Hybrid Cloud: Connecting Cloud and On-Premise Systems
A hybrid cloud architecture combines cloud infrastructure with on-premise infrastructure, with secure connectivity between them. Organisations adopt hybrid cloud for many reasons: regulatory requirements to keep specific data on-premise, latency requirements for specific workloads, an existing on-premise investment, or a phased migration to cloud.
Common Hybrid Cloud Use Cases
- Phased migration: New applications run in cloud while legacy systems remain on-premise — connected via VPN or Direct Connect during the transition period
- Regulated data: Sensitive data (patient records, financial data) kept on-premise while applications run in cloud — data accessed over private network connections
- Edge-to-cloud: Operational technology (industrial equipment, retail POS) on-premise with analytics and management in cloud
- Burst to cloud: Normal operations on-premise, scaling out to cloud during peak demand
Connectivity Options
- VPN (Virtual Private Network): Encrypted tunnel over the public internet — lower cost, suitable for moderate data volumes
- AWS Direct Connect / Azure ExpressRoute / GCP Cloud Interconnect: Dedicated private circuit from your premises to the cloud provider — higher bandwidth, lower latency, higher cost
Hybrid Complexity
Hybrid architectures are inherently more complex than purely cloud or purely on-premise. Network latency between environments, data synchronisation, identity management across environments, and security perimeter definition all require careful design. We help clients evaluate whether hybrid complexity is justified by the requirements driving it.