Cloud computing is making it possible for businesses to implement software and technology services in a variety of ways. These solutions can be accessed via a network instead of being fixed to specific physical servers. The general three types of cloud systems are public, private and hybrid clouds. Depending on the kind of data you’re working with, and the setup of your organization, the features offered with each category can help you determine the best fit for the unique needs of your business.
Public Cloud
This type of cloud solution is managed by service providers who make them available to customers through a secure internet connection. The majority of public cloud services are offered in a shared environment while dividing each customer’s data to protect security. These clouds usually offer a high level of efficiency through shared resources. However, they also have more vulnerabilities than private clouds. This choice may be ideal for your business if:
- You have SaaS (Software as a Service) applications through a vendor with a comprehensive security strategy.
- You require the ability to increase computer capacity during peak hours.
- You’re involved in collaborative projects.
- Your workload applications are used by a large number of people.
When you join a public cloud the setup is usually simple and there is no need to pay for hardware costs. The chief expense is for the resources used, which often come in the form of a subscription fee. The major concern faced by users of the public cloud has been security. Once your data is moved to the cloud it can pass through many different systems. This can pose a real problem for companies involved with highly sensitive data. This issue is the main reason behind the use of other types of cloud computing today.
Private Cloud
A cloud system that maintains its services and infrastructure on a private network offers the greatest level of security and control. However, it also requires the company to purchase and manage the entire infrastructure and necessary software, which is more costly than the public cloud.
A business can build private clouds and run applications within their own data centers on virtual servers that are located on physical machines. This makes it possible to increase efficiency by adding or reducing the capacity allocated to any application based on fluctuations in demand and performance requirements. A private cloud can be a strong choice if:
- Your company is large and capable enough to handle a cloud data center on its own.
- Your business is heavily dependent on your data and applications, which makes control and security a primary concern.
- Your business belongs to an industry that is obligated to conform to stringent data and security privacy issues.
Since private clouds consist of privately owned devices, such as servers and storage arrays, many benefits of the cloud are reduced through maintenance and configuration requirements. However, companies can use their private cloud to benefit from resource allocation capabilities, which allows them to save on costs. A private cloud can only be used by the organization in which it is installed and acts more as an internal resource than a public cloud.
Public vs. Private Cloud
Public cloud services offer affordable and efficient services as well as on-demand scalability. However, they can be more vulnerable than private cloud services since they are public hosting platforms and their shared cloud infrastructure can also result in limited service and flexibility. A private cloud solution has several advantages over a public cloud:
- Unlike public cloud services, private clouds provide a higher level of security by hosting services from the inside of a corporate firewall.
- Public firewalls can also force a business to rely on a vendor that may not provide the necessary level of attention to satisfy their needs as a company.
- A large risk associated with a public vendor is the potential of data loss with the occurrence of a service outage.
- Private clouds act in accordance with with legislated mandates by guaranteeing and confirming the security of data.
- Private clouds allow a company to monitor usage and adjust service levels to meet the changing needs of the end-user community.
- Chargeback capabilities allow businesses to itemize charges to specific departments for service and applications, which allows for superior planning and budgeting.
There are, however, downsides to private cloud services as well. These services are generally more expensive than public ones because they require both a maintenance team and hardware installation. The private cloud is hosted at the company’s site, which means that the organization is responsible for safety of the physical unit and must provide an adequate amount of power to the system. There are also more limitations to the capacity that a private cloud can provide because of space and hardware constraints.
Although a private cloud may offer more control and security, businesses do not necessarily have to choose between the two. An organization may decide that a public cloud is the best choice for a particular application while a private cloud is better suited for other purposes. This type of hybrid approach gives businesses the chance to benefit from the varied features of public and private cloud solutions.
Hybrid Cloud
In the case of a hybrid cloud, an organization has the opportunity to use various public and private cloud resources to fulfill specific technical and business requirements. This gives the organization the ability to run certain applications in a public cloud and other applications in their private cloud. This can be beneficial during periods of high demand and provides the organization with increased resources.
This is achieved by using multiple providers and can help a business keep its internal operations as efficient as possible. However, it does require the user to keep track of different security platforms and it is important to ensure that business communication is uninhibited. The following scenarios may warrant a hybrid cloud environment:
- Your company works with data and applications that have a wide range of security requirements.
- Your company has security concerns about using a SaaS application and has their vendor create a private cloud for their company inside their firewall.
- Your company needs a private cloud to keep client data secure but could make use of a public cloud for client interaction purposes.
Although a hybrid cloud environment can provide your company with a mixed set of advantages, it also requires strong management capabilities. The hybrid cloud can satisfy the varying needs of an organization while partitioning data and applications with different security needs. For this reason, hybrid clouds are becoming the most common form of corporate cloud computing.
What type of cloud solution are you planning on adopting in your business? Share below.
Author Bio:
Matt Smith works for Dell and has a passion for learning and writing about technology. Outside of work he enjoys entrepreneurship, being with his family, and the outdoors.
