Virtual Private Cloud Computing

5th Oct 2016

Owning a private cloud is a dream that many dedicated computing professionals aspire to; but the technology required and the expenses needed to establish such feat are far outside the means of most. However, there is a way of achieving this dream without having to make any significant investments, hire your own IT team or learn to manage/operate/program new hardware/software. The answer of course is virtual private cloud computing, but just what is it exactly? Think of a VPC (virtual private cloud) as a section of resources (that exist on an already established cloud network) that have been requisitioned or cordoned off for access by a limited number of individuals (in many cases just one person). Virtual private cloud computing is an excellent solution for smaller businesses as well, especially in cases of smaller offices which may only consist of around 2-5 terminals.

There are several reasons why virtual private cloud computing is desirable over the public cloud model; one of the more common reasons is security. VPC's often utilize their own individual intrusion detection and security systems. These security measures are relegated to the VPC and are not responsible for any other portion of the larger community cloud structure; this allows them to be much more efficient in their duties (when compared to security measures that are tasked with scanning much larger volumes of hardware and data). In fact, it would seem that most people opting for VPC computing are lulled into it because of the added security benefits. For most VPC's there are 2 security elements at play; the security infrastructure of the parent cloud network and the security system of the VPC itself.

VPC's are also just as flexible as other cloud computing network models. So independent or third party management tools can still be utilized to keep the VPC on track. And of course, most cloud computing providers allow for a wide range of options concerning the features of a virtual private cloud; this would also include scaling considerations and the number of gateways available at any given time. And as stated earlier, virtual private clouds can be used in strictly supplemental capacities; relegating a VPC to a specific application(s) or a service is a fairly common practice. Virtual private clouds can also be completely isolated from internet; this may be desired for a number of reasons not the least of which concerns data security or daily redundancy (back-up) procedures.

But these are not the only ways that virtual private clouds can be established or used, they can also be used to solely requisition specific services or strictly in a supplemental capacity (when cloudbursting or overdrafting is necessary, for example). There are even some cloud providers exploring the possibility of using virtual private clouds for disaster recovery purposes only; this would essentially give their clients (who operate on a public network) the ability to safely back-up their data on a separate VPC.

Whoever is providing the VPC service still controls all of the elements of the infrastructure (which the virtualized private cloud is a part of); this means that the VPC user/owner is not really responsible for managing (the infrastructure) or maintaining any hardware resources. This is truly the best part about VPC computing, you get access to the features and power of cloud computing but you don't have to physically deal with the technical aspects of running the system (the hardware required for running a cloud network can be quite expensive to maintain, these costs are well outside the range that individuals can afford to pay).

It should be noted that the service offered by VPC's will be (in many ways) completely identical to the services offered by the larger cloud infrastructure(s). The main difference is simply the level of access and customization capacity of virtual private cloud computing. Often times, a cloud computing provider may offer their larger clients a series of VPC's as part of their purchased package. In cases such as this, choosing how to best utilize these VPC's may be at the client's sole discretion. Many often opt to offer them to management or set them aside for use in delivering / storing company email.

Virtual private cloud computing is simply not an option in cases of large scale deployment or usage by increasing numbers of individuals; there are of course larger cloud models that were designed to carry such loads. But for individuals and smaller businesses, the VPC computing model is certainly more than capable of delivering applicable levels of service, security and strength. Many cloud service providers are moving toward marketing VPC computing toward individual consumers (that may operate outside of the realm of business). Regardless of who may be utilizing them, VPC's offer individuals and small groups the same features (and a comparable level of power) as the larger community cloud structures, but with the added benefit of personalized access and security.

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