus in the moving of data from one application to a different
application using a message instead of data files has therefore increased the need for
applications that are flexible. This necessity to reroute and format messages that are
easy to understand and read by the appropriate systems has driven the innovation of
the software called Middleware. It functions as a consolidator, integrator, and translation
layer software. There are different products that offer middleware software solutions.

MIDDLEWARE AS A PLATFORM

Middleware software has been created to support different application architectures. A

lot of firms operate through the use of more than one application architecture. An
example would be when firms merge or when there is an acquisition of third-party
applications, the company might find that they are operating using more than one of the
architectures. There is support through middleware software for these architectures,
and it provides structured methods in three environments of interconnection including
production, development environments, and test. The middleware software functions to
move the data from one application to another, between databases and files.

MIDDLEWARE SOFTWARE PROVIDES CONNECTIVITY

Middleware software is thought to be software for connectivity due to the fact that it
functions to join the applications through the communication mechanisms. In
middlewares function, its the layer between application platforms and assisted software
applications, interoperability and transparency, and treating scalability. It helps in
database connectivity because it provides APIaccess to the database interfaces. An
advantage of using this middleware software is the simplified and standard database
connectivity that it provides.

Running middleware software and using a middleware platform can really help a
business to run quickly and seamlessly. Companies who have had some trouble in the
past with applications and architectures have found that using middleware software can
make a huge difference.
Many companies are turning to middleware software to help their companies and their
systems to run more smoothly. But not all middleware software is reliable and can offer
what a company needs. One of the best suppliers of middleware is Apprenda, a
company that has a long history of excellence both in middleware software and in
applications that can help companies succeed.

PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service)
Comparison
More than 80% of large organizations are actively evaluating enterprise Platform as a
Service (PaaS) and conducting a PaaS comparison for development in public, private,
and hybrid clouds.* As a foundational software layer and an application run-time
environment, enterprise PaaS removes the complexities of building and delivering
applications and enable organizations to turn ideas into innovations faster.

Conducting a PaaS comparison among vendors is essential for procurement, yet little
guidance is available on the decision workflow. The following guidelines can help
organizations that are looking at PaaS to find the best solution.

1. Research the Market: A handful of vendors have emerged as leaders in the

enterprise PaaS space. According to Gartner, more than 85% of enterprise apps are
written in .NET and Java. For .NET, enterprises typically only research Apprenda. For
Java, organizations usually investigate three vendor products:

Enterprise
Vendor Contact
Runtimes
Contact
Apprenda Java and .NET
Apprenda
Pivotal CF Visit Pivotals
(Commercial website for
Java
Distribution of contact
Cloud Foundry) information
Visit Red Hats
Red Hat website for
Java
OpenShift contact
information.

As part of this process, enterprises invite vendors to demo their products and form
contacts that can help with ongoing questions as the organization moves forward.
2. Formulate Technology and Business Drivers: After researching the market,
organizations need to determine the business needs that drive the enterprise PaaS
initiative. An enterprise PaaS buyers guide is available to help establish the cost-benefit
analysis of enterprise PaaS. Once the organization reviews the buyers guide, it should
form a cloud-focused team that can collect and define the companys technology
criteria. To aid the enterprise cloud team, an enterprise PaaS RFP
template andscorecard are available to help scope evaluation criteria:

Guidance The Organizations

Documentation Buying Stage
Buyers Guide: Enterprise
Early Stage
Platform as a Service
Gartner Research Mid-Stage
Mid- to Advanced
RFP template
Stage
Evaluation Criteria Mid- to Advanced
Scorecard Stage

3. Run a Preliminary Test of Enterprise PaaS: In parallel with efforts to define the
business requirements and evaluation criteria, organizations need to begin trials of
enterprise PaaS platforms to gain a high-level understanding of the solution. A full Proof
of Concept (POC) is needed to properly assess the technology, but an initial hands-on
experience provides a valuable first impression.

Vendor Free Download

Apprenda in Public
http://apprenda.com/open-demos/apprenda-in-microsoft-
IaaS (Azure or AWS
azure/http://apprenda.com/open-demos/apprenda-in-aws/
Instances Required)
http://apprenda.com/open-demos/apprenda-express-on-premises-
Apprenda On Premise
download/
Pivotal CF (VMware
https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/evalcenter?p=pivotal-cf
License Required)
Red Hat OpenShift
(non-OpenShift Red
https://install.openshift.com/
Hat Licenses
Required)

4. Conduct a Proof of Concept (POC): RFP Template / Scorecard It is essential that

organizations run full-scale pilots of the PaaS software to make sure it actually meets
technology requirements. This process ensures the product can be installed on premise
and integrates with critical existing technologies such as identity management,
databases, current apps, and operating system images.
The POC pilot should be confined to less than a month, including an installation of the
product, and should entail the vendors coming on site to smooth the installation
process. There also should be clear criteria for judging successful outcomes, such as
pushing an app to the platform.

