Difference between Hybrid and Multi-Cloud An Overview

In recent times, many websites having opted for Cloud Hosting over the other traditional hosting types. The Cloud Hosting landscape is further evolving and offering various options like private, public, hybrid, and multi-cloud services. Understanding a private and public cloud is simply – a private cloud host the site on a private data centre/intranet, whereas a public cloud hosts data from many users in its data centre.

However, many users find it difficult to understand the difference between a hybrid and multi-cloud service. Today, we will take a quick peek at a Hybrid Cloud and Multi-Cloud and talk about their differences.

What are Hybrid and Multi Clouds?

Hybrid Cloud	Multi-Cloud
It is a combination of a private and public cloud and offers the benefits of both. It needs a private data centre and the purchase of a public cloud hosting plan. Data and processes can be moved between the two clouds based on the requirement of the website.	It involves multiple cloud services form the same or different providers. A Multi Cloud strategy might involve a private, public, and/or hybrid cloud service. Each cloud service is employed for a specific task and is not connected with the other cloud services.

Comparing Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Services

By definition, a Hybrid and Multi-Cloud are two absolutely different services. Here are two primary differences between them:

The difference in the types of clouds deployed

In a Hybrid Cloud, there is a public cloud service and a private cloud service with an encrypted connection between them.
In a Multi-Cloud, there can be several cloud services employed for various tasks. These cloud services can be private, public, and even hybrid in nature.

The difference in the usage of these clouds

In a Hybrid Cloud, the set of tasks are handled by the public and private clouds together. This is done by appropriate allocation of processes between the two. Here is an example:

A high-traffic, e-commerce platform uses a Hybrid Cloud in the following way:

It employs the public cloud service due to its instant resource scalability feature, to manage traffic on the website.
It uses the private cloud infrastructure to store and process critical information like credit card number, personally identifiable information, etc.
When a user visits the website, both the public and private cloud services work in tandem and fulfil the request.

On the other hand, in a Multi-Cloud strategy, the enterprise employs different cloud service providers for different tasks. The cloud services do not interact with each other. So, an enterprise might select one cloud for storing and managing its database and a different one to manage its networking. Both these clouds will work independently completing the tasks assigned to them.

Conclusion

According to 451 Research, by 2019, around 69% of enterprises will move to hybrid or multi-cloud environments. Therefore, it is important to understand them well and get yourself future-ready. Remember, assess the requirements of your website, research well and consider all aspects before opting for a multi-cloud strategy.