Hybrid Cloud Computing: Which Deployment Model is Best For Your Business?

by Mike Ricotta - September 19, 2018

Cloud computing has been a game-changer for businesses, and with recent evolutions, hybrid cloud computing has continued that trend.

The term “cloud computing” has grown from something of a niche concept only a few years ago, to an absolute must-have for business. Supreme flexibility, capability, and security have made cloud structures a vital component of any organizational architecture.

But, as you know, no two businesses are the same, and so selecting the right cloud structure is very much down to the unique identity of your own company. At Arcane we provide cloud support services to all kinds of businesses, so be sure to explore our Managed Cloud Services.

In most cases, business owners will opt for a hybrid cloud computing model, balancing physical storage structures with cloud architecture, and achieving the best of both worlds.

However, it is not as simple as this. Hybrid cloud structures come in a variety of different forms. Read on to learn more about the different types of hybrid configurations and to discover which is the best option for your business.

Hybrid Cloud Computing Systems and Infrastructure Configurations

The office has changed. What used to be a self-contained space to support a group of staff members working together as a unit has since been blown wide open. Instead, today’s offices are hybrid spaces of their own, bringing together in-house employees, remote working teams, and third-party entities, in one harmonious collective.

This requires something a little more agile and reliable than what a traditional physical server-based system alone can provide. As businesses seek to provide an even more comprehensive service to their clients, increasing numbers of organizations are turning towards hybrid structures in an effort to accomplish this.

A hybrid systems and infrastructure cloud configuration place key systems in a private cloud structure, enabling remote access and collaborative work between teams in separate physical locations. The real-time cooperative element this provides is critical to success in today’s market, while robust security protocols ensure that sensitive data is never compromised.

Cloud structures interact with in-house systems to provide seamless operation across the entire organization. To ensure total cohesion, businesses support this interaction by setting up a virtual private network, or VPN. This is where the services of a third party can help to ensure the ideal hybrid environment to help you meet your objectives.

Best for:

Businesses who are keen to provide an extra level of scalability to their systems or who are looking to expand their operations to provide access for remote teams. This configuration also provides a benefit to businesses already working with remote teams and seeking a means with which to optimize collaboration.

Hybrid Cloud Computing Systems and Applications

Modern businesses rely upon applications to provide functionality across a broad range of areas. This includes providing clients and customers with direct access to services and to tools, as well as securing high levels of capability and flexibility for internal, business-critical actions.

However, maintaining these applications via physical servers based on a business’ premises places a huge burden on data infrastructure. As user numbers increase, so too does this burden, impacting on connection speeds and usability of apps. There may be other dangers also; running applications from a physical platform reduces flexibility and can result in severe damage to your business’ reputation should you experience any downtime.

With this in mind, many organizations instead opt to deploy a hybrid cloud model from which to run their applications. Application data is still stored on the premises, but access is provided via applications that are based in either a public or private cloud, depending on the level of access required.

For example, ‘front of house’ applications for use by customers and leads will be based in a public cloud and will be available for universal, remote usage. Meanwhile, in-house applications or applications for use by subscribers or members may be hosted privately.

As users are connecting from a cloud-based application to physical storage, appropriate layers of security and authorization are required, particularly in relation to the public cloud model. This is provided via an intermediary connection, such as internet service or enterprise service buses.

Best for:

Organizations that rely on applications for much of their functionality or to support high levels of user experience will find this model particularly useful. Cloud-based applications can be easily maintained and updated without sacrificing accessibility, making your business one customers can rely upon.

Hybrid Data Configurations

The hybrid data model is arguably the simplest of all the hybrid cloud computing configurations available to today’s business owners and administrators. This configuration represents a solution to a modern twist on an age-old problem: storage, or, more specifically, data storage.

The rise of analytics and Big Data have forced organizations to get clever with data storage. There is simply no way for the average business to store the vast amounts of data they need to support their customers’ needs and to stay ahead of their competitors. What’s more, this data needs to be turned into market insight at a moment’s notice, which means supreme levels of accessibility are required.

Fundamentally speaking, a hybrid cloud data model involves the storage of some data in-house in physical servers, and some data within a private cloud structure, a public cloud structure, or both. Beyond this, the exact configuration depends on the individual needs of the business in question.

The idea of the hybrid data structure is to free up space for your most frequently used data to be stored in-house, where it is immediately accessible. This is supported by the storage of less frequently used data in the cloud, increasing the flexibility and capability of the organization.

Best for:

Businesses who need to store large amounts of data, and can clearly define which portions of their data are used frequently and which portions are used more rarely. Any organization seeking to expand its data and analytics operations will also experience a huge advantage from a hybrid data cloud configuration. 

Want to learn more about how to successfully deploy a hybrid cloud configuration within your organization?  Need more guidance on which model is best suited to your business and your own unique needs? Like to schedule a free consultation about cloud support? Speak to our team today.

You can also explore our Managed Cloud plans!

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