After the POC, some organizations solicit RFPs or scorecards. A purchasing decision is
often done without formal RFPs or scorecards, but it is not advised to move forward
without a POC since the evaluation criteria in RFPs and scorecards can be open to
interpretation, while technology outcomes cannot. Enterprises should be sure to
evaluate dependencies on APIs and also dependencies the enterprise PaaS has up and
down the technology stack. Switching enterprise PaaS vendors may be near to
impossible if there is a reliance on another essential technology by the vendor
somewhere else in the stack.

5. Start Arranging Services and License Procurement: After a technology evaluation

and PaaS comparison, the typical vendor procurement procedures should commence
with the winner(s)there are often two (rather than one) enterprise PaaS services. It is
crucial to define goals when scoping the services on apps that will be on-boarded for a
given timeframee.g., 20 apps on the platform in the first six monthsand when
scoping the existing tech that the PaaS will integrate withe.g., Active Directory.

The winning enterprise PaaSes should have a workflow that can guarantee success in
migrating any number of applications to the platform within a timeline defined by the
end-user. Thus, a successful PaaS comparison comes to a close with the selection and
implementation of one or two enterprise PaaSes.

* http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/detecting-a-red-shift-in-enterprise-
software-development-278652181.html

Managed Private Cloud

Should you be using a public cloud or a private cloud? The first thing you
need to know is what the differences are between these two models of
cloud computing. Put simply, public clouds are internet-based computing
that allow the on-demand sharing of software, resources, and data. Private
clouds operate according to the same principles, but only a limited number
of approved users can access them, ensuring greater data security. Users of
internally managed clouds have full control of and responsibility for their
data. Users who want the security of the private cloud model also have a
third option: a (third-party) managed private cloud. These private clouds
are cloud infrastructures operated by third-party providers.
Public clouds are inexpensive, which is one attractive benefit, but managed private
clouds can also provide companies with a cost-effective way to deploy their own
infrastructure while taking advantages of scalable, self-managed, rapid-provisioning
cloud computing technology. A managed private cloud offers a scalable and dependably
secure IT infrastructure, and removes the burden of responsibility for hardware and data
center operations, allowing enterprises to focus on the applications that run their
business. A managed private cloud can serve either as a companys entire data center,
or as a hybrid extension of a local infrastructure.

Many people see using a private cloud as a way around the security concerns of using
a public cloud. In addition to security, private clouds can increase flexibility and improve
resource management. Managed private clouds provide an additional benefit: A
company that uses a managed private cloud can rest assured knowing that its critical
data is in the hands of experienced and knowledgeable operators. By choosing the right
provider, youre also choosing a technology partner who is attentive to your unique
business needs and fully committed to your success. Managed private clouds may thus
be the best way to eliminate time-consuming and costly IT concerns, saving enterprises
time and money and allowing them to focus on what matters most: their business.

In a nutshell, managed private clouds offer the best of both worlds: They allow for
greater scalability and utilization of IT resources, address the security and compliance
concerns of public clouds, and keep enterprises from getting bogged down in the
complexities of managing their virtual infrastructure.

PaaS Examples: Options to

Consider
In the modern business environment, there is a growing emphasis on
customer-friendly web applications and services. Many businesses today
wish to provide a greater level of customer care and support to their
clientele using web-developed applications and solutions. But all too often
they find the costs of developing and deploying these apps prohibitive.
In recent years, several service providers have sprouted up to mitigate those costs and
offer affordable application development. The most prominent among the services
offered by these providers is the Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) model, which provides
businesses with an independently maintained platform upon which their web
applications can be built, refined and deployed.

There are two prominent types of PaaS:

Public PaaS is delivered by a services provider for building applications. Examples

include Salesforce Heroku, AWS Elastic Beanstalk, Microsoft Azure, and Engine Yard.
Enterprise PaaS is delivered by central IT within an organization to developers and
possibly partners and business customers. Enterprise PaaS sits on top of public IaaS,
on-premise bare metal, and on-premise virtual machines. Some technology analysts
make a distinction between the actual service that central IT is delivering (PaaS) and the
software used to deliver that service. For example, Gartner uses the term cloud-enabled
application platform or CEAP. Examples include Apprenda, VMware- and EMC-owned
Pivotal, and Red Hat OpenShift.

You May Also Like: Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) Comparison Guide

COMPARING PAAS VENDORS

PaaS software provides a stable online platform, independent of on-site computing

resources, allowing businesses to save large amounts of money by streamlining the
structure of their web applications. As with all business decisions, however, choosing a
PaaS vendor that meets the needs of your business in terms of freedom, costs, and risk
exposure is paramount to ensuring the successful and cost-effective development of
web applications and their accessibility to your customer base.

