Cloud Deployment Model
Today, organizations have plenty of exciting opportunities to reimagine, repurpose and reinvent their
businesses with the cloud. The last decade has seen even more businesses rely on it for quicker time to
market, better efficiency and scalability. It helps them achieve long-term digital goals as part of their digital
strategy.
Though the answer to which cloud model is an ideal fit for a business depends on the computing and
business needs of your organization. Choosing the right one from the various types of cloud service
deployment models is essential. This would ensure your business is equipped with the performance,
scalability, privacy, security, compliance & cost-effectiveness it requires. It is important to learn and explore
what different deployment types can offer – around what particular set of problems it can solve.
Read on as we cover the various cloud computing deployment and service models to help discover the best
choice for your business.
Table of Contents:
What is a cloud deployment model?
Different Types of Cloud Computing Deployment Models
o Public
o Private
o Community
o Hybrid
Comparative Analysis of Cloud Deployment Models
Service models of cloud computing
Making the Right Choice for Cloud Deployment Models
What Is A Cloud Deployment Model?
It works as your virtual computing environment with a choice of deployment model depending on how
much data you want to store and who has access to the infrastructure.
Different Types Of Cloud Computing Deployment Models
Most cloud hubs have tens of thousands of servers and storage devices to enable fast loading. It is often
possible to choose a geographic area to put the data “closer” to users. Thus, deployment models for cloud
computing are categorized based on their location. To know which model would best fit the requirements of
your organization, let us first learn about the various types.
Public Cloud
The name says it all. It is accessible by the public. Public deployment models in the cloud are perfect for
organizations with growing and fluctuating demands. It also makes a great choice for companies with low-
security concerns. Thus, you pay a cloud service provider for networking services, compute virtualization &
storage available on the public internet. This is also a great delivery model for the teams with development
and testing. Its configuration and deployment are quick and easy, making it an ideal choice for test
environments.
Benefits of Public Cloud
Minimal Investment – As a pay-per-use service, there is no large upfront cost and is ideal for businesses
who need quick access to resources
No Hardware Set-up – The entire infrastructure is fully funded by the cloud service providers
No Infrastructure Management – Does not require an in-house team to utilize the public cloud
Limitations of Public Cloud
Data Security and Privacy Concerns – Since it is accessible to all, it does not fully protect against
cyber-attacks and could lead to vulnerabilities
Reliability Issues – Since the same server network is open to a wide range of users, it can lead to
malfunction and outages
Service/License Limitation – While there are many resources that you can exchange with tenants, there
is a cap on usage
Private Cloud
Now that you understand what the public cloud could offer you, of course, you are keen to know what a
private cloud can do. Companies that look for cost efficiency and greater control over data & resources will
find the private cloud a more suitable choice.
What it means is that it will be integrated with your data center and managed by your IT team. Alternatively,
you can also choose to host it externally. When it comes to customization, the private cloud offers bigger
opportunities that help meet specific organization’s requirements. It’s also a wise choice for mission-critical
processes that may have frequently changing requirements.
Benefits of Private Cloud
Data Privacy – It is ideal for storing corporate data where only authorized personnel gets access
Security – Segmentation of resources within the same infrastructure can help with better access and
higher levels of security
Supports Legacy Systems – This model supports legacy systems that cannot access the public cloud
Limitations of Private Cloud
Higher Cost – With the benefits that you get, the investment will also be larger than the public cloud.
Here, you will pay for software, hardware and resources for staff and training.
Fixed Scalability – The hardware you choose will accordingly help you scale in a certain direction
High Maintenance – Since it is managed in-house, the maintenance costs also increase
Community Cloud
The community cloud operates in a way that is similar to the public cloud. There’s just one difference – it
allows access to only a specific set of users who share common objectives and use cases. This type of
deployment model of cloud computing is managed and hosted internally or by a third-party vendor.
However, you can also choose a combination of all three.
