Cloud computing has revolutionized the way organizations manage their IT resources and applications. However, not all workloads are suitable for the public cloud, and some organizations prefer to keep their data and applications in their own private cloud or data center. How can they benefit from the scalability and flexibility of the public cloud without compromising their security and control?
One possible solution is cloud bursting, an application deployment technique that allows an organization to use both private and public cloud resources depending on the demand for computing capacity. In this article, we will explain what cloud bursting is, how it works, what are its benefits and challenges, and what are some common use cases for it.
An introduction to cloud bursting
Cloud bursting is an application delivery method that uses cloud computing resources whenever on-premises infrastructure reaches peak capacity. When organizations run out of computing resources in their internal data center – either compute or storage, they burst the extra workload to external third-party cloud services.
Cloud bursting is a type of hybrid cloud architecture, which combines private and public cloud resources to achieve the best of both worlds. A private cloud is a dedicated environment that provides exclusive access and control to an organization, while a public cloud is a shared environment that provides on-demand access and scalability to anyone who pays for the service.
Cloud bursting enables an organization to use its private cloud for normal operations, and only use the public cloud when there is a sudden spike in demand or when there is a need for specialized resources. This way, the organization can optimize its resource utilization, reduce its costs, and avoid service interruption.
What are the benefits of cloud bursting?
Cloud bursting offers several advantages for organizations that want to leverage both private and public cloud resources. This is similar to the concept of a hybrid car. When a hybrid car is driving in the city, it might use its electric motor, which is more efficient for short distances. However, when the car is driving on the highway, it might switch to its gasoline engine, which provides more power for longer distances.
Some of these benefits of using cloud bursting are:
- Cost savings: Cloud bursting allows an organization to pay only for the extra resources that it uses in the public cloud when there is a demand for them. This way, the organization can avoid overprovisioning or underutilizing its own infrastructure, which can result in wasted capital expenditure (CAPEX) or operational expenditure (OPEX). Cloud bursting also enables an organization to access specialized resources in the public cloud that might be too expensive or impractical to maintain in-house.
- Scalability: Cloud bursting enables an organization to scale up or down its computing capacity according to its workload fluctuations. The public cloud provides virtually unlimited resources that can be provisioned or released in minutes or seconds. This way, the organization can handle peak demands without compromising performance or availability.
- Flexibility: Cloud bursting enables an organization to access a variety of resources and services in the public cloud that might not be available or compatible with its private cloud. For example, an organization can use cloud bursting to access advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, or machine learning capabilities in the public cloud that can enhance its business insights and outcomes.
- Resilience: Cloud bursting enables an organization to improve its disaster recovery and business continuity capabilities by using the public cloud as a backup or alternative site for its applications and data. In case of a failure or outage in the private cloud, the organization can switch entirely to the public cloud to resume its operations with minimal downtime or data loss.
What are the challenges of cloud bursting?
Cloud bursting also poses some challenges and risks for organizations that want to implement it.
Some of these challenges include :
- Security and compliance: Cloud bursting involves moving data and applications between different environments that might have different security and compliance standards and policies. The organization needs to ensure that its data and applications are protected and encrypted at rest and in transit, and that they comply with the relevant regulations and laws in both the private and public cloud. The organization also needs to monitor and audit the access and activity of its resources in both environments to prevent unauthorized or malicious use.
- Latency and performance: Cloud bursting involves transferring data and applications to a remote location, creating additional network latency. The organization needs to ensure that its data and applications are optimized and synchronized for both the private and public cloud, and that they can handle the potential delays or disruptions in the network connectivity. The organization also needs to test and benchmark its applications in both environments to ensure that they meet the expected performance and quality of service levels.
- Compatibility and integration: Cloud bursting involves using different platforms and technologies that might have different architectures and interfaces. The organization needs to ensure that its applications are compatible and interoperable with both the private and public cloud, and that they can integrate seamlessly with other applications or services in both environments. The organization also needs to use standardized tools and protocols to manage and orchestrate its resources in both environments.
What are some use cases for cloud bursting?
Cloud bursting is suitable for applications that have variable or unpredictable demand patterns, or that require specialized or additional resources that are not available or feasible in the private cloud.
Some common use cases for cloud bursting are:
| Workload | Description | Benefits of Cloud Bursting |
|---|---|---|
| Seasonal workloads | Generate a huge traffic influx that subsides after the event ends. | Can meet peak demands without having to purchase extra computing resources. |
| Number crunching | Require more resources, such as processor capacity and internal memory. | Can access specialized resources for big data analytics and artificial intelligence tasks. |
| Test and Dev | Require temporary or experimental resources that are not part of the regular production environment. | Can provision these temporary resources without affecting the performance of the private cloud. |
Cloud bursting for storage
Cloud bursting is not only applicable to compute resources, but also to storage resources. This deserves special mention, since it is extremely common for large portions of storage, often up to 90%, to be cold, or rarely accessed. Cloud object storage can be much more cost-effective than keeping cool or cold data in a local data center. Cloud bursting can help overcome the storage limitations of your local sites by using the cheap and deep storage capacity of public cloud providers as an extension or alternative for data storage.
Some common methods for utilizing cloud storage as an extension for local storage include:
- Caching: This method involves using a local storage device, such as an edge filer, that acts as a file cache for the data stored in the public cloud. The edge filer can hold a copy of the most frequently accessed or recently modified data to the application, while all of the data remains in the public cloud. This method reduces the latency and bandwidth consumption of accessing data from the public cloud, and also provides offline access in case of network failure.
- Tiering: This method involves using a local storage device that acts as a tier for the data stored in the public cloud. The local storage device can store the most frequently accessed locally, while the rest of the data is moved to the public cloud. This method enables the organization to optimize its storage costs by migrating some data to the cloud, but it does not enable cloud bursting for compute, since frequently accessed data is stored only locally, and thus it is not available for processing by cloud instances. Caching is better suited for cloud bursting as it keeps a full copy of the data in the cloud.
For more on this topic see also: Cloud Caching vs. Tiering: Know the Difference
Conclusion
Cloud bursting is a hybrid cloud solution that allows an organization to use both private and public cloud resources depending on the demand for computing or storage capacity. Cloud bursting offers several benefits, such as cost savings, scalability, flexibility, and resilience, but also poses some challenges, such as security and compliance, latency and performance, compatibility, and integration. Cloud bursting is suitable for applications that have variable or unpredictable demand patterns, or that require specialized or additional resources that are not available or feasible in the private cloud.