Advanced Cloud Architectures: Integrating Public And Private Clouds In Hybrid IT

Successfully integrating public and private clouds in hybrid IT environments can enable businesses to reach new levels of operational flexibility and efficiency. Making this work does, however, require businesses to commit to implementing and running advanced cloud architectures and systems. Here is a quick guide to what you need to know.

Understanding hybrid IT

Hybrid IT is a form of IT architecture that combines private and public infrastructure. When implemented correctly, it enables businesses to maximize the benefits of both environments. Using private infrastructure delivers control, customizability, and cost-effectiveness. Using public infrastructure delivers convenience, scalability, and geographic distribution.

Key components of hybrid IT systems

Hybrid IT systems comprise on-premises infrastructure and/or at least one private cloud plus at least one public cloud. Some hybrid IT systems use even more advanced cloud architectures that implement multiple private and or public clouds. These are known as multiclouds.

Here is a quick overview of the key components of hybrid IT systems and what they contribute to the whole.

On-premises infrastructure

Traditionally, on-premises infrastructure was infrastructure that was completely owned and run by the business that used it. Now, it’s more likely to refer to the use of colocation services.

With colocation services, a third-party vendor owns and runs the data center facility. This vendor then leases or rents dedicated spaces within that facility in which clients house their own equipment. The client is entirely responsible for managing that equipment (and the data on it).

On-premises infrastructure (including colocation) offers the highest levels of privacy and control. For businesses that process large quantities of data, it also tends to be much more cost-effective than the public cloud. It can be more cost-effective than a private cloud, depending on how the private cloud is implemented.

Traditionally, the main drawback of on-premises infrastructure was its lack of flexibility, particularly its lack of scalability. This drawback has been reduced by the development of colocation although it is still very much a factor to consider.

Clouds

A cloud is a distributed collection of servers that host software and infrastructure that is accessed over a network, usually the internet. The defining characteristics of clouds are:

• Resource pooling
• On-demand resources
• Global accessibility (that can be restricted if necessary)
• Elasticity and scalability
• The ability to measure usage

Private clouds

Traditionally, private clouds were implemented using on-premises infrastructure. This is still done. Again, however, it is more likely that modern businesses will use colocation rather than implement their own facilities.

Now, however, it’s increasingly common for private clouds to be implemented using third-party infrastructure. These clouds are considered private as the client has the use of dedicated servers. With that said, implementing private clouds in this way does create an increased reliance on the vendor. This means that it is vital that businesses choose their vendor with great care.

Using private clouds is more secure than using public clouds. It is, however, more limiting. This is because the cloud’s ability to function is constrained by the resources it has been allocated. Businesses therefore need to be careful to allocate enough resources for the workload and/or be prepared to use the public cloud as well.

Public clouds

Public clouds are owned and run by third-party vendors generally known as public cloud service providers (CSPs). They are made available for anyone to use. Most CSPs offer a mixture of committed contracts, fixed-price service bundles, and pay-as-you-go options.

The public cloud is convenient, scalable, and offers a high level of security. Many CSPs are compliant with major data security frameworks and standards. There is even growing support for more niche standards. Even so, clients’ data is still held on third-party infrastructure. Moreover, using the public cloud can get very expensive very quickly.

This is particularly true for businesses that operate across wide geographic areas (including domestic ones). They are likely to be assigned a default domestic zone and charged additional fees for traffic that goes in or out of that zone.

Best practices for implementing advanced computing architectures

Here are five best practices for implementing advanced computing architectures.

Comprehensive security measures: Implement robust security protocols across both public and private cloud components, addressing potential vulnerabilities and ensuring data integrity.

Unified management and monitoring: Utilize integrated management tools to oversee the entire hybrid architecture seamlessly.

Scalable and elastic resources: Design the hybrid architecture to accommodate fluctuating workloads by incorporating scalable and elastic resources.

Effective data migration strategies: Develop robust data migration strategies to facilitate the seamless transfer of data between on-premises infrastructure and cloud platforms.

Interoperability and standards compliance: Respect industry standards and ensure interoperability between different components of the hybrid architecture.