Yesterday, we introduced the three service models of the cloud. Today, we will continue with the cloud definitions and introduce the deployment models of cloud services.
Contents
Deployment Models
The cloud deployment models defined by NIST mainly include the following:
- Private Cloud
- Public Cloud
- Hybrid Cloud
- Community Cloud
Some people also refer to Hybrid Cloud as Multi-Cloud.
The introduction here will also quote parts of the definitions.the translation from the National Chung Hsing University Senior Learning Network:
Private Cloud
Cloud infrastructure is operated solely for an organization. It may be managed by the organization itself or a third party and may exist on-premise or off-premise. Private clouds offer the elasticity of public cloud environments while being subject to specific network and user restrictions. Since data and processes are managed internally, they are less affected by network bandwidth, security concerns, and regulatory constraints. This allows cloud providers and users to have greater control over the infrastructure and improve security and flexibility.
Simply put, a cloud built by a company itself is usually a private cloud, with users typically being other development departments within the company.
Community Cloud
Cloud infrastructure is controlled and used by multiple organizations with shared interests. Community members can share cloud data and applications, as they have common concerns such as specific missions, security requirements, policies, and compliance considerations. It may be managed by the organizations or a third party and can be deployed on-premise or off-premise.
This model is currently relatively rare.
Public Cloud
Cloud infrastructure is provided to the general public or a large industry group and is owned by an organization selling cloud services. In addition to elasticity, it is cost-effective. This allows public cloud users to save on the costs and technical requirements of managing physical machines, server rooms, power, and cooling facilities. Furthermore, 'public' does not mean that user data is visible to everyone; cloud providers typically implement access control mechanisms for users.
Public cloud is also the most widely recognized type of cloud by the general public. Currently, the three major international public cloud providers are AWS, Google GCP, and Microsoft Azure, along with other smaller-scale providers such as Oracle Cloud, Tencent, Alibaba, and IBM Cloud.
Hybrid Cloud
Cloud infrastructure is composed of two or more clouds (private, community, or public) that remain unique entities but are bound together by standardized or proprietary technology that enables data and application portability. In this model, users typically outsource non-critical business information to be processed on a public cloud while maintaining control over sensitive internal services and data.
To avoid putting all their eggs in one basket, some companies have begun planning to use multiple public clouds simultaneously to prevent service interruptions caused by issues with a single provider.
Setting up a hybrid cloud usually requires engineers to have a certain level of understanding of each cloud platform. Additionally, it is more difficult to use services unique to a specific public cloud in a hybrid setup, as applications need to function correctly across different cloud environments.
The above are the four cloud deployment models defined by NIST.
Summary
Cloud deployment models should be just as easy to understand as the essential characteristics; I believe many readers also have experience using public clouds.
This Ironman series will focus on the concept of private clouds, guiding you step-by-step to build your own small-scale cloud from a physical server.
The next article will introduce the architecture of the small-scale cloud for this Ironman series.
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