In the world of business today, cloud computing is an absolute necessity and can be highly beneficial to your business for several reasons. But there are risks to cloud migration, especially concerns related to the confidentiality of information, issues with existing architecture which may make a lift and shift cloud migration more difficult and loss of control of data and processes.
Hybrid cloud infrastructure can be a good medium to put some of these fears to rest. With the hybrid cloud market predicted to grow by $97.6 billion by 2023, and over 80% of organisations reportedly having a multi-cloud strategy it’s certainly a popular option.
But you may be wondering what is meant by the term hybrid cloud.
What is Hybrid Cloud?
A hybrid cloud environment is a combination of on-premises infrastructure, as well as public and private cloud services. Hybrid cloud allows businesses to benefit from the security of private cloud environments, whilst also taking advantage of the cost-effective nature of public cloud services. Using a hybrid cloud solution, your business can create a solution tailored specifically to your requirements and will let you keep what you need on-premises without falling behind the competition.
However, no cloud model is perfect for every business scenario, so we’ve outlined the pros and cons of this cloud adoption method in this blog, so you have all the information you need before you commit.
The Disadvantages of Hybrid Cloud
As mentioned above, there is no perfect cloud solution for every business, and below are some of the key disadvantages when it comes to taking on a hybrid model.
Difficulty of Implementation
This option can be both difficult to implement and difficult to maintain. Even a private cloud adoption can turn into a complex project due to server requirements, a strong local infrastructure and higher network capabilities than may already be in place. These are all also requirements for a hybrid cloud model, and the implementation of these if they are not already in place can be time and cost-intensive to your business.
Security Concerns
As I explained earlier, a hybrid cloud infrastructure comprises both a private and public cloud as well as on-premises infrastructure. This model means there isn’t any risk of security when it comes to the intrusion of neighbouring environments. However, there are security concerns around the misuse of the hybrid cloud when contracted by third-party vendors. This could put your business at risk of cyberattacks on your main server, which opens the possibility of a breach of your systems.
Visibility
Any cloud environment can be a complicated beast, but the complication only increases when a business's environment is divided into a multi-cloud solution. This might mean that the ability to maintain visibility of things such as data and applications, systems, processes, and anything else that your business has to manage becomes more difficult than if you decided to use a public or private cloud.
Compatibility
Compatibility of your existing infrastructure and public cloud environments can be another issue when considering this model as they may not be fully harmonious and can be difficult to synchronise together. Issues such as latency can be caused by on-premises data centres not responding as quickly as the public cloud component.
Expense
The hybrid option can end up being much more expensive than opting for a public cloud model. This can be due to the investment in, maintenance of, and expertise needed in both the on-premises hardware and private cloud components. However, this can ultimately depend on your organisation’s computing requirements.
The Advantages of Hybrid Cloud
Despite the disadvantages listed above, there’s a reason why many organisations are ultimately opting for hybrid cloud adoption, and the main advantages are listed below.
Cost savings
As discussed above, certain costs will be incurred when implementing a hybrid cloud strategy. However, this model can ultimately benefit your business by being much more cost-effective in the future. Hybrid cloud users have the option to select an environment depending on their individual needs. For example, rather than having to invest in a purely private cloud to run workloads, they may choose to use a public cloud to save on costs.
Control
Choosing this model will mean much more control over your organisation’s data. The lack of requirement to forfeit all control to a third party means that this model circumvents one of the main risks of moving your business to the cloud.
Scalability and Deployment
A hybrid cloud makes it possible to adapt the cloud to your organization’s needs. It provides better resource allocation to demand spikes and allows organisations to burst applications to the public cloud when extra capacity or scale is needed. The private component also means that your team can minimise latency, avoiding another of the main risks of adopting the cloud.
Increased Data Security
Another major advantage this model provides to those adopting the cloud is an increase in data security over those that opt for a public cloud model. Some organizations operate within highly regulated industries which have strict restrictions on where data can be stored. With a hybrid approach, your business can store sensitive data within the private environment, allowing for protection against cyber-attacks, whilst also benefitting from being able to operate workloads within the public cloud.
Flexibility
Finally, one of the most advantageous reasons for adopting a hybrid cloud solution is the flexibility that it can offer your business. This model allows you to make use of legacy systems as well as adopt the latest cloud technology without having to fully commit to any one vendor.
Conclusion
Because the flexibility of this model means you can direct your resources between private and public cloud environments, your business will be able to easily evaluate how to structure IT solutions based on cloud computing.
As you can see there are several advantages and disadvantages of hybrid cloud. Hopefully, this blog has helped you to weigh up whether this model or a purely public or private cloud solution is right for your organisation.
The AppScore platform can help you no matter which of these cloud deployment options you decide on by providing an automated method for understanding your application portfolio. You can find out more about AppScore on the product page, or you can get in touch for a live demo with one of our cloud migration and adoption experts.