APPRENDA

Apprendas enterprise Platform as a Service (PaaS) for Java and .NET delivers
significant cost savings and massive improvements in productivity by freeing app
development teams from internal infrastructure and IT. Apprenda modernizes existing
applications for the cloud and lets developers build cloud native applications faster.

Applications on Apprenda inherit cloud characteristics such as scalability, multi-tenancy,

elasticity, high availability, SaaS enablement, and more.
PIVOTAL CF

Pivotal is a big data and application enterprise PaaS vendor that is owned by VMware,
EMC, and others. Pivotal CF is a proprietary enterprise PaaS based on Cloud
Foundry. For a comparison of Apprenda and Pivotal please see this Enterprise PaaS
Comparison.

RED HAT OPENSHIFT

Red Hat OpenShift is an open-source enterprise PaaS (CEAP) that is not based on
Cloud Foundry, the more prominent open-source option. Red Hat has its own public
PaaS version of OpenShift. Red Hat has added OpenShift on top of its Red Hat
Enterprise Linux (RHEL), JBoss, and OpenStack stack. For a comparison of Apprenda
and OpenShift please see this Enterprise PaaS Comparison.

PaaS FAQ
1. WHAT IS PLATFORM AS A SERVICE (PAAS)?

PaaS is a shared and elastically scalable application development and

deployment platform delivered as a service.
2. WHAT ARE SOME COMMON FEATURES OF P AAS?

The PaaS platform typically includes databases and middleware, as well as services to
develop, test, deploy, host, and maintain applications within the same integrated
development environment (IDE), and service provisioning that allows multiple users to
concurrently use the same IDE.

3. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PAAS?

One major benefit of PaaS is cost reduction, which largely stems from the
standardization and consolidation of resources and elimination of redundant work. PaaS
can also significantly reduce the amount of time and effort spent on development,
deployment, and upgrades. With PaaS, developers can build web applications quickly
without installing any tools or software?and Apprendas patching engine makes it even
easier to apply patches for bug fixes, small upgrades, and entire application overhauls.

4. WHAT COSTS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH PAAS?

PaaS is typically priced on a utility billing model, so users pay only for what they use.
Because PaaS provides a complete hardware and software infrastructure, it eliminates
the need to invest in hardware or software and offers significant infrastructural savings
as well?although if youve already put money into developing infrastructure, you can
simply implement Apprendas deploy-anywhere PaaS stack on top of it.

5. WHAT TYPES OF ENTERPRISES CAN BENEFIT MOST FROM PAAS?

Development teams who want to speed their applications time to market; organizations
with high operational costs who want to reduce the administrators needed for a set of
applications; enterprises with looking their applications on a common architecture; and
organizations that need critical support metrics for usage and chargeback. Any
organization that wants to reduce IT costs, reduce the complexity of database elements
and operating systems, increase scalability, and improve their quality of service can
benefit from PaaS.

Understanding PaaS Software

WHATS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PAAS AND S AAS?

PaaS is a software layer that stiches together networked resources?OS instances,

database server instances, Web server instances, and even load balancers?into a
single, shared hosting layer. Its important to distinguish between the software platform
offered by PaaS and the software offered by SaaS. Unlike SaaS, which offers ready-to-
use applications as a service, PaaS allows developers to create unique, wide-ranging
applications for their business. PaaS thus offers a competitive advantage for
organizations by increasing efficiency, flexibility, and speed in the cloud.

WHAT DOES PAAS PROVIDE TO BUSINESSES AND DEVELOPERS?

Essentially, PaaS is a data center OS. Instead of writing an application and going
through the long, tedious process of configuring it to be deployed on a specific
infrastructure, application developers can simply upload the application onto the PaaS
and have it up and running within minutes. The PaaS can handle the job of matching
various application components to the infrastructure, deploying and dynamically
configuring those components, and even providing developers with tools to scale and
update the application over time.
PaaS providers deliver a full PaaS software stack consisting of proprietary components.
If developers have enough experience, developing applications with the PaaS approach
will be their best and most money-saving option. Private PaaS gives enterprises the
ability to deploy and host a PaaS within their IT infrastructure, allowing internal
developers to reap the benefits of PaaS without the accessibility problems of public
PaaS. For example, your company might employ hundreds of developers who write
internal software, which is hosted on thousands of internal servers; a private PaaS will
incorporate that entire infrastructure into a single, internal PaaS that is accessible to the
entire community of internal developers. Flexible PaaS software technology can be
deployed on any infrastructure. There are several vendors out there that offer such
flexible PaaS software technology. For instance, Apprenda makes a flexible PaaS
software stack for enterprises running Microsofts .NET framework.

