There are a number of challenges that need to be addressed when you use hybrid cloud. Moving data between the public and private sides of the cloud is one of the biggest. Relying on public internet for this connection is neither reliable nor secure. Adding a virtual private network adds encryption and increases security, but doesn’t address performance issues. A direct connection between public and private clouds helps resolve those issues as well as the security considerations and can have other benefits as well.
Direct Connection Defined
A direct connection to the cloud eliminates the public internet from the data transfer process. Instead, there is a private, dedicated connection directly to the cloud provider. This can be established directly from the data center or through a third party colocation center that has high speed direct connections to the cloud.
Benefits of Using A Direction Connection
Security
Using the direct connection to the cloud increases security because the link isn’t shared. Because it provides a point-to-point link, there’s limited opportunity for an unauthorized user to eavesdrop in on transmissions. It’s also possible to add cybersecurity measures that enhance the security even further. At a minimum, encryption should be added; it’s very common to establish a VPN over the direct link.
Performance
Because the link isn’t shared, the entire bandwidth is available your traffic. Latency is reduced, and performance is consistent, as both the network load and the network path are known. Since you own the link, if you have a change in your requirements, it’s easy to modify the bandwidth to match your needs.
Reliability
With a dedicated connection to the cloud, the network link is guaranteed to be available and offer the bandwidth needed to handle your workloads. When there’s a network problem, there’s support available to help resolve it. One point to consider, though, is that there’s no built-in resiliency. Although direct connections are typically expected to provide 100% uptime, the link is a single connection. Ensuring availability requires using either two or more direct connections, possibly from multiple locations, or providing VPN as well.
Management
The vendor handles the day-to-day monitoring and management of the network link. Your team is freed up to focus on other valuable tasks.
Cost
The cost of a direct connection can be based on both the amount of time and the amount of data transferred. While pricing details will vary based on vendors, in some cases data transfer charges can be lower than when using public internet to transfer data.
Are You Ready to Connect?
dcVAST offers expert cloud services, including managed Amazon Web Services, to help you get the most out of your hybrid cloud. Our team can help you evaluate your connection options and ensure you’re set up with a cost effective, efficient solution. Contact us to learn more about connecting to the cloud.
