Multi-Cloud architecture has its own set of benefits that attract the tech giants to switch toward it and take advantage of the landscape the architecture owns.
So today we are going to help you unlock the treasure that multi-cloud has got to offer businesses. We will let you know everything that you will necessarily need to know to take complete advantage of the multi-cloud architecture.
What is Actually a Basic Cloud Architecture?
The primary cloud architecture is nothing but a set of 3-tier architecture around the web. Let’s talk in detail about the basic cloud architecture.
Talking about the 3-tier architecture, these three very tires are the Load balance server, Application server, and Database server. Every particular server is dedicated to each tier.
If you refer to the diagram, the redundant server has been used for every tier for failover and recovery purposes, if the data gets crashed by any chance then the redundant server will automatically move the saved copy of data into its prime place.
This is the minimalistic cloud architecture. But you can optimize it and make use of the additional server as per the requirements of your application.
Now that we have studied the basic cloud architecture strategies and designs, why don’t we reach the main subject of the discussion: multi-cloud architecture? Let’s get the picture of a multi-cloud strategy first.
What is a Multi-cloud Strategy?
As the name suggests, a multi-cloud strategy is one that allows you to leverage the services of two or more public cloud service providers. You can actually use different cloud service providers for different purposes, that too all for a single application.
For example, you can opt for Microsoft Azure cloud for your US-based audience or you could use Google cloud for a different country. You may avail of Azure SQL for databases and Amazon EC2 instances and Load Balancing.
In a nutshell, YOU ARE PRIVILEGED TO GRAB THE ADVANTAGE OF MULTIPLE CLOUD SERVICES ALL FOR YOUR SINGLE APPLICATION.
The multi-cloud strategy also comprises on-premise private clouds like AWS EC2 and Azure Files. But the condition is that the cloud strategy should involve cloud services proposed by two or more public cloud providers, that strategy can be considered a multi-cloud strategy.
What makes multi-cloud architecture different from other cloud architecture is the attribute of helping businesses run different applications on a different cloud. You can develop and test environments on one cloud and do the rest of the process like a production environment on the other.
A multi-cloud strategy is a bag of benefits. But at the same time, it’s pretty important for businesses to abide by the vision, especially, when it comes to development costs.
Why is Multi-Cloud Architecture Important?
Multi-cloud infrastructure has become the go-to choice for companies in search of a hybrid, flexible cloud environment, capable of offering cost savings and security benefits. Via a multi-cloud architecture, business leaders can unlock benefits like:
- Enhanced ROI: Different clouds have different benefits to offer. Some solutions may lack the exact features business leaders need to facilitate certain outcomes. Mixing and matching different cloud environments allows companies to create a best-in-class solution specific to their individual requirements, optimizing return on investment.
- Improved security: A multi-cloud infrastructure allows organisations to build a comprehensive cloud environment which combines security with cost savings. It’s possible to use private clouds for secure data, and public clouds for more commonplace tasks, to keep costs low without compromising on compliance.
- Lower latency: Access to apps and data stored in various locations around the world will differ depending on where users are located. When data has to travel across various nodes before reaching end-users, minor delays are common. A multi-cloud architecture can reduce the risk of latency, and allow for rapid performance.
- Autonomy: Companies rarely want to be locked into a contract with a specific vendor. A multi-cloud infrastructure gives businesses more autonomy and freedom to distribute workloads across different environments. It’s easier to update and enhance the cloud environment without compromising on performance or security.
- Disaster protection: Multi-cloud architecture prevents companies from placing all of their cloud resources in one environment. If one cloud environment is inaccessible, or there’s a problem with the cloud technology, you can still access the tools in the other cloud environments you utilize for your business.
Multi-cloud architecture strategies are also becoming more essential today because regulations for storing data and managing data sovereignty are changing. For instance, European courts have begun to evaluate whether GDPR data is stored in the EU. Certain companies will also need to ensure specific pieces of data are stored in certain locations.
Benefits of Multi-cloud Architecture
Let’s learn about the other crucial reasons to opt for a multi-cloud environment:
- The factor of risk management is crucial. Given the factor of risk management, multi-cloud architecture always carries a plan B. In technical terms, if one cloud provider comes across a system outage, you can immediately move operations to another vendor until the service is fixed.
