Why use Platform as a Service in Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is an extremely powerful form of solution delivery; users around the world are flocking to develop through the cloud, with 80% of organizations using at least one public cloud / private cloud. That being said, cloud computing is commonly accessed through three distinct service models:

• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): Provider delivering infrastructure resources
• Software as a Service (SaaS): Provider delivers the entire application stack and manages software
• Platform as a Service (PaaS): Provider delivers hardware and software resources accessible through a single platform

Platform as a service in cloud computing is interesting because it allows users to bring their code and deploy, without having to worry about server maintenance and management. Google Cloud puts it best when they say using PaaS is like renting a furnished house. Through PaaS, teams can build, deploy, test, and scale at their leisure, with providers hosting servers, networks, and more.

Using PaaS services have become a mainstay in cloud computing deployments because it removes the headache of infrastructure management, with some of the benefits of platform as a service including:

• Faster time to market
• Stronger and easier scalability
• Cost-effectiveness
• Platform flexibility 
• Little to no maintenance

That being said, some of the strongest PaaS options are locked behind hyperscaler providers. Lyrid is a cost-effective PaaS that connects users with local data centers around the world, giving users strong automation, deployment, storage, and more for their buck.

What is Lyrid? Facilitating DevOps Platform as a Service

Lyrid is a PaaS represented through a collection of development tools and frameworks within a single platform, essentially a platform provider for anyone looking to develop and run their applications. What makes Lyrid unique is their position as the ‘AirBNB’ of data centers, connecting local data centers and their resources with developers and companies looking for a hybrid cloud approach. 

In the fashion of all PaaS, Lyrid acts as the platform, offering distinct platforms for users and data center owners. End users, such as developers, are greeted with the Lyrid interface, where they can deploy, provision, and create new applications and clusters. For data center owners, Lyrid has a dedicated backend platform that acts as a central resource selling platform, almost like an AirBNB host. Though at the end of the day, Lyrid is a premier PaaS.

As a PaaS, Lyrid’s goal is to create a seamless experience for anyone looking to develop, promoting efficiency and frictionless creation without compromising security, operation, and scalability. Lyrid does so by managing and driving cloud builds, deployment, and executions through the use of policies and AI- determining optimal builds and deployment locations.

Through Lyrid, users can build, deploy, and manage solutions efficiently and on any cloud infrastructure, letting users deploy applications, microservices, databases, and more all in 4 clicks.

How Lyrid Works

Lyrid operation may seem like a convoluted process, though in actuality, it can be split within three core parts: wrapping, determination and deployment, and execution.

Wrapping

Lyrid begins once a user submits their applications and code in our platform. Our command line client zips and uploads user code, prepping it for submission into our platform pipeline. Once user code is submitted, Lyrid wraps user applications with a lightweight wrapper, creating a unique user build and making it flexible enough to run within the different cloud vendors that we support.

This user code once wrapped is stored within our infrastructure for further building within the Lyrid platform. Within the Lyrid platform, user commands are executed based on their current programming language build, web server framework, and target cloud infrastructure. Once converted inside of Lyrid, the wrapped user code and applications are outputted as build artifacts, where they are directly deployed into the user’s preferred cloud vendors.

Determination and Deployment

User builds dictate the determination process within our platform, giving service creators the flexibility to determine important features for their applications. Determination allows users to configure where their build is going to be deployed, as well as what marketplace features to add onto builds before deployment.

For deployment, the Lyrid platform determines how your function application will be distributed globally based on policies. Our policy driven automatic distribution determines the best deployment options based on user preference. Whether you need a deployment based on the edge and as close as possible to end users, or something that can maximize public cloud resource utilization, the Lyrid platform offers global deployment options for projects of any size.

Execution

After determination and deployment, the user build is ready to launch. User requests are routed to the managed region closest to them, including: US West, South-East Asia and Europe Central, with deployment to Kenya coming soon. Executions are based on the policy that users set globally, with the options of account-based policies or application-based policies

In terms of pricing for the Lyrid platform, it’s free (with limitations of course). For more information about our pricing, visit our pricing page! 

Kubernetes Platform as a Service and Other Lyrid Services

The Lyrid PaaS offers a means to confidently streamline application development and deploy, though its services don’t just end there. Including in Lyrid are services such as:

Managed Kubernetes

Through Lyrid, users can leverage the power of Kubernetes without having to deal with the headache of Kubernetes management. We’re dedicated to making Kubernetes easy and affordable for everyone, with Lyrid Managed Kubernetes offering:

• Efficient and automatic resource allocation
• Automated cluster scaling
• Simple deployment and provisioning
• Single-pane-of-glass management

And more, allowing any developer to deploy Kubernetes at the click of a button.

Managed Database

Database hardware management and administration can be complex, Lyrid Managed Database offers a competent database solution, providing fully managed MySQL and PostGreSQL databases. Our managed database solution offers features such as:

• RapidDeploy Database: Production-ready databases that use Lyrid’s Cloud Manager, API, or CLI to launch in minutes
• SecureGuard Database: IP address-based security in a centralized security hub
• BackupHero Database: Automated data snapshots every 24 hours
• FlexiScale Database: Flexible database plans that offer instances for every need

Manage your data and analytics with one platform!

Lyrid Object Storage

Storage vastness is an extremely important aspect of holding data, especially when it comes to industries that generate tons of data like healthcare and finance. Lyrid Object Storage presents easy storage capable of storing large amounts of data through storage buckets and content delivery networks (CDNs). The benefits of object storage are truly like no other, resulting in improvements in:

• Page load speeds
• Application and service performance
• Cost efficiency
• Data management
• Scalability
• Fault tolerance

What we’re building at Lyrid is vast, accompanied by a global data center network. Whether you’re building, testing, deploying, and executing, Lyrid is the PaaS that will get the job done. Learn more about what we’re doing at Lyrid by booking a call with one of our product specialists!