Hybrid Cloud | Meaning & Definition

Hybrid cloud refers to the computing environment that combines elements of private and public clouds to protect and provide access to data and other resources. Some resources are hosted on-premises or in a private cloud, while others are hosted on public cloud infrastructure.

The main purpose of cloud computing is to provide organizations with greater flexibility and scalability, allowing them to leverage the advantage of both private and public cloud.

Advantages of hybrid cloud

The adoption of a hybrid cloud is on the rise, it shows how modern organizations approach architecture, management, and protection of their storage, networking, and computing environments.
Nowadays, the hybrid cloud model is both flexible and secure and is growing in popularity because it gives organizations the freedom to choose their workloads to run to optimize the cost.

Hybrid cloud offers several advantages to organizations, including:

1. Flexibility
A hybrid cloud offers the advantage of flexibility in deciding where to host the different workloads based on their specific requirements. It allows critical workloads to be kept on-premises or in a private cloud, ensuring greater security and control. Meanwhile, less sensitive workloads can be kept in a public cloud, providing better scalability and cost-effectiveness.

2. Scalability
Organizations can leverage the scalability of public clouds to handle fluctuating workloads or sudden increases in demand without needing to invest in on-premises infrastructure. This provides cost optimization and resource utilization.

3. Cost efficiency
Hybrid cloud organization allows balance in their IT spending by utilizing cost-effective public cloud resources for non-sensitive workloads, for maintaining infrastructure investments for critical applications.

4. Greater innovation
A hybrid cloud enables organizations to adopt new technologies and innovate more rapidly by leveraging the innovation capabilities of public clouds, and by maintaining compatibility with on-premises systems and applications.

How does hybrid cloud work?

Hybrid cloud computing seamlessly integrates private and public cloud infrastructures, allowing organizations to leverage the benefits of both environments. Here’s how it works:

1. Integration
A hybrid cloud setup provides connecting on-premises data or private cloud resources with public cloud through secure networking technologies like Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) or dedicated connections.

2. Security
Hybrid cloud provides robust security measures to protect data and applications from cyber threats and unauthorized access. This includes encryption, identity and access management (IAM), network segmentation, and security monitoring tools to detect and respond to security incidents.

3. Orchestration
Orchestration tools play a crucial role in managing and coordinating workload across all environments. These tools automate tasks such as workload provisioning, resource scaling, etc.

Benefits of hybrid cloud

When it comes to cloud solutions, many organizations find the hybrid cloud to be a better option in comparison to other cloud-based or non-cloud-based solutions.

Here are some of the key benefits:

1. Effective application governance
A hybrid cloud enables you to choose the deployment location of your application and where hybrid computing occurs, which can enhance privacy and ensure compliance for your regulated applications.

2. Improved performance and reduced latency
Sometimes, applications located at remote sites can benefit from a hybrid cloud solution. For applications that have low latency requirements, hybrid computing is performed close to the end-users.

3. Flexible operations
Hybrid computing provides flexibility to operate in the best working environments. By using a container, you can create portable applications and move between public and private clouds.

4. Faster innovation
Hybrid cloud models allow leveraging advanced technologies, such as AI and machine learning, without requiring a complete overhaul of existing infrastructure. This approach helps optimize resources and increase productivity, thereby accelerating app development and delivery.