Table of Contents ▼
- Introduction
- Defining Multi Cloud Architecture and Its Core Capabilities
- How Hybrid Cloud Architecture Supports Business Agility?
- Pros and Cons of Deploying Multi-Cloud Environments
- Pros and Cons of Building with Hybrid Cloud Models
- Performance Benchmarks: Multi Cloud vs Hybrid Cloud
- Comparison Between Multi Cloud and Hybrid Cloud
- Blending Multi-Cloud and Hybrid Cloud for Strategic Advantage
- Making the Right Cloud Architecture Choice for Your Application
At some point in the app’s lifecycle after deployment, it reaches its maximum point. Like, the user base is growing, the traffic is spiking, new features demand rapid deployment, but your app’s cloud setup feels like it is in a make-or-break stage.
This usually happens when you rely on a single cloud environment that can no longer keep up with the demands of scalability, redundancy, or performance. Today’s enterprises demand a more future-proof setup that could handle the challenges of tomorrow with minimal customization.
That’s the reason why businesses are moving towards multi- or hybrid cloud environments when it comes to cloud application development services. However, what is the difference between multi and a hybrid cloud setup? This blog will simplify how the two set ups differ from one another.
Defining Multi Cloud Architecture and Its Core Capabilities
The Multi cloud framework employs two or more public cloud service providers to host workloads and hold data. It is a well-thought-out architecture that permits cost optimization, service specialization, and resilience.
The main skills are made up of:
- Vendor flexibility: Change suppliers according to changes in service or cost.
- Dedicated Workload Deployment: Execute AI in GCP, systems serving enterprise resource planning on Azure, and platforms for e-commerce on AWS.
Ensuring high availability means achieving three objectives, most simply stated as:
- Geographic redundancy: Spreading out resources to avoid single points of failure.
- Across providers: Using multiple vendors for that geographic redundancy.
- Disaster Recovery: Instantly fail over to another provider in case of outages.
Multi-cloud guarantees app performance for all users, no matter where they are. That is to say, when it comes to providing app development services, we make sure that applications achieve optimal operation across varied geographies and user bases.
How Hybrid Cloud Architecture Supports Business Agility?
A hybrid cloud combines the scalability of public clouds with the control of private clouds to create a single unified environment.
- Cloud Bursting: Manage traffic surges by temporarily transferring jobs to public cloud resources.
- Careful Transition: Transfer tasks to the cloud without disturbing essential old systems.
- Regulatory Flexibility: Maintain sensitive workloads private while taking advantage of the public cloud for innovation.
For an application development company that is cloud-based, this means customers can modernize while still relying on current infrastructure investments.
Pros and Cons of Deploying Multi-Cloud Environments
Multi cloud setup is suitable for businesses that do not wish to be locked with a single vendor. It is perfect for apps where the workload can be distributed across different cloud service providers to reduce latency and ensure high availability. Here are the pros and cons of a multi cloud setup:
Pros:
- Optimization of service: You have the glorious chance to select the most suitable instruments from every supplier.
- Resilience: Multi-cloud environments promise that a higher operational uptime can be attained by diversifying one’s providers.
- Cost Efficiency: You can take advantage of the differences in vendor pricing by resorting to a multi-cloud environment.
- Disaster recovery: In case one service provider experiences downtime, this setup allows workloads to be instantly shifted to another provider without disrupting user access or compromising application performance.
Cons:
- Being complex: Needs sophisticated control instruments such as Kubernetes, Terraform, or Anthos.
- Vulnerabilities Exposed: More endpoints and configurations to secure.
- Outsourcing Skill Requirements: Requires that expertise be spread across several cloud platforms.
Pros and Cons of Building with Hybrid Cloud Models
On the other hand, hybrid cloud infrastructure is suitable for organizations that wish to store sensitive data in a private cloud and run less-critical workloads in a public cloud. Here’s how hybrid cloud models provide advantages to applications:
Pros:
- Ready for Compliance: Simpler to satisfy norms such as HIPAA, GDPR, and PCI DSS.
- Cost Optimization: Maintain consistent workloads on private infrastructure.
- Compatibility with Old Systems: Combine past systems with today’s applications.
Cons:
- CapEx Intensive: Private infrastructure mandates a huge initial outlay of funds.
- Lagging Risks: Distances between settings can result in lag when sending data.
- Mature DevOps processes required: Public-private coordination is a challenge because the very essence of mature DevOps is that public-private integration doesn’t work well today.
Read also: How to Leverage AI and Cloud Together for Predictive Business Insights?
Performance Benchmarks: Multi Cloud vs Hybrid Cloud
The performance benchmarks for multi cloud and hybrid cloud setups come down to latency and speed, and uptime and reliability. So, when we talk about the multi cloud setup, it can reduce the latency by routing the traffic through the closest or fastest-performing cloud provider for each region. However, the performance depends on how well the workloads are distributed and integrated across multiple cloud service providers.
In terms of reliability and uptime, a multi cloud setup provides high reliability because of redundancy. If one provider’s services go down, the workloads can be redirected to another provider and reducing the downtime.
In the case of a hybrid cloud, the setup has low latency for sensitive workloads as it mostly runs on on-premise or private cloud. But the same cannot be said for public cloud, where less-critical processes are stored. In the public cloud, the data travels through external networks, making them more prone to latency fluctuations.
When it comes to reliability, it relies on the strength of the private or on-premise infrastructure and the quality of integration with a public cloud service provider. There are chances of failover, but slower than a multi cloud setup.
Comparison Between Multi Cloud and Hybrid Cloud
If you are opting for cloud application development services, it is essential to consider what type of cloud architecture you would like for your app. Here’s a detailed comparison between the two set-ups based on important aspects:
| Factor | Multi Cloud | Hybrid Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Cost-effective as compared to a hybrid cloud, as the multi-cloud set-up is based on different public cloud service providers, and the service provider manages the infrastructure. | High cost, because the hybrid cloud is based on both private and public clouds. However, the expenses can be managed by keeping the predictable workloads on private/on-prem and less critical workloads on the public cloud. |
| Resource Management | Requires advanced monitoring and orchestration tools to manage workloads across multiple providers, and each will have its Interfaces. | The management complexity increases with workload placement in public and private clouds, and synchronisation. |
| Scalability | Highly scalable, since the setup is based on different service providers. Companies can tap into the resources of multi-cloud providers without being limited to a single vendor’s capabilities. | It can be a little bit restrictive when it comes to the capacity of on-premise systems for sensitive workloads. For workloads on public cloud, it is easy to scale. |
| Security | In mult-cloud systems, the company cannot control who can access the physical infrastructure, but it is typically kept behind robust security. However, the service providers offer stringent security features, like automation, access control, encryption, and general security, which are easy to configure. | Hybrid clouds are more secure because companies can physically control the private cloud hardware. |
| Compliance | The compliance depends upon the public cloud service providers. While public clouds can be global compliance requirements, when it comes to local industry regulations, compliance management becomes complicated. | Highly suitable for regulated industries as sensitive data can remain stored in a private cloud, and less critical information or workload can run in a public cloud. |
| Governance | Needs a centralized governance framework to ensure consistent policy enforcement across multiple platforms. | The governance is straightforward, as the private cloud policies can be extended to the public workloads as well. However, policy synchronization will still be required. |
Blending Multi-Cloud and Hybrid Cloud for Strategic Advantage
Both multi-cloud and hybrid cloud have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. While a multi-cloud set-up simplifies management and provides flexibility in choosing the best tools from each, a hybrid cloud provides better control and security by keeping the sensitive information and workloads in a private environment, along with leveraging the scalability of public cloud.
A cloud-based application development company might recommend combining multi-cloud and hybrid cloud setups if you want both the flexibility of multiple cloud providers and better control over sensitive workloads in private environments.
The hybrid multi-cloud approach combines public cloud and on-premise infrastructure. The hybrid multi-cloud ecosystem provides cloud-native application development (microservice architecture), and uses an open-source container orchestration platform, like Kubernetes or Docker Swarm, to automate the deployment of apps across on-premise data centers, public cloud, private cloud, and edge settings.
According to the IBM Institute for Business Value Study, the value delivered by a hybrid multi-cloud platform is two and a half times the value delivered by a single-platform, single-cloud vendor approach.
Making the Right Cloud Architecture Choice for Your Application
Ask yourself:
- Do I need provider flexibility and best-of-breed services? → Multi-Cloud
- Do I need strict compliance, legacy integration, and controlled scaling? → Hybrid Cloud
For cloud application development services, many organizations prefer to partner with providers that ensure the chosen architecture meets scalability, compliance, and innovation benchmarks, all while minimising risk.
Rainstream Technologies can help you make your cloud vision a reality. We can provide you with expert, top-notch guidance and assistance in adopting a multi-cloud or hybrid cloud model. Need something else? We’ve got a full stack of cutting-edge digital services, and we’re ready to deliver them in whatever combination you require. With our consulting services, we will suggest you the best architecture for your application.
