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Private Cloud Computing in Detail
In this article, I am going to discuss Private Cloud in Cloud Computing. Please read our previous article where we discussed the Public Cloud in Cloud Computing. At the end of this article, you will understand what is Private Cloud Computing and the advantages and limitations of the Private cloud and when to use it.
What is a Private Cloud?
The private cloud services and resources are not available to the public. They are only available to selected users or to any organization. Private cloud services can be accessed through the internet or a private internal network. So, the Private cloud is also called as internal or corporate cloud and a private cloud is private to an organization. Unlike the public cloud, the private cloud resources are not going to be shared by multiple organizations instead they are going to be used by the dedicated organization.
The private cloud either is physically located on-premise i.e. at the organization’s on-site data center, or it can also be hosted by a third-party service provider. The most important point that you need to keep in mind is, a private cloud is private, i.e. all the hardware infrastructure and software are dedicated to one and only one organization.
The Private cloud provides a high level of security and privacy to data through firewalls and internal hosting. It also ensures that operational and sensitive data are not accessible to third-party providers.
In a private cloud, as per the organization’s requirement, it is very easy to customize the hardware and software. This is possible because your organization owns everything i.e. the hardware, software, and network. So, you have complete control and you can change anything in any way you want to meet your organization requirements.
Advantages of Private Cloud
Better security: As the private cloud resources and services are not shared with other organizations, so there is better security with the private cloud as compared to the public cloud.
More control: As the private cloud resources and services belong to a specific organization, so as per the organization’s requirement you can easily customize the hardware and software i.e. the organization has full control over the private cloud resources.
Predictable costs: As you own all the cloud infrastructure in a private cloud, so, you are not going to pay any third-party cloud service provider. So, your monthly cooling, energy, and maintenance costs are usually predictable.
Security and Privacy: Security and privacy are one of the big advantages of private cloud as compared to the public cloud. When you deal with sensitive data such as financial, health care, or credit card data, there are some strict rules around where the data is stored, who can handle the data and process it, and how the data is being protected. With the private cloud, you know where your data center is i.e. you know where the data is stored and how the data is being protected.
Improved performance: Private cloud offers better performance with improved speed and space capacity.
Limitations of Private Cloud
Limited scalability: The private cloud has Limited Scalability. This is because the Private clouds are scaled only within the capacity of internal hosted resources. If your business has grown then also you cannot scale up beyond a certain point (it depends on the internal infrastructure) but this possible with the public cloud. So, if the business needs additional computing power from the private cloud, then it may take extra time and money to scale up the private cloud’s available resource.
Huge initial capital expenditure: The Private Cloud cost is higher as compared to the public cloud. This is because with the private cloud you need to procure all the cloud infrastructure. You need to hire the workforce to set up and maintain the cloud.
Limited access: A private cloud is usually more secure. We use it for security-sensitive applications. Because of these high-security measures in place, mobile users may have limited access to the private cloud outside of the corporate network.
Capacity utilization: In a private cloud, the organization is totally responsible for maximizing capacity utilization. An under-utilized private cloud deployment may cost the business significantly.
Skilled people: Skilled people are required to manage and operate private cloud services and resources.
Private Cloud Service Providers
In general, private clouds are often used by government agencies, financial institutions, and any other medium to large-sized organizations with business-critical operations seeking enhanced control over their environment. Some of the biggest cloud providers are as follows:
- Hewlett Packard Enterprise
- Cisco
- Microsoft
Other major private cloud providers include Dell, IBM, VMware, Oracle, and Red Hat. Each provider has a unique set of cloud offerings.
Different kinds of private clouds
The private cloud can be divided into four different types:
Internal private cloud: In this case, the company itself operates the IT infrastructure for its cloud services.
Managed private cloud: In this case, the cloud’s IT infrastructure is hosted internally but is managed by an external provider. This enables organizations to take advantage of the cloud’s flexibility and customizability. This increases efficiency, and companies always have a reliable contact partner for all issues relating to the cloud.
Hosted private cloud: In this case, the hosted private cloud is located in the cloud service provider’s external data center. This provider manages the cloud on behalf of the company and provides users with the appropriate applications.
Community private cloud: In this case, several companies can access a common private cloud. The companies usually come from the same industry or are part of a corporate group. This is why the community private cloud is also referred to as an industry-specific cloud.
When to use a Private Cloud?
The private cloud is best suited for highly regulated businesses like financial and healthcare institutions. Tech companies that require robust security and complete control over the cloud infrastructure also benefit from the private cloud. Large organizations that require advanced and custom data center solutions also benefit from a private cloud.
In the next article, I am going to discuss Hybrid Cloud in Cloud Computing. Here, in this article, I try to explain the Private Cloud Computing in detail. I hope now you understand the need and use of Private Cloud in Cloud Computing.