Benefits of Community Cloud
Smaller Investment – A community cloud is much cheaper than the private & public cloud and provides
great performance
Setup Benefits – The protocols and configuration of a community cloud must align with industry
standards. This allows customers to work much more efficiently
Limitations of Community Cloud
Shared Resources – Due to restricted bandwidth and storage capacity, community resources often pose
challenges
Not as Popular – Since this is a recently introduced model, it is not that popular or available across
industries
Hybrid Cloud
As the name suggests, a hybrid cloud is a combination of two or more cloud architectures. While each model
in the hybrid cloud functions differently, it is all part of the same architecture. Further, as part of this
deployment of the cloud computing model, the internal, or external providers can offer resources.
Let’s understand the hybrid model better. A company that has critical data will prefer storing on a private
cloud, while less sensitive data can be stored on a public cloud. The hybrid cloud is also frequently used for
‘cloud bursting’. It means, suppose an organization runs an application on-premises, but due to heavy load,
they can burst into the public cloud.
Benefits of Hybrid Cloud
Cost-Effectiveness – The overall cost of a hybrid solution decreases since it majorly uses the public
cloud to store data
Security – Since data is properly segmented, the chances of data theft from attackers is significantly
reduced
Flexibility – With higher levels of flexibility, businesses can create custom solutions that fit their exact
requirements
Limitations of Hybrid Cloud
Complexity – It is complex setting up a hybrid cloud since it needs to integrate two or more cloud
architectures
Specific Use Case – This model makes more sense for organizations that have multiple use cases or need
to separate critical and sensitive data
A Comparative Analysis Of Cloud Deployment Models
With the below table we’ve attempted to analyze the key models with an overview of what each one can do
for you;
Important Factors
Public Private Community Hybrid
to Consider
Requires Requires
Setup and ease of Requires professional IT
Easy professional IT professional IT
use Team
Team Team
Data Security and
Low High Very High High
Privacy
Scalability and
High High Fixed requirements High
flexibility
Cheaper than private but
Most Cost is distributed
Cost Effectiveness Most expensive more expensive than
affordable among members
public
Reliablility Low High Higher High
3 Service Models Of Cloud Computing
Cloud computing makes it possible to render several services, which can be defined according to the roles,
service providers and user companies. Cloud computing models and services are broadly classified as
below:
IAAS: Changing Its Hardware Infrastructure on Demand
The Infrastructure As A Service (IAAS) means the hiring & utilizing of the physical infrastructure of IT
(network, storage, and servers) from a third-party provider. The IT resources are hosted on external servers
and users can access them via an internet connection.
The Benefits
Time and cost savings: No installation and maintenance of IT hardware in-house,
Better flexibility: On-demand hardware resources that can be tailored to your needs,
Remote access and resource management.
PAAS: Providing a Flexible Environment for Your Software
Applications
Platform as a Service (PAAS) allows outsourcing of hardware infrastructure as well software environment,
which includes databases, integration layers, runtimes and more.
The Benefits
Focus on development: Mastering the installation and development of software applications
Time saving and flexibility: no need to manage the implementation of the platform, instant production.
Data security: You control the distribution, protection, and backup of your business data.
SAAS: Releasing the User Experience of Management Constraints
Software as a Service (SaaS) is provided over the internet and requires no prior installation. These services
can be availed from any part of the world at a minimal per-month fee.
The Benefits
You are entirely free from the infrastructure management and aligning software environment: no
installation or software maintenance.
You benefit from automatic updates with the guarantee that all users have the same software version.
It enables easy and quicker testing of new software solu
Making The Right Choice For Cloud Deployment Models
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to picking a cloud deployment model. Instead, organizations must
select a model based on workload-by-workload. Start with assessing your needs and consider what type of
support your application requires. Think about your business goals as well. What is it that you want to
achieve? Understand that it is also possible that your requirements may change over time.
Here are a few factors you can consider before making the call:
Ease of Use – How savvy and trained are your resources? Do you have the time and the money to put
them through training?
Cost – How much are you willing to spend on a deployment model? How much can you pay upfront, on
subscription, maintenance, updates and more?
Scalability – What is your current activity status? Does your system run into high demand
Compliance – Are there any specific laws or regulations in your country that can impact the
implementation? What are the industry standards that you must adhere to?
Privacy – Have you set strict privacy rules for the data you gather?
