Still trying to decide which workloads should run in public vs private clouds? Well, maybe you just need a refresher on the capabilities of hybrid cloud. Hybrid cloud solutions may offer you the best of both worlds—if you prepare to manage the unique challenges of a hybrid environment.
While the definition of hybrid cloud has been frequently debated, most industry watchers loosely define hybrid cloud as a combination of at least one public cloud and an on-premises private cloud—with some level of integration between the two. VMware defines hybrid cloud more specifically by stating that the private and public components feature common infrastructure and consistent operations. This consistency will make workloads more portable and mitigate some of the operational headaches of managing two disparate platforms. But there are still things to be aware of to get the most from your hybrid cloud investment.
Strategies for hybrid cloud management
Determining how to manage hybrid clouds can seem daunting. Here are some strategies for clearing roadblocks to managing and optimizing your hybrid cloud.
Opting for centralized security management
IT teams are responsible for an endless array of repetitive, laborious tasks like managing cloud resources, setting up VM configurations, creating virtual networks, deploying cloud workloads, maintaining availability and performance standards, and more. Without a centrally managed security program or service, the risk of human error remains high, potentially exposing security vulnerabilities that can put the cloud at risk.
Standardize hybrid cloud operations
Standardization sounds like an obvious place to start in your hybrid cloud journey, yet it’s often overlooked as a workstream. Where possible, use a set of common services that span both on premises and public clouds.
Some examples include identity and access management (IAM), application lifecycle management, security compliance, monitoring, and cost governance.
Enable application intelligence
Today’s software-defined businesses need the ability to see everything in their application environment. Business context is crucial to being able to quickly make strategic business decisions. Making sense of all the data, transactions, events, and user interactions in these environments is increasingly difficult as the volume, variety, and velocity of data grows.
Application intelligence is the ability to acquire and apply environment insights for the benefit of the application. They monitor and take action when potential bottlenecks occur, eliminating finger-pointing arguments over who should be solving the performance issues.
Powerful self-service portal
Unify catalogs from multiple cloud vendors and simplify offerings with flexible, attribute-based service designs that accommodate many variations in a single application. This reporting feature enhances the transparency of cloud usage and its overall impact on cost, performance, and scalability.
Show me the money
This is where the power of cloud management in creating cost savings comes into play. Most businesses don’t experience the same amount of data traffic all year round. Perhaps, for example, around the holidays, you’ll experience way more website traffic, but you don’t want to have to pay for the same amount of compute power all year round. Therefore, with an effective hybrid cloud strategy, you only have to pay for what you use on-demand and you can easily adjust your computing capacity based on these peak and lull periods.
Collaborate with a trusted partner
The IT workforce is evolving, so having a trusted partner to complement your in-house expertise is vital. When you work with a trusted partner, you can determine the hybrid cloud solution that best meets your infrastructure needs and does not require a heavy lift to implement and use.
What does it take to tackle hybrid cloud management?
Hybrid cloud is a beautiful thing, but it comes with its own ways to track and optimize its health in terms of costs, security, and compliance measures. They’re not necessarily more complex, just unique—happy hybrid clouding!
