What is Hybrid Cloud Computing?
Hybrid cloud computing solutions are definitely no fad. They are highly functional solutions for organizations, and they are here to stay. The hybrid cloud computing model makes use of both private and public cloud solutions to deliver a range of extensive services to the user. These hybrid cloud systems operate by leveraging the strengths of both the public and private cloud systems, using each to make up for the weakness of the other. It provides the improved availability, scalability, and elasticity of a public cloud with the control and cost-efficiency of a private cloud.
This model is one that supports better flexibility, allowing organizations to use whichever solution is better for them as their computing needs and operational costs change. It also gives more room for diversification since the organization is not limited to one cloud model out of the box.
There are many challenges with IT systems, especially with organizations that are not focused in the IT industry. With a solid implementation, hybrid cloud computing services can solve many problems. Three use cases that are a great fit for hybrid cloud solutions are reviewed below.
1. Disaster Recovery for Existing Systems
One of the biggest advantages of the hybrid cloud computing service is how it allows you to share files, work data and other important documents between different servers and clouds. When a hybrid cloud solution is in place, an organization can choose to host all of its critical workloads on one side (public or private) while the opposite side hosts a copy.
Often, this is accomplished by having the primary workloads run in the private cloud with the public cloud functioning as a backup target. This is effective because the compute resources for the public side are only used when there is an outage. This ensures that access to data and workloads are always available in case of an outage. Given that these cloud servers are not hosted on-premises, the organizations will be able to recover their workload and other data as soon as they connect to the cloud service again. Such an environment brings more peace of mind into the daily running of any organization. It ensures that the important data and files of the organization are never lost in the case of an unexpected accident.
2. High Availability for Office365 ADFS
One of the areas where a hybrid cloud computing service shines the brightest is with Office365, especially when you are using ADFS for authentication. In this article, however, we will limit ourselves to the on-premise authentication feature.
Most organizations prefer that all users are authenticated on- premise, which is an extension of having the password stored in your local AD environment, allowing Microsoft’s Office365 environment to use your local AD for authentication.
But what happens when your local site goes down? While your local site is down, users are not able to log into Office365, even if they are remote. Using a hybrid cloud allows you to have a replicated AD server, part of your forest that sits in the public cloud. Now, when there is a failure at the local site, Microsoft can use the ADFS service in the cloud for authentication.
3. Optimal System for Cyclical Computing Needs
A big win for the hybrid cloud computing model over traditional options lies in its burstable nature. With this type of cloud, bursting is very cost effective.
A hybrid cloud allows your private cloud to burst to the public cloud when you have a spike in processing needs. These systems are designed in such a way that when your systems need more processing (memory, CPU, etc.) than what’s available in the private cloud, the hybrid cloud system can burst into a public cloud environment. It does so as a tenant, only allowing the system to make use of the extra resources that it needs to complete the tasks it requires to run. According to a study by Texas college, based on the needs for fluctuating workloads, it was determined that running the entire environment on a public cloud service would have cost an organization more than double what they would have paid for a hybrid cloud solution.
Hybrid cloud provides you with the best of both worlds – improved availability, scalability, automation, and elasticity of a public cloud, with the control and cost efficiency of a private cloud.
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If you want to start enjoying peace of mind, better value for money, and all the side benefits that comes with Hybrid Cloud computing solutions today, reach out to us for a free assessment of how our eXtensile Hybrid Cloud solution can best be integrated in your organization.