Understanding the Hybrid Cloud

95% of companies plan to use the cloud by 2025. 55% of companies are already using clouds to host IT systems, and 80% of those choose a hybrid format. Experts note that the hybrid model we’re discussing here is a new reality, with perceived obstacles such as information security and negative diversity.

Until recently, there has always been some competition in the infrastructure market between dedicated servers and cloud servers, and private and public clouds. Companies are always looking for optimal solutions that will cope with their rapidly evolving business tasks and also won’t negatively impact their budget. In simple terms, they want, “Good-Fast-Cheap”. In most cases, you get to pick only two out of the three. However, today it’s not necessary to choose;  With careful planning, you could get the best of all worlds in a hybrid infrastructure.

What is a Hybrid Cloud?

A hybrid cloud is a combination of two or more cloud environments (private and public). Under such a model, your own infrastructure can be combined with servers leased from the provider. A company has its own physical server, either in its office or in a data center. In addition to this, the company rents cloud servers from a provider or several at once. Part of the total capacity is used solely in a private cloud deployed within its own server. The rented resources are shared with other users in the public cloud. However, all of the infrastructures can be interconnected to varying degrees depending on how it’s utilized.

The three main components of a hybrid cloud include:

• Your own hardware for private cloud deployment. It is better to place it in a fault-tolerant data center for reliable power supply, cooling, and security

• A public cloud infrastructure (IaaS) which is leased from a provider

• A reliable and fast network connection that links all (or most) parts of the infrastructure

Multi-cloud is also gaining popularity, but do not confuse it with hybrid infrastructure. Multi-cloud solutions use two or more clouds from different vendors and exclude their own localized infrastructure. At the same time, separate cloud environments maintain connectivity between applications and distributed databases and exist more independently of each other.

Hybrid Cloud vs Monosyllabic Infrastructure

The hybrid cloud model gives companies reliability and security, plus the scalability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness available today. Let’s take a closer look at these benefits.

High data security

You should store sensitive data in a private cloud, but not in a public one. First, you have complete control over the infrastructure, defining configurations, policies, and agreed-upon security procedures. In the public cloud, you can store frequently requested, non-critical data, deploy test environments, etc.

Flexibility and scalability

As resource requirements grow, virtual machines can be scaled up or down. If you need more cores, RAM, or disk space, you can change the configuration of a virtual machine in a rented cloud in a few minutes. You won’t have to buy additional equipment if your service’s popularity (user traffic) grows. Setting up a hybrid cloud allows an organization to be flexible enough to meet customer needs. A hybrid system is able to create a basic structure that will meet the changing requirements of the business.

A hybrid cloud application is especially useful for organizations with fluctuating demand for data and application services. During periods of high application demand, this will provide the additional computing power needed to meet the surge in demand.

Compared to on-premise data centers, which experience significant delays with remotely accessing, organizations with hybrid cloud data centers can leverage their cloud infrastructure to make it available to their remote workers.

Power consumption savings

Public cloud resources are paid as you use them (pay-as-you-go model). You can redistribute workloads to save money. Place the static parts of the application on your own site, and send the dynamic parts to the public cloud. This way you configure the infrastructure for any load you encounter. Instead of investing in a few servers that will be idle when computing demand is low, organizations with hybrid cloud capabilities can invest in fewer servers to meet peak computing needs.

When is a Hybrid Cloud Suitable?

In a retail example, you might need to work with seasonal and situational loads. You sell winter sports equipment – skates, snowboards, skis. Most of the year traffic to the site is low, but in winter the demand increases significantly. In addition, you announce a sale of goods every three months.

Your own server is enough to maintain a customer database and site operation, but you need additional resources for seasonal traffic and advertising campaigns. Resources that are easy to get and just as easy to pause when things slow down. A versatile connection to a public cloud will help you manage traffic.  Almost any business can benefit from implementing a hybrid cloud setup. 

Potential Pitfalls of the Hybrid Cloud

Like any other technology, the hybrid cloud has a certain entry threshold. If you keep in mind its features, it will be easier to implement the optimal solution for your organization. We outline a few things to look out for here and give tips on how to effectively manage your system.

Can be difficult to manage 

A hybrid cloud is a complex set of solutions as parts of the infrastructure are distributed across different platforms. Using technology solutions can help you manage your hybrid cloud. Maintain centralized metrics for monitoring. Having full visibility and reporting helps your company keep abreast of its hardware and software infrastructure.

Think about the infrastructure 

You need to evaluate the amount of data application and decide how to distribute it. It is worth starting from the capacity of local equipment resources and average user activity. Also, think about data distribution. It’s important that data stay in the cloud where it is processed more often. Otherwise, there’s a risk of overpaying for data transfer between parts of the infrastructure.

The set of access rules 

Managing access rights to your own infrastructure is quite simple – you are the owner and define the rules by yourself. In a public cloud, this is more risky – company accounts and resources are potentially accessible globally. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) will ensure that only employees with the necessary skills and permissions will have access to critical services.

Why Choose First Line Software For A Hybrid Cloud System?

Our specialists will help with the creation of a hybrid infrastructure – the architecture of the system, conduct its load testing, and ensure optimal operation.

First Line Software’s Cloud Transformation teams can craft custom solutions or conduct an architectural assessment of your current cloud platforms to find optimization opportunities (Well-Architected Review). Our world-class engineers have taken over some difficult projects others couldn’t complete by leveraging our development methodologies and cloud platform expertise. Get a hybrid cloud consultation here.