Private or Public Cloud
If you define the Cloud as an environment where the specific machine or machines are executing your process are not specifically known there are few differences between a private and a public cloud. Some colleagues believe private clouds are gaining popularity. What makes the difference?
Costs for a private cloud are easier to predict. Public cloud costs may be changed by the provider, and if you are closely tied to their infrastructure, you have little option than to agree to the new terms. This doesn’t mean that your private cloud licenses won’t increase. They are simply easier to control when the increase will take effect.
Costs are not the only differentiator. On a private cloud you have more control regarding what processes are utilizing your resources. On a public cloud you may have a virtual machine shared by other organizations in the host hardware. Microsoft has recently released a new program where you can pay a premium to have a more predictable level of performance on their cloud. In a private cloud the consumers are your own and may be easier to balance.
Another differentiator would be the responsibility for compliance for different government agencies. In a private cloud you are fully responsible for compliance and auditing is internal. In a public cloud you have to integrate your compliance with the cloud resource provider.
Security is another differentiator. Utilizing the internet as a means to access your software exposes data. Even https has proven to be vulnerable to government back door processes. Data that does not have to transport over the internet in a private cloud may have less security vulnerability. On the other side of that equation, you are fully responsible in a private cloud to protect your software from intrusion. This is not a service managed by a cloud host provider.
Operating system updates, service packs and security patches are your responsibility to manage on a private network. Some, or all of these issues are handled in a public cloud, depending on how you are configured, and the kind of cloud service you are employing.
While the cloud is certainly here to stay, I think the decision about what cloud is still to be settled.
Do you have a preference? Leave a comment below, or drop us a note at btaylor@sswug.org.
Cheers,
Ben
$$SWYNK$$
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