IAAS
Infrastructure as a Service
Enhanced Definition
Cloud computing model increasingly used for mainframe workload migration and hybrid architectures, providing virtualized computing resources over the internet on a pay-per-use basis.
Key Characteristics
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- Virtualized computing resources
- Scalable capacity on demand
- Pay-per-use pricing model
- Self-service provisioning
- Managed infrastructure
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IaaS for Mainframe Workloads:
- Mainframe in the Cloud: IBM Z as a service
- Workload Migration: Moving applications to cloud
- Hybrid Models: On-premises and cloud integration
- Dev/Test Environments: Cloud-based development
- Disaster Recovery: Cloud-based DR sites
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Benefits:
- Reduced capital expenditure
- Elastic capacity scaling
- Geographic distribution
- Faster provisioning
- Reduced maintenance burden
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Challenges:
- Data transfer costs and latency
- Security and compliance concerns
- Application compatibility
- Network bandwidth requirements
- Vendor lock-in considerations
Use Cases
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- Disaster recovery environments
- Development and testing systems
- Capacity overflow during peak periods
- Application modernization projects
- Geographic expansion
Related Concepts
Related to: Cloud Computing, Hybrid Cloud, Migration, Virtualization