Defining what is Platform as a Service, or PaaS, is complicated. There is no concrete, canonical definition, and it is typically described as a cloud hosting platform with a set of automation tools for deployment and scaling , for application management and DevOps that can run on a shared infrastructure or on premises. .
Another more concise definition is that PaaS is a cloud computing model in which a provider delivers hardware and software tools to users over the Internet. These are, in general, tools that are necessary for application development. What is common is that a PaaS provider will host the hardware and software on its own infrastructure , thus freeing developers from having to install those resources in order to develop or run a new application.
PaaS does not replace the entire IT infrastructure of a company for software development, but the one necessary for those developments is going to be provided through the infrastructure hosted by a cloud service provider.
PaaS can be delivered through public, private and hybrid clouds to offer services such as application hosting and development. Other common applications of PaaS would be:
- Development team collaboration.
- Integration of web services Application.
- Security of the information.
- Database integration Application
- Design and development of applications.
- Test and deployment of applications.
The main advantage of PaaS is simplicity and convenience. Users can access the infrastructure provided by the service from anywhere through a web browser. On the other hand, as in other services in the Cloud, the ability to pay per use allows companies to control costs much better, saving a lot on infrastructure.
On the other hand, a service interruption or other alteration of the infrastructure can negatively affect customers and generate zero productivity lapses that will be extremely costly. This is rare, given the level of demand of current SLAs .
It is not a very flexible service in the face of internal changes. For example, if you change the programming language or choose to change the development tools. These changes can negatively impact users.
In short, PaaS offers developers a sufficient abstraction about the underlying infrastructure that allows them to develop their applications, test and verify them in secure environments, with all the advantages of cloud services.
Also Read: Software As a Service: Important Reasons For The Deployment In Companies
