To Cloud or Not to Cloud

When you pick a new solution of any sort, you will need to decide whether or not you want to put it on the cloud.

The "cloud" is a generic term describing solutions that are housed by a vendor and accessed over a remote network connection. There are several different variants of cloud-based solutions:

• IAAS: Infrastructure As A Service. Virtual servers and storage are provided to run the customer's applications.
• PAAS: Platform As A Service. Platform vendors typically go one step beyond IAAS vendors. You will usually have access to an operating system and program execution environment. Frequently, this will include database, web server, and application layer environments available for running custom-written code.
• SAAS: Software As A Service: SAAS vendors typically provide the entire software environment to customers. The advantage is speed to deployment and ease of administration. Vendor lock-in is much more of a concern than it is with IAAS or PAAS.
• NAAS: Network As A Service: This sort of solution outsources the responsibility for the network connnections between different components in the cloud.

The main advantages of a cloud model are:

• Cost: Cloud solutions are typically much cheaper than traditional alternatives.
• Speed: It is almost always faster to deploy to a dedicated cloud environment than to build out your own system.
• Flexibility: Because the deployment costs are usually lower, there are fewer sunk costs and lower barriers to entry to consider for new upgrades.
• Easier maintenance: Maintenance belongs to the cloud vendor, removing an important distraction that you would otherwise have to plan around.

There are some disadvantages to a cloud model as well:

• Loss of control: You can have any flavor you want, as long as it is vanilla. Your vendor decides what options to make available.
• Lock-in: Your future becomes tied to the future of your vendor. Especially with SAAS, migrations become difficult.
• Performance: Depending on the solution, the performance may or may not be better, but it will certainly depend on the quality of your network connection.
• Security: Similarly, the level of security available is determined by what your vendor makes available.

In the end, you have to weigh your options and do what is right for your employer.