Optimizing network for peak performance with Cloud Bursting
In the area of flexible resource scaling without budget overruns, Cloud Bursting offers a solution. In a recent article, Dr. Christoph Dietzel, Global Head of Products and Research at DE-CIX, emphasizes the importance of understanding and planning for the dynamic scaling of IT resources from on-premises servers to the public cloud for temporary peaks.
While full cloud operations promise infinite scalability, many companies prefer to keep critical data on-premises, or in private clouds, for security and compliance reasons. Also, the high costs and long amortization periods of on-prem infrastructure have led to hybrid setups, using the cloud for some, but not all, workloads. The problem is that these hybrid scenarios struggle during sudden capacity demands for critical tasks. For example, a surge in demand on the company website can overwhelm internal resources, requiring additional capacity, which Cloud Bursting can provide.
What is Cloud Bursting?
Cloud bursting is a configuration method that leverages cloud computing resources to handle overflow when on-premises infrastructure reaches its capacity limits. When an organization's internal data center runs out of computing resources, it seamlessly shifts (or bursts) the additional workload to external third-party cloud services. It activates additional resources only when necessary, significantly reducing costs. It requires precise network planning to avoid high latency, interoperability issues, and high cloud egress fees. In addressing these concerns, the importance of direct, private connectivity solutions that ensure robust, low-latency access to cloud services, plus cloud routing services to overcome interoperability challenges, cannot be underestimated.
Done the right way, Cloud Bursting not only supports sporadic, data-intensive tasks like analytics and AI training, but also offers a solution to the high costs associated with cloud egress charges. By utilizing private direct connections, companies can bypass the “public” Internet and take the pain out of cloud egress, making Cloud Bursting both efficient and economical. In addition, the DE-CIX Cloud ROUTER ensures interoperability on a network level, allowing a seamless transition between the on-prem infrastructure and the public cloud infrastructure – a prerequisite for successful Cloud Bursting.
Cloud Bursting offers enterprises a solution to manage sudden increases in customer demands. This strategy ensures that companies can maintain peak performance and cost efficiency, aligning with modern digital infrastructure requirements.