Serverless vs PaaS vs IaaS decision in Azure - Visual Side-by-Side Comparison

Process Flow - Serverless vs PaaS vs IaaS decision

Start: Need to deploy app

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Choose deployment model

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Serverless

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No infra

↓

management

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Pay per

↓

use

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Auto scale

↓

Less ops

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Deploy and run app

This flow shows how you start with an app deployment need, choose between Serverless, PaaS, or IaaS, each with different levels of infrastructure management and scaling.

Execution Sample

Azure

Decision: If app needs minimal management -> Serverless
Else if app needs managed platform -> PaaS
Else -> IaaS

This simple decision helps pick the right Azure service model based on management and control needs.

Process Table

Step	Decision Point	Condition	Chosen Model	Reason
1	App needs minimal infra management?	Yes	Serverless	No infra to manage, pay per use
2	App needs managed platform services?	Yes	PaaS	Managed services, less setup than IaaS
3	Else	No	IaaS	Full control over infrastructure
4	Scale needs	Auto scale needed?	Serverless	Built-in auto scaling
5	Scale needs	Manual or custom scale?	IaaS	User controls scaling
6	Ops effort	Want less ops?	Serverless or PaaS	Less operational overhead
7	Ops effort	Need full control?	IaaS	More operational responsibility
8	End	Decision complete	Model chosen	Ready to deploy app

💡 Decision ends when deployment model matches app needs for management, scaling, and control.

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 1	After Step 2	After Step 3	Final
App Management Need	Unknown	Minimal	Managed platform	Full control	Determined
Chosen Model	None	Serverless	PaaS	IaaS	Set
Scaling Type	Unknown	Auto	Auto or manual	Manual	Set
Ops Effort	Unknown	Low	Low	High	Set

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why choose Serverless if I want full control over infrastructure?

Serverless is for minimal infrastructure management (see execution_table step 1). For full control, IaaS is better (step 3).

Can PaaS auto scale like Serverless?

PaaS can scale but usually requires some configuration (see execution_table step 4 and 5). Serverless auto scales automatically.

Does choosing IaaS mean more operational work?

Yes, IaaS requires managing servers and scaling manually (see execution_table step 7). Serverless and PaaS reduce ops effort.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table at step 1, what model is chosen if the app needs minimal infrastructure management?

A PaaS

B IaaS

C Serverless

D None

💡 Hint

Check execution_table row with Step 1 and Condition 'Yes'

At which step does the decision choose IaaS?

A Step 3

B Step 2

C Step 5

D Step 7

💡 Hint

Look for 'Else' condition in execution_table

If the app requires auto scaling with no ops effort, which models fit best?

A IaaS only

B Serverless or PaaS

C Serverless only

D PaaS or IaaS

💡 Hint

See execution_table steps 4 and 6 about scaling and ops effort

Concept Snapshot

Serverless: No infra management, pay per use, auto scale.
PaaS: Managed platform, less setup, some scaling.
IaaS: Full infra control, manual setup and scaling.
Choose based on control, ops effort, and scaling needs.

Full Transcript

This visual execution shows how to decide between Serverless, PaaS, and IaaS in Azure. Start by checking if your app needs minimal infrastructure management. If yes, Serverless is best for no infra management and pay per use. If you want managed platform services but not full control, choose PaaS. Otherwise, pick IaaS for full control but more operational work. Scaling is automatic in Serverless, configurable in PaaS, and manual in IaaS. This helps you pick the right model based on your app's needs.