5 posts tagged with "hybrid cloud solutions"

What is Deployment in Simple Words?#

Deployment is a process that enables you to retrieve and enable code from version control so that it can be made readily available to the public in an automated fashion. It involves delivering applications, modules, updates, and patches from developers to users. The methods used by developers to build, test, and deploy new code impact how quickly a product can respond to changes and the quality of each update.

What is the Use of Deployment?#

Deployment automation allows you to deploy software to testing and production environments with a single push. Automation reduces the risk associated with manual processes in the production environment.

There Are Six Types of Deployment#

1. In-Place Deployment
2. Blue/Green Deployment
3. Canary Deployment
4. Ramped Deployment
5. Shadow Deployment
6. A/B Testing Deployment

What is a Deployment Strategy in Application Deployment?#

A deployment strategy is a technique employed by DevOps teams to launch a new version of a software solution. These strategies cover how network traffic in a production environment is transitioned from the old version to the new version. Based on the firm's specialty, a deployment strategy can influence downtime and operational costs.

When it comes to deploying new resources and code versions into your production environment, automation with minimal service interruption is ideal. A deployment strategy is important because it reduces manual configuration and tremendously improves serviceability, as well as reducing the amount of downtime during a deployment.

1. In-Place Deployments#

An in-place deployment updates the application version without replacing infrastructure components. The previous version of the application on each compute resource is stopped, the latest application is installed, and the new version is started and validated. This method minimizes infrastructure costs and management overhead but can affect application availability during deployment.

The deployment process involves updating the infrastructure with new code and restarting the application.

Once the new version is deployed on every resource, the deployment is complete.

In-place deployments are cheaper but can cause application downtime. Mitigation strategies include staggering deployments and ensuring sufficient resources to handle demand.

2. Blue/Green Deployment#

The blue/green deployment strategy involves creating two independent infrastructure environments. The blue environment contains the previous version, while the green environment holds the new version. Traffic is shifted to the green environment, and the DNS record is updated to point to Green's load balancer.

This strategy allows for quick rollbacks in case of failure but incurs additional costs due to running two environments simultaneously.

3. Canary Deployment#

In canary deployment, the new version is gradually introduced while retaining the old version. For example, 10% of traffic might go to the new version while 90% remains with the old version. This approach helps test the stability of the new version with live traffic.

Canary deployment allows for better performance monitoring and faster rollback but can be slow and time-consuming.

4. Ramped Deployment#

The ramped deployment strategy gradually replaces instances of the old version with the new version one at a time. This method ensures zero downtime and enables performance monitoring.

The rollback process is lengthy, as it involves reverting instances one by one.

5. Shadow Deployment#

In shadow deployment, the new version is deployed alongside the old version, but users cannot access it immediately. Requests sent to the old version are copied to the shadow version to test its handling.

This strategy allows for performance monitoring and stability testing but is complex and expensive to set up.

6. A/B Testing Deployment#

A/B testing deployment involves deploying the new version alongside the old version, but only a subset of users can access the new version. This approach measures the effectiveness of the new functionality based on user performance.

Statistics from A/B testing help developers make informed decisions, but setting up A/B testing requires a sophisticated load balancer and is complex.

A hybrid cloud environment combines on-premises infrastructure, private cloud services, and a public cloud, with orchestration across multiple platforms. If you use a mixture of public clouds, on-premises computing, and private clouds in your data center, you have a hybrid cloud infrastructure.

We recognize the significance of hybrid cloud in cloud computing and its role in organizational development. In this blog article, we'll explore the top five characteristics that define powerful and practical hybrid cloud computing.

What is Hybrid Cloud Computing?#

A hybrid cloud computing approach combines a private cloud (or on-premises data center) with one or more public cloud products connected by public or private networks [(Tariq, 2018)]. Consistent operations enable the public cloud to serve as an extension of a private or on-premises system, with equivalent management processes and tools. Because nearly no one nowadays relies solely on the public cloud, hybrid cloud computing options are becoming increasingly popular. Companies have invested millions of dollars and thousands of hours in on-premises infrastructure. Combining a public and private cloud environment, such as an on-premises data center and a public cloud computing environment, is a common example of hybrid cloud computing provided by AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud.