WHAT KIND OF SOFTWARE IS SUPPORTED BY PAAS?

It depends, but enterprises commonly use PaaS to support social, mobile, and
employee applications, and even applications with no Web front-end: trading systems,
modeling systems, payment processing, client servers, messaging applications, and
more.
Benefits of Private Cloud
Computing on PaaS
Current and future custom applications can be moved to a private PaaS
cloud, providing notable benefits including:
FASTER TIME TO MARKET

As a hosting platform layer, Apprenda manages network resources while providing a

platform that allows your applications to function as service offerings. Private PaaS
simplifies the process of application deployment, management and scaling, allowing for
increased developer productivity. Private PaaS provides a self-service utility model that
allows you to upload compiled code (Microsoft .NET), and in the simple click of a button,
your applications are deployed and running. What used to take weeks or months can
now be accomplished in a few minutes.

STREAMLINED APPLICATION MANAGEMENT

Private PaaS cloud solutions such as Apprenda allow you to manage all of your
applications from a central place, eliminating the concern of being outside IT
governance. In addition to providing commoditized platform services (e.g. caching), the
Private PaaS model allows enterprise software developers to instantly access internal
infrastructure. It essentially allows for improved infrastructure utilization, and removes
unnecessary human configuration tasks by providing self-service interfaces.

REDUCED COMPLEXITY AND INCREASED AGILITY

Private PaaS simplifies application management by abstracting applications away from

infrastructure and serving a common, inheritable cloud architecture, providing a critical
strategic advantage in competitive markets by enabling faster deployment.

LOWER COSTS AND HIGHER COMPUTING EFFICIENCY

Simplifying the tasks of application developers eliminates the need for time consuming
configuration tasks, by offering a user-friendly plug-and-play interface.

The advantages of deploying a PaaS tier on private infrastructure will be especially

noteworthy for businesses that need a reliable, secure way for employees to access
software packages and applications. Without shared computing assets, there are fewer
pathways for data insecurity.
IaaS, PaaS, SaaS (Explained
and Compared)
SAAS: SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE

Cloud application services, or Software as a Service (SaaS), represent the largest cloud
market and are still growing quickly. SaaS uses the web to deliver applications that are
managed by a third-party vendor and whose interface is accessed on the clients side.
Most SaaS applications can be run directly from a web browser without any downloads
or installations required, although some require plugins.

Because of the web delivery model, SaaS eliminates the need to install and run
applications on individual computers. With SaaS, its easy for enterprises to streamline
their maintenance and support, because everything can be managed by vendors:
applications, runtime, data, middleware, OSes, virtualization, servers, storage and
networking.

Popular SaaS offering types include email and collaboration, customer relationship
management, and healthcare-related applications. Some large enterprises that are not
traditionally thought of as software vendors have started building SaaS as an additional
source of revenue in order to gain a competitive advantage.

You May Also Like: Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) Comparison Guide

SaaS Examples: Google Apps, Salesforce, Workday, Concur, Citrix GoToMeeting,
Cisco WebEx
Common SaaS Use-Case: Replaces traditional on-device software
Technology Analyst Examples: Bill Pray (Gartner), Amy DeMartine (Forrester)

PAAS: PLATFORM AS A SERVICE

Cloud platform services, or Platform as a Service (PaaS), are used for applications, and
other development, while providing cloud components to software. What developers
gain with PaaS is a framework they can build upon to develop or customize
applications. PaaS makes the development, testing, and deployment of applications
quick, simple, and cost-effective. With this technology, enterprise operations, or a third-
party provider, can manage OSes, virtualization, servers, storage, networking, and the
PaaS software itself. Developers, however, manage the applications.

Enterprise PaaS provides line-of-business software developers a self-service portal for

managing computing infrastructure from centralized IT operations and the platforms that
are installed on top of the hardware. The enterprise PaaS can be delivered through a
hybrid model that uses both public IaaS and on-premise infrastructure or as a pure
private PaaS that only uses the latter.

Similar to the way in which you might create macros in Excel, PaaS allows you to create
applications using software components that are built into the PaaS (middleware).
Applications using PaaS inherit cloud characteristic such as scalability, high-availability,
multi-tenancy, SaaS enablement, and more. Enterprises benefit from PaaS because it
reduces the amount of coding necessary, automates business policy, and helps migrate
apps to hybrid model. For the needs of enterprises and other organizations, Apprenda is
one provider of a private cloud PaaS for .NET and Java.

