What is public cloud storage? Public cloud storage is a service that provides data storage on the public cloud. The servers and storage are owned and operated by a cloud service provider and are delivered over the internet to customers. In a public cloud, all hardware and software infrastructure is owned by the cloud provider.
Cloud users or “tenants” purchase storage services from the cloud service provider. In this model, you share the infrastructure and network with other users and access your account via a web browser. Vendors typically charge on a pay-per-use basis, where users only pay for the amount of storage they actually used in that month.
Organizations use public clouds to provide online office applications, storage, and webmail, and to conduct testing and storage for development environments. These are the most popular types of cloud computing deployments.
Users pay a rate set by the vendor per gigabyte per month. However, pricing for public cloud storage can be complex depending on the vendor. In most cases, there are added charges for transferring data in and out of the cloud and for other services.
Public cloud storage services are available from an array of vendors, like Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, and Google Cloud Platform. Each of these vendors offers different tiers and combinations of services. For example, Azure offers file, block, and data lake storage, among other related services.
Organizations using public cloud storage may benefit from much lower costs than they would if they had to purchase and maintain servers, networks, and storage infrastructure. But the benefits of storing data and workloads in the cloud don’t end there. Some of the main advantages of the public cloud include:
Public cloud services work under a shared responsibility model. This means the vendor is responsible for the security of the cloud environment and infrastructure as a whole and the user is responsible for the security of their data and workloads. Keeping the data secure in the cloud is critical when opting for a cloud storage service. When looking at cloud service providers, here are some security features to consider:
Unlike in the public cloud, in the private cloud, the user does not share the service with any other organization. Their cloud is dedicated to the company only.
Contrarily, in a public cloud, the services are shared by different customers, although each user’s data is hidden from other cloud users. A private cloud can be compared with renting a private house. It is more expensive but more private. A public cloud can be compared to an apartment building. The tenants share the common infrastructure but they each have their own space for their belongings.
Private clouds can be hosted, which means they are offered by a third-party cloud provider, or internal, which means they are managed and maintained by the organization.
Opting for a cloud storage platform has several benefits, like easy access to data and files. When looking for a cloud storage service, there are important features to look for: