Before we dig into the details of a private cloud, let’s look at general cloud hosting and what it can do. General cloud hosting enables you to create servers quickly, resize them as you need, copy and scale-out identical copies, and move them around. In a general cloud environment, you or your business is being hosted on hardware with tons of other cloud servers. As you can imagine, a room full of cloud servers can get pretty loud. To avoid those noisy neighbors and co-mingling with other tenants, many people turn to a private cloud. A private cloud settles those issues by providing a singular server with many benefits and features. 

A private cloud is one of three general models for cloud deployment in an organization: public, private, and hybrid. These three models share basic elements of cloud infrastructure. In the IT world, all clouds need some type of operating system to function. The different types of software used on the operating systems are what determines how the cloud will function. This is what distinguishes the three different models and how they are used. 

What is it?

A private cloud is a single-tenant environment. This means that the organization using it (the tenant) does not share resources with other users. The resources in this type of cloud environment can be hosted and managed in many different ways. It will also allow you to divide up your server as you see fit, have granular control over CPU cores, RAM, and disk space. This is a viable option for many different organizations, such as businesses, developers, and resellers. Private clouds are often used when public clouds are deemed inappropriate for business.

What are the types?

A private cloud is divided into three sections, each providing different functions. Each section is managed and hosted differently. 

Virtual: A private cloud computing environment located inside of a public cloud that enables you to experience the benefits of a virtualized network while using public cloud resources. 

Hosted: In a hosted private cloud model, the servers are not shared with other organizations. The service provider maintains the hardware, configures the network, and updates the software. In this environment, the infrastructure, data center facilities, power and cooling, and much more are provided by the service provider. 

Managed: This is a hosted environment in which the provider manages every aspect of the cloud, such as organization, identity management and storage. This is a great option for organizations and businesses that do not have the staff to manage a private cloud environment. 

What are the benefits?

The biggest advantage of using a private cloud is that users don’t share resources. This cloud computing model fits best with businesses with unpredictable computing needs that demand for complete control over their environment. 

Organizations and businesses who run their IT systems in a private cloud environment are guaranteed most of the same benefits found in a public cloud, such as scalability, self-service, flexibility, resource availability, security, regulatory compliance, and cost savings. It also allows the ability to provision, configure VMs (virtual machines), and modify computing resources on demand. 

Private clouds deliver a higher level of security and privacy through company firewalls and internal hosting to ensure that sensitive data is not accessible to third party providers. In addition to these benefits, you will have an increased capability for customization, increased performance due to resources being dedicated to one organization, and have incredible security due to the isolated network. Businesses that operate using the public cloud run the risk of co-mingling with multiple other tenants.

It is much more beneficial for businesses to invest in a private cloud. While some may want to invest for peace of mind, others may need it for compliance reasons. 

Here at Hostirian, we can host private clouds around the world. We are the third-largest data center in the St. Louis area. If you have any questions about a private cloud and what it can do for you or your business, fill out this form and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible!