What Kinds of Cloud Computing Are There?

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is a model of delivering various services, such as servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence, over the Internet to offer faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale.

In cloud computing, the provider owns and operates the infrastructure and makes it available to customers over the Internet, allowing customers to access technology-enabled services from the cloud without having to manage the underlying technology infrastructure. This makes it easier for organizations to quickly scale up or down their computing resources as their needs change, without having to invest in new infrastructure, licenses, or training.

There are three main deployment models for cloud computing: public, private, and hybrid. Public cloud services are owned and operated by third-party companies, and are made available to the general public over the Internet. Private clouds are owned and operated by individual organizations for their exclusive use, while hybrid clouds use a combination of public and private clouds to meet specific needs.

Types of Cloud Computing

1.Private Cloud

A private cloud refers to a cloud computing environment that is dedicated to a single organization or business. Unlike public clouds, which are shared by multiple customers, a private cloud offers a secure and isolated computing infrastructure that is designed to meet the specific needs of a single entity. Private clouds can be hosted on-premises or off-premises, and offer organizations greater control over the security, privacy, and configuration of their IT resources. Private clouds are typically used by organizations that have strict data privacy and security requirements, such as financial institutions and government agencies.

Advantages of Private Cloud

• Supports legacy apps.
• Private access makes sure a safe and dedicated solution.
• Extreme level of flexibility enables changes in IT and business requirements without compromising performance and security.
• Government and regulatory compliance are simpler, as the private cloud model features custom-made security.
• High-efficiency levels and SLA (Service Level Agreement) improve functionality.

Disadvantages of Private Cloud

• Needs extremely skilled experts.
• It’s a costly solution.
• Mobile users get restricted access.
• Not relevant for short-term use cases.
• Infrastructure scalability may be limited in case the cloud data center is restricted to on-premise computing resources.

2. Public Cloud

Public Cloud refers to a type of cloud computing service where the infrastructure, servers, and storage are owned and operated by a third-party service provider and made available to the public over the internet. This type of cloud computing service allows individuals and businesses to access computing resources and applications without having to purchase and maintain their own hardware and software. Public Cloud services are typically provided on a subscription-based model and can be used by anyone with an internet connection. Examples of public cloud providers include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

As per Statista, the global public cloud computing market continues to grow and is expected to reach an estimated $397 billion in 2022.

Advantages of Public Cloud

• Anybody can utilize the services online.
• It is highly scalable.
• Agile cost structure enables companies to concentrate on other kinds of investments.
• PAYG pricing model helps you determine the cost level.
• High availability helps you fulfill extra resource needs easily.
• Usage and setup require less technical knowledge.
• Public cloud providers have in-built apps and services preferred for IT and business operations.
• Predictable computing requirements lower possible downtime.

Disadvantages of Public Cloud

• Restricted infrastructure control.
• The ownership cost cannot be predicted and might increase for large-scale users.
• Can’t meet every security need.
• The service provider may limit the use of their software and hardware.
• Can’t totally support the industry standards, legal needs, needs of government policies, etc.

3. Hybrid Cloud

Hybrid cloud is a type of computing environment that combines both public and private clouds, providing businesses with the ability to choose between a combination of public cloud, private cloud, or traditional IT infrastructure. This hybrid approach allows organizations to take advantage of the benefits of each type of cloud, such as public cloud scalability and cost-effectiveness, while still maintaining the security and control of a private cloud. The hybrid cloud enables organizations to choose the right type of cloud solution for each workload, depending on the specific needs of that application or data.

Advantages of Hybrid Cloud

• The hybrid cloud is extremely authentic as it offers shared services across multiple cloud solutions.
• Government and regulatory compliance, and legacy needs are simpler to fulfill in comparison with a completely public cloud.
• Offers more scalability and flexibility than completely private cloud apps without disturbing security.
• You can utilize both cloud-native and legacy apps.
• Costs are lower than a completely private cloud solution.

Disadvantages of Hybrid Cloud

• Needs high-end tech expertise for establishing, handling, and maintaining the solution.
• Can be costly, particularly compared to the public cloud.
• Infrastructure can be complicated due to the emerging combination of private and public clouds.
• Needs powerful compatibility and integration between the combination of public and private data centers.

Multi-Cloud Model

The multi-cloud model refers to the use of multiple cloud computing services from different providers by an organization. In this model, a company uses a combination of public cloud services (such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform) and/or private cloud services to meet its various computing needs.

The main advantage of a multi-cloud model is the flexibility and scalability it provides. By using multiple cloud providers, an organization can choose the best cloud service for each of its applications, balancing the trade-off between cost, performance, and security. Additionally, by spreading its data and applications across multiple clouds, the organization reduces its risk of a single point of failure, improving its overall resilience.

The multi-cloud model also allows organizations to maximize the benefits of each cloud provider, such as cost savings, enhanced security, and better performance. However, managing multiple cloud environments can be complex and requires specialized skills, which can make it difficult for some organizations to fully realize the benefits of a multi-cloud strategy.

Benefits of Multi-Cloud Model

1. Flexibility: Multi-cloud allows organizations to have the flexibility to choose different cloud platforms that meet their specific business needs and requirements.
2. Cost Savings: By leveraging multiple cloud providers, organizations can take advantage of cost-saving opportunities such as price comparison, cost optimization, and demand-based pricing.
3. Resilience and Disaster Recovery: With multi-cloud, organizations can have a backup plan in case one cloud provider experiences downtime or other issues. This can help ensure business continuity and protect against data loss.
4. Security: By using multiple cloud providers, organizations can take advantage of different security measures and protocols, providing a higher level of security.
5. Innovation: By using multiple cloud providers, organizations can take advantage of the latest technology and innovations from each provider, keeping them ahead of the competition.
6. Scalability: Multi-cloud allows organizations to scale their resources as needed, quickly and efficiently.
7. Improved Performance: By spreading resources across multiple cloud platforms, organizations can benefit from improved performance, reliability, and stability.