The Azure cloud provides extensive hybrid cloud management functionality, which extends to your on-premise data center. These include migration tools, networking tools, single sign on (SSO) and identity management, and even hybrid storage devices that can be deployed on-premises.
In this post, we’ll explain the Azure hybrid architecture and its main building blocks. In addition, we’ll show how NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP can help set up hybrid storage sharing on-premises and Azure-based resources.
In this article, you will learn:
A hybrid cloud is a cloud computing environment composed of one or more public and private clouds. Data, applications, and workloads are shared between these clouds to create a unified system. Hybrid clouds enable you to scale workloads and “burst” into the public cloud when you exceed the resources of your private cloud.
Hybrid clouds also enable you to segregate how and where data is shared and avoid having all your data stored on one public cloud. Using a hybrid cloud, you can take advantage of the scalability and flexibility of a public cloud while maintaining the security of business-critical applications and data.
To help you achieve the benefits of a hybrid cloud, Azure offers services to help you connect your private cloud with their public services. These services include a variety of helpful features.
Run applications seamlessly across on-premises, cloud, and edge environments
Azure enables you to run applications as is or to refactor and take advantage of cloud scalability and portability. It also enables you to create new, cloud-native applications.
Azure Hybrid Cloud supports your applications by enabling you to:
Migrate, manage, and analyze data across your hybrid cloud
Azure provides access to high-performance resources as well as enterprise-grade security and availability. It also offers tools for advanced analytics and automated migration. These offerings make moving and managing your data easy and secure. For example, Azure SQL Database Management Instances enable you to move SQL workloads to and from the cloud with zero code changes.
Build a highly available, fast, secure hybrid network
Creating a hybrid Azure cloud enables you to gain access to one of the largest global networks. On this network, you can optimize connections, up to 100 Gbps, with Azure ExpressRoute. You can also connect to thousands of users and endpoints with managed connectivity through Azure Virtual WAN.
To secure your connections, Azure Firewall and DDoS Protection services are available. You can also take advantage of Azure Front Door Service, which provides a secure and adaptable entry point for your users.
Manage access with a single identity platform
Azure supports secure single sign-on (SSO) for your users across on-premise, cloud, and mobile applications. By federating Active Directory (AD) and Azure AD, you can combine identity management for all environments. This centralizes identity management and promotes standardized access and permissions.
Deliver security across your organization
Azure infrastructure is protected by enterprise-grade security measures and expertise. When you create a hybrid cloud with Azure, you gain access to this expertise. You can also take advantage of several security services for monitoring, encryption, and access control across your environments.
For example, the Azure Security Center dashboard can provide a centralized view of your security status. Another example, Azure Sentinel, lets you harness AI and automation to secure systems and data.
For an Azure hybrid cloud to function optimally, you need to combine several services. These services are in addition to networking and security measures. Below are some of the most commonly used services:
There are several architectures you can use to set up a hybrid cloud environment depending on your existing infrastructure and needs.
To create a hybrid cloud using Azure Stack, you can create a Virtual Private Network (VPN) tunnel for connectivity. This tunnel allows communications between components in the public cloud and on-premises. With hybrid identity management, you can ensure that users and applications apply the same security and restrictions across environments. The combination of this connectivity and security enables you to smoothly run workloads both on-premise and in the cloud with minimal application changes.
Source: Azure
If you’d prefer to use a data warehouse architecture to create your hybrid cloud, you can use Azure Data Factory. Data Factory enables you to create, schedule, and orchestrate data processing workflows across environments. It provides features for advanced analytics, dashboards, and operational reports to help you manage and monitor these workflows.
Source: Azure
Data flow in a hybrid data warehouse works as follows:
A third architecture option involves connecting on-premise networks to your Azure environment. This is commonly done with either a VPN gateway or ExpressRoute.
Source: Azure
NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP, the leading enterprise-grade storage management solution, delivers secure, proven storage management services on AWS, Azure and Google Cloud. Cloud Volumes ONTAP supports up to a capacity of 368TB, and supports various use cases such as file services, databases, DevOps or any other enterprise workload.
NetApp Cloud Volumes ONTAP for Azure cloud is an alternative to hybrid deployment with Azure StorSimple, which will reach end of life (EOL) by 2022. Cloud Volumes ONTAP caters to workloads deployed in Azure that need access to cloud storage over NAS and SAN protocols. It provides a single pane view to manage ONTAP systems on-premises as well as in Azure, and offers the benefit of data fabric architecture, with the same data management experience in multi-cloud and hybrid environments.