Hybrid Cloud Providers#

The digital revolution has radically changed the IT sector with the introduction of cloud computing. There are several hybrid cloud providers on the market, including:

1. Amazon Web Services (AWS)
2. Microsoft Azure
3. Google Cloud
4. VMware
5. VMware Cloud on AWS, VMware Cloud on Dell EMC, HCI powered by VMware vSAN, and VMware vRealize cloud management
6. Rackspace
7. Red Hat OpenShift
8. Hewlett Packard Enterprise
9. Cisco HyperFlex solutions
10. Nife Cloud Computing

Characteristics of Hybrid Cloud Computing#

Characteristic #1: Speed#

The capacity to automatically adjust to changes in demand is critical for innovation and competitiveness. The market expects updates immediately, and rivals are optimizing rapidly. Hybrid computing must be quick and portable, with maximum flexibility. Technologies like Docker and hybrid cloud providers such as IBM Bluemix facilitate this agility in a virtualized environment.

Characteristic #2: Cost Reduction#

One advantage of cloud computing is lowering expenses. Previously, purchasing IT assets meant paying for unused capacity, impacting the bottom line. Hybrid computing reduces IT costs while allowing enterprises to pay only for what they use. This optimization frees up funds for innovation and market introduction, potentially saving enterprises up to 30%.

Characteristic #3: Intelligent Capabilities and Automation#

Creating a digital experience in hybrid cloud computing requires integrating various technologies, which can be challenging for DevOps teams traditionally relying on numerous tools [(Aktas, 2018)]. Leveraging intelligent, unified, and centralized management capabilities enhances productivity and flexibility. IT automation in hybrid computing reduces human error, enforces policies, supports predictive maintenance, and fosters self-service habits.

Characteristic #4: Security#

Hybrid computing provides critical control over data and enhanced security by reducing data exposure. Organizations can decide where to store data based on compliance, regulatory, or security concerns. Hybrid architectures also support centralized security features like encryption, automation, access control, orchestration, and endpoint security, which are crucial for disaster recovery and data insurance [(Gordon, 2016)].

Characteristic #5: Lightweight Applications#

The final characteristic pertains to application size. DevOps teams need to develop agile apps that load quickly, boost efficiency, and occupy minimal space. Despite inexpensive storage, the focus should be on managing and understanding client data. Hybrid cloud computing supports DevOps in creating applications for global markets while meeting technological demands.

References#

Aktas, M.S. (2018). Hybrid cloud computing monitoring software architecture. Concurrency and Computation: Practice and Experience, 30(21), p.e4694. doi:10.1002/cpe.4694.

Diaby, T. and Rad, B.B. (2017). Cloud computing: a review of the concepts and deployment models. International Journal of Information Technology and Computer Science, 9(6), pp.50-58.

Gordon, A. (2016). The Hybrid Cloud Security Professional. IEEE Cloud Computing, 3(1), pp.82–86. doi:10.1109/mcc.2016.21.

Lee, I. (2019). An optimization approach to capacity evaluation and investment decision of hybrid cloud: a corporate customer's perspective. Journal of Cloud Computing, 8(1). doi:10.1186/s13677-019-0140-0.

Tariq, M.I. (2018). Analysis of the effectiveness of cloud control matrix for hybrid cloud computing. International Journal of Future Generation Communication and Networking, 11(4), pp.1-10.

Read more on Hybrid Cloud Computing: All You Need to Know About Hybrid Cloud Deployment

Cloud computing companies may assist IT executives in laying the groundwork for success, such as increasing deployment speed and assuring future flexibility. However, the landscape is complicated. While technology is rapidly changing the corporate landscape, technology investment procedures have not always kept up. Let's look at how cloud computing may affect CIO budget predictability.

