What is DBaaS?

Database as a service (DBaaS) is a type of cloud computing service model. It facilitates the users with access to a cloud database without the need for purchasing, setting up hardware, installing, and managing the database themselves. All the administrative tasks such as periodic upgrades, backups, and ensuring security are all taken care of by the cloud service provider.

DBaaS is a key component of XaaS (Anything as a Service) and is one out of the secondary service models. It also comes as a subcategory under the umbrella of Software as a service model(SaaS). In simple terms, it is a service model that provides access to a database that can be used with applications and their related data.

The model can be considered as a more structured approach when compared to storage as a service. Hence, it can be considered really as a software offering. Payment methods may be charged according to the usage of the capacity, features subscribed, and use of database administration tools.

Benefits of DBaaS

Now that you know what is DBaaS, let’s consider the benefits. Database as a service model offers financial, strategic, and operational benefits when compared with deploying a database management system on-premises. Some of the benefits are listed down as follows;

• Cost-effective:
  The end-user is provided with a predictable periodic charge based on the resources they require and consume.
• Scalability:
  Ability to quickly and easily scale up or down the computing capacity and storage as per the requirement.
• Data and application security:
  Cloud service providers offer basically enterprise-grade security. This includes features such as default encryption of data both in rest and in-transit as well.
• Reduced risk:
  Cloud providers include a Service-level agreement (SLA) that guarantees a certain amount of uptime. In case if the cloud providers couldn’t meet the requirements, the end-users will be given compensation for the downtime.