Understanding Hybrid Cloud Computing

Understanding Hybrid Cloud Computing

To understand hybrid cloud computing, we first strip it down to its very basic form. What is cloud computing? No, make it, what is a cloud? In the context of digital media, cloud basically means “over the internet” or the Internet. Cloud computing—defining it in its entirety—is the delivery of computing services such as servers, databases, networking, storage, software, analytics and more. Companies offering these computing services are called cloud providers and normally charge for cloud computing services based on usage. Though they differ in the methodology of billing, the idea is similar to how we are billed for water or electricity at home.

Getting there already? The whole picture is this. Instead of saving the files in a hard drive or local storage device, cloud storage saves them to a remote database that is the cloud or the internet. Somewhere “up there” and not in a tangible place such as the hard drive. Anyone who has a device that has access to the web can access the data and the programs to run it. This allows employees to work wherever they are, whenever they need to. A cloud service company allows users to store files and applications on remote servers, and give them access to all these data via the internet.

Google Docs is an example of cloud service. Multiple Gmail users can access a word doc stored in the Google Drive and can simultaneously change the contents of the document regardless if these users are sitting across each other or spread out anywhere in the globe as long as there’s internet. When we access a movie online and watch it or listen to music, cloud service is behind all this. Other than that, you can create applications and services with cloud computing like what managed IT services do. You can design an app with just few clicks of the mouse. The app has built in security system without the need for coding. You can embed a code to enhance it, but by default, it already has a complete user interface. You can set it up for Laptop or for a smartphone device with full functionalities. Cloud computing stores files, back them up, and recover original files when needed. Back- ups can be done weekly or monthly which saves you from a lot of trouble in the event ransomware attacks your data and demands for payment to unlock your files. In cases you wish to retrieve an original file after making few revisions, you can easily recover the original file.  Cloud computing also does website and blog hosting. It also does audio and video streaming, deliver software on demand, and analyse data for patterns. Many businesses and large corporates, as well as government organisations, make use of cloud computing services because of its convenience and reduced operational costs.

Now that we’ve oriented ourselves with cloud computing, there are different ways of cloud deployment

• Public cloud- Both hardware and software are managed by the cloud provider. The speed is efficient to deploy IT resources and shared resources can be utilised. An example is Sales & Email on public.
• Private cloud- The current infrastructure is maintained on a private network. It’s best for small organisations with strict regulations as it controls sensitive data. Examples are banks and medical offices.

HYBRID CLOUD

A lot of cloud providers have already come up something that allows users to manage cloud infrastructure and applications regardless if they’re in company data centers (private cloud) or public cloud.  Just as how it sounds, hybrid combines the leverage of both public and private cloud. A hybrid cloud, according to the National Institutes for Standards in Technology is: A composition of two or more distinct cloud infrastructures (private, community, or public) that remain unique entities, but are bound together by standardized or proprietary technology that enables data and application portability.

SO WHY OPT FOR HYBRID?

By now you already get the whole picture of what hybrid cloud computing is. Moving on, what’s in it for you that you have to go for hybrid cloud? Here’s what it can do to your organisation or business.

1. Uninterrupted business operation

When we say uninterrupted, that’s when the business operation continues to run during downtime or a system failure. Companies, who understand this risk, take the initiative to make use of hybrid cloud to store and back up all importance data and application.

2. Efficient speed

The need to transfer components of the organisation is made easier and faster with hybrid cloud computing.

3. Cost effective

It helps run data centers efficiently at a minimal cost. It also helps to move non-essential data to the cloud so you can declutter and put your attention to where it is much needed.

4. Flexible

It gives an organisation’s IT Support more room to explore products and new model, and make a run test on these apps in the cloud without having to drastically change the current IT resources and architecture.

EXAMPLES OF HYBRID CLOUD SCENARIOS

• An online shop relies on private cloud to collate apparels of different produces from its circle of suppliers for shoes, socks, garments, and bags. At the same time, it also needs to reach out to its customers via the public cloud to see the number of orders coming in real time.
• All hospital staff access the private cloud of the hospital to review and monitor patients’ records and also checks and approves appointments set by clients via public cloud.
• A real estate developer uses private cloud to get updates from its agents while also accessing the public cloud to monitor queries from potential clients via public cloud.