Role of CIOs in Cloud Budget Predictability#

CIOs will need to remain up to date on the newest innovations to make the best decisions on behalf of their businesses to drive their digital transformation. Because of the cloud's influence, as well as the DevOps movement, software development and IT operations have been merged and simplified. As infrastructure and applications are no longer independent, the CIO is no longer required to manage manual IT chores [(Makhlouf, 2020)]. Cost-effectiveness and efficiency must be prioritised in their strategy to save cloud budgets, which will bring a new dimension to their conventional job inside a company.

CIOs must also become more adaptable and agile. There are now so many distinct cloud providers that enterprises must employ a multi-access edge computing-cloud approach.

This implies:

• Businesses will be free to select cloud solutions based on their merits rather than being dependent on a single source.
• The CIO will be in charge of expanding a multi-access edge computing-cloud strategy, which means they must think about things like security, service integration, and cost.

Cloud computing companies will increasingly rely on their CIO to develop useful solutions to support digital transformation as cloud computing platforms evolve. As demand grows more than ever, businesses will have a broader selection of cloud-based solutions to choose from. As a result, the CIO's function will be expanded to include both technical expertise and business-oriented strategic thinking.

CIOs Perspective: From Cost to Investment#

CIOs have long struggled with the impression of IT as a cost centre. The convergence of technology and business strategy might provide CIOs with the chance to abandon a cost-cutting attitude in favour of an investment philosophy that values strategic expenditure to boost revenue, growth, stock price, or other measures of company and shareholder value.

As the technology function assumes a more prominent role, CIOs may need to address critical issues such as core modernization, cloud business models, investment governance and value measurement, the incompatibility of fixed budgets with Agile development, and the impact of automation on the workforce to save cloud budgets [(Liu et al., 2020)].

Cloud Computing Affecting Core Modernization#

Many CIOs acknowledge that old core systems lack the agility required to build and scale creative and disruptive new technology solutions. Legacy systems can be rehosted, re-platformed, rearchitected, rebuilt, or replaced—strategies that vary in impact, cost, risk, and value. However, core modernization should be considered as a technological investment with other options. A big distribution company's CIO opted to postpone a modernization initiative and shift funding to a bespoke warehouse management program that provided the firm with a competitive edge.

Cloud Business Models on OPEX/CAPEX#

Cloud computing companies have welcomed cloud solutions with open arms, drawn by their ease of use and deployment. Cloud computing platforms may foster innovation and encourage experimentation by removing the burden of purchasing and maintaining technological infrastructure [(Kholidy, 2020)]. However, every investment involves risks, and cloud computing platforms are no exception. Because the cloud switches technology spending from the capital expense column to the operating expense column, rushing to the cloud might have a significant impact on firm financials. Finance and IT divisions may collaborate to properly identify these expenses and analyze and maximize the impact to save cloud budgets.

Governance and Value Assessment#

Technology leaders may improve their capacity to create convincing business cases that properly anticipate technology project ROI and assess the performance and value of each investment [(Liu et al., 2018)]. It can be beneficial to have a specialized financial team responsible for modeling, administering, and analyzing the value of IT investments to save cloud budgets.

Taking such actions can help decrease the notion that technology is an incomprehensible black box, make it simpler for technology executives to justify spending, and help them create closer connections with CFOs.

Incompatibility of Fixed Budgets#

Agile and other flexible delivery techniques are on the increase. CIOs may manage investment portfolios in the same way that venture capitalists do, but only if financing mechanisms are changed to favor Agile, product-focused settings. A flexible budgeting methodology may provide product teams with the necessary creativity and responsibility to achieve business value and save cloud budgets.

Automation Impact#

Automation and robotics' ability to streamline and accelerate IT delivery is changing the way technology and cloud computing companies work, collaborate, and create value [(Raj and Raman, 2018)]. Better workflows and various resource needs might drive increased production output and save cloud budgets as automation enables teams to exchange manual and repetitive jobs for those requiring higher-order abilities.

What is the hybrid cloud architecture?#

Individually managing public and private cloud resources is preferable to uniformly managing cloud environments because it reduces the likelihood of process redundancy. By limiting the exposure of private data to the public cloud, a hybrid cloud architecture can eliminate many security risks. A hybrid cloud deployment infrastructure typically consists of a public infrastructure as a service (IaaS) platform, a private cloud or data centre, and network access. Many hybrid cloud deployment models make use of both local area networks (LAN) and wide area networks (WAN).