Enterprise PaaS Examples: Apprenda

Common PaaS Use-Case: Increases developer productivity and utilization rates while
also decreasing an applications time-to-market
Technology Analyst Examples: Richard Watson (Gartner), Eric Knipp (Gartner),
Yefim Natis (Gartner), Stefan Ried (Forrester), John Rymer (Forrester)

IAAS: INFRASTRUCTURE AS A SERVICE

Cloud infrastructure services, known as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), are self-

service models for accessing, monitoring, and managing remote datacenter
infrastructures, such as compute (virtualized or bare metal), storage, networking, and
networking services (e.g. firewalls). Instead of having to purchase hardware outright,
users can purchase IaaS based on consumption, similar to electricity or other utility
billing.

Compared to SaaS and PaaS, IaaS users are responsible for managing applications,
data, runtime, middleware, and OSes. Providers still manage virtualization, servers,
hard drives, storage, and networking. Many IaaS providers now offer databases,
messaging queues, and other services above the virtualization layer as well. Some tech
analysts draw a distinction here and use the IaaS+ moniker for these other options.
What users gain with IaaS is infrastructure on top of which they can install any required
platform. Users are responsible for updating these if new versions are released.

IaaS Examples: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Cisco Metapod, Microsoft Azure,
Google Compute Engine (GCE), Joyent
Common IaaS Use-Case: Extends current data center infrastructure for temporary
workloads (e.g. increased Christmas holiday site traffic)
Technology Analyst Examples: Kyle Hilgendorf (Gartner), Drue Reeves (Gartner),
Lydia Leong (Gartner), Doug Toombs (Gartner), Gregor Petri (Gartner EU), Tiny
Haynes (Gartner EU), Jeffery Hammond (Forrester), James Staten (Forrester)
PaaS Model / Systems
Platform as a Service (PaaS) is software that connects people or software
components with applications. With the infrastructure of code provided by
the PaaS model, applications can be developed and deployed at a lower
cost because the need to buy and manage the underlying software and
hardware has been eliminated.
The PaaS model offers a wide range of application services to facilitate team
collaboration and coordination, web service and database integration, state
management, and application instrumentation?all while providing storage, security, and
scalability. Cloud platform services allow for the development, testing, deployment,
hosting, and maintenance of applications within the same integrated development
environment. Different combinations of services can be configured to support the life
cycle of application development. Unlike SaaS, the PaaS model offered by providers
such as Apprenda can be successfully used even by developers who are operations
blind.

KEY FEATURES OF THE PAAS SYSTEM

TOOLS FOR WEB-BASED USER INTERFACE CREATION

The PaaS system allows developers to define rich and interactive multi-user
environments and scenarios that can be tested by real people, with tools that make it
easy to identify problematic features. Different interfaces can be defined to suit different
user profiles. User experience is greatly improved with the PaaS model because it can
incorporate channels for user feedback throughout all the phases of design,
development, testing, production, and evolution of a given application.

FLEXIBLE MULTI-TENANT ARCHITECTURE

The PaaS model typically supports the shared use of applications by many users while
providing scalability, concurrency management, and security. User profiles, access,
navigation history, interaction history, and application usage can all be tracked and
defined.

ENHANCED DEVELOPMENT-TEAM COLLABORATION

PaaS allows for greatly enhanced productivity because it offers users the ability to form
and share code with ad-hoc, pre-defined, or distributed teams. The PaaS system allows
schedules, objectives, teams, and the different responsibilities and roles of users and
owners to be defined, updated, and tracked based on access rights.
TARGETED UTILITY INSTRUMENTATION

With the PaaS model, developers have more insight into the behavior of users and the
workings of applications. They can easily determine whether services are valuable to
customers and track the usage patterns of different services or user interactions.

Hybrid Cloud
A hybrid cloud is an infrastructure that includes links between one cloud
managed by the user (typically called private cloud) and at least one
cloud managed by a third party (typically called public cloud). Although
the public and private segments of the hybrid cloud are bound together,
they remain unique entities. This allows a hybrid cloud to offer the benefits
of multiple deployment models at once. Hybrid clouds vary greatly in
sophistication. For example, some hybrid clouds offer only a connection
between the on premise and public clouds. All the difficulties inherent in
the two different infrastructures is the responsibility of operations and
application teams

Most hybrid cloud articles, pundits, and specialists are focused on the infrastructure.
However, Enterprise PaaS provides some of the most essential pieces of a hybrid
cloud:

Abstraction Layer for Applications When avoidable, apps should not have
infrastructure dependence. Linux and Windows containers are the primary
means of abstracting infrastructure from applications. The Enterprise PaaS can
also be designed to reduce or eliminate API for platform usage. When there is no
API usage combined with third party container standards such as Docker and
Rocket, applications will also have technological portability from the PaaS.
Policy-Driven Deployment Organizations need to be able to programmatically
deploy workloads based on policy. Some workloads will be deployed into public
cloud based upon risk profile and development stage while others will be
deployed internally. The application may also move back and forth depending on
the desired outcomes. For example, an organization might elect to use a public
cloud service for its archived data, but keep the maintenance of its operational
customer data in-house.
 Policy-Driven Service Catalog Some developers should have on-demand
access to multiple cloud servicese.g., data warehousing and Hadoopfrom
the chosen public cloud providers and internal operations. That access should be
granted to specific development teams in a self-service catalog.
Existing and New Application / Microservices Support The new
environment should not be exclusive of new greenfield operations and
applications but should not exclude them either. Existing applications can and
should take advantage of the scalability, elasticity, and other defining
characteristics of the cloud. New applications with advanced cloud features
should be easier to build. Bootstrap policies and other platform features should
help create smart end points that can use dumb pipes, the primary goal of
microservices

The idea behind hybrid cloud is that businesses can use it to take advantage of the
scalability and cost-effectiveness offered by the public cloud computing environment
without exposing mission-critical applications and data to the vulnerabilities associated
with the public cloud option. In addition, the hybrid cloud model creates what is often the
best and most efficient solution because different types of data can be moved onto
whatever platform provides the most efficient and secure environment.

A hybrid cloud is typically created in one of two ways: either a vendor with an existing
private cloud solution forms a partnership with a public cloud provider, or a public cloud
provider forms a partnership with a vendor that provides private cloud platforms.

Many organizations can reap significant benefits from the hybrid cloud option. For
example, a company that wants to use a SaaS application but is concerned about
security risks can have a third-party vendor, such as Apprenda, create a private cloud
for the company inside its firewall. Or a company that offers services tailored for
different vertical markets can opt to use a public cloud to interact with its clients, but
keep its data in the secure environment of a private cloud.
Cloud Instances (Single /
Multi-Instance)
A cloud instance refers to a virtual server instance from a public
or private cloud network. In cloud instance computing, single hardware is
implemented into software and run on top of multiple computers. Cloud
instance computing is highly dynamic, enabling users not to worry about
how many servers can fit on a single hardware application without causing
major slowdowns during peak hours. If performance maxes out, you can
simply add more computers. Resources can be freely allocated to and from
other computers by the software, enabling maximum utilization and
helping to prevent crashes. If the server grows beyond the limits of a single
machine, cloud instance computing allows the cloud software to be easily
expanded to span multiple machines, whether temporarily or permanently.
Cloud instance computing also reduces the downtime associated with
servicing hardware. A server in the cloud can be easily moved from one
physical machine to another without going down. The abstraction
associated with the cloud allows hardware to seamlessly transfer all data
from one point to another without the end-user having any idea that it
happened. In sum, cloud instance computing is highly dynamic, can
reassign resources as needed, and allows for the movement of servers as
they run in the cloud.
THE SINGLE INSTANCE CLOUD VS. THE MULTI INSTANCE CLOUD

Whats the difference between a single instance cloud and a multi instance cloud? Think
of the cloud as a single entity comprising the data shared across multiple machines.
The cloud juggles resources between the different machines while communicating with
remote machines. In a multi-instance cloud, entirely separate instances (that is,
separate copies of defined data items) are run parallel to one another.

Although the single-instance cloud shouldnt get bogged down while servicing requests
as long as the hardware has adequate resources and speed, additional cloud instances
in the multi instance cloud can help to speed up the overhead associated with
interfacing the remote machines with which the cloud communicates.

MULTI-TENANCY VS. MULTI-INSTANCE

If you are unfamiliar with the terms, multi tenancy commingles the data and processing
for multiple clients in a single application instance. By contrast, a multi instance
architecture uses one application instance per client. With the multi-instance model,
organizations must devote their time to efficiently creating and managing multiple
application instances, whereas organizations that opt for multi-tenancy often need to
invest in application code to prevent the exposure of data from one client to another.
However, some providers, such as Apprenda, offer single-instance multi tenancy
architecture as a standard platform service, guaranteeing security, streamlining the
development cycle, and ensuring the efficient and high-quality utilization of resources.
SaaS
WHAT IS SAAS?

SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) is a software model that incorporates the delivery of a

software application to a remote client via the Internet. Software-as-a-Service relies on
the centralized hosting of a software application in the cloud which is typically
accessed via a web browser application. Software-as-a-Service can be configured to
allow public access or private access, where only users with the proper credentials are
granted access to a particular hosted software application. Software-as-a-Service, also
known as on-demand software, provides many advantages over the traditional software
model.

SAAS ADVANTAGES OVER THE TRADITIONAL SOFTWARE MODEL

Software-as-a-Service provides the combined benefits of increased IT efficiency and

reduced software costs for an enterprise. Traditional software is costly for several
reasons. To start with, a separate license must be purchased for each workstation that
will access an enterprise software application. Multi-user software license costs can be
high and software licenses typically can not be shared by users. Local installations of
software within an enterprise also require a significant investment in application servers.
In addition, traditional software applications are often accompanied by expensive and
time consuming implementation requirements. Whats more, ongoing maintenance and
support costs for traditional software implementations can represent a major expense
for many enterprises. The Software-as-a-Service model significantly reduces the
expenses typically associated with locally hosted software applications.