- If you have users from different countries or geographical locations then opting for multi-cloud service providers can boost your performance to a great extent.
- If your prime cloud provider does not have a presence in the locations that mandate data to remain in-country, thus utilizing a second cloud provider there will meet data sovereignty necessities.
- Multi-cloud environment architecture hosts applications closest to end-users.
- Multi-cloud environment architecture also avoids vendor lock-in.
Drawbacks of Multi-cloud Architecture
Highlighting the side-effects that multi-cloud architecture causes to businesses:
- The chances of greater vulnerabilities get a bit higher as it’s multi-cloud. The more cloud providers are there in your multi-cloud strategy the more chances are there for it to be attacked by unauthorized parties.
- The factor of management and complexity is nerve-wracking as you need to get along with the complexities and nuances of each cloud platform.
- The factor of cost is something that could hinder your usage of a multi-cloud environment. Each cloud provider has different costs for each service and to estimate the overall budget considering every minor detail, you might need a good handle on the pricing structure of each cloud to get the math and draft calculations done.
Difference Between Single Cloud and Multi-Cloud Architecture
The differences between single cloud and multi-cloud platforms are relatively straightforward. With a single cloud solution, you rely on one cloud provider to deliver all of your cloud-based needs. Single cloud environments can include various features and services, but they’re all delivered by the same provider, ensuring you don’t have to switch between environments.
A single cloud environment is usually a good option for a company with limited cloud requirements. With a single cloud, there’s less need to worry about training team members to use different environments, and the administrative complexity is reduced. The benefits of a single cloud strategy can include:
- Better management of cloud computing resources
- Simpler environment control
- Fewer costs
Alternatively, with a multi-cloud strategy, you choose between different public and private cloud providers to address different business needs. Around 76% of companies rely on more than one public cloud for storing all of their data. Multi-cloud environments take more effort to run, but they allow for significantly greater flexibility.
3 Key Things to Keep in Mind for Operating in a Multi-Cloud Architecture
Now that we have learned everything about multi-cloud architecture strategy from the top multi-cloud architecture environment designs to its uses cases, last let’s learn about what are the key things to keep in mind while monitoring multi-cloud architecture:
1. Moving between environments
Moving applications or data between environments could be a high-budget task if it has been designed inaccurately.
Architecting your environment for the sake of making it move the applications between environments without the need to refactor. This is a matter of something to be kept in mind.
2. Design as per the operational requirements
Designing a simple architecture for a multi-cloud environment could be a time-consuming task, but if you go for a complex design, it can challenge your bandwidth at its core.
A suitable operating model that is influenced by the simplest path to achieving the objectives will enhance efficiency and make system management effortless.
3. Flexibility
At the time of designing your multi-cloud architecture, the crucial thing is to form an infrastructure that offers business agility. With the deployment of applications in clouds that best meet conditions, you can streamline your performance and design an effective cloud strategy.
What is The Difference Between Multi-cloud and Hybrid Cloud?
Here comes the most awaited segment of this article, many of us have numerous doubts when it comes to the difference between multi-cloud and hybrid cloud, let’s get it clear:
Multi-cloud
In the simplest terms, “Multi-cloud” means multiple public clouds. A company that uses a multi-cloud deployment integrates multiple public clouds from more than one cloud provider.
Instead of a business employing a single vendor for cloud hosting, storage, and the full application stack, in a multi-cloud configuration, they operate more than one; several.
Hybrid Cloud
A hybrid cloud is one that allows applications to be operated in a combination of different environments. Hybrid cloud computing methodologies are widespread because almost no one in today’s date relies absolutely on the public cloud.
The difference between multi-cloud and hybrid cloud is one of the most raised questions when it comes to a multi-cloud architecture. The key thing about a hybrid cloud is to remember that a hybrid cloud architecture always comprises one or more private clouds and one or more public clouds. In its simplest form, it can be a combination of one private cloud and one public cloud.
On the contrary, a multi-cloud architecture is designed in such a way that it must have two or more public clouds. It does not need to have a single private cloud.
