→ Business guide to Hybrid Cloud
→ Introduction
The little known facts of Hybrid Cloud as a business enabler
Hybrid Cloud is revolutionising the way businesses operate. While it may seem like a complex concept, understanding the basics of Hybrid Cloud is essential for organisations looking to leverage its potential. In this article, we will explore the key components of Hybrid Cloud, its role in business, the technical advantages it offers, and the challenges that come with its adoption. Additionally, we will delve into future trends in Hybrid Cloud and its intersection with artificial intelligence (AI)
→ Understanding the basics of Hybrid Cloud
Let's start by defining Hybrid Cloud. Simply put, it is a combination of public and private cloud environments connected through a secure network. This enables organisations to enjoy the benefits of both worlds - the scalability and agility of the public cloud, along with the control and security of the private cloud.
→ Defining Hybrid Cloud
Hybrid Cloud refers to the strategic use of both private and public clouds to store and manage data and applications. It allows businesses to seamlessly move workloads between environments, based on their specific requirements. In a Hybrid Cloud setup, the public and private clouds function independently, but are connected to enable efficient data exchange and workload distribution.
Key components of Hybrid Cloud
Hybrid Cloud consists of several key components working together to create a comprehensive infrastructure. These components include:
→ Public Cloud
Public cloud services offered by third-party providers, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure, form an integral part of Hybrid Cloud.
Public cloud services provide organisations with access to a vast array of computing resources, such as virtual machines, storage, and databases. These services are hosted and managed by third-party providers, allowing businesses to leverage their expertise and infrastructure. By utilising public cloud services, organisations can benefit from the scalability and cost efficiency offered by these providers.
→ Private Cloud
Private cloud infrastructure, either on-premises or hosted by dedicated providers, provides enhanced control and security.
Private cloud infrastructure is dedicated solely to a single organisation, providing them with greater control over their data and applications. It can be deployed on-premises, within the organisation's own data centres, or hosted by dedicated providers. Private clouds offer increased security and compliance capabilities, as organisations have full control over their infrastructure and can implement customised security measures.
→ Connectivity
A secure network connection, such as a VPN or direct link, ensures seamless communication between the public and private cloud environments.
Connectivity is a crucial aspect of Hybrid Cloud, as it enables the exchange of data and workload distribution between the public and private clouds. Organisations establish secure network connections, such as virtual private networks (VPNs) or direct links, to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of their data during transit. These connections enable seamless communication and data transfer between the different cloud environments.
→ Management and Orchestration
Effective management and orchestration tools enable efficient administration and monitoring of Hybrid Cloud resources.
Managing and orchestrating resources in a Hybrid Cloud environment can be complex. To simplify this process, organisations need management and orchestration tools. These tools provide a centralised platform for administrators to monitor and control their Hybrid Cloud resources. They enable tasks such as workload placement, resource allocation, and performance monitoring, ensuring efficient utilisation of the Hybrid Cloud infrastructure.
The role of Hybrid Cloud in business
Hybrid cloud is a powerful enabler for businesses, offering numerous benefits.
Two prominent advantages:
1.
Enhancing business flexibility
One of the primary reasons organisations opt for Hybrid Cloud is its ability to enhance business flexibility. By combining the scalability of the public cloud with the control and security of the private cloud, businesses can easily adapt to changing market demands. They can scale their operations up or down based on fluctuating workloads, ensuring optimal resource utilisation and cost efficiency.
For example, imagine a retail company that experiences a surge in online sales during the holiday season. With Hybrid Cloud, they can seamlessly scale up their resources to handle the increased traffic and ensure a smooth shopping experience for their customers. Once the holiday season is over, they can scale back down to their regular capacity, avoiding unnecessary costs.
Furthermore, Hybrid Cloud allows businesses to leverage the benefits of both public and private clouds. Public cloud services offer a vast array of ready-to-use applications and services, enabling organisations to quickly deploy new solutions without the need for extensive development or infrastructure setup. On the other hand, private cloud provides enhanced control and security, making it suitable for sensitive data or applications that require compliance with strict regulations.
2.
Cost efficiency
Another significant advantage of Hybrid Cloud is its cost efficiency. By utilising public cloud resources for non-sensitive data or workloads with varying demands, businesses can significantly reduce costs. At the same time, critical or sensitive data can be kept in the private cloud, safeguarding it from potential threats. This flexible approach allows organisations to optimise their infrastructure costs based on their specific requirements and budget restrictions.
