Cloud deployment models define how cloud services are made available to users. They are mainly categorized into:
- Public Cloud
- Private Cloud
- Hybrid Cloud
Each model differs in terms of ownership, access level, cost, security, and control.
Public Cloud
- Definition:
Public cloud is a cloud environment open to general public and hosted over the Internet by third-party providers. - Ownership:
Owned and managed by external providers like AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure. - Access:
Any user can subscribe and access the services via pay-per-use model. - Advantages:
- Scalable on-demand
- Cost-effective for startups
- Easy to use and deploy globally
- Examples:
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
- Microsoft Azure
- IBM Blue Cloud
Private Cloud
- Definition:
A private cloud is used exclusively by a single organization, often managed internally or by a third party, and hosted within the organization’s firewall. - Ownership:
Owned and controlled by the organization. - Access:
Limited to internal users (employees, departments, etc.) - Advantages:
- Enhanced security and privacy
- Greater customization and control
- Complies with regulatory standards
- Examples:
- Government or banking sector using internal private infrastructure
- IBM’s Research Compute Cloud (RC2)
Hybrid Cloud
- Definition:
Hybrid cloud is a combination of public and private clouds that allows data and applications to be shared between them. - Ownership:
Managed by both organization and public provider. - Access:
Internal + external access depending on configuration. - Advantages:
- Flexibility: Critical workloads on private, non-sensitive on public
- Cost optimization
- Useful for bursting workloads into public cloud during peak demand
- Examples:
- A company using private cloud for sensitive data and public cloud for customer-facing apps
- IBM RC2 (hybrid of 8 global research centers)
