What is cloud bursting?
Cloud bursting is a flexible approach to managing IT resources, balancing the workload between a local datacentre and a public cloud. This method ensures continuity of all services in the face of changing demand while optimizing infrastructure costs and harnessing the benefits of the cloud. Applications that use cloud bursting therefore benefit from additional resources when needed.
Cloud bursting ensures uninterrupted service by efficiently redirecting excess traffic. By avoiding the overmaintenance of cloud infrastructure, companies can effectively manage large variations in their workloads using cloud services. This also helps to increase security in the event of IT network overload.
How does cloud bursting work?
Cloud bursting can be enabled automatically when demand exceeds a given threshold, or manually when necessary. When enabled, the application moves easily in the public cloud. After the traffic drops, the application can return to the datacentre to be managed. There are several approaches:
- Manual bursting involves manually setting up and deleting public cloud resources, and is typically used for short-term deployments. Applications can be configured for this deployment type.
- Bursting automation relies on automatically making public cloud resources available when capacity limits, established by the IT team, are exceeded. When this kind of cloud bursting occurs is determined by the policies or capacity thresholds set by the IT team.
- Distributed load balancing processes workloads simultaneously in the public cloud and in datacentres. This hybrid method shares data traffic between the two, which requires a cloud standby deployment to handle variable requests and optimal application utilization.
The advantages of cloud bursting
Cloud bursting offers many advantages for companies looking to take advantage of the advantages of private and public cloud environments. This service allows you to use your cloud resources more flexibly and efficiently.
◼ This concept is similar to a hybrid car: when a hybrid car drives in town, it uses its electric motor, which is more efficient over short distances. On the other hand, when she drives on the highway, she can use her gasoline engine, which provides more power than the electric motor over long distances.
Here are the main benefits of cloud bursting:
Reduce costs
Cloud bursting allows businesses to only pay for the extra resources they use when there is an increase in demand. This way, the company will avoid overprovisioning or underusing its own infrastructure, which can result in a waste of resources. Cloud bursting also allows a company to access specialized features that might be too expensive or impractical to maintain in-house. Public cloud services offer additional resources when needed.
Scalability
Cloud bursting allows companies to modify their cloud computing capacity in response to fluctuations in their workload. Public cloud provides virtually unlimited resources that can be provisioned or released in minutes or seconds. This way, the company can handle periods of high demand without compromising the security and performance of its apps, or the availability of its data. Hybrid cloud infrastructure facilitate this scalability.
More flexibility
Cloud bursting allows companies to access the benefits and services of the public cloud that might not be available or compatible with its cloud . This provides companies with advanced analytics capabilities, as well as other AI or machine learning benefits. These additional resources have the potential to improve business results, as well as data processing and storage capacity.
Improved resilience
Cloud bursting improves disaster recovery capabilities and business continuity by using the cloud as a backup or alternative site for company data. In the event of an outage or failure of the private cloud, the company will be able to switch entirely to the public cloud to resume operations with a minimum of downtime or data loss. Public cloud services can boost IT infrastructure security and resilience.
How do I set up cloud bursting with OVHcloud?
If you are considering cloud bursting with OVHcloud, there are several steps to consider to ensure smooth integration between private and public cloud infrastructure.
1. Application Compatibility
The first challenge is to ensure that the applications to be transferred to the public cloud are compatible with this new environment. This will require creating consistent environments, managing permissions, and load balancing across different types of cloud (private, public, or hybrid). Data security must also be ensured.
2. Public and private cloud services
OVHcloud offers both private and public cloud , which makes setting up cloud bursting effortless. However, the performance of programs deployed on a hybrid cloud infrastructure depends on the available network bandwidth. This option carries the risk of vendor lock-in and requires careful consideration of available resources.
3. Application design for hybrid deployment
Another approach is to design your apps for hybrid deployment. You will need to decide which elements will need to be hosted on a private cloud (for security reasons) and which will benefit from the scalability of a public cloud.
For example, it makes more sense to host the back-end services in a private cloud to protect sensitive data, and the front-end services in a public cloud to ensure greater scalability. It will also be important to consider the potential impact of limited bandwidth on the performance of the IT network.
4. Redesign and local cache
A certain amount of rework (reshuffle) may be required to allow caching of local data for the front-end and asynchronous processing of data in the back-end.
Once the hybrid architecture is in place, you can use cloud computing services such as content delivery networks (CDNs) to maintain performance and security for your application in the event of high demand.
5. Transfer applications to the public cloud
Another option is to identify applications that can be fully moved to the cloud during traffic increases, freeing up more resources on the private cloud. These apps can then be moved back to the private cloud as the load decreases.
This option is best suited to non-sensitive applications and data, such as a cluster of virtual machines for testing applications that are in development.
Using the services offered by OVHcloud, the steps above will set up a powerful cloud bursting strategy that will optimize the use of your cloud computing resources, while preserving the performance and security of your applications.
FAQs
When does a business need cloud bursting?
A business needs cloud bursting for seasonal peaks in demand, for temporary projects that require additional resources, or for flexible scalability in the face of workload fluctuations. Hybrid cloud infrastructure can help meet these needs.
Why is cloud bursting interesting?
Cloud bursting is used to avoid additional expenses, to scale a cloud infrastructure quickly in response to unexpected peaks in demand, and to ensure business continuity. Public cloud services offer additional resources when needed.
What are some examples of cloud bursting use cases?
Examples of cloud bursting include managing traffic spikes during sales for e-commerce sites, managing workloads during closures for financial institutions, supporting streaming, and managing user influx to a site during the most active periods (such as signing up for a temporary promotion). Businesses can use public and private cloud resources for these scenarios.
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