SAAS COSTS AND IMPLEMENTATION

In the Software-as-a-Service model, the enterprise is shielded from an upfront

investment in software and hardware, as well as the ongoing maintenance and support
costs of hosting and maintaining software applications on a local basis. Software-as-a-
Service provides a cost savings to an enterprise because software applications are
delivered on a subscription basis. Implementation and maintenance costs are absorbed
by the SaaS provider, which can be spread out across the entire customer base through
subscription fees. Fees are typically assessed to subscribers on a monthly or annual
basis. Subscribers avoid the cost of up front licensing fees and ongoing maintenance
and support fees under the SaaS model.
IaaS
IaaS (infrastructure as a service) refers to the delivery of computing
capacity and infrastructure as a service. Also known as HaaS (hardware as
a service), IaaS encompasses all of the physical computing resources that
support delivery of applications as a service. IaaS provides a major cost
savings to organizations, as it provides access to additional computing
capacity on demand, without the need for a major capital investment in
additional hardware, etc. There are fewer players in the IaaS marketplace
for this reason, as compared to PaaS (platform as a service) and SaaS
(software as a service) providers, due to the large capital and operational
expenses that are required to establish and maintain IaaS delivery.
IAAS ARCHITECTURE

IaaS can be delivered via a public cloud, a private cloud, a community cloud or a hybrid
cloud. The infrastructure that is delivered by IaaS resides on the bottom layer of a cloud
computing stack; with PaaS delivery occurring on the middle layer and SaaS delivery
occurring on the top layer. In many cases, IaaS is bundled together with PaaS and
SaaS delivery as a complete cloud computing solution, as is the case with the hosted
cloud services delivered by providers such as Amazon.com (i.e. its AWSoffering),
Google (i.e. its App Engine offering) and Microsoft (i.e. its Azure/AppFabric offerings). In
addition, IaaS frequently incorporates virtualization into its design in order to facilitate
optimal levels of utilization for physical computing resources. Network connectivity and
storage capacity are also included in the IaaS definition, since these resources are a
part of the physical computing resources that are delivered by IaaS.
PaaS
The acronym PaaS stands for Platform as a Service. PaaS is an extension
of the SaaS (Software as a Service) model, which allows for the use of
applications hosted remotely.
WHAT IS PAAS?

PaaS is a method by which an entire computing platform can be utilized remotely over
the internet via cloud computing. PaaS provides a way to essentially outsource all of the
infrastructure needed to execute a solution without the need to purchase and implement
a new platform. This allows individual clients to share the same resources and avoid the
costs of purchasing, maintaining, upgrading and troubleshooting the hardware and
software were they hosted in-house. This service model typically allows clients to be
charged only for the share of the resources they use, much like a utility company
charging a homeowner per kilowatt hour. This can be especially useful for a business
that requires a specific application it would only use on occasion.

There are several types of PaaS sevices. Add-On Development Facilities which
customize current SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) applications, Stand Alone
Development Environments which supply a generic development environment,
Application Delivery-Only Environments which provide only hosting-level services and
Open Platform as a Service, which provides an unconstrained development
environment customizable by the developer.

PaaS typically allow users to develop, test and deploy applications in a single
environment. Though application development life-cycle services may vary, the PaaS
model allows for them to take place in the same platform within which the application
will be deployed, allowing for dynamic user testing and updates. User interface tools are
typically web-based allowing for ease of user accessibility as well as rapid end-user
testing during various stages of development.

Likewise, this architecture allows for setting user permission levels and access to the
source code to the development team. Development teams can be managed through
provided productivity features such as permissions, action items, objectives, and
allocation of ownership of specific project areas. Additionally, PaaS services can
provide dynamic usage statistics, alerting the developer to who is using what and when,
allowing for per-use billing and revealing what services are being utilized and which are
not.
Application Lifecycle
Management
Application Life cycle Management is the continuous process of managing
the life of an application. Although some people equate the application
lifecycle with the software development lifecycle, it comprises much more.
In fact, an applications lifecycle includes the entire time during which an
organization spends money on it, from the initial idea to the end of the
applications life.
THE THREE ASPECTS OF APPLICATION LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT

Application Life cycle Management can be divided into three distinct areas:
Governance, Development, and Operations.

An applications life cycle begins with its creation, proceeds to deployment and
production, and ends in removal from service when the application no longer has
business value. Governance, which encompasses all of the decision making and project
management for the application, extends over this entire time. The purpose of
Governance is to make sure the application always provides what the business needs
and to ensure an ongoing understanding of the applications benefits and costs.
Because good Governance allows businesses to maximize the value of their
applications, in many ways, its the most important aspect of Application Life cycle
Management.

