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Cloud computing infrastructure is the combination of physical computing resources and the software layer that makes them function as cloud services. In the NIST model, the physical layer typically includes servers, storage, and networks; the abstraction layer is software deployed across that hardware to provide cloud capabilities.
What does cloud computing infrastructure mean?
NIST defines cloud computing as a model for convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable resources—such as networks, servers, storage, applications, and services—that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or provider interaction. The definition appears in NIST’s cloud infrastructure glossary and NIST Special Publication 800-145, published in September 2011.
Infrastructure is therefore broader than a data center or a collection of servers. It includes both the underlying hardware and the software that abstracts and coordinates those resources. NIST presents these as two conceptual layers, not as a required physical design for every provider.
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Physical layer
The physical layer consists of the hardware resources needed to support cloud services, typically servers, storage, and networking equipment. A customer may not own or directly manage this equipment; ownership and operation depend on the deployment arrangement.
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Abstraction layer
Software deployed across the physical resources forms the abstraction layer. It enables cloud capabilities such as pooling resources, provisioning them on demand, and scaling them as needs change. Hardware alone does not establish that a service fits the NIST cloud model.
What makes infrastructure “cloud”?
NIST’s definition identifies five essential characteristics. They describe the operating model, rather than guaranteeing unlimited capacity, uniform performance, or a particular price.
- On-demand self-service: A consumer can automatically provision capabilities such as server time or network storage without human interaction with the provider for each request.
- Broad network access: Capabilities are available over a network through standard mechanisms that support different client platforms.
- Resource pooling: The provider pools resources to serve multiple consumers and dynamically assigns or reassigns physical and virtual resources. Consumers generally do not know or control the exact resource location, although a higher-level location such as a country, state, or data center may be selectable.
- Rapid elasticity: Capabilities can be provisioned and released—sometimes automatically—to scale outward or inward in line with demand.
- Measured service: Use is metered at a level appropriate to the service, then monitored, controlled, and reported to provide transparency about consumption.
How do service models differ?
Service models describe what capability the consumer receives and how much of the computing stack the consumer controls. NIST identifies three: SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS.
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| Model | What the consumer gets | Typical consumer control |
|---|---|---|
| Software as a Service (SaaS) | Use of provider applications running on cloud infrastructure. | Limited user-specific configuration; the provider manages the underlying infrastructure. |
| Platform as a Service (PaaS) | A platform for deploying applications using supported languages, libraries, services, and tools. | Control of deployed applications and possibly application-hosting settings, but not the underlying infrastructure. |
| Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) | Fundamental resources such as processing, storage, and networks on which the consumer can run operating systems and applications. | Control of operating systems, storage, and deployed applications, with possible limited control over selected networking components. |
In short, SaaS provides applications to use, PaaS provides a platform for deploying applications, and IaaS exposes fundamental computing resources. NIST SP 500-322 offers guidance for assessing whether a service aligns with the SP 800-145 categories: Evaluation of Cloud Computing Services Based on NIST SP 800-145.
How do cloud deployment models differ?
Deployment models describe who the infrastructure is for and how it is arranged. They are a separate classification from SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS.
- Private cloud: For the exclusive use of one organization, which may include multiple internal consumers. It may be on or off premises and operated by the organization, a third party, or both.
- Community cloud: For the exclusive use of a defined community of organizations with shared concerns, such as mission, security, policy, or compliance.
- Public cloud: Open for use by the general public and operated by a business, academic, government, or combined organization.
- Hybrid cloud: A composition of two or more distinct private, community, or public clouds. They remain separate entities but are connected to enable data and application portability.
These categories do not reduce to a simple ownership test: for example, a private cloud may be operated by a third party, while the NIST public-cloud category is defined by open use by the general public.
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How can you assess whether a service fits the definition?
Use the NIST framework as a classification tool, not as a prescription for a particular architecture or business operation. NIST describes SP 800-145 as a baseline for comparison and discussion; it does not require organizations to adopt a specific deployment or delivery method. A practical assessment is:
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- Check the operating characteristics: Consider whether the service supports on-demand self-service, broad network access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity, and measured service.
- Classify the capability: Decide whether the consumer uses an application (SaaS), deploys applications on a platform (PaaS), or provisions fundamental computing resources (IaaS).
- Classify the arrangement separately: Determine whether it is private, community, public, or hybrid based on intended use and the relationship among the cloud infrastructures.
NIST’s framework is useful for comparing services, but it does not by itself rank providers or establish their prices, capacity, or suitability for a particular workload.
Sources and scope
The core definition and taxonomy come from Peter Mell and Timothy Grance’s NIST SP 800-145, The NIST Definition of Cloud Computing. NIST published the final definition in 2011; its publication announcement explains its role as a tool for assessing cloud characteristics and models. These are foundational classification terms, not a specification of a particular provider’s current product implementation.
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