For organizations struggling to figure out the best approach to developing new apps using multiple cloud environments, or that need to run these apps across the same, VMware has just released a new eBook that can help. This new resource is designed to help technical architects understand how they can architect a multi-cloud environment that provides access to the massive amounts of innovation occurring across hyper-scaler clouds while also significantly reducing operational complexity and risk.
Multi-Cloud use drives operational complexity
Anyone responsible for architecting an environment that helps their organization build new, modern applications that can run on multiple clouds knows that that are many reasons – some good, some not so good – that drive the cloud environment preferences of app dev teams. Whatever the reasons, the reality is that most larger organizations are using multiple clouds while also running an on-premise data center. Many are also using one or more managed service providers to address the full scope of their application portfolio needs.
However, if you own the problem of architecting a cloud environment that can support application development across multiple clouds, you also know that dealing with the differences between clouds is anything but trivial. If you are also responsible for figuring out the best way to move one or more traditional applications running in the data center to AWS, Azure or Google Cloud Platform, the magnitude of the challenges you face grows substantially.
Until recently, when organizations thought about a multi-cloud landscape that included one or more hyperscale clouds, they accepted that the only way to achieve interoperability between environments was for them to build the required bridges. That’s because each cloud has a different operating model, different semantics and different APIs. The tools used for each cloud, whether for application development or management, are often different as well.
In today’s multi-cloud world needs to address operational complexity that exists with an approach that abstracts the differences between clouds. This means an approach that provides a set of horizontal capabilities that can help unify cross-cloud operations while at the same time providing access to the unique and innovative portfolio of cloud services delivered by each cloud provider (see figure 1).
Figure 1: The challenge of siloed public clouds
A new and unique approach
Recognizing the need to help organizations bridge the divide between cloud environments, VMware has pioneered a unique approach to application modernization across a multi-cloud landscape. VMware delivers a software defined infrastructure, Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and management stack (figure 2) that can be layered on top of any physical hardware layer on any cloud or data center. The stack provides a unified approach to building, running and managing traditional and modern apps on any cloud, providing a single platform that can function across all application types and multiple cloud environments.
Figure 2: VMware’s multi-cloud use architecture
The ebook, Architecting Your Multi-Cloud Environment. explores how VMware technologies can help you modernize your applications by leveraging the best attributes of a multi-cloud landscape without the pain that comes from managing the complexity of cloud differences. It also addresses several use cases specific to traditional apps. It looks at how VMware technologies can help you 1) re-platform traditional apps to run on Kubernetes, and 2) moving a traditional application from the data center to the public cloud. Once on the public cloud you can continue to run that traditional application as is or begin to evolve it to conform to modern application standards such as 12 factors and micro-services.
Additional Resources
In addition to this new eBook, be sure to check out Architect Central, where you’ll find a variety of blogs focused on how architects can address application modernization strategies or the use of multi-cloud.
Looking to better understand VMware’s unique approach to multi-cloud architecture? Get the definitive guide.
