The term "cloud computing" is everywhere. In the simplest terms, cloud computing
means storing and accessing data and programs over the Internet instead of your
computer's hard drive. The cloud is just a metaphor for the Internet.
Cloud servers can be configured to provide levels of performance, security
and control similar to those of a dedicated server. But instead of being hosted
on physical hardware that's solely dedicated to you, they reside on a shared “virtualized”
environment that's managed by your cloud hosting provider.
A major difference between a VPS and a private cloud is the location
of the hardware.
A virtual private server is generally hosted at an off-site, third-party
web hosting provider. A private cloud is situated on site or at a data center you
own.
A cloud server is a virtual server (rather than a physical server)
running in a cloud computing environment. It is built, hosted and delivered via
a cloud computing platform via the internet, and can be accessed remotely. They
are also known as virtual servers.