What is Multi-cloud?

True freedom and control

Multi-cloud is a method of leveraging multiple cloud computing platforms for independent or orchestrated tasks. Many businesses may choose several cloud providers to best fit their unique service rather than depending on one single cloud provider.

Multi-cloud is different from hybrid cloud because it uses multiple cloud services rather than multiple deployment modes. The features of multi-cloud data control include Data Freedom, Open and accessible data format, Searchable Data, Data Lifecycle Management, and Scalable architecture.

Multi-cloud capabilities can be found in provisioning workloads, capacity management, orchestration and automation, monitoring, cost management, security, data management, and others. The benefits of multi-cloud data control include Public or private cloud controller, Data availability and durability, and Cost efficiencies

The Multi-cloud method

Multi-cloud is a method of leveraging multiple cloud computing platforms for independent or orchestrated tasks. Many businesses may choose several cloud providers to best fit their unique service rather than depending on one single cloud provider. Multi-cloud is different from hybrid cloud because it uses multiple cloud services rather than multiple deployment modes.

Different Cloud Storage terms

Cloud
The relatively simple use case such as Infrastructure-as-a-Service for Dev/Test workloads; data backup to a single cloud; or a Software-as-a-Service application.

Hybrid Cloud
The use case where an application, workload, or data could be run in the same technology stack on-premise (potentially in a private cloud) and in a cloud provider, but where the customer was essentially locked into that technology stack. An example could be moving a VMware workload between an on-premise datacenter and AWS. The workload can be moved back and forth, but remains locked into the VMware technology stack and cannot be easily ported to another virtualization platform such as Microsoft, Red Hat, etc.

Multi-cloud
The uses cases that enabled true freedom and control to run an application, workload, or data on any cloud – private or public – based on business or technical requirements.

Features of multi-cloud data control

Data Freedom

Support for multiple cloud storage services independent of the APIs and interfaces used to access these services. In other words, an abstraction layer between data and the proprietary APIs used to place that data in any given cloud storage service.

Open and accessible

Ability to translate data into the native format of any given cloud storage service so that the data remains open and accessible to any system and not just the system that placed the data.

Searchable Data

Search and metadata search capabilities to find data regardless of location.

Data Lifecycle Management

An extensible data workflow engine that supports full Data Lifecycle Management capabilities.

Scalable architecture

Highly available and scalable architecture to support on-premise and cloud-based applications that themselves are highly available and scalable.

Multi-cloud capabilities

Just as technology stacks are multi-layered and comprise operating system, virtualization/containers, database/storage, applications, etc., so too is the Multi-Cloud multi-layered.

Multi-cloud capabilities can be found in provisioning workloads, capacity management, orchestration and automation, monitoring, cost management, security, data management, and others.

Benefits of multi-cloud data control

Public or private cloud controller

Ability to select the appropriate data storage location – public or private cloud – based on business needs or required technical features

Data availability and durability

Higher level of data availability and durability given data can be replicated across multiple, fully autonomous clouds

Cost efficiencies

Cost efficiencies due to increased competition between cloud storage providers combined with ability to instantly take advantage of new pricing for any given storage offering