We discuss the following topics:
- What is a hybrid cloud
- Why is a hybrid cloud popular?
- Why choose a hybrid cloud?
- Which tools are suitable for the hybrid cloud?
- Is the hybrid cloud right for your organization?
What is a hybrid cloud
Let's start at the beginning, which is the cloud. In a cloud, IT services are provided over the Internet, such as software, databases, servers, and networks. These services are globally interconnected and linked to one system. When we look at a hybrid cloud, we refer to a cloud that combines an on-premises infrastructure (also called a private cloud) with a public cloud, for example, Microsoft Azure. You use both cloud forms and share data and applications between the different clouds.
More focus on the hybrid cloud
According to the renowned research agency Gartner, "hybrid working" and "the cloud" are at the top of the tech trends of 2022 (Garner, 2021). Forbes even talks about the hybrid cloud as a stand-alone trend. Nowadays, combining a private cloud and a public cloud is more manageable. For example, Microsoft has rolled out a hybrid model for Azure. According to Enterprise tech writer Marr, this provides a "best of both worlds" approach for organizations that want to keep sensitive information in a private cloud but want to leverage Azure's (micro)services and containers (Marr, 2021).
Why do organizations choose a hybrid cloud?
Two key reasons why a hybrid cloud is getting attention are its optimal scalability and flexibility. Conversely, your infrastructure remains laborious, and you can't leverage the maximum power of the public cloud. As an organization, you have to ask yourself whether this is the best option or whether you would instead switch entirely to a public cloud.
Tools that make hybrid working possible
Several tools within the public cloud Azure can help you work optimally in a hybrid cloud.
- Create a service like Azure Active Directory hybrid using Azure AD Connect. This synchronizes objects from your on-premises Active Directory to Azure Active Directory.
- Or Azure Backup, where you can take resources from Azure on-premises into your (cloud) backup.
- Another example is Azure File Sync, where you sync files from a file server to Azure Storage.
When is hybrid cloud right for your organization?
Whether a hybrid cloud fits your organization depends on several factors. We outline several scenarios to see if a hybrid cloud fits your organization.
Situation 1
Is your organization required to host specific data on a private cloud due to regulations or other business requirements? But you want to use a public cloud with countless services, high scalability, and lower costs for other data within your organization? Then a hybrid cloud is the best option* for you.
*Good to know: At Intercept, we have never encountered a scenario where we could not meet an organization's compliance needs within Azure, but if organizations still want to use a private cloud, it is possible.
Situation 2
In multiple cases, using a public cloud can be more interesting than using a hybrid cloud. With a public cloud versus a hybrid or private cloud, you save costs, use reliable servers, have little to no maintenance, and scale as far as you want.
Situation 3
Are you dealing with an outdated environment, legacy hardware, and software? These can also be reasons to stop investing in new on-premises hardware and move your workload towards the public cloud.
The next step at Intercept
Do you recognize yourself in the situations above, and do you want to move to a hybrid or public cloud? Then we'd love to help you! Read more about how we can help you here or contact us directly.
Source: AI, cloud, hybrid work headline Gartner's top tech trends for 2022 | CIO