What is the purpose of a hybrid cloud?#

[Hybrid clouds] can also be used to create multi-cloud environments, giving businesses more options for where they want their data stored and how they want it accessed. By allowing businesses to back up data in both public and private clouds, a hybrid cloud deployment environment can be beneficial for disaster recovery.

What are the benefits of hybrid cloud deployment?#

Governance of applications that works: A hybrid cloud method allows you to choose where your application will run and where hybrid computing will take place [(Kaviani, Wohlstadter and Lea, 2014)]. This can assist to increase privacy while also ensuring compliance for your regulated apps.

Enhanced speed and decreased latency: A hybrid cloud solution might sometimes assist dispersed programmes in faraway regions. Hybrid computing occurs near the end consumers for applications with low latency needs.

Flexible operations: Hybrid computing allows you to function in an environment that is ideal for you. You may, for example, construct portable apps and simply migrate between public and private clouds by creating using containers.

Better ROI: You may increase your cloud computing capacity without raising your data centre costs by adding a public cloud provider to your existing on-premises architecture.

Hybrid Cloud Deployment Models#

Hybrid cloud deployment models are classified into three types:

Hybrid cloud deployment model architecture with a phased migration

You migrate applications or workloads from an on-premises data centre to the architecture of a public cloud service provider. This can be done gradually or all at once. This paradigm has the advantage of allowing you to use only what you need, assigning as much or as little as needed for each application or transaction. The negative is that it may not provide you as much control over how things work as if they were on using a private cloud deployment model [(Biswas and Verma, 2020)].

Hybrid cloud deployment model with apps that are only partially integrated

This concept entails migrating some but not all apps or transactions to the public cloud while maintaining others on-premises. If your organisation has apps that can operate in private cloud deployment model settings or public clouds like AWS or Azure, this is a terrific solution. Based on performance requirements or financial limits, you may determine which ones are a better fit for each case.

Hybrid cloud deployment model with integrated apps

The hybrid cloud strategy with integrated apps entails integrating applications running a private cloud deployment model and in the public cloud utilising PaaS software on the public cloud. The applications on the private cloud deployment model are installed using IaaS software and then integrated into the public cloud using PaaS software.

Is Hybrid Cloud the Best Option for Me?#

Hybrid cloud deployments are a popular choice for businesses that want to take advantage of cloud computing's flexibility and cost benefits while keeping control over their data and applications. To accomplish the intended business objective, hybrid cloud deployment often employs private, public, and third-party resources.

Hybrid Cloud Deployment Environment#

The following approaches can be used to deploy hybrid clouds:

Non-critical workloads should be outsourced to a public cloud: You can outsource a mission-critical system that does not require quick response times, such as a human resources application, to a public cloud provider [(Sturrus and Kulikova, 2014)]. This allows you to host and maintain applications on the public cloud while maintaining control over your data.

Use a virtual private cloud to deploy mission-critical workloads: The alternative is to host important workloads in a virtual private cloud (VPC). It is also the most widely used hybrid cloud deployment option since it mixes on-premises infrastructure with public cloud resources.

Dedicated hardware should be used to host the private cloud: Instead of depending entirely on public or private clouds, you host your private infrastructure on the private cloud deployment model's hardware under this architecture.

Everyone is now heading to the Cloud World (AWS, GCP, Azure, PCF, VMC). A public cloud, a private cloud, or a hybrid cloud might be used. These cloud computing services offer on-demand computing capabilities to meet the demands of consumers. They provide options by keeping IT infrastructure open, from data to apps. The field of cloud-based services is wide, with several models. It might be difficult to sort through the abbreviations and comprehend the differences between the many sorts of services (Rajiv Chopra, 2018). New versions of cloud-based services emerge as technology advances. No two operations are alike, but they do have some qualities. Most crucially, they simultaneously exist in the very same space, available for individuals to use.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)#

IaaS offers only a core infrastructure (VM, Application Define Connection, Backup connected). End-users must set up and administer the platform and environment, as well as deploy applications on it (Van et al., 2015).

