Uptake of hybrid cloud across the globe is rising as organisations look for scalability and cost-effectiveness. But many organisations that have made the leap aren’t getting the full benefits because of one missing piece: automation.  

For CIOs and IT teams looking to realise further efficiencies of hybrid cloud, here are the benefits and best practice strategies automation can bring to your organisation.

What is hybrid cloud automation?

Hybrid cloud is a cloud computing environment that uses a mix of on-premise infrastructure, private cloud and public cloud. Hybrid cloud automation streamlines workflows across your hybrid cloud environment without manual intervention. Automated workflows include backing up data storage, managing security, discovering and deleting unused processes, and coding.  

Automations can improve productivity, efficiency, and be more cost effective – a game changer for hybrid cloud users.

Why more businesses are automating

Manually managing a complex hybrid cloud environment and its apps and data can be a drain on IT resources. Automation in hybrid cloud frees up IT teams to focus on other tasks and removes the risk of human error. 

Automation is particularly important in a hybrid cloud environment — it helps share data seamlessly across different environments like your on-premises data centre and the cloud.  

Outcomex Solution Architect, Cameron Harding says that automation is driving hybrid uptake.

“Automated workflows have quickly become the norm for deployment of cloud native workloads and the advantages are now being leveraged in hybrid environments,” he explains.

“Services catalogue playbooks and Infrastructure as Code can be used across multiple hybrid and public clouds to provide the policy-based governance you need to meet compliance requirements in any cloud.”

Best practice hybrid cloud automation strategies

#1 Automate to orchestrate

Automation alone is an asset for any organisation looking to streamline its cloud activities. But automation is also the gateway to cloud orchestration: the process of organising and coordinating multiple, interconnected, automated tasks across your hybrid environments.  

By using a cloud orchestration solution, IT teams have visibility of cloud resources via one, unified dashboard. A workload automation or cloud management platform like Cisco Intersight can consolidate data management across all of your hybrid environments.

#2 Embrace cloudbursting 

When resources are scarce or market demand is high, cloud bursting allows private cloud to automatically burst into public cloud, scaling up and down as needed.  

If your organisation is running a project – like a marketing campaign or big data modelling – that requires a one-time burst of resources, you can guard against disruption by automating the extra traffic to burst into public cloud.  

#3 Boost IT resources for your developers 

Automation allows developers to simplify software development and reduce deployment cycles without compromising user experience. Netflix is a prime example; developers automatically build code into existing web pages hundreds of times a day. Automated monitoring ensures that if an error occurs when the website is changed, the end user sees an older version of the site and continues to use Netflix without interruption.

The hybrid cloud challenges that automation addresses

✔ Automation can integrate your cloud environment with existing policies and procedures. 

✔ Let’s face it, humans make mistakes. Automation ensures fewer errors.   

✔ Automation can help overcome security-related hybrid cloud challenges. 

✔ Automate your governance and compliance across hybrid environments. 

✔ Automation gives developers resources they need without impacting deployment.

What benefits does automation offer?  

• Reduces costs of labour, licensing and tools 
• Seamless end-user experience when accessing your services in the cloud 
• Transforms legacy environments by integrating clouds  
• Improves efficiency across your hybrid suite  
• Scales resources up and down as needed