Member Article

A private cloud or a virtual data centre?

Whilst they sound like very similar concepts, in actual fact the choice between using a private cloud- based storage system or a virtual data centre should only be made upon gaining extra knowledge and information surrounding what the differences between these terms are. The fact of the matter is that these two storage systems are not interchangeable and the difference between the two could be stark depending on the nature of your business.

It is easy to get confused between virtualisation and private cloud-based storage, because virtualisation is often part of the cloud, which can be either public or private. In order to fully explain the differences in terms of benefits for your business, I’m going to present you with a real-world example.

Imagine you store the same piece of data both on a private cloud system and on a virtual datacentre. This data is sensitive, priceless and incredibly important for the future and integrity of your business. Storing it on a virtual datacentre is essentially storing it on one single physical server which is split between a numbers of users, perhaps between those in a single department in your office. The data that is stored on the private cloud however is distributed across multiple physical servers, but you only see these servers as one consolidated storage space. It is still shared between your departments, but thanks to the multiple systems behind your one system, there is built- in resilience in case of hardware failure.

Now, while the data is stored on physical devices in both cases, another major difference is the location of the server itself. Your file stored on a virtual data centre is hosted on a server at an offsite location, usually that of a third party web hosting provider. Despite it being a physical object, there is no way you can touch it or have any control over where exactly it is located. On the other hand, your data on the private cloud is going to be stored at your own on-site data centre, or at a location of your choosing. It will be maintained by your own IT department and controlled entirely by you, for your business. Of course, some cloud providers will offer hosted private clouds for their customers, which again involves storing your data on a server that is not on site, but it does mean using dedicated resources which are provided exclusively for the use of your private cloud and not shared by any other customers.

You’ll also find a difference in flexibility when you come to storing your data. If your file is constantly being updated, you will find that eventually you will need to expand to another database, or you might need another server altogether in order to ensure that you can store everything necessary. With your own hardware, you just bring another server online. Expanding your hosted private cloud will require very little effort and will most likely only involve a few clicks on your PC. However, any modification to your virtual data centre will not be quite so easy, as you will need to send your request off to the provider, call technical support and deal with company administration before you can get the update to your server. This difference could be down to the difference in time zone but mainly to the nature of the service offering. Now, one big question for businesses is often the cost of the server. When it comes to the data that you are storing, no matter how important it is to you, no matter how much it is worth to your company, there is always that question of cost versus value. Well, the control supplied by your own private cloud system will set you back a fair bit more than the virtual data centre, due to the costs of the hardware, installation, set-up and maintenance which is all done on site by yourself or your IT department. This cost can be lowered if you choose to go via a company who will host your cloud server for you, but you will lose an element of control. On the other hand, a virtual data centre is considerably cheaper than a private cloud based server, mainly thanks to the fact that none of the hardware or installation is shouldered by the business and it does not need to be maintained on site. It is also often cheaper than a hosted private cloud, although you will of course need to pay a regular fee for hosting, maintenance and any changes or modifications that you need to make.

All in all, there are advantages and disadvantages to both types of storage systems; however in terms of control, flexibility and safety the private cloud seems to come out on top. Knowing that your precious data is stored somewhere within your reach, but is backed up to multiple locations in case of any form of hardware failure, loss or natural disaster gives you peace of mind. Similarly, having the flexibility, or at least the option, to make any modifications to your servers whenever you desire gives you the advantage of control over your own equipment, and easy access for maintenance. On the other hand, having these levels of safety, security and convenience comes at a cost, and the question is, how far are you willing to pay out?

In contrast, the virtual data centre is less accessible in terms of physical access and bespoke modification, but it is managed by a third party company which relieves your own IT company of this responsibility, particularly for installation and maintenance. This system is cheaper, but is only one single resource, one server which is shared by everybody in your company or at the very least everybody in your department, meaning there are more risks when it comes to loss or corruption of data, and making any modifications will involve a whole series of hoops to jump through. Hence the payoff is between price and comfort. Ideally this choice should be made depending on the sensitivity of your data but no business should take this decision without understanding the differences between these options.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sonia Blizzard .