Public vs. Private Cloud Computing Basics All You Need To Know About Cloud Computing The phrase cloud computing is quite controversial and numerous debates and arguments have sprung up because of it. The truth of the matter is that there is still a lot of confusion surrounding cloud computing. However, one thing is clear across […]
All You Need To Know About Cloud Computing
The phrase cloud computing is quite controversial and numerous debates and arguments have sprung up because of it. The truth of the matter is that there is still a lot of confusion surrounding cloud computing. However, one thing is clear across the board; cloud computing is having a great impact on our regular work practices. KPMG conducted a study in 2012 that revealed 81% of businesses were either evaluating cloud services, planned a cloud implementation or had already implemented a cloud solution. Regardless of how business choose to do it; the fact still remains that they will eventually end up in the cloud.
The benefits provided by the cloud cannot be ignored, companies that have adopted cloud computing enjoy flexibility, scalability, and agility coupled with an enhanced workload distribution; all this is achieved without increasing the IT budget. The main source of confusion among system administrators is the best solution between Private and Public cloud. The decision to use a public offering, or build a private cloud or go with a combination of both(hybrid) boils down to several factors. Issues such as required service levels, usage patterns for the workloads, regulatory issues, business criticality of the applications they want to move to the cloud, and how integrated the application must be with other enterprise functions.
Understanding each of the options available is the first step to making an informed decision on the best solution.
Public Cloud Service Vs Private Cloud Service
In order to have a better understanding of which service is best suited for your business, it is important to identify the major difference between public and private clouds.
A public cloud basically consists of a service or a set of services that have been bought by an organization and then delivered through the internet through a third party provider. The client’s application and IT infrastructure (data center and servers) are hosted by the cloud service provider at the cloud provider’s premise. The infrastructure is shared between several businesses; however, the applications and data usage of each application is logically segregated in order to ensure that only authorized users have access.
A private cloud can be referred to as an enterprise cloud or internal cloud; it as an extension of an enterprise’s traditional datacenter that has been optimized to provide processing power and storage capacity for a variety of functions. As the name suggests, a private cloud is a non-shared resource. Since it resides at the client’s location, the client has more control over the infrastructure.
The Pros and Cons
Making an informed decision doesn’t end with knowing the basic definitions, you also have to weigh out the pros and cons of each.
Benefits of the Public Cloud
Some of the most common examples of public cloud services include services like webmail, storage services, online office applications, and cloud based server hosting. Public cloud services are ideal for organizations that don’t need high levels of security or infrastructure.
Drawbacks of the Public Cloud
When it comes to public cloud services, the major area of concern is security. This does not mean they have zero security; as a matter of fact, most public cloud providers have put excellent measures in place to ensure data is secure. However, organizations with extremely sensitive information find it very difficult to trust it with a third party.
Image courtesy of geek wire
In summary, other disadvantage include;
Benefits of the Private cloud
The private cloud works on the same basic principles as a public cloud, the major difference is that a private cloud is restricted to a single organization. This means that it offers a solution to some of the drawbacks of the public cloud.
Drawbacks of the Private cloud
The major shortcoming of private clouds is the high costs associated with it. To begin with, the organization will have to heavily invest in hardware; on top of that administration and maintenance personnel will have to be hired leading to higher maintenance and administration costs.
In summary, other disadvantages include;
A Hybrid Solution is also an option to consider
The hybrid solution offers a neutral point for Public vs. Private debate. The important cooperate date can be securely stored in a private cloud while access to the data is controlled by public cloud solution (SaaS). This will offer the best of both worlds.
In conclusion, the best solution majorly depends on the nature of your business or organization.
Cost is a major driver that could tip one solution over other. We will take up the topic in a separate post.
Author: Gabriel Lando
