Private cloud is an on-demand cloud deployment model where cloud computing services and infrastructure are hosted privately, often within a company’s own intranet or data center using proprietary resources and are not shared with other organizations. The company usually oversees the management, maintenance, and operation of the private cloud. A private cloud offers an enterprise more control and better security than a public cloud, but managing it requires a higher level of IT expertise.
In general, cloud computing allows organizations to move compute power, data storage, and other services away from on-premises servers and onto remote servers that employees or customers can access via the Internet. A company that wishes to use cloud computing services may choose between a private cloud (where cloud services are exclusive to the company) and a public cloud (where cloud services are owned and managed by a provider who also hosts other tenants), or a combination of the two, known as a hybrid cloud.
Like other types of cloud environments, a private cloud uses virtualization technology to combine computing resources into shared pools and automatically provision them depending on organizational needs. This allows an enterprise to scale and maximize resource usage. The difference is that in a private cloud, those computing resources are exclusive to a single organization and are not shared with other tenants. Users can gain access to the private cloud through the company’s intranet or through a virtual private network (VPN).
Because the owner of a private cloud maintains complete control, not only can organizations ensure tighter security, they also benefit from better availability and more uptime than a public cloud can offer.
Here are some examples where an organization can benefit from using a private cloud:
Private cloud is a cloud deployment model where computing resources are dedicated and proprietary, and a single organization hosts and manages the system. Public cloud is a model where cloud services are owned and managed by a provider who also hosts other tenants. Companies may combine a private cloud with a public cloud in a hybrid cloud environment.
There are different types of private clouds that deliver different services. For example, when a company uses a private cloud for infrastructure as a service (IaaS), the cloud might host storage, networking, or compute services. Private clouds can also support platform as a service (PaaS) applications, which work just like regular software applications that are hosted on a local computer.
There are also a variety of types of private cloud hosting options. These include software-only platforms, combined software and hardware packages, and hosted or managed private clouds. Hosted or managed means the private cloud server may live on the customer’s premises or in a vendor’s data center, but is hosted and sometimes managed by a vendor. Some public cloud service providers also offer virtual private clouds, which create small, isolated environments for specific users.
Private cloud is generally more secure than public cloud, with one important caveat: A business must proactively ensure that security is strong and up to date in order to reap the benefits of private cloud. (Most public cloud providers have the scale and resources to provide robust security, so businesses that have doubts about their ability to manage their own security may be better served by public cloud solutions.) As long as a business isn’t complacent, though, the private cloud offers many advantages for security. Since private clouds are limited to specific physical machines, it’s easier to ensure physical security. They sit behind a perimeter firewall and are accessed through private, secure network links (rather than through the public Internet). And the degree of control a business has over its private cloud also makes it easier to achieve regulatory compliance.
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Public Cloud Private Cloud Solutions Multi-cloud Enterprise Cloud Suite Hybrid Cloud Kubernetes |