Private Cloud VS Public Cloud

As an alternative to the 3-tiered classification of the cloud based services, SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS, cloud computing may also be classified based upon how underlying networks are accessed and implemented by clients.

Private cloud and public cloud models don’t describe strict architecture and so the different configurations may be employed to reach each model of cloud. In addition to that, every model may be used to provide each tier of cloud services.

Public Cloud

When majority of individuals think of cloud computing, they think of the usual public cloud model where the services on offer are available to the public customers through public network, typically the internet. The public cloud’s accessibility enables cloud services to be supplied to the mass market and for providers to centralize the physical computing resource they need to provide the services, using virtualization where they require establishing operating environment. As results, providers and consumers of public cloud services can take advantage from considerable scale economies to reduce their costs and sheer scalability in responding fluctuations in demand.

Public cloud solutions can often be free to consumers, funded for example through advertising where a charge is applied they typically follow a PAYG or Pay As You Go type model, in which the consumers are supplied with computing resource they need and when they require it and only charged for what they use. Majority of cloud services are most familiar to general consumers, especially SaaS applications including Google Docs, Dropbox, and Gmail that fall under the model of public cloud.

For several consumers, the public cloud’s mechanisms that bring cost savings as well as widespread availability may also bring some security vulnerabilities. Even if the security of such services is improving always, the fact that the data is transferred around public networks could cause obstacles to several clients with the use of public cloud to process sensitive data. But rather, they might look towards the private cloud services.

Private Cloud

The cloud clients who are managing, storing, and processing sensitive data that they need always ensure its privacy and security. For this reason, it’s best to consider private cloud solutions as a good alternative from public cloud.

The private cloud’s concept is harder to define compared to public cloud and there’s no exact definition for it. It’s best in categorizing private clouds through some features that they give and the problems that they address when compared to public services including ownership control and data security, instead of the mechanisms they use. Of course, they will also display tell-tale features of cloud computing.

The network of the servers itself can be hosted internally by an organization or externally by cloud providers, yet access is restricted to the connections made behind the firewall of the organization. To provide security as well as control private clouds may employ particular characteristics like closed networks of the servers and leased lines to access such networks where they’re hosted offsite.

Both private and public cloud has pros and cons. Choose any from private and public cloud as long as it would benefit you.