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What is hybrid cloud storage?

The term “hybrid cloud” refers to an infrastructure that is a combination of on-premise server infrastructure and different public and private cloud-based solutions. Not all applications are “cloud-ready” or suited for the cloud platform and must, therefore, be maintained in an on-premise infrastructure.

We refer to a mixture of cloud and on-premise infrastructure as a “hybrid cloud”. A public and private hybrid cloud solution allows organisations to get the best of both worlds, choosing the best solution according to each application or system. Speak to our team of cloud experts at TechBrain about which hybrid cloud service providers best suit your business needs. As a reseller of cloud service providers, we can offer hybrid cloud computing services in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and other major cities in Australia.

What is a private cloud?

Cloud computing on the private cloud means that the cloud environment is used exclusively by your business or organisation. Private cloud solutions are used by companies that need to keep information completely secure, like financial institutions, hospitals, or other institutions needing additional security and compliance. The private cloud may be hosted at your place of business, or at a data centre held by a third party.

Your individual cloud strategy will always maintain that the private cloud will be on a private network, and the software and technology will be unique to your business. Cloud computing this way increases security for your business without having to add additional resources to secure your assets.

What is the public cloud?

The public cloud is held by a third-party vendor and with this type of cloud, all software, resources, and applications are managed by the public cloud providers. Access to your account and account management is all done through a web browser. Development environment, office applications, web-based email and storage are all done through the public cloud.

Hybrid Cloud Services – the best of both worlds?

Both public and private cloud storage have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. Which type of cloud hosting is right for your organisation will hang off a number of factors. These include the types of data you work with, what your industry regulations are, how large your business is, and what level of security you need to guarantee.

It’s easy to assume that a hybrid cloud strategy will solve all your problems – but it’s important to realise that it does add an additional layer of complexity. Here are some of the main hybrid cloud benefits and drawbacks.

Positives:

- The combined benefit of migrating to both private and public infrastructures
- This includes increased efficiency and the flexibility to meet disparate needs
- Building a hybrid cloud with private infrastructure that’s directly accessible greatly reduces access time and latency in comparison to a public cloud service
- Flexibility in designs
- Particularly valuable for dynamic or versatile workloads and applications
- Easy access to powerful public cloud infrastructure when additional computing resources are needed in real-time

Negatives:

- Integration of applications and security can attract a higher management overhead
- Dilution of knowledge – multiple cloud providers can result in loss of control over systems knowledge
- The security risk is typically increased as credentials may not be integrated or synchronised
- Systems can be “detached” if poorly implemented with outage as a possibility
- Complex licensing model that can be cumbersome to manage and can potentially introduce duplicate costs

Cost Ramifications:

- Can opt for the best value solution based on each application or data set
- Can typically become more expensive if the integration with existing systems is not properly handled
- Can increase the complexity of the design and therefore increase operational costs

If you are considering a hybrid cloud service solution for your organisation in Australia please call us for a no-obligation discussion on your options around cloud applications, hybrid and on-premise. We can undertake an analysis of the costs associated with each alternative and, with consideration to your operational needs, security risks, and longer term business objectives, make recommendations that will save you time and money.

Remember that if you’re not certain what cloud applications you need, or which type of cloud model is right for you, we’re here to help! Schedule a free consultation, and we’ll be happy to assist you in making the best cloud storage choice for your organisation. In the meantime, check out some of the most common questions we receive around hybrid cloud hosting below.

Frequently asked questions

What is cloud computing?

While you’ve probably heard this term thrown around a lot, actually defining it is a bit trickier! The name is a little misleading too, as data stored ‘on the cloud’ is typically stored at a data centre, very much on (and often under) the ground.

In its simplest terms, a cloud platform stores your organisation’s data somewhere other than on your own servers. You can choose whether to use a public cloud platform, where you share technology at a data centre with other organisations or bring in cloud architects to create your own private cloud environment.

Public cloud storage is offered by public cloud providers like Dell EMC, Amazon Web Services, and IBM Cloud. Private cloud data centres and virtual machine services are offered by companies like VMware vSphere, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and Red Hat.

And then, of course, you have hybrid cloud data services, which brings the two together. A hybrid cloud storage environment requires the services of a third-party vendor (that’s us!) to implement. We don’t offer cloud software or hardware ourselves, but rather help businesses and other organisations select and manage the hybrid cloud solution that’s right for their needs.

What does a hybrid cloud solutions provider do?

Hybrid cloud management is a complex field, and most organisations need a little assistance in choosing, migrating to and using their new cloud environment.

TechBrain can help you:

- Navigate the cloud market
- Control your cloud costs
- Migrate data, tools, apps, software and other technology
- Identify and protect against any possible security risks
- Ensure regulatory compliance
- Accelerate your business processes through hybrid cloud solutions
- Ensure your network remains secure, while still offering flexibility
- Implement hypervisor systems and virtual machines
- Assist with automation and orchestration
- Act as your go-between with cloud providers like IBM, Microsoft and others
- Untap the full power of hybrid cloud storage!

We can also offer hybrid cloud monitoring, and train you in using your hybrid cloud management platform to gain a competitive advantage.

What are cloud-based applications?

Cloud-based apps are pieces of software that acts as an interface between you, the user, and the data centre where processing takes place. In simple terms, cloud-based applications are the tools you use to interact with your private, public or hybrid cloud service. DropBox and Google Drive are examples of the public cloud, Microsoft Azure of the private cloud, and Red Hat is an example of the hybrid cloud.

What is cloud automation?

In the past, IT staff dealing with enterprise solutions had their hands very full indeed managing cloud workloads. Resources like virtual machines had to be sized and configured, clusters and loads needed to be balanced, and availability of resources required constant monitoring. All of this had to be done manually! Thankfully, using automation and orchestration tools, these processes can now run without human intervention!

How do I pick the right cloud model?

As we talked about above, private, public and hybrid cloud services all have their own advantages and disadvantages. Hybrid cloud solutions offer a great deal of flexibility, are very cost-effective, and highly scalable – but also allow you to retain greater control over your most sensitive data.

This is why we find them to be the best cloud model for many of our clients. That’s not to say they’ll be appropriate for all our clients, however. If you’re in doubt or finding the process of selecting a suitable cloud strategy confusing, then give us a shout! Our cloud experts are on hand to assist you.

Looking for IT solutions in Perth? If your business is looking for a trusted IT partner with nationwide capability, TechBrain is here to support you.

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