7 Benefits and Solutions of Moving to a Hybrid Cloud

Reading time: 15 mins

Did you know hybrid cloud services can prevent serious issues like data breaches, downtime, and security vulnerabilities? Using hybrid can ensure that your business remains safe during a disastrous event.

Changing to a hybrid cloud can be an excellent decision for your business. By combining the power of public and private clouds, you can get the best of both worlds – agility and scalability from the public cloud with the security and control of a private cloud.

In this guide, we will discuss the benefits of moving to a hybrid cloud and some solutions for making a move.

Keep reading to dive deep into the world of hybrid cloud computing!

• What Are Hybrid Cloud Solutions?
• Why Doesn’t Every Business Use Hybrid Cloud Solutions?
  • Increased Flexibility & Improved Performance
  • Improved Disaster Recovery
  • Reduced Costs
  • Increased Security
  • Better Compliance
  • Greater Collaboration
  • Increased Agility
• Lift & Shift Migration
• Replatforming: Improve & Move
• Refactoring: Rip & Replace
• Common Mistakes Made When Moving to a Hybrid Cloud
  • Not Assessing Application Compatibility
  • Not Migrating in Phases
  • Not Monitoring Progress
• The Hybrid Cloud Awaits You

A hybrid cloud solution is a combination of both public and private clouds.

This gives businesses more flexibility, as they can choose which workloads to run on each type of cloud.

For example, they may run mission-critical applications on a private cloud for security and compliance reasons while using a public cloud for storage or testing and development.

Furthermore, hybrid clouds can be scaled easily and quickly to meet changing business needs.

Businesses only need to provide the resources they need from the public cloud without investing in a private cloud infrastructure. Also, should the public cloud go down, the private cloud can keep business operations running smoothly.

There are a few reasons why some businesses have not switched to hybrid cloud solutions yet.

The main reason is that managing both public and private clouds simultaneously can be challenging. Businesses must clearly understand how each type of cloud works and how they can work together.

Furthermore, businesses must consider the security implications of using a hybrid cloud. They need to ensure that data is adequately secured and that access is controlled.

With a hybrid cloud, businesses can run different workloads on either the public or private cloud – or even a combination of both. This gives them greater flexibility in terms of how they use their resources.

Additionally, businesses can quickly scale their hybrid cloud solution up or down to meet changing demands. For example, they may need to increase capacity during busy periods and then reduce it again when things slow down.

Hybrid cloud solutions can also help improve a business’s disaster recovery plans. This is because the public cloud can be used to store backups of data and applications from the private cloud.

Then, if the private cloud goes down, the data security and applications can be quickly recovered from the public cloud.

Oddly enough, disasters do happen in the cloud. In 2017, AWS experienced a major outage in its us-east-1 region, which took down many popular websites and remote workers jobs, including Airbnb, Slack, and Reddit.

While this was undoubtedly a setback for Amazon, it did showcase the power of having a hybrid cloud – none of these businesses lost any data or experienced any downtime.

Another benefit of a hybrid cloud is that it can help reduce costs. This is because businesses only need to pay for the resources they use from the public cloud – they don’t need to invest in their private cloud infrastructure.

Any business wants to reduce costs without compromising quality or functionality, which is exactly what a hybrid cloud can offer.

Despite a hybrid cloud’s increased flexibility and scalability, security is still a top priority for many businesses. Fortunately, a hybrid cloud can provide enhanced security, as sensitive data can be kept on the private cloud while less sensitive data is stored on the public cloud.

Without security, businesses would expose themselves to data breaches, cyber-attacks, and other security threats.

A hybrid cloud can be an excellent option for businesses subject to strict compliance regulations, such as those in the healthcare and financial industries. This is because they can keep sensitive data on the private cloud, where it will be better protected.

Compliance is the game’s name when it comes to specific regulatory boards.

A hybrid cloud can also facilitate greater collaboration between team members. This is because users can access data and applications from the public or private cloud, depending on their needs.

In addition, businesses can use a hybrid cloud to create “DevOps” environments where developers and operations teams can work together more effectively.

Finally, a hybrid cloud can help businesses become more agile. This is because they can quickly provision resources from the public cloud to meet changing demands. They can also promptly scale their hybrid cloud solution up or down as needed.

If you’re considering moving to a hybrid cloud, these are some benefits you can expect.

Keep in mind that there are also a few things to consider before moving, such as whether your data is suitable for the public cloud and which type of hybrid cloud solution is right for your business.

Let’s look at the three methods for migrating to the cloud.

Lift & shift is the simplest method for migrating to the cloud. This involves taking an existing application or workload and moving it to the cloud without making any changes.

One advantage of this approach is that it can be completed quickly. However, it may not be ideal for taking advantage of some of the cloud’s features, such as scalability or increased security.

Replatforming is a more complex method for migrating to the cloud. This involves changing an existing application or workload before moving it to the cloud.

For example, you may need to rewrite some code to make it compatible with your cloud platform. Or, you may need to redesign your database.

The advantage of this approach is that it can help you take full advantage of the cloud. However, it can be time-consuming and may require some specialized skills.

Refactoring is the most complex – and also the riskiest – method for migrating to the cloud. This involves completely rewriting an application or workload so that it’s designed specifically for the cloud.

This can be a time-consuming and challenging process. However, it may be necessary to take full advantage of the cloud’s features or move to a new cloud platform.

Businesses make a few common mistakes when moving to a hybrid cloud. These include not deducing the use case and more.

Before migrating to a hybrid cloud, defining the use case is essential. This will help you determine which type of hybrid cloud is right for your business and what benefits you can expect to achieve.

Your use case can be defined by several factors, such as the workloads you plan to run in the cloud, your budget, and your compliance requirements.

Another mistake businesses make is not assessing application compatibility. This is important because not all applications are compatible with all types of hybrid clouds.

Compatibility is critical to ensure you don’t make a huge mistake in your transition.

When migrating to a hybrid cloud, it’s best to do it in phases. This will help you avoid disruptions to your business and assess the benefits of the hybrid cloud as you go.

Albeit, phasic migration is not for every business. Sometimes, it may make more sense to migrate everything at once.

Finally, it’s also essential to monitor progress during the migration process. This will help you identify any issues that can be addressed quickly.

Progress must be monitored at all times during a migration. Moving to a hybrid cloud can be a big decision for businesses. However, it can also offer many benefits, such as increased agility, scalability, and security.

There are many benefits to moving to a hybrid cloud, but it’s essential to consider a few things before making the decision. Assess your application compatibility, use cases, and budget to ensure a hybrid cloud is the right solution.

Migrating in phases can also help you avoid disruptions and monitor progress. With careful planning, a hybrid cloud can offer many benefits for your business.

If you’re interested in hybrid cloud implementation, get in touch with us now.