Word of the Day: multi-cloud strategy

Word of the Day Daily updates on the latest technology terms | September 3, 2018 multi-cloud strategy A multi-cloud strategy is the use of two or more cloud computing services. While a multi-cloud deployment can refer to any implementation of multiple software as a service (SaaS) or platform as a service (PaaS) cloud offerings, today, it generally refers to a mix of public infrastructure as a service (IaaS) environments, such as Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. Common uses for multi-cloud computing Initially, many organizations pursued a multi-cloud strategy because they were uncertain about cloud reliability. Multi-cloud was, and still is, seen as a way to prevent data loss or downtime due to a localized component failure in the cloud. The ability to avoid vendor lock-in was also an early driver of multi-cloud adoption. While redundancy and vendor lock-in concerns still drive some multi-cloud deployments today, they are also driven largely by enterprises' broader business or technical goals. Those goals can include the use of more price-competitive cloud services or taking advantage of the speed, capacity or features offered by a particular cloud provider in a particular geography. In addition, some organizations pursue multi-cloud strategies for data sovereignty reasons. Certain laws, regulations and corporate policies require enterprise data to physically reside in certain locations. Multi-cloud computing can help organizations meet those requirements, since they can select from multiple IaaS providers' data center regions or availability zones. This flexibility in where cloud data resides also enables organizations to locate compute resources as close as possible to end users to achieve optimal performance and minimal latency. A multi-cloud strategy also offers the ability to select different cloud services or features from different providers. This is helpful, since some cloud environments are better suited than others for a particular task. For example, a certain cloud platform might handle large numbers of requests per unit time, requiring small data transfers on the average, while a different cloud platform might perform better for a smaller numbers of requests per unit time involving large data transfers. Some cloud providers also offer more big data analytics tools or other specialized capabilities, such as machine learning, than their competitors. Quote of the Day "Regardless of how many or which clouds you use in your multi-cloud strategy, one thing remains the same: It's all about protecting and managing data wherever it resides." - Dave Raffo Trending Terms IaaS vendor lock-in data sovereignty availability zones hybrid cloud Learning Center Who needs a multi-cloud environment and how best to deploy one A multi-cloud environment isn't right for every business. But for those that need service reliability, data privacy and flexibility in the cloud services they use and cost-effective services, a multi-cloud approach might be the answer. The best multi-cloud strategy is to just ignore the hype A multi-cloud strategy is only useful if you have a clear understanding of what it means and the technical constraints to operate multiple IaaS clouds. A multi-cloud strategy provides more options and headaches Multi-cloud strategy has taken over the cloud conversation. It's no longer a matter of how to use the cloud, but rather how to play to the strengths of the various cloud service providers. Don't let Kubernetes services stall a multi-cloud strategy While managed Kubernetes services from AWS, Google and Microsoft have their perks, they aren't necessarily conducive to portability in a multi-cloud strategy. Certain third-party tools and deployment tips, however, offer a workaround. Four situations where a multi-cloud strategy makes sense A multi-cloud strategy is best for businesses needing to protect against data loss and ensure business continuity. It's also a good way to protect privacy, provide flexibility and optimize the whole cloud experience. Quiz Yourself Brokers must work closely with cloud providers, while also _________ their services to appeal to customers. A. distinguishing B. differentiating Answer Stay in Touch For feedback about any of our definitions or to suggest a new definition, please contact me at: mrouse@techtarget.com Visit the Word of the Day Archives and catch up on what you've missed! FOLLOW US About This E-Newsletter This e-newsletter is published by the TechTarget network. To unsubscribe from Whatis.com, click here. Please note, this will not affect any other subscriptions you have signed up for. TechTarget, Whatis, 275 Grove Street, Newton, MA 02466. Contact: webmaster@techtarget.com Copyright 2018 TechTarget. All rights reserved.