Visual Model of Cloud Computing

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“All models are wrong, some are useful.” – George Box

This is a simple visual model we’re using on our patterns & practices Azure Security guidance team to dialogue around cloud computing concepts. 

VisualModelOfCloudComputing 

 

Here are the key things to know:

  1. Characteristics are simply the three key characteristics we defined for our working definition of cloud (see Cloud Defined.)
  2. Service models includes the options Software as a  Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) models.
  3. Deployment  includes the options on-premises, off-premises, and hybrid, which is a combination of on-premises and off-premises.

Aside from providing a simple lens for looking at cloud computing, this model also helps us find important or interesting intersections across various cloud efforts in the industry.  For example, this can help us connect the dots to  NIST’s cloud computing work.  We can find useful intersections at a model level, without getting lost in the weeds.