A hybrid cloud is a combination of an organization’s on-premises infrastructure, private clouds or data centers, and public clouds. Enterprises use the mixed computing environment for storage and to run their operations and processes flexibly and cost-effectively.
Here’s an example. An organization may temporarily need additional cloud space. Its existing private cloud and physical infrastructure may not be enough to handle the occasional demand. Procuring and maintaining new servers and on-premises infrastructure for short-term requirements can be expensive and challenging. However, the enterprise can easily opt for a public cloud or third-party cloud service. Such a cloud computing model is referred to as the hybrid cloud.
A hybrid cloud allows seamless transactions and operations between on-premises infrastructure, public clouds, and private clouds.
The hybrid cloud model is useful for organizations that manage variable workloads. It allows quick provisioning of additional resources to handle dynamic workloads and seasonal surges in data and transactions. There are plenty of other use cases, too.
Why and when can organizations take advantage of hybrid cloud computing? Here are some opportunities for using a hybrid cloud architecture:
89% of IT decision-makers who participated in a Forrester study agreed that open-source software and applications support a more open and flexible hybrid cloud strategy.
A hybrid cloud architecture comprises the following:
In the hybrid cloud architecture, all these components are unified and interconnected with the help of integration and cloud management tools to enable smooth operations. Crucial and sensitive data usually stays on the organization’s private cloud or on-premises servers. Less sensitive systems and applications are migrated to the public cloud.
Every organization has different IT landscapes, infrastructures, processes, and workloads. Therefore, the hybrid cloud strategy will also need to be unique based on business and operational needs. The following approach can help.
Identify the right network topology, tools, and technologies that will enable glitch-free, reliable, and secure operations.
Organizations opt for the enterprise hybrid cloud model because it supports their business objectives and allows them to scale up without huge IT investments. Switching to the hybrid cloud offers enterprises a host of advantages.
According to a McKinsey analysis, cloud adoption could generate $3 trillion in earnings by 2030. Hybrid cloud services simplify operations and application management, but only when deployed correctly. It’s important to consider hybrid cloud computing challenges and address them before making the switch.
Support for legacy applications
Some legacy applications that were built to stay on-premises could be incompatible with the cloud. Such applications and any other platform-specific applications and workloads will need to be rewritten before adopting a hybrid cloud approach.
Hybrid multi-cloud deployment
A hybrid multi-cloud strategy entails the services of more than one public cloud provider, in addition to the organization’s on-premises infrastructure and private cloud. But different public clouds can have different management and programming interfaces.
Before finalizing a third-party cloud provider, it is advisable to carefully assess the functionality, pricing, and skill requirements to manage the cloud. Organizations can also ensure consistent multi-cloud operations with a few additional cloud management tools and processes.
Security and compliance
Organizations may prefer maintaining business-critical applications and sensitive data on their private cloud. They may also apply security controls to individual applications so they remain secure irrespective of the cloud — private or public — they’re hosted on. However, organizations may need to comply with varying service-level agreements (SLAs), security measures, and regulations set by different cloud providers.
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