What is hybrid cloud? Your complete infrastructure guide

As engineering teams build and scale applications, choosing where to run your infrastructure becomes a key technical decision that affects performance, costs, compliance, and operational complexity.

Hybrid cloud has become a popular solution that gives you the flexibility to run workloads across different environments based on technical requirements and constraints, but implementing it effectively requires understanding the nuances of different deployment models and their trade-offs.

Think of it like this: your database runs on private servers for security, your API runs in public cloud for global reach, and they work together through secure connections. Modern tools like Northflank make this simple by giving you one interface to deploy everywhere instead of learning each cloud provider's different systems.

Let's break down the different ways to run infrastructure:

Public cloud means using shared servers from companies like AWS or Google. You pay for what you use, can scale quickly, and don't manage hardware. But you're sharing resources with other companies and have less control.

Private cloud means dedicated servers just for you. This gives you full control over security and performance, but you handle all the maintenance and it costs more upfront. Banks and hospitals often use this for sensitive data.

Hybrid cloud combines both. Keep sensitive stuff private, put everything else in public cloud. You get control where you need it and easy scaling where you don't.

Multi-cloud means using multiple public cloud providers. Maybe AWS for compute, Google for machine learning, and Cloudflare for content delivery. This avoids lock-in but means managing different systems.

Now that you know what hybrid cloud is, here's how teams would use hybrid cloud:

API with secure data: Your API runs in public cloud so users worldwide can access it fast. But customer data stays on private servers to meet compliance rules. Background jobs sync the data between environments.

Development workflow: Production runs on private infrastructure for security. But your CI/CD pipelines, testing, and staging environments use public cloud because you can spin them up and down easily. Northflank handles deployments to both with the same pipeline.

Microservices: Payment services run privately for security. Search, notifications, and analytics run in public cloud for easy scaling and managed services. Each service runs where it makes the most sense.

Legacy migration: Keep your old systems running on-premises while building new features in public cloud. Connect them with APIs so you can modernize gradually without breaking anything.

Hybrid cloud solves specific problems:

1. Compliance requirements: Some data has to stay in certain locations or meet specific security standards. Keep that data private, run everything else in public cloud.
2. Performance needs: Large datasets are slow and expensive to move. Process data where it lives, but run user-facing apps in public cloud for speed.
3. Cost optimization: Run steady workloads on private infrastructure where costs are predictable. Use public cloud for traffic spikes and temporary jobs.
4. Legacy systems: You can't replace everything at once. Connect old systems with new cloud apps through APIs and gradually modernize.
5. Special hardware: Need high-end GPUs or specific processors? Keep those workloads on dedicated hardware while running other stuff in public cloud.

1. Financial services: Transaction processing stays in private cloud for regulations and performance. Customer APIs, mobile apps, and analytics run in public cloud for global reach and managed services.
2. Healthcare: Patient records stay in HIPAA-compliant private infrastructure. Research, analytics, and patient portals use public cloud's advanced tools after anonymizing data.
3. Manufacturing: Factory systems need real-time control and stay on-premises. Business analytics, supply chain optimization, and predictive maintenance run in public cloud with the aggregated data.
4. Gaming: Core game servers run in private cloud for consistent performance. Player accounts, social features, and analytics use public cloud's managed services and global scaling.
5. Media companies: Video editing and production use private infrastructure with high-speed storage. Content distribution uses public cloud CDNs to reach users worldwide.

You have several options for implementing hybrid cloud:

Container platforms are the most popular approach. Northflank is a good example - it lets you deploy the same containerized app to any environment. You get one pipeline that works everywhere, unified monitoring across all your infrastructure, automatic scaling that works across different clouds, and the same developer experience whether you're deploying to AWS or your private servers. Northflank also supports Infrastructure as Code approaches and includes built-in service mesh capabilities with automatic load balancing, TLS encryption, and secure service-to-service communication.

Infrastructure as Code tools like Terraform let you define infrastructure in code files. This works great with platforms like Northflank, or you can manage it directly if you want full control over every detail.

Service mesh tools like Istio create a network layer that connects services across different environments. Northflank includes this functionality built-in, but you can also use external service mesh tools for more complex networking requirements.

Managed services from cloud providers like AWS Outposts bring public cloud services to your data center. Easy if you're already using that provider, but creates vendor lock-in.

The benefit of platforms like Northflank is they handle the complexity for you while still supporting the approaches you prefer, including built-in service mesh, load balancing, and secure networking. You focus on your app, not managing different cloud APIs and deployment systems.

1. No vendor lock-in: You can negotiate better prices and switch providers if needed. Your apps stay portable instead of being tied to one company's services.
2. Best of each provider: Use Google for AI, AWS for compute options, Azure for enterprise stuff. Pick the best service for each job instead of compromising.
3. Global reach: Different providers have different geographic coverage. Use the one that's closest to your users in each region.
4. Better uptime: If one provider has an outage, your other systems keep running. Spread the risk across multiple companies.
5. Cost savings: Compare prices and move workloads to whoever's cheapest. Use spot pricing and take advantage of competition between providers.

Northflank supports this by giving you the same deployment experience across all providers. You don't need separate tools and processes for each one.

Hybrid cloud lets you run workloads where they make the most sense instead of forcing everything into one type of infrastructure. Keep sensitive data private, scale public apps globally, optimize costs, and integrate legacy systems.

The main challenge is complexity - managing different environments, networking, security, and deployments. But modern tools make this much easier. Northflank handles the hard parts so you can deploy consistently everywhere without learning each provider's specific tools.

Key points for engineering teams:

• Start small with one hybrid use case to learn what works
• Use containers and avoid vendor-specific services when possible
• Pick tools that work across all your infrastructure
• Plan for consistent security and monitoring everywhere
• Make sure your team can handle the added complexity

Hybrid cloud isn't right for everyone, but when you need the flexibility to optimize each workload differently, it's a powerful approach.

The key is having the right tools to manage the complexity while keeping your development workflow simple.

1. What is hybrid cloud? Hybrid cloud combines public cloud services (like AWS or Google Cloud) with private cloud and on-premises infrastructure, all connected to work as one system. For example, you might keep your database on private servers for security while running your API in public cloud for global scaling.
2. What's the difference between hybrid cloud and multi-cloud? Hybrid cloud combines different environment types (public cloud, private cloud, on-premises), while multi-cloud uses multiple public cloud providers. You can have both, using private infrastructure plus multiple public clouds.
3. Is hybrid cloud more expensive than just using public cloud? It depends. You'll have higher upfront costs for private infrastructure, but you can save money by running steady workloads privately and only using public cloud for scaling. The key is optimizing each workload for cost.
4. What happens if my connection between environments goes down? Good hybrid architectures are designed for this. Critical services should be able to run independently, and you can configure failover systems. Platforms like Northflank include monitoring and automatic retry mechanisms.
5. Do I need special skills to manage hybrid cloud? While hybrid cloud is more complex than single-environment setups, modern platforms abstract most of the complexity. Your team needs to understand containers and basic networking, but tools like Northflank handle the infrastructure management.
6. Can I use the same code for applications running in different environments? Yes, if you use containers. Containerized apps run consistently across different infrastructure types. This is why container platforms are the most popular approach to hybrid cloud.
7. What's the easiest way to start with hybrid cloud? Start small with one use case - maybe keep your database private but run your API in public cloud. Use a platform that simplifies deployment across environments, then gradually expand as you learn what works.
8. Can I move applications between environments easily? With containerized apps and the right platform, yes. Northflank lets you deploy the same application to different environments through the same interface, making it easy to move workloads based on changing requirements.

Try out Northflank here or book a demo with an engineer here.