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1.4. Cloud Deployment Models: Public, Private, Hybrid

First Principle: Cloud deployment models define where the infrastructure resides and who has access to it. This choice is fundamental to balancing cost, control, security, and compliance requirements for an organization.

What It Is: The three main cloud deployment models determine the ownership and accessibility of the cloud environment.

  • Public Cloud:
    • Description: Resources are owned and operated by a third-party cloud provider (like Microsoft Azure) and delivered over the public internet. Multiple organizations (tenants) share the underlying hardware.
    • Benefits: High scalability, pay-as-you-go pricing, no hardware maintenance, and global reach.
    • Use Case: Hosting websites, developing and testing applications, and leveraging scalable services for unpredictable workloads.
  • Private Cloud:
    • Description: Cloud resources are used exclusively by a single business or organization. A private cloud can be physically located in the company’s on-site data center or hosted by a third-party.
    • Benefits: Greater control, customization, and enhanced security and privacy.
    • Use Case: Applications requiring strict security and data privacy, or those with specific regulatory compliance needs that mandate data isolation.
  • Hybrid Cloud:
    • Description: Combines public and private clouds, allowing data and applications to be shared between them.
    • Benefits: Offers flexibility, allows organizations to leverage existing on-premises infrastructure, and provides options for bursting capacity or disaster recovery.
    • Use Case: Extending on-premises infrastructure to the cloud for bursting capacity, disaster recovery, or migrating specific workloads while keeping sensitive data on-premises.

Scenario: A financial institution needs to run its core banking application in a highly secure, isolated environment over which it has full control. However, it also wants to use the public cloud for its new customer-facing mobile app to take advantage of scalability and global reach.

Reflection Question: How does a hybrid cloud model allow this financial institution to meet both its stringent security requirements for core systems and its need for scalability for new applications? What are the key challenges in managing a hybrid environment?

💡 Tip: The AZ-900 exam will test your ability to differentiate these models based on scenarios. Think about the key driver for each model: Public (cost/scale), Private (control/security), Hybrid (flexibility/both).