Users are generally unaware of the location of the data center, which is also one of the primary reason why some may host their data on the cloud.
NIST, an institute which promotes and maintains the standardization in technology defines cloud computing as, “Cloud computing is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction”
There are 4 main types of cloud computing:
As the name suggests, public cloud is available to the public in general and may be available for free as well. Although public cloud has some pretty huge advantage in terms of pricing flexibility and scalability of resources, it is also often criticized for its lack of security as the data is transferred over an unsecure network. The resources are shared by all its users and it is moved or added on demand.
Under private cloud, the cloud vendor allows for only one organization to be hosted. Private cloud does not allow hosting for multiple tenants. It can be hosted on premise or remote location and can be managed by either the vendor or the organization, depending on the terms of agreement. Needless to say, they generally cost more than public cloud.
Hybrid cloud provides a common ground for consumers, or rather, organizations who are looking for a combination of public as well as private cloud. Hybrid cloud lets organizations enjoy the privacy and security of private cloud while the public cloud provides them with resource scalability and affordable pricing where they can host data that is of lesser value. It is a known fact that no two data holds equal value.
Community cloud is one of the lesser known cloud deployment model. Community cloud allows for a fixed number of tenants to share resources. It is generally preferred by two or more companies who share the same industry sector and the same concerns. Community cloud helps reduce the cost of hosting.