The term “Cloud” is abuzz everywhere. When you think of Cloud – what comes to mind? Cumulus, Cirrus, Stratus, Nimbus or are you thinking of Private, Public, Hybrid, or Community?
The first set includes a cloud you’d see when you walk out your door and look to the sky. The second set as defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) include:
Private cloud. The cloud infrastructure is operated solely for an organization. It may be managed by the organization or a third party and may exist on-premise or off-premise.
Public cloud. The cloud infrastructure is made available to the general public or a large industry group and is owned by an organization selling cloud services.
Hybrid cloud. The cloud infrastructure is a composition of two or more clouds (private, community, or public) that remain unique entities but are bound together by standardized or proprietary technology that enables data and application portability (e.g., cloud bursting for load balancing between clouds).
Community cloud. The cloud infrastructure is shared by several organizations and supports a specific community that has shared concerns (e.g., mission, security requirements, policy, and compliance considerations). It may be managed by the organizations or a third party and may exist on premise or off premise.
Source: National Institute of Standards & Technology
Let’s clear the business skies of Cumulus Clouds and get to IT.