Hybrid Cloud Integration: All You Need to Know

As the popularity of cloud computing continues to surge, there has been a growing focus on hybrid cloud setups. Why? Well, because of what they offer: the hybrid cloud setup allows companies to leverage the might of cloud computing without completely giving up their legacy on-premises systems.

Today hybrid cloud is attractive because it enables customers to draw on the wide-ranging capabilities of public cloud service providers. It is while using private cloud deployment for sensitive applications and data. The interlinking of cloud-deployed applications and data with traditional, non-cloud enterprise applications and data functions is an integral part of hybrid cloud deployments.

Hybrid cloud integration paved the way for businesses to enjoy the best of on-premises and cloud systems. Integrating on-premises data systems with cloud environments enables companies to take advantage of the cloud without completely taking down the legacy system.

Here are some of the critical benefits of the hybrid cloud setup:

1. Data ownership: This is especially important for companies that deal with highly-sensitive data: modernization of IT infrastructure without abandoning legacy systems is a boon. The hybrid setup allows companies to store sensitive information on-premises and comparatively less sensitive data on the cloud to safeguard data and ensure compliance.
2. Business continuity: There is no denying that public cloud providers have done a fantastic job of preventing downtimes and ensuring top-notch security. But the fact remains that they are vulnerable to downtimes nonetheless. A hybrid cloud helps companies eliminate unplanned downtimes and ensure that the systems keep running at all times.
3. Better scalability: Hybrid cloud integration helps streamline IT performance while ensuring agility. This, in turn, enables companies to expand workloads on the cloud, allowing them to process more minor and/or urgent datasets on local servers. In contrast, the more complex datasets are processed on the cloud.

Now, let us also take a quick look at the challenges:

Governance: IT governance seeks to ensure the standardization of processes. This endeavor is understandably rendered much more complex in the context of hybrid cloud systems underpinned by various techniques.
Security: Of course, security remains a persistent concern in all digital endeavors, including while switching to the hybrid cloud. Public clouds can be a concern among all factors involved, especially considering that security is based on APIs. Furthermore, it would also be a good idea to take a closer look at the public cloud provider’s SLA.
Costs: All of the issues in this regard eventually come down to price. Switching to a hybrid cloud from a public cloud comes with the charm of additional resources, which may lead to unnecessary spending and growing IT costs. When you move from a private cloud, companies stand to cut down their costs, provided they are considered strategically from the get-go.

Finally, here are some of the critical aspects of an effective implementation strategy for the hybrid cloud:

1. Understand how critical the data is to determine the workloads that must be shifted to the cloud. Necessary information that needs extra security should remain on-premise.
2. Evaluate any possible data quality challenges in a hybrid cloud environment and then bring data validation policies and rules to guarantee data completeness and accuracy.
3. Do not forget to assess where the data will be located. Make it a point to know where the critical data resides, its dependencies, and if it includes any personally identifiable information (PII).

There you have it, folks, a quick but extensive guide to hybrid cloud integration. This guide seeks to ensure that you are fully aware of the phenomenon of hybrid clouds before you decide to take the plunge. If and when you choose to opt for it, make sure to engage the services of a trusted vendor for cloud service integration.