Cloud service models in simple terms
Want to work hands-on with IaaS and PaaS services on AWS? The AWS course at Cokonet Academy covers EC2, VPC, RDS, Lambda and more on real accounts.
Quick answer: Think of transport. Owning a car is on-premises IT: you handle everything. Renting a car is IaaS: the provider owns it, you drive and refuel. Taking a taxi is PaaS: you say where to go, the driver handles the car. Taking a train is SaaS: you just ride.
Each step up reduces what you manage and how much you can customise. Most companies use all three: SaaS for email and HR, PaaS for new applications, and IaaS for workloads that need full control.
Two related terms come up often. On-premises means the company runs its own servers in its own building, as many Kerala firms still do for older ERP systems. Serverless, or Function as a Service, sits beyond PaaS: you upload only functions, and the provider runs them on demand and bills per request. AWS Lambda is the best-known example, and it is a favourite topic in cloud interviews.
IaaS: Infrastructure as a Service
Quick answer: IaaS gives you virtual machines, storage and networking on demand. You manage the operating system, runtime, applications and data; the provider manages the physical hardware and data centres.
- AWS examples: Amazon EC2, Amazon EBS, Amazon VPC, Amazon S3 for raw storage
- Other providers: Azure Virtual Machines, Google Compute Engine
- Best for: lifting existing applications to the cloud, custom software stacks, full control
- Watch out for: patching, scaling and security of the OS are your job
IaaS skills, VPC design, EC2 sizing and storage, are the heart of the AWS Solutions Architect Associate exam.
PaaS: Platform as a Service
Quick answer: PaaS gives you a managed environment to run code and databases. You manage the application and data; the provider runs servers, operating systems, patching and often scaling.
- AWS examples: AWS Elastic Beanstalk, Amazon RDS (managed databases), AWS App Runner; AWS Lambda is serverless, sometimes called Function as a Service
- Other providers: Azure App Service, Google App Engine, Heroku
- Best for: developers who want to ship applications without managing servers
- Watch out for: less control over the environment and possible vendor lock-in
SaaS: Software as a Service
Quick answer: SaaS is complete software delivered over the internet on a subscription. You manage only your data and user access; the provider manages everything else.
- Examples: Gmail and Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Zoho Books, Salesforce, SAP SuccessFactors
- Best for: standard business functions such as email, CRM, HR and accounting
- Watch out for: limited customisation and dependence on the vendor's roadmap
Many SaaS products themselves run on IaaS and PaaS from AWS, Azure or Google Cloud.
IaaS vs PaaS vs SaaS: comparison table and shared responsibility
Quick answer: Under the AWS shared responsibility model, AWS secures the cloud itself, and you secure what you put in it. Your share shrinks from IaaS to SaaS, but you always own your data and user access.
| Layer | IaaS | PaaS | SaaS |
|---|
| Data and user access | You | You | You |
| Application | You | You | Provider |
| Runtime and middleware | You | Provider | Provider |
| Operating system | You | Provider | Provider |
| Virtualisation, servers, storage, network | Provider | Provider | Provider |
| Example | Amazon EC2 | Elastic Beanstalk, RDS | Zoho Books, Gmail |
You can browse every programme we run on the all courses page or start at the Cokonet Academy homepage.
Which model to choose, with examples
Quick answer: Choose SaaS when a ready product fits the need, PaaS when you are building a new application, and IaaS when you need full control or are moving an existing system as it is.
- A Kochi startup building an app: PaaS and serverless to ship fast with a small team.
- A Trivandrum company moving an old ERP to the cloud: IaaS, often EC2 with RDS.
- A clinic needing accounts and email: SaaS such as Zoho Books and Google Workspace.
Want help choosing a cloud learning path? Book a free consultation or call +91 8075 400 500.
Cloud service models, AWS certification and careers
Quick answer: Cloud service models appear in the AWS Cloud Practitioner exam and in every cloud interview. Cloud engineers and architects work mostly with IaaS and PaaS; SaaS administrators and consultants manage products like Salesforce and SAP SuccessFactors.
Fresher roles that use these ideas daily include cloud support associate, junior cloud engineer and DevOps trainee. In interviews, expect a scenario: a company wants to move a website to the cloud, so which model and which AWS services would you choose, and who secures what. Practise answering in two minutes with a simple diagram. Start with our AWS Cloud Practitioner exam guide, practise on the AWS Free Tier, and read AWS vs Azure vs Google Cloud to choose a platform.
Why Cokonet Academy for AWS and cloud training
Cokonet Academy is an NSDC partner training institute with campuses in Trivandrum and Kochi. Find us on Google: Cokonet Academy, Trivandrum and Cokonet Academy, Kochi.
- NSDC partner training institute with campuses in Trivandrum and Kochi, plus a Bengaluru centre and online-live batches
- 11,200+ successful placements and 50+ corporate hiring partners
- Expert trainers in SAP (FICO, MM, ABAP), AWS, Python with AI, Data Analytics and Power BI
- Placement support until you are hired, with mock interviews and resume reviews
The AWS Cloud Architect Program at Cokonet is mapped to the NSDC qualification SSC/Q8304 at NSQF Level 6 and prepares learners for the AWS Solutions Architect Associate path, with labs on live AWS accounts.
Course details
- Course: AWS Cloud Architect Program, Cokonet Academy
- Duration: 80 to 85 hours over about 4.5 months, 5 modules, 3 architecture projects
- Mode: classroom in Trivandrum, Kochi and Bengaluru, or online-live across Kerala and the Gulf; weekday evenings or weekends; English with Malayalam support
- Covers: IAM and account structure, VPC, EC2, S3, RDS, load balancing and Auto Scaling, Route 53 and CloudFront, Lambda and serverless, CloudWatch, CloudFormation, containers overview, Well-Architected Framework and certification prep
- Level: beginner friendly, no coding needed; NSDC SSC/Q8304, NSQF Level 6
- Placement: support until you are hired, with mock interviews and resume reviews
Syllabus, batch dates and trainer profiles: AWS Cloud course in Kerala. If you want CI/CD, Docker, Kubernetes and Terraform as well, see the DevOps on AWS course.
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