Three Types of Cloud Computing
Three main types of cloud computing environments exist. These computing environments are also known as cloud deployment models. End-users or organizations can decide to deploy programs on private, public, or hybrid clouds. The best environment depends on the software’s specific needs and use-case.
Private Cloud
A private cloud is a deployment type in which the cloud infrastructure is owned by a single entity. This type of cloud deployment model offers much more control over the cloud computing environment.
The owner of the private cloud infrastructure controls who has access to which IT resources. This is more in line with a centralized business model. A private cloud can be either self-hosted (hosted on your own server), or externally hosted (hosted on a leased virtual or dedicated server).
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One thing to consider, however, is that private cloud hosting can be quite pricey. This type of model is best for large corporations. This is because it offers a high level of security, more advanced features, Private Clouds also provide much more flexible options in terms of networking, storage, and other compute components. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows though. Private clouds are often more difficult to access from remote locations and they require a lot of IT expertise to a private cloud up and running.
Public Cloud
In a public cloud environment, the cloud infrastructure itself is owned by a third-party cloud provider. This public cloud is able to be accessed by many users via the internet, usually through a paywall. This kind of cloud deployment environment enables businesses to save money on IT operational costs by providing cloud services and infrastructure. In this cloud deployment model, the cloud provider is the party responsible for the creation, maintenance, upgrades of the entire cloud infrastructure. One of the biggest drawbacks of a public cloud is that you are not in control of your data. For this reason, a public cloud may not be the best option for sensitive data.
Hybrid Cloud
For those who are wanting to get the best of both public and private cloud computing environments, there is hybrid cloud computing. Hybrid cloud computing provides a much more tailored IT solution that leverages both cloud computing deployment models to meet an organization’s specific needs. Hybrid clouds aren’t perfect, either. Communications at the network can at times become conflicted because it is used in both public and private clouds that may have overlapping namespaces and other properties.