Data is heavy, and its location governs the optimal location of applications that need it in a hybrid cloud environment. This can determine the choice of architecture for a hybrid cloud, writes Wikibon CTO David Floyer in “Beyond Virtualization: From Consolidation to Orchestration and Automation.”

Wikibon research has shown that for companies larger than a certain size, hybrid rather than all-public cloud strategies provide the highest value. For some large applications, on-premise clouds cost less. However, when planning a hybrid cloud strategy, the placement of applications becomes critical, and proximity to critical data rules.

For example, an initial popular approach to building hybrid clouds was to keep all critical applications and sensitive business data in house, with ancillary applications placed in IaaS, SaaS, or managed cloud services. This didn’t work well, Floyer writes, because the data these applications needed to share could take days to transfer between locations.

Floyer instead advocates moving applications as physically close as possible to the data they need. In some cases this may dictate using a software-as-a-service (SaaS) or other cloud service or a specialized service designed for a particular vertical. It may also dictate moving some core applications and their associated data to colocators with hyperscale data centers located near public and industrial Internet data sources. It also can yield advantages in freeing IT staff from low-level repetitive duties to focus on higher value activities.

Redirecting resources

.

Floyer says the last objective is the driving force behind data center virtualization and cloud. In traditional IT organizations, 80%-90% of operating expenses are consumed by core business applications which, while necessary, only generate 10 percent to 20 percent of business value, he estimates.

Software-led architecture automates basic configuration of infrastructure components, freeing resources. Taking the next step and turning them into cloud services allows end-users to experiment with lower levels of service to find the optimal balance between cost and service for their needs.

For the remaining 20 percent of applications that provide 80 percent of business value, the issue is time-to-value. Virtualizing these resources in a cloud architecture can decrease the time for application development, test and implementation to weeks from a year or more, which increases overall value dramatically.

Floyer’s entire analysis of the hybrid cloud strategy is available without charge on the Wikibon Web site. IT professionals are invited to register for free membership in the Wikibon community. This allows them to influence the direction of and contribute to Wikibon research and post their own questions, comments and alerts.

photo credit: NASA: 2Explore via photopin cc