Catalog
concept#Cloud#Architecture#Platform#Security

Cloud Deployment Models

Overview of cloud resource deployment models (public, private, hybrid, community) and their effects on architecture, operations, and governance.

Cloud deployment models describe how cloud resources are provisioned and managed (public, private, hybrid, community).
Established
Medium

Classification

  • Medium
  • Technical
  • Architectural
  • Intermediate

Technical context

On-premise Active Directory and identity servicesCI/CD tools and infrastructure automationMonitoring and observability platforms

Principles & goals

Choose the model based on compliance, cost, and scalability.Separate data ownership and operational control by clear responsibilities.Consider network latency and data movement in architectures.
Discovery
Enterprise, Domain

Use cases & scenarios

Compromises

  • Missing network security between environments can cause data leaks.
  • Cost overruns due to unplanned usage and data movement.
  • Unaddressed compliance requirements can lead to legal issues.
  • Automate infrastructure provisioning and configuration management.
  • Define clear responsibilities for data ownership and operations.
  • Regularly assess costs and optimize resource consumption.

I/O & resources

  • Workload profiles and performance requirements
  • Compliance and data protection requirements
  • Network, security, and integration requirements
  • Recommended deployment model with architectural principles
  • Cost and risk assessment
  • Implementation and operational requirements

Description

Cloud deployment models describe how cloud resources are provisioned and managed (public, private, hybrid, community). They influence architecture, governance, security, and operations. The concept guides decisions about hosting strategies, balancing cost, compliance, and scalability. It provides practical guidance for selecting models based on workload and operational requirements.

✔

  • Enables targeted control of cost and performance.
  • Supports compliance via appropriate data residency and isolation.
  • Allows flexible scaling and faster delivery of services.

✖

  • Private clouds can incur higher operational costs and complexity.
  • Hybrid models require additional integration effort.
  • Public clouds introduce provider dependencies.

  • Total cost of ownership (TCO)

    Measurement of all direct and indirect costs across the solution lifecycle.

  • Availability

    Percentage of uptime of services within defined SLAs.

  • Data transfer costs

    Monetary evaluation of the volumes of data moved between environments.

Government infrastructure in a private cloud

A public authority runs sensitive systems in a private cloud to meet data protection requirements.

Retail platform on public cloud

An online retailer uses public cloud services for elastic scaling during sales events.

Bank with hybrid architecture

Core banking systems remain on-premise while customer-facing interfaces are hosted in the cloud.

1

Conduct analysis of workloads and requirements.

2

Evaluate models (public/private/hybrid/community) against defined criteria.

3

Implement a proof-of-concept, run tests, and define the operating model.

⚠️ Technical debt & bottlenecks

  • Unmodernized legacy systems impede cloud portability.
  • Ad-hoc network integration without documentation increases maintenance costs.
  • Insufficient automation leads to manual configuration overhead.
Network throughput between on-premise and cloudData transfer and storage costsOperational skills for private cloud administration
  • Migrating sensitive customer data to a public cloud without encryption and compliance checks.
  • Using a private cloud without sufficient operational resources, leading to outages.
  • Splitting critical components across providers without consistent security policies.
  • Underestimating network and integration costs between environments.
  • Lack of automation leads to increased manual effort and errors.
  • Ignoring organizational impacts such as changes in operations and support.
Cloud architecture and designNetwork and security administrationCost management and basic Cloud FinOps
Scalability and elasticityData residency and complianceNetwork architecture and latency requirements
  • • Regulatory requirements for data localization
  • • Existing legacy systems with limited portability
  • • Budget and capital constraints for infrastructure