ELI5: What are Cloud deployment models?
It’s like choosing where to park your car: a public garage anyone can use, your own private garage, or a mix of both. Cloud deployment models describe who gets to share the computers and how they are set up.
Definition
Cloud deployment models define how cloud computing infrastructure is owned, managed, and shared. The choice of deployment model significantly impacts the security posture, compliance obligations, cost, and control available to the organization. Each model represents a different balance between operational flexibility and security control.
Key Details
- Public cloud: shared infrastructure managed by the cloud provider (AWS, Azure, GCP); lowest cost, least control
- Private cloud: dedicated infrastructure for a single organization; highest control, highest cost
- Hybrid cloud: combination of public and private cloud connected by secure links; balances control and flexibility
- Community cloud: shared among organizations with common requirements (government, healthcare); compliance-friendly
- Multi-cloud: using services from multiple cloud providers to avoid vendor lock-in and improve resilience
Connections
- Parent: cloud-security — deployment model selection is a foundational cloud security architecture decision
- See also: shared-responsibility-model