Why Your Enterprise May Be Rethinking a Hybrid Cloud Strategy

Enterprises are no longer discussing whether they should migrate applications or workloads to the cloud; they’re simply determining which applications or workloads should move to the cloud. They may have lengthy strategic sessions surrounding how and when migration should happen, but it’s rare to find an enterprise that hasn’t begun to utilize the cloud. For many, the perfect solution arrives in the form of a hybrid cloud strategy.

A hybrid cloud strategy provides the best of both worlds, giving enterprises the option of on-site storage and processing for workloads that make sense to maintain close by, while taking advantage of the innovations of cloud technology. Enterprises strive to find the right combination that reduces downtime risk while optimizing data security, all while seeking an environment manageable for enterprise IT.

Disaster Recovery: The introduction of a hybrid setting is often motivated by the pursuit of a better disaster recovery plan. Cloud and on-site options offer the backup that enterprises need in the event of a breach or natural disaster. The downside is that a hybrid environment can be much more complicated than a single cloud or on-site solution.

Not only does a hybrid cloud situation employ legacy solutions and more modern deployments, but there are also a number of mission-critical systems that require management. Enterprise IT is forced to have a clear understanding of data storage, how data can be recovered, and how service level agreements impact data availability.

Public Versus Private: IT teams are tasked with determining which cloud service will best support a hybrid cloud strategy. Public cloud service providers charge less for moving and accessing data, but they have fewer options for customization than a private cloud option. Another consideration is that private cloud may be hosted on-premises, which can put data at risk if there is a natural disaster.

IT teams must weigh a number of considerations, and the decisions are not over once they’ve chosen between private and public cloud options. Next, they’ll need to determine which data and applications will reside in the cloud versus on-site. For instance, a decision about data backup often involves considerations about how a natural disaster could impact data centers versus how latency might delay data recovery from the cloud. Enterprise teams may have to wrestle with a number of factors that could extend or reduce downtime, while also considering elements like speed and security.

Yet Another Layer: Enterprises often arrive at a place in their hybrid cloud strategy when they realize they may still need more diversity in their technology mix. Many turn to multiple cloud solutions to improve their resilience against downtime.

The downside to a multi-cloud strategy is that it adds yet another level of complexity, requiring close monitoring of budgets and where data and applications are stored. Enterprises often find it helpful to establish some policy around workload placement so that decisions can be streamlined and easier to manage. 

Does your company need assistance navigating a hybrid cloud strategy? Contact us at One Connect, where we can help guide you through the many decisions around data, application, and workload placement within a hybrid or multi-cloud environment.