To build a cloud infrastructure, organizations can get a ready-made service from a provider, use personal equipment, or combine both options. Online repositories are often used by development departments, software testing companies, financial departments of organizations, and management of various companies. It is important to decide which type of cloud to choose – private or public.
Advantages and disadvantages of the public cloud
In this case, the virtual IT infrastructure belongs to the provider. It is leased to the client and is simultaneously used by a large number of companies.
The disadvantage of this option is that public clouds are considered more vulnerable than private ones. Clients do not control where their data is located, how copies are created at the provider level. It is impossible to find out with which neighbors you have to make a physical server.
Another drawback is that the provider may not prevent an accident, data leakage. There is a risk of closing the service. It is difficult for public cloud users to influence such situations.
Advantages:
- Ease of use. No need to install equipment, software, train employees. To use the infrastructure, you only need to have access to the worldwide network.
- No IT maintenance costs. This task falls on the provider.
- Flexible billing, no long-term commitments. An organization can reduce or increase spending on the cloud. To do this, she needs to change the billing package. If services are no longer required, they can be quickly abandoned.
Despite the cons and risks, the public cloud will be a lifesaver for a small organization with outdated equipment. To solve the problem of insufficient capacity, this type of storage can be used instead of a costly replacement of equipment.
Private cloud features
The private cloud infrastructure is the property of the user. This allows you to achieve a high level of security and control. At the same time, spending on hardware and software will increase significantly when compared with public clouds.
Advantages:
- Independence. All computing resources will be at the disposal of the client. The oversights of the cloud neighbors or the provider will not have a negative impact on the infrastructure.
- Easy access to computing resources. They can be controlled even without an internet connection.
- High performance. This is because private clouds operate within internal firewalls. Data transfer takes little time.
The disadvantages include the high cost of creating and maintaining a private cloud and the difficulty of scaling.
What to choose: public or private cloud?
A private cloud is suitable for large and medium-sized companies that have sufficient personal computing power. They manage to reduce the cost of software and hardware resources. This option is worth considering for organizations that need to support multiple large databases. The equipment is located close, and this will speed up the workflow. The private cloud is recommended for organizations that need to have control over their own resources. We are talking about state institutions, large software developers. They should not depend on the Internet connection and third-party organizations.
A public cloud is the best option for startups that don’t have the funds to deploy a private cloud. It is also recommended for companies with an extensive network of branches, where data is used simultaneously. This option is suitable for testing projects when you do not want to take risks and spend money on buying equipment.
When choosing a cloud, you should be guided by the requirements that a particular company applies to its IT infrastructure. You will also have to take into account the challenges facing the company in order to make the right decision.