Hybrid Cloud

A hybrid cloud is a mixed computing environment where applications are run using a combination of computing, storage, and services in different environments. Public clouds and private clouds, including on-premises data centers or “edge” locations. Hybrid cloud computing approaches are widespread because almost no one today relies entirely on a single public cloud. 

Hybrid cloud solutions enable you to migrate and manage workloads between these various cloud environments, allowing you to create more versatile setups based on your specific business needs. Many organizations choose to adopt hybrid cloud platforms to reduce costs, minimize risk, and extend their existing capabilities to support digital transformation efforts. 

Hybrid cloud examples

The most common hybrid cloud example is to use public cloud with private cloud services and on-premises infrastructure. However, there’s no one hybrid cloud configuration or one-size-fits-all architecture. 

A hybrid cloud could combine a public cloud and a private cloud running on-premises or on the edge. It could also combine a public cloud with another public cloud. 

Hybrid models are meant to allow an organization to mix and match environments and to choose what works best for the specific applications and data. For instance, hybrid solutions are popular with companies in highly regulated industries that have strict data privacy requirements for how they store, process, and interact with their data.

Another common example is adopting a hybrid cloud approach when transitioning to using a public cloud to scale capacity dynamically when computing or processing demands exceed a data center’s capabilities. Many cloud migration projects inevitably lead to hybrid cloud deployments as workloads and applications are slowly and strategically shifted over to the cloud. 

Hybrid cloud scenarios

• Dynamic or frequently changing workloads. Use an easily scalable public cloud for your dynamic workloads, while leaving less volatile, or more sensitive, workloads to a private cloud or on-premises data center.
• Separating critical workloads from less-sensitive workloads. You might store sensitive financial or customer information on your private cloud, and use a public cloud to run the rest of your enterprise applications.
• Big data processing. It’s unlikely that you process big data continuously at a near-constant volume. Instead, you could run some of your big data analytics using highly scalable public cloud resources, while also using a private cloud to ensure data security and keep sensitive big data behind your firewall.
• Moving to the cloud incrementally, at your own pace. Put some of your workloads on a public cloud or on a small-scale private cloud. See what works for your enterprise, and continue expanding your cloud presence as needed. On public clouds, private clouds, or a mixture of the two.
• Temporary processing capacity needs. A hybrid cloud lets you allocate public cloud resources for short-term projects, at a lower cost than if you used your own data center’s IT infrastructure. That way, you don’t overinvest in equipment you’ll need only temporarily.
• Flexibility for the future. No matter how well you plan to meet today’s needs, unless you have a crystal ball, you won’t know how your needs might change next month or next year. A hybrid cloud approach lets you match your actual data management requirements to the public cloud, private cloud, or on-premises resources that are best able to handle them.
• Best of both worlds. Unless you have clear-cut needs fulfilled by only a public cloud solution or only a private cloud solution, why limit your options? Choose a hybrid cloud approach, and you can tap the advantages of both worlds simultaneously.

How does a hybrid cloud work?

Hybrid clouds work by combining the resources and services from two or more separate computing environments. Hybrid cloud architectures require integration, orchestration, and coordination so you can share, shift, and synchronize information quickly. 

Strong hybrid cloud networking is critical for a hybrid cloud deployment to function correctly. Interconnectivity between environments is typically established using a local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), virtual private network (VPN), and application programming interfaces (APIs).

Similar to other cloud computing architectures, hybrid cloud platforms leverage virtualization, containerization, and software-defined networking and storage technologies to abstract and aggregate resources. Dedicated management software allows organizations to allocate resources and enable on-demand provisioning to different environments. 

Hybrid cloud disadvantages

While hybrid cloud deployments offer many advantages, it may not be the right fit for your organization.

Since hybrid cloud models include the use of private cloud and on-premises infrastructure, you still have to invest and maintain in-house hardware and any additional software and tools needed. Hybrid cloud adoption often requires new technical expertise from both IT teams as well as business users. 

Hybrid cloud environments may also be complex. It can be difficult to establish visibility into all the systems, applications, platforms, and processes contained in your hybrid cloud, which can cause you to miss critical issues or opportunities. In addition, on-premises and public cloud environments are not always compatible, making it difficult to synchronize transmission of data. 

That’s why it’s important to carefully assess whether the benefits of cloud match with your specific priorities, budget, and the skills of your team. It’s also important to evaluate cloud vendors and tools that support open platforms and provide hybrid cloud management capabilities.