Rethinking Your Network Architecture for Cloud Deployments – Interconnections – The Equinix Blog
Migrating from on-premises to cloud
For many enterprises, one of the most challenging aspects of taking advantage of the cloud is getting to the cloud in the first place. With the exception of born-in-the-cloud startups, all companies have legacy on-premises infrastructure with very specific networking and security requirements. Trying to “lift and shift” that infrastructure to the cloud without breaking things in the process is typically easier said than done. Inevitably, IT leaders will find certain workloads and applications that just can’t be moved to the cloud—and others where there’s a good business reason not to move them.
One way our customers have tried to simplify cloud migration is with a cloud-adjacent architecture. Deploying certain workloads close to the cloud—but not in the cloud—may help them capitalize on all the performance and flexibility benefits of hybrid multicloud without falling victim to drawbacks such as greater complexity and higher costs driven by data egress fees.
Many cloud providers deploy close to our Equinix IBX® data centers in order to take advantage of our dense ecosystem of network service providers. For this reason, placing applications and data in Equinix data centers may be as close as you can possibly get to the cloud without being inside it. That provides performance benefits, while also helping you get closer to your ecosystem partners.
Equinix customers can take a phased migration approach based on cloud adjacency
You’ve also got options when it comes to connecting to the cloud. Some SaaS applications are designed to work well over the internet. However, other workloads require the level of performance and reliability that only a direct, private interconnection solution like Equinix Fabric® can provide.
Reducing complexity around hybrid multicloud networking
Many businesses start their journey to cloud with a single provider, but inevitably realize they need multiple clouds to give them access to best-of-breed functionalities on demand. In some cases, separate business units within the same company may even be using different clouds unbeknownst to each other, with no centralized direction from the IT department.
This arrangement can lead to increased complexity and costs, with the organization having to duplicate security capabilities across multiple cloud providers. The best way to avoid this is by positioning the security stack in a neutral location that’s adjacent to cloud on-ramps. Once again, Platform Equinix® is well-positioned to be that location.
Equinix provides centralized control to simplify multicloud connectivity
Furthermore, storing aggregated data sets in a centralized location—which we call an authoritative data core—is instrumental to getting the most from your hybrid multicloud environment. It allows you to move certain data sets into different clouds as needed to support certain workloads, without that data having to be stored permanently in the cloud. This helps prevent vendor lock-in and reduce the impact of data egress fees.
Ensuring resiliency of cloud services