Development, the process of actually creating the application, happens between

creation and deployment. For most applications, the Development process reappears
several more times in the applications lifetime, both for upgrades and for wholly new
versions. Note that for some applications, the money spent on these updates and new
versions can significantly exceed the original development costs. Modern software
development can typically be thought of as a series of iterations. Each iteration contains
some requirements definition, some design, some development, and some testing.
(This iterative style of development isnt always appropriate? more traditional methods
are better for some projects?but its becoming the norm in many areas.)

Every deployed application must be monitored and managed. Operations, the work
required to run and manage the application, typically begins shortly before deployment
and runs continuously until the application is removed from service.
The three aspects of Application Lifecycle Management are tightly connected, and any
organization that aspires to maximize the business value of custom software will have to
do all three well. A number of vendors, such as Apprenda, provide tools that can make
this easier

Application Lifecycle
Management
Application Life cycle Management is the continuous process of managing
the life of an application. Although some people equate the application
lifecycle with the software development lifecycle, it comprises much more.
In fact, an applications lifecycle includes the entire time during which an
organization spends money on it, from the initial idea to the end of the
applications life.
THE THREE ASPECTS OF APPLICATION LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT

Application Life cycle Management can be divided into three distinct areas:
Governance, Development, and Operations.

An applications life cycle begins with its creation, proceeds to deployment and
production, and ends in removal from service when the application no longer has
business value. Governance, which encompasses all of the decision making and project
management for the application, extends over this entire time. The purpose of
Governance is to make sure the application always provides what the business needs
and to ensure an ongoing understanding of the applications benefits and costs.
Because good Governance allows businesses to maximize the value of their
applications, in many ways, its the most important aspect of Application Life cycle
Management.

Development, the process of actually creating the application, happens between

creation and deployment. For most applications, the Development process reappears
several more times in the applications lifetime, both for upgrades and for wholly new
versions. Note that for some applications, the money spent on these updates and new
versions can significantly exceed the original development costs. Modern software
development can typically be thought of as a series of iterations. Each iteration contains
some requirements definition, some design, some development, and some testing.
(This iterative style of development isnt always appropriate? more traditional methods
are better for some projects?but its becoming the norm in many areas.)

Every deployed application must be monitored and managed. Operations, the work
required to run and manage the application, typically begins shortly before deployment
and runs continuously until the application is removed from service.

The three aspects of Application Lifecycle Management are tightly connected, and any
organization that aspires to maximize the business value of custom software will have to
do all three well. A number of vendors, such as Apprenda, provide tools that can make
this easier

SaaS Overview (Software as a

Service)
Software on demand refers to computer applications that are delivered as a
service via the Internet. This type of software is also referred to as on-
demand software, SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) and Applications-as-a-
Service. Software on demand is a new paradigm for the industry that
provides the primary benefit of lowered operational and capital expenses
for enterprise information technology services. When an organization
decides to implement software on demand as a solution for their enterprise
software needs, internal information technology services can become more
efficient. This is brought about since IT personnel are no longer required to
focus on the installation, maintenance and support of enterprise software
and the hardware that supports such software. The efficiency gains
delivered by software on demand frees up IT personnel for the more
important task of managing IT resources as a strategic tool to optimize
their business operations.
CHARACTERISTICS

There are several key characteristics at the foundation of the software on demand or
SaaS model of software delivery. These characteristics and how they differ from the
traditional software model )on-premise) are as follows:
 Centralized Hosting / Delivery this characteristic of software on demand differs from
the traditional model of software delivery that requires the added operational overhead of
providing software to users through different distribution channels.
Uniform Platform for Delivery this characteristic of software on demand differs from
the traditional model of software delivery which requires different software packages for
different operating systems and operating platforms. With software on demand, all SaaS
solutions function on a single platform (the Internet) with a uniform type of client interface
(a web browser).
Open Collaboration / Sharing this characteristic of software on demand differs from
the traditional model of software delivery which requires IT administrator management of
user permission profiles for shared access to computing resources. With SaaS, platform
tools such as automated user provisioning and self service account management
provides SaaS consumers with the necessary tools to control how and when they share
tasks, data and information with other users who are internal or external to their
organization.

There are many other important characteristics of software on demand that are related
to the development, management and marketability of each SaaS solution
an ASP (application service provider) or ISV (independent software vendor) has to offer
to consumers. These characteristics include (but are not limited to): SaaS Architecture
(e.g. Service Oriented Architecture), SaaS Integration (e.g. Web Application Interfaces )
and SaaS Development (e.g. agile software methodologies)