Understanding Hybrid Cloud Computing
Explaining what a hybrid cloud is, its benefits (security, scalability, cost savings, technology adoption), and examples of hybrid solutions from Azure (Arc, Stack) and AWS (Outposts).
A hybrid cloud is a computing environment that combines a private cloud (typically an on-premises datacenter) with one or more public cloud services (like Azure or AWS). These distinct environments are managed as a single, integrated infrastructure, allowing data and applications to be shared between them.
Key Benefits of Hybrid Cloud
- Security and Regulatory Compliance: Keep sensitive data and highly regulated workloads secure behind the on-premises firewall while leveraging the public cloud for less-sensitive tasks.
- Scalability and Resilience: Utilize public cloud resources to instantly scale capacity up or down (“cloudbursting”) in response to demand spikes, without over-provisioning on-premises hardware.
- Rapid Adoption of New Technology: Quickly adopt and integrate new SaaS solutions or cloud services without major on-premises infrastructure changes.
- Enhancing Legacy Applications: Improve existing applications by integrating cloud services or extending them to new devices.
- Resource Optimization and Cost Savings: Run predictable workloads on-premises and migrate variable workloads to the more flexible public cloud. Use the public cloud for temporary needs like development and testing.
Hybrid Cloud Solutions from Major Providers
Both Microsoft Azure and AWS offer solutions to facilitate hybrid cloud strategies:
Microsoft Azure
- Azure Arc: Acts as a bridge, extending Azure management capabilities (governance, security, monitoring) and selected Azure services to infrastructure located on-premises, at the edge, or even in other clouds. It allows you to manage diverse resources through the Azure portal.
- Azure Stack: A portfolio of products that bring Azure services and capabilities physically into your own datacenter or edge locations. Options include Azure Stack HCI (Hyperconverged Infrastructure), Azure Stack Hub (an autonomous cloud), and Azure Stack Edge (an AI-enabled edge computing appliance).
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- AWS Outposts: A fully managed service that delivers the same AWS infrastructure, services, APIs, and tools directly into your on-premises facility or co-location space. This provides a consistent AWS experience for workloads requiring low latency or local data processing.
Hybrid cloud offers flexibility but requires careful planning around connectivity, management consistency, security integration, and skill sets to manage both environments effectively.