Consider a financial institution that deals with large volumes of customer data. They can store the sensitive financial information in their private cloud, ensuring compliance with industry regulations and protecting the data from unauthorised access. Meanwhile, non-sensitive data, such as marketing analytics or customer feedback, can be stored in the public cloud, taking advantage of its cost-effective storage options.
The technical advantages of Hybrid Cloud
Beyond the business benefits, hybrid cloud also offers several technical advantages that organisations can leverage.
Scalability and performance
Hybrid cloud provides businesses with the ability to scale their resources dynamically. By utilising the public cloud for peak periods or sudden surges in demand, organisations can ensure optimal performance without compromising user experience. The ability to instantly access additional computing power and storage capacities empowers businesses to meet customer expectations and maintain high service levels.
Security and compliance
Security and compliance are critical considerations for any business. With hybrid cloud, organisations can designate sensitive data and applications to the private cloud, which offers enhanced security measures and regulatory compliance. This ensures that sensitive information remains protected while still benefiting from the scalability and cost efficiency of the public cloud for other non-critical workloads.
Looking at the detail
Hybrid cloud has emerged as a game-changer for businesses of all sizes in recent years. 82% of organisations according to Cisco have now adopted a Hybrid Strategy.
For many, combining the best of both worlds, a hybrid model enables the right cloud for the right workload, allowing applications that are monolithic in nature, sensitive data, or a need for low latency to stay in Private Cloud, while moving web based customer facing applications with a more variable demand profile to move to Public Cloud.
An application that can neither grow to meet demand, nor shrink to reduce costs, rarely benefits from deployment on the public cloud and a Public Cloud large scale shift can be the wrong decision for people as well. An Uptime Institute report highlighted that 42% of respondents cited Cloud Repatriation was due to costs being higher than they thought in public cloud while 19% cited it was more complex than originally thought.
The good news is that Private Cloud Solutions now integrate with Public Cloud Services and can be delivered on a Opex model.
With Private Cloud becoming more Public Cloud like there really is nothing holding organisations back from being more Cloud Appropriate in their decision making. HPE GreenLake for example, allows you to deploy and manage Public Cloud Services including PaaS offerings as well as scaling and paying for Compute and Storage independently as you grow all from one console.
“HPE GreenLake customers have seen "30-40% TCO savings due to less overprovisioning”
Future trends to consider
1. Multi-cloud adoption
Organisations are increasingly embracing a multi-cloud strategy, which involves using multiple public and/or private cloud providers in combination with on-premises infrastructure. This approach allows organisations to leverage the strengths of different cloud providers and optimise workloads across various platforms.
According to a recent survey by Enterprise Strategy Group, the majority of organizations deploy applications in 2+ on-premises data centers, 2+ co-location providers, 3+ IaaS providers, and 3+ PaaS providers.
2. Hybrid cloud management and orchestration
Effective management and orchestration of resources across multiple cloud environments are becoming a crucial consideration. Organisations are adopting hybrid cloud management tools and platforms that provide a unified view, centralised control, and automation capabilities for their hybrid infrastructure.
The benefit of unifying Cloud Management can be substantial for many.
For example:
HPE GreenLake estimate a 40% increase in IT team productivity.
3. Security and compliance focus
Security and compliance remain top concerns for organisations adopting hybrid cloud. There is a growing emphasis on implementing robust security measures, encryption, access controls and compliance frameworks to protect sensitive data and meet regulatory requirements in hybrid cloud environments. The 2022 IBM Security X-Force Cloud Threat Landscape Report found that cloud vulnerabilities have grown by 28% since last year while Gartner predicts 99% of cloud security failures with misconfiguration one of the major causes of breaches.
4. Hybrid Cloud and Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining traction across industries. Hybrid cloud can provide the necessary infrastructure and computational power required for training and deploying AI models. By leveraging the scalability of the public cloud and the control of the private cloud, organisations can unlock the full potential of AI, driving innovation, and optimising business processes.
Generative AI, which involves machine learning models like Chat GPT-4 that can generate content or simulate patterns based on input data, has significantly transformed hybrid cloud operations:
- Dynamic Resource Allocation: Generative AI can predict workloads and optimize resource distribution in real-time, reducing operational costs and streamlining processes.
- Automated Troubleshooting: Machine learning algorithms can auto-diagnose issues and even propose fixes, leading to decreased downtimes.
- Customized User Experiences: Generative AI can create personalized cloud services for users based on patterns, enhancing user engagement and satisfaction
5. The impact of 5G on Hybrid Cloud
5G technology promises to revolutionise connectivity and enable faster and more reliable network connections. This will further strengthen hybrid cloud environments, as organisations can leverage 5G's high bandwidth and low-latency capabilities to seamlessly integrate public and private cloud resources.