Examples - Microsoft Azure (VM), AWS (EC2), Rackspace Technology, Digital Ocean Droplets, and GCP (CE)

Advantages of IaaS

• Decreasing the periodic maintenance for on-premise data centers.

• Hardware and setup expenditures are eliminated.

• Releasing resources to aid in scaling

• Accelerating the delivery of new apps and improving application performance

• Enhancing the core infrastructure's dependability.

• IaaS providers are responsible for infrastructure maintenance and troubleshooting.

During service failures, IaaS makes it simpler to access data or apps. Security is superior to in-house infrastructure choices.

Container as a Service (CaaS)#

CaaS is a type of container-based virtualization wherein customers receive container engines, management, and fundamental computing resources as a service from the cloud service provider (Smirnova et al., 2020).

Examples - are AWS (ECS), Pivotal (PKS), Google Container Engine (GKE), and Azure (ACS).

Advantages of CaaS

• Containerized applications have all the necessary to operate.

• Containers can accomplish all that VM could without the additional resource strain.

• Containers need lower requirements and do not require a separate OS.

• Containers are maintained isolated from each other despite both having the very same capabilities.

• The procedure of building and removing containers is rapid. This speeds up development or operations and reduces time to market.

Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)#

It offers a framework for end-users to design, operate, and administer applications without having to worry about the complexities of developing and managing infrastructure (Singh et al., 2016).

Examples - Google App Engine, AWS (Beanstalk), Heroku, and CloudFoundry.

Advantages of PaaS

• Achieve a competitive edge by bringing their products to the marketplace sooner.

• Create and administer application programming interfaces (APIs).

• Data mining and analysis for business analytics

• A database is used to store, maintain, and administer information in a business.

• Build frameworks for creating bespoke cloud-based applications.

• Put new languages, OS, and database systems into the trial.

• Reduce programming time for platform tasks such as security.

Function as a Service (FaaS)#

FaaS offers a framework for clients to design, operate, and manage application features without having to worry about the complexities of developing and managing infrastructure (Rajan, 2020).

Examples - AWS (Lamda), IBM Cloud Functions, and Google Cloud Function

Advantages of FaaS

• Businesses can save money on upfront hardware and OS expenditures by using a pay-as-you-go strategy.

• As cloud providers deliver on-demand services, FaaS provides growth potential.

• FaaS platforms are simple to use and comprehend. You don't have to be a cloud specialist to achieve your goals.

• The FaaS paradigm makes it simple to update apps and add new features.

• FaaS infrastructure is already highly optimized.

Software as a Service (SaaS)#

SaaS is also known as "on-demand software" at times. Customers connect a thin client using a web browser (Sether, 2016). Vendors may handle everything in SaaS, including apps, services, information, interfaces, operating systems, virtualisation, servers, storage, and communication. End-users must utilize it.

Examples - Gmail, Adobe, MailChimp, Dropbox, and Slack.

Advantages of SaaS

• SaaS simplifies bug fixes and automates upgrades, relieving the pressure on in-house IT workers.

• Upgrades pose less risk to customers and have lower adoption costs.

• Users may launch applications without worrying about managing software or application. This reduces hardware and license expenses.

• Businesses can use APIs to combine SaaS apps with other software.

• SaaS providers are in charge of the app's security, performance, and availability to consumers.

• Users may modify their SaaS solutions to their organizational processes without having any impact according to their infrastructures.

Conclusion for Cloud Computing Services#

Cloud services provide several options for enterprises in various industries. And each of the main — PaaS, CaaS, FaaS, SaaS, and IaaS – has advantages and disadvantages. These services are available on a pay-as-you-go arrangement through the Internet. Rather than purchasing the software or even other computational resources, users rent them from a cloud computing solution (Rajiv Chopra, 2018). Cloud services provide the advantages of sophisticated IT infrastructure without the responsibility of ownership. Users pay, users gain access, and users utilise. It's as easy as that.