Strategy of Multi-Cloud

Cloud Computing is the delivery of cloud computing services like servers, storage networks, databases, applications for software Big Data Processing or analytics via the Internet.

The most significant difference between cloud services and traditional web-hosted services is that cloud-hosted services are available on demand. We can avail ourselves of as many or as little as we'd like from a cloud service. Cloud-based providers have revolutionized the game using the pay-as-you-go model. This means that the only cost we pay is for services we use, proportion to the number of times our customers or we utilize the services.

We can save money on expenditures for buying and maintaining servers in-house as well as data warehouses and the infrastructure that supports them. The cloud service provider handles everything else.

There are generally three kinds of clouds:

• Public Cloud
• Private Cloud
• Hybrid Cloud

A public cloud is described by cloud-based computing provided by third-party vendors like Amazon Web Services over the Internet and making them accessible to users on the subscription model.

One of the major advantages of the cloud public is that it permits customers to pay only the amount they've used in terms of bandwidth, storage processing, or the ability to analyse.

Cloud providers can eliminate the cost of infrastructure for buying and maintaining their cloud infrastructures (servers, software, and much more).

A private cloud is described as a cloud that provides the services of computing via the Internet or a private internal network to a select group of users. The services are not accessible open to all users. A private cloud is often known as a private cloud or a corporate cloud.

Private cloud enjoys certain benefits of a cloud public like:

• Self-service
• Scalability
• Elasticity

Benefits of Clouds that are private Cloud:

• Low latency because of the proximity to Cloud setup (hosted near offices)
• Greater security and privacy thanks to firewalls within the company
• Blocking of sensitive information from third-party suppliers and users

One of the major disadvantages of using a private cloud is that we can't reduce the cost of equipment, staffing, and other infrastructure costs in establishing and managing our cloud.

The most effective way to use a private cloud can be achieved through an effective Multi-Cloud and Hybrid Cloud setup.

In general, Cloud Computing offers a few business-facing benefits:

• Cost
• Speed
• Security
• Productivity
• Performance
• Scalability

Let's discuss multi-Cloud and how it compares to Hybrid Cloud.

Hybrid Cloud vs. Multi-Cloud

Hybrid Cloud is a combination of private and public cloud computing services. The primary difference is that both the public and private cloud services that are part of the Hybrid Cloud setup communicate with each other.

Contrary to this, in a multi-Cloud setup, both the public and private cloud providers are not able to speak to one another. In general, cloud configurations for public and private clouds are utilized for completely different purposes and are separated from one another within the business.

Hybrid cloud solutions have advantages that could entice users to choose the hybrid approach. With a private and a public cloud that communicates with one another, we can reap the advantages of both by hosting less crucial elements in a cloud that is public and using the private cloud reserved for important and sensitive information.

In a broad sense in the overall picture, from a holistic perspective, Hybrid cloud has more of an execution point of view to take advantage of the benefits that come from both cloud services that are private and public, as well as their interconnection. Contrarily, multi-cloud is a more strategic option than an execution decision.

Multi-Cloud is usually not a multi-vendor cloud configuration. Multi-cloud can utilize services from multiple vendors and is a mix between AWS, Azure, and GCP.

The primary distinguishing factors that differentiate Hybrid and Multi-Cloud could be:

• A Multi-Cloud is utilized to perform a range of tasks. It typically consists of multiple cloud providers.
• A hybrid cloud is typically the result of combining cloud services that are private and public, which mix with one another.

Multi-Cloud Strategy

Multi-Cloud Strategy involves the implementation of several cloud computing solutions simultaneously.

Multi-cloud refers to the sharing of our web, software, mobile apps, and other client-facing or internal assets across several cloud services or environments. There are numerous reasons to opt for a multi-cloud environment for our company, including the reduction of dependence on a single cloud service provider and improving fault tolerance. Furthermore, businesses choose cloud service providers that follow an approach based on services. This has a major impact on why companies opt for a multi-cloud system. We'll talk about this in the near future.

A Multi-Cloud may be constructed in many ways:

• It is a mix of cloud computing services offered by the private cloud to create a multi-cloud cloud,
• Setting up our servers in various regions of the globe and creating an online cloud network to manage and distribute the services is an excellent illustration of an all-private multi-cloud configuration.
• It could be a mixture of all cloud service providers and
• A combination of several cloud service providers, like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform, is an example of a free cloud setup.
• It may comprise a combination of both private cloud service providers to make a multi-cloud architecture.
• Private cloud providers that use AWS in conjunction with AWS or Azure could fall into this category. If it is optimized for your business, we could enjoy all the benefits of AWS and Azure.

A typical multi-Cloud setup is a mix of two or more cloud providers together with one private cloud to remove the dependence on one cloud services provider.

Why has Multi-cloud strategy become the norm?

