A virtual private cloud (VPC) is a “cloud within a cloud” configuration where an organization establishes a private virtual networking environment within a cloud service provider’s public cloud. This “private cloud in the public cloud” usually grants complete control over the private virtual space, security, and where resources are located depending on availability by the CSP. The major benefit of the VPC deployment is to offload infrastructure risk onto a CSP, with many subsequent benefits like reduced IT staff, and associated infrastructure and staffing costs, and future-proofing the organization's tech stack.
There are similar concepts that sometimes are crossed with VPCs, such as virtual private servers (VPS), and virtual private networks (VPN). Virtual private clouds are very similar to virtual private servers (VPS) but with significant differences. A VPS, like a VPC, exists in the cloud, but uses only a fixed portion of the server with fixed resources—when accessing VPS, users interface with it as if it were a local drive. A VPS lacks efficient scalability, which distinguishes it from virtual cloud models. A VPC, contrastingly, is not bound by the underlying infrastructure, but rather their architecture allows them to scale on-demand.
VPNs are not a server technology. Virtual private networks (VPN) allow users to securely access a company's intranet from outside the firewall, and can be said to make a secure line over a public network like the Internet. Likewise, a worker can use a VPN connection to securely connect to a company’s VPC from anywhere they can access the Internet. VPNs are used to secure connections and transmit and receive data privately.
Because virtual private clouds (VPC) are based in the public cloud space, VPCs have all the features expected from the public cloud—security, elasticity, scalability, and cost-planning and control. These are the key features cloud consumers expect from cloud service providers. VPCs, however, have additional security concerns, namely around how the CSP guarantees that a client’s VPC is isolated and protected from other partitions within the public cloud.
Isolating technologies include:
There are significant VPC benefits for companies that are considering establishing their own private clouds. With proper goals alignment, VPCs can prove to be a superior option over owning and operating a company’s private cloud internally.
Virtual private cloud architecture is built upon the same infrastructure other cloud models are. Including the technologies and practices that establish public cloud services, CSPs also use a three-tier architecture, and demilitarized zones to help organize VPC services.
A public cloud is a shared pool of IT resources delivered to cloud consumers over the Internet by a cloud service provider (CSP). Depending on the level of service, cloud consumers and CSPs enter into a service level agreement (SLA) contract that defines the cloud service and for which parts each party is responsible (e.g. who is responsible for data, infrastructure, application, etc.).
Contrastingly, a private cloud is a cloud deployment model where a single organization owns and administers its own cloud and the underpinning networking infrastructure to support it. This model creates central access to IT resources for departments and staff across multiple locations and potential regions. Private clouds are implemented behind the organization’s firewall which is the major distinguishing factor from other cloud deployments models. In the private cloud model, the organization that owns the private cloud is both cloud consumer and cloud service provider (CSP).
Adopting a private cloud strategy demands that companies consider the worth of the network based on its business use, the necessity of private resources, and the cost of maintaining the network and supporting infrastructure, versus alternatives such as virtual private clouds (VPC), that enable private clouds in a public cloud space.
Private clouds are traditionally on-premise infrastructures secured behind enterprise firewalls. Their greatest benefit is complete control over all aspects of the cloud environment, from the choice of infrastructure to configurations, organization, and policies. However, the main drawback is the total cost of ownership and responsibility for maintaining the private cloud.
VPCs are also private and fully controlled by the cloud consumer, but they are public cloud offerings, for that reason, they also grant the cloud consumer the advantages of the public cloud—security, elasticity, scalability, and cost-planning.