Glossary of terms

Internal Cloud

An internal cloud, also known as an on-premises or corporate cloud, refers to a cloud computing infrastructure that is exclusively owned, operated, and maintained by an organization within its own data centers. This deployment model allows the organization to implement cloud computing technologies for its internal use, serving the computing needs of its employees or specific departments.

In an internal cloud, resources such as servers, storage, and networking are virtualized and pooled together to create a scalable and flexible computing environment. This model provides the organization with control over its cloud infrastructure, allowing for customization, security, and compliance adherence. While it offers the advantages of cloud computing, including resource optimization and scalability, an internal cloud lacks the external accessibility and potential cost efficiencies associated with public cloud services.

An organization builds an internal cloud by applying the cloud computing service model and delivery framework over local and/or offsite data center resources. The internal cloud then delivers computing, storage and software services to each node within the organization. One of the key aspects is that the internal cloud is dedicated solely to the organization’s internal use, serving the computing needs of its employees or specific departments. This exclusive control over the infrastructure allows the organization to tailor the internal cloud to its specific requirements, ensuring a high degree of customization, security, and compliance adherence. While it offers the advantages of cloud computing, including resource optimization and scalability, an internal cloud is distinct from public or private clouds due to its confined scope within the organization’s own data centers.

An internal cloud provides the following benefits:

  • Total cloud security (or at least, control over security);
  • Reduced infrastructure costs;
  • Reduced hardware requirements.

This concept is very similar to a private cloud in that cloud computing techniques are used for a single organization. The difference is that a private cloud could also refer to dedicated resources at a 3rd party provider, where an internal cloud is referring to the utilization of infrastructure owned internally.

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