When cloud computing was introduced in a huge way, businesses began to recognize a few issues.

Security

Relying on security services that one cloud service provider provides makes us more susceptible to DDoS as well as other cyber-attacks. If there is an attack on the cloud, the whole cloud would be compromised, and the company could be crippled.

Reliability

If we're relying on just one cloud-based service, reliability is at risk. A cyber-attack, natural catastrophe, or security breach could compromise our private information or result in a loss of data.

Loss of Business

Software-driven businesses are working on regular UI improvements, bug fixes, and patches that have to be rolled out monthly or weekly to their Cloud Infrastructure. In order to implement a single cloud strategy, the business suffers downtime because their cloud services are not accessible to their customers. This can result in the loss of business as well as the loss of money.

Vendor lock-in

Vendor lock-in refers to the situation of a client of one particular service, product, or product in which the customer is unable to easily switch from the product or service to a competitor's service or product. This is usually the case in the event that proprietary software is utilized in a service that isn't compatible with the new service or product vendor or even within the legal bounds of the contract or the law. It is why businesses are forced to commit to a certain cloud provider even if they're dissatisfied with their service. The reason for switching providers can be numerous, including better capabilities and features provided by competitors to lower pricing, and so on.

Additionally, moving the data between cloud providers to the next is a hassle since it has to be transferred to the local datacentres before being transferred to the cloud provider.

Benefits of a Multi-Cloud Strategy

Let's discuss the advantages from the benefits of a Multi-Cloud Strategy that inherently answer the challenges posed by one or more cloud-based service. Many of the problems with a single cloud environment are solved when we consider a multi-cloud perspective.

Flexibility

One of the most important benefits of multi-cloud cloud computing systems is flexibility. There is no lock-in of the vendor customers able to test different cloud providers and play with their capabilities and features. A lot of companies that are tied to a single provider cannot implement new technologies or innovate because the cloud service provider is bound to them to certain compatibility. This is not a problem with a multi-cloud system. we can create a cloud system to sync with our company's goals.

Multi-cloud lets us select our cloud services. Each cloud service has its distinct features. Choose the ones that meet our business's requirements the best, and then choose services from a variety of providers to select the best solution for our business.

Security

The most important aspect of multi-cloud is risk reduction. If multiple cloud providers host us, we can reduce the chance of being hacked and losing data in the event of vulnerabilities in our cloud provider. Also, we reduce the chance of injury caused by natural disasters or human error. In the end, we should not put all our eggs in one basket.

Fault Tolerance

One of the biggest issues with using one cloud service provider is that it offers zero fault tolerance. With a multi-cloud system, it is possible to have backups and data redundancies in the right place. Also, we can strategically schedule downtime for deployment or maintenance of our software/applications without letting our clients suffer.

Performance

Each cloud service provider, such as AWS (64plus nations), Azure (140+ countries), or GCP (200plus countries), has been established throughout the world. Based on our location and our workload, we'll be able to choose the best cloud service provider to lower the delay and speed of our operations.

IoT and ML/AI are Emerging Opportunities.

In the age of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence growing exponentially, there's a lot of potential for analysis of our data on the cloud and using these capabilities for better decision-making and customer service. The top cloud service providers offer their distinct features. Google Cloud Platform (GCP) for AI, AWS for serverless computing, and IBM for AI/ML are just a couple of options worth considering.

Cost

The cost will always be an important factor when making a purchase decision. Cloud computing is evolving in the time we go through this. The competition is so fierce that providers of cloud services are coming up with a viable pricing solution that we can gain. In a multi-cloud setting, depending on the service or feature we'll use with the service provider, we are able to select the most appropriate option. AWS, Azure, and Google all offer pricing calculators. They help manage costs to aid us in making the right choice.

Governance and Compliance Regulations

The big clients typically will require you to comply with specific local as well as cybersecurity regulations. For example, GDPR compliance or the ISO cybersecurity certification. There is a chance that our business could be affected because a certain cloud service could violate our security certificates, or the cloud provider may not have been certified. We may choose an alternative provider without losing our significant clientele if this happens.

Few Disadvantages of Multi-Cloud

Discount on High Volume Purchases

Cloud service providers that are public offer massive discounts when we buy their services in bulk. But, if we have multi-cloud, it is unlikely that we'll get these discounts because the volume we purchase will be split between various service providers.

The Training of Existing Employees or new Hiring

We must prepare our existing staff or recruit new employees to be able to use cloud computing in our company. It will cost us more and time spent in training.

Effective Multi-Cloud Management

Multi-cloud requires efficient cloud management, which requires knowing the workload and business requirements and then dispersing the work among cloud service providers most suitable for the task. For instance, a company might make use of AWS for computing service, Google or Azure for communication and email tools, and Salesforce to manage customer relationships. It requires expertise in the cloud and business domain to comprehend these subtleties.