To take full advantage of a multi-cloud environment, you need a consistent multi-cloud architecture design. Let’s examine the most prominent multi-cloud architecture designs.
1. Cloudification
Cloudification enables an on-premises app to use cloud services from multiple cloud providers. Cloudification provides the application with increased scalability. It also avoids vendor lock-in, improves availability, and boosts reliability. Additionally, the application can still work even if one cloud service goes down.
2. Multi-Cloud Relocation
In multi-cloud relocation, you can rehost a previously on-premises application on a cloud platform. You can then configure it to use another cloud platform. For instance, you might relocate the application to one cloud provider but secure the data storage from another.
3. Multi-Cloud Refactoring
The multi-cloud refactoring process involves re-architecting an application. It is therefore compatible with multiple clouds. You can re-architect an on-premises application into two components and run them on separate cloud platforms. In contrast to relocation, refactoring involves re-designing the original application, which necessitates changing the code.
4. Multi-Cloud Rebinding
Multi-cloud rebinding involves re-architecting an application for migration to a multi-cloud environment. With the re-architected application, you can deploy some components over multiple cloud environments to ensure continuity of service in case a failure occurs on the main platform.
Multi-cloud rebinding can also use a cloud brokerage service, integrating various components of multi-cloud infrastructure. This process ensures all components function optimally and securely.
5. Multi-Application Modernization
In multi-application modernization, you can re-architect several applications as a portfolio and deploy them in a multi-cloud infrastructure. Individual applications, even when re-architected for the cloud, can still experience shortcomings. These shortcomings can include data inconsistencies, duplicate functionality, and higher maintenance costs. By analyzing applications before re-architecting them, you may uncover opportunities to consolidate and integrate. Doing so can ensure your applications work together proficiently in multi-cloud environments.