Cloud/Hybrid Cloud for your Organization
Many organizations are using the Cloud like never before. The demand for Cloud services is increasing year after year. Cloud solutions remove a huge burden of managing technology infrastructure from your organization. If your organization relies extensively on IT, you should consider Cloud services to help provide reliability, high availability, and reduced IT burden to your environment.
Although great, a traditional public Cloud solution may not be the right fit for your organization. Your organization may need something that is more flexible or more secure. In that situation, you may want to consider a dedicated Cloud or a hybrid Cloud solution.
Public Clouds May Not Be Suitable
The public Cloud is the most commonly-used Cloud offering. This type of Cloud is where the service provider keeps and manages the infrastructure required to store and process data. The service is offered over the Internet. Systems engineers can log into a portal to administer the Cloud environment. Public Clouds are offered to everybody. Their infrastructure is used to store the data of multiple customers, likely on the same computer hardware.
That being said, many are concerned with the spiraling costs of public Cloud solutions. Maybe you have heard colleagues discuss how costs rapidly escalated to over double the amount that was originally budgeted for the Cloud solution. This is often fueled by virtual machine sprawl and a combination of over-provisioning and under-utilization of virtual machines.
Moreover, security is often a concern with public Clouds. Many solutions designed to live in your own datacenter are ineffective in a Cloud. Also, the ability of users to create their own virtual machines makes security hardening more difficult. Finally, traffic going over the Internet is susceptible to attack.
Tech
People
Processes
The goal is to distinguish whether you will utilize the cloud. As a result, we can engineer an environment that’s tailored to your data center strategy.
Moving to the cloud is as much about technology as it is people. Adoption isn’t based purely on technical change; adjusting roles among your team to improve your environment is key.
Your processes need to have the agility to withstand the changes without ensuing chaos. Knowing your systems allows us to build a solid roadmap for migrating the best workloads and processes to the cloud.
How Does a Dedicated Cloud Help?
A dedicated Cloud solves most of the major challenges of a traditional public Cloud.
- Security is less of an issue because security teams have access to the same systems and tools that they use internally, and the environment is isolated.
- Over-consumption is solved by locking the costs to the dedicated hardware (without financial approval).
- Complexity is solved by providing admins access to the tools with which they are already comfortable: vCenter/vSphere.
- Vendor lock-in is resolved because the environment uses VMware. This makes it easier to get in, and to get out if needed down the road.
Logical Front uses a dedicated Cloud called eXtensile Cloud.
What about a Private Cloud?
Due to challenges with the public Cloud, an increasing number of organizations have created their own Cloud service—a private Cloud. This service is managed by the organization itself. It offers flexibility to the users, as well as eliminating the risks of exposing your data on the Internet.
However, a private Cloud isn’t without drawbacks of its own. Your organization has to manage the infrastructure required to support the Cloud. And the automation required to make it a “Cloud” also must be developed and managed.
Scalability is another issue. If you are using a public Cloud, you can simply request additional resources. With a private Cloud, scaling typically requires acquiring new hardware.
So if public and private Clouds both have their own issues, then what other option are you left with? The answer: Hybrid Cloud.
What is a Hybrid Cloud?
A hybrid Cloud is the mix of the best of both private and public Clouds—or the best of both dedicated and public Clouds. That means you get the flexibility and security of a private and dedicated Cloud coupled with the scalability of a public Cloud. In effect, a hybrid Cloud is a private or dedicated Cloud that is also connected to the public Cloud and makes use of it as needed. Workloads can be shared between the private and dedicated or public Cloud depending on the circumstances.
In addition, this hybrid Cloud approach—with eXtensile Cloud—effectively extends your team’s expertise with smart human engineers and architects that have been around that block before—management and maintenance, capacity planning, security, intrusion detection and response, and data protection.
The Benefits of a Hybrid Cloud
Whenever there is a sudden burst of computing resource requirements, the public Cloud can be used to meet the demand that surpasses the resource capabilities of your private Cloud. This way both the private and public Clouds can work in tandem. A dedicated and public Clouds work together in a similar fashion.
In addition, mission-critical applications can be run on the private or dedicated Cloud, where you have greater control. Other applications can be delegated to the public Cloud. Another example is that you can store sensitive organization data on the private Cloud where security is in your control, and archival data on the public Cloud.
Overall, with a hybrid Cloud you can constrain the costs that are associated with standalone private or public Clouds. It offers a great deal of flexibility for your organization while ensuring security for your data. It essentially gets rid of the drawbacks of private and public Clouds and offers something better for your organization.
Solutions to Your Cloud Challenges
Whether you need help with a dedicated Cloud, a private Cloud, or a hybrid Cloud, Logical Front can help. It all starts with a Cloud Assessment. Contact us now to arrange a time for your free Cloud Assessment.
Read the 3 complications of the public cloud and the
hybrid cloud solution
