Public, private and hybrid cloud explained

Public cloud: use provider services

A public cloud provider offers computing services to many customers. Public describes the service model; it does not mean your databases or files must be publicly accessible. Access controls and network design still determine who can reach your workload.

For a small learning platform, public cloud can provide application servers and storage without buying physical machines. The team still configures permissions, capacity and recovery.

Private cloud: dedicated to one organisation

A private cloud serves a single organisation. It may be operated internally or by another organisation. Having a server in an office alone does not establish all the capabilities associated with a cloud environment.

Consider whether dedicated infrastructure is justified by operational requirements, control needs and the people available to run it. Ownership does not remove maintenance responsibilities.

Hybrid cloud: connect environments deliberately

Hybrid combines environments so applications or data can work across them. For example, a business might retain an existing application locally while using cloud services for a new customer portal.

Plan connectivity, identity, data transfer and failure behaviour. Two disconnected environments do not become a useful hybrid design simply because both exist.

Put the idea to work

Try it yourself

Sketch a business with an existing office application and a new public website. Decide where each runs, what information must move between them and how access is controlled.

A common question

Does public cloud mean my data is public?

No. Public cloud describes how services are offered. Your access policies and service configuration determine whether your resources are accessible.

References & video notes

An original CloudFolks companion guide to the topic. Older video interfaces and offers may differ from current services. Use the current documentation for implementation details.

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