Introduction
Multicloud architecture has been here for more than a decade now. Businesses employ a combination of on-premises, private cloud, and public cloud to create, operate, and access their applications and solution.
The cloud and its various use cases have changed how industries function, enabling them to be quick and dynamic with their strategies, resources, and offerings.
Companies are increasingly trusting the cloud for the management of their application stacks. It’s almost unthinkable to visualize a business that doesn’t utilize some form of cloud technology or service.
With the increase in cloud adoption and positive sentiments around cloud architecture, Global cloud revenue is growing fairly. The pandemic and the surge in digital services are driving cloud technologies.
As per Gartner, the global cloud revenue will likely reach $474 Billion towards the end of 2022. The figures stood at$408 Billion in 2021. In the next few years, market analysts assess that cloud revenue will exceed non-cloud revenue for pertinent enterprise IT markets.
Studies further suggest that more than 85% of businesses will adopt a cloud-first principle by 2025 and will heavily depend on cloud architectures to manage and execute their digital strategies.
[Also read: Web Application Architecture]
What is multicloud architecture?
As the name suggests, Multicloud architecture is a cloud approach consisting of more than one cloud service. It allows organizations to harness the services of two or more cloud service vendors.
Many of us imagine a “cloud” as a solitary platform hosting services and applications spread across multiple locations. In reality, such platforms are multicloud architectures.
Multicloud architecture is one of the hottest topics in any corporate discussion. Be it the benefits of multicloud architectures or the drawbacks of multicloud architectures, the buzz around it seizes to rest.
The different types of cloud systems-
Mainly, we have four kinds of cloud computing deployment models:
- Private cloud
- Public cloud
- Hybrid cloud
- Multicloud
Also, there are three principal types of cloud computing services:
- Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)
- Platforms-as-a-Service (PaaS)
- Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)
Hybrid cloud vs. Multicloud
We hear that there exists a gray boundary that separates hybrid cloud and multicloud. We shall discuss the same in detail here.
Hybrid cloud
A hybrid cloud deployment strategy is a way to connect infrastructure, solutions, and applications between cloud-based resources and existing resources that are not placed in the cloud as of now.
Multicloud
It’s the cloud approach consisting of more than one cloud service. Multicloud is a superset of the hybrid cloud. In other words, all hybrid clouds are multiclouds, but the opposite is not true.
Why multicloud?
There are various reasons why organizations opt for multicloud architecture.
The multicloud approach furnishes augmented availability and resilience by dispersing workloads across multiple cloud vendors. At the same time, you can utilize the latest updates in technology and move between clouds as they compete in price and technological innovation.
Multicloud architecture designs have wide-ranging benefits, and the trends are going to follow the same curve in the years to come.
[Also read about Android Architecture]
Here are some of the advantages of multicloud architecture:
Flexibility
All of us love to have flexibility in whatever we look to choose for various tasks. Businesses are no different when it comes to selecting a cloud service.
A particular cloud service could be perfect for a specific aspect of an organization—but no single cloud can do everything. Hence, the mlticloud option becomes significant.
Proximity & lower latency
Proximity is one of the biggest benefits of multicloud architecture. Most of the time cloud services are hosted miles away from a business. To enhance response times for cloud users, organizations could consider choosing local cloud vendors. The step ensures high availability and adherence to data sovereignty protocols.
Disaster recovery
Multiple options are always more reliable than a single option! Multicloud settings shield businesses from service disruption threats.
To stay away from outages and be up and running organizations opt for multicloud. It allows enterprises to leverage an available backup in case something goes wrong with one of the cloud architectures.
Optimize costs
The ability to optimize costs is another advantage of multicloud architecture. With a multicloud approach, enterprises can save costs by hosting applications on the most suitable type of cloud.
Businesses usually pay for what they use, meaning there is no need to pay for overlapping services from various vendors. Additionally, companies can scale up or down as and when requirements change.
Enhanced ROI
We have heard in the past that different packages have different things to offer. Likewise, various vendors have offerings and features.
While a certain service may not offer a particular kind of feature, some other vendor might get the same delivered.
Therefore, mixing various cloud settings enables enterprises to develop best-in-class solutions that align with their business requirements and goals.
Autonomy
Nobody wants to be locked into an agreement with a particular service provider let alone businesses. A multicloud architecture design allows enterprises more independence to spread workloads across multiple settings.
[Also read: 5 Most Popular iOS Architecture]
Drawbacks of multicloud architecture designs
Despite having multiple benefits, multicloud architectures have some drawbacks that the cloud computing community needs to address.
Challenges in managing
Working with different cloud service providers can get complex. Sometimes it becomes difficult to manage as each vendor has different functionalities and processes. Failing to handle them all precisely could impact an enterprise’s agility.
Security concerns
Security concerns are probably the most alarming drawbacks of multicloud architectures. Multicloud architecture designs have security concerns as various players are involved in the public cloud.
Final words
Cloud computing promises an exciting future that’s for sure. Businesses can benefit from multicloud architectures. We have seen a range of advantages of multicloud setups that influence organizations to adopt cloud settings.
There are some drawbacks, and the concerned community can address them to make multicloud architectures versatile and safe to utilize.
