Cloud Computing - Public vs Private
The choice between public and private clouds depends on an organization's specific needs, budget, and regulatory requirements.
1. Public Cloud
In public cloud, computing resources are managed and operated by the Cloud Service Provider (CSP). These providers make their infrastructure and services available to the general public over the internet. The public cloud provider supplies the infrastructure needed to host and deploy workloads in the cloud. It also offers tools and services to help customers manage cloud applications, such as data storage, security and various monitoring and reporting capabilities. The IT giants such as Google, Amazon and Microsoft offer cloud services via Internet.
2. Private Cloud
Private cloud is also known as an internal cloud or corporate cloud. A private cloud is a cloud service that is not shared with any other organization. The private cloud user has the cloud to themselves. Private cloud provides computing services to a private internal network (within the organization) and selected users instead of the general public. Private cloud provides a high level of security and privacy to data through firewalls and internal hosting. It also ensures that operational and sensitive data are not accessible to third-party providers.
HP Data Centers, Microsoft, Elastra-private cloud, and Ubuntu are the example of a private cloud.
Here's a comparison of public cloud and private cloud in a table format to highlight their key differences.
| Aspect | Public Cloud | Private Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Ownership | Owned and operated by third-party providers. | Owned and operated by the organization or a third-party provider exclusively for the organization. |
| Accessibility | Shared infrastructure among multiple customers. | Accessible only to authorized users within the organization. |
| Infrastructure | Accessible to the general public over the internet. | Dedicated infrastructure for a single organization or a select group of users. |
| Scalability | Easily scalable, resources can be provisioned and de-provisioned on-demand. | Scalability may be limited by the organization's hardware and budget constraints. |
| Cost | Typically pay-as-you-go, based on usage (OpEx). | Upfront capital investment and ongoing maintenance costs (CapEx). |
| Security | Managed by the cloud provider with security features and compliance certifications. | Allows for greater control over security configurations and policies, but requires more management. |
| Customization | Limited customization options due to shared resources and standardized services. | High level of customization and flexibility in configuring infrastructure and services. |
| Resource Sharing | Shares resources with other cloud customers (multi-tenancy). | Resources are not shared with other organizations, ensuring isolation. |
| Maintenance | Cloud provider handles infrastructure maintenance and updates. | The organization or a third-party provider is responsible for maintenance and updates. |
| Compliance | Cloud provider may offer compliance certifications. | Allows for more control over meeting specific compliance requirements. |
| Examples | Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP). | On-premises private cloud, VMware Cloud, OpenStack. |
Next