Hybrid Cloud Explained

Summary

In this video, Sai Vennam from IBM explores the concept of hybrid cloud, blending private and public cloud environments for optimal application performance. Using 'Acme Freight' as a case study, he illustrates how a company can leverage the scalability and flexibility of the public cloud while maintaining security for sensitive data on-premises. The video covers the transition from monolithic ERP applications to microservices in the cloud, enhancing interoperability and utilizing cognitive services like Watson for improved operations. It highlights the benefits of hybrid cloud in security, scalability, portability, and vendor independence.

Takeaways

• 🌐 Hybrid cloud combines private and public cloud environments to run workloads and applications together.
• 🏢 The example of 'Acme Freight' illustrates how a company can integrate on-premises and public cloud applications.
• 📱 Acme Freight created a new BFF (Back-end For Front-end) layer in the public cloud for their mobile application.
• 🔗 Interoperability is key in hybrid cloud, allowing public and private components to work together seamlessly.
• 🚚 During peak times, Acme Freight experienced performance issues, highlighting the need for scalable infrastructure.
• 💻 They addressed this by breaking down their ERP application into microservices and moving it to the public cloud using container technologies like Docker and Kubernetes.
• 📈 Public cloud offers scalability, allowing applications to handle increased loads during peak demand periods.
• 🛍️ With the public cloud, Acme Freight benefits from the flexibility to use various open-source projects and programming languages.
• 🧠 They integrated their ERP application with Watson for cognitive capabilities in delivery rerouting during adverse weather conditions.
• 🔒 Security remains a priority, with sensitive data like user registry kept on-premises behind firewalls.
• 🛡️ Hybrid cloud offers the advantage of maintaining security for critical data while leveraging the benefits of public cloud for other applications.

Q & A

What is the role of the person presenting the video?

The presenter is a developer advocate with IBM, tasked with explaining the concept of hybrid cloud.

What is the primary focus of the video?

The video focuses on explaining the concept of hybrid cloud and how it fits into a company's architecture.

What is the definition of hybrid cloud as presented in the video?

Hybrid cloud is a mixture of private and public cloud environments working together to run workloads and applications.

What is the example company used to illustrate the concept of hybrid cloud?

The example company is 'Acme Freight,' a fictional company that manages shipments.

What is the purpose of the BFF (Back-end For Front-end) in the context of the ERP application?

The BFF handles front-end requests to ensure the web dashboard functions properly and serves the needs of the mobile application.

How does Acme Freight address the issue of system slowdown during peak hours?

Acme Freight decides to break down the monolithic ERP application into microservices and move it to the public cloud for better scalability.

What technologies does Acme Freight use to facilitate the move to microservices in the public cloud?

Acme Freight uses Linux container technologies like Docker and container orchestration tools like Kubernetes.

What are the advantages of using public cloud resources mentioned in the video?

Public cloud resources offer scalability, the ability to avoid vendor lock-in, and the opportunity to use a variety of open-source projects and programming languages.

How does Acme Freight enhance its delivery rerouting capabilities?

Acme Freight integrates its ERP application with Watson to take advantage of cognitive capabilities for improved delivery rerouting during adverse weather conditions.

Why does Acme Freight choose to keep the user registry on-premises?

Acme Freight keeps the user registry on-premises for enhanced security, preferring to maintain it within their own infrastructure and hardware.

What are the key features of hybrid cloud mentioned in the video?

The key features of hybrid cloud are interoperability, scalability, portability, and security.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Introduction to Hybrid Cloud with Acme Freight Example

Sai Vennam, a developer advocate with IBM, introduces the concept of hybrid cloud as a combination of private and public environments working together. The video uses the fictional company 'Acme Freight' to illustrate how a traditional ERP application is integrated with a new mobile BFF application in a public cloud. The ERP application manages shipments and inventory, while the mobile BFF is deployed to serve new mobile endpoints. The example highlights the interoperability required between public and private cloud components and the challenges faced during peak times, leading to the decision to break down the ERP into microservices and move it to the public cloud for scalability.

05:01

🚚 Leveraging Hybrid Cloud for Scalability and Third-Party Services

The second paragraph delves into Acme Freight's journey with hybrid cloud, emphasizing the benefits of scalability and the ability to integrate third-party services. Acme Freight uses Linux container technologies like Docker and Kubernetes to manage their ERP application as microservices in the public cloud. This move allows them to scale their application during demand spikes and avoid vendor lock-in by utilizing a variety of open-source projects and programming languages. Additionally, the company leverages cognitive services like Watson for delivery rerouting during adverse weather conditions. The paragraph concludes with a discussion on security, noting that while certain components of the ERP are moved to the public cloud, the user registry remains on-premises for enhanced security. The hybrid cloud approach is praised for its interoperability, scalability, portability, and security, offering the best of both worlds for running applications.

Keywords

💡Hybrid Cloud

Hybrid Cloud refers to a computing environment that combines both private and public cloud services. In the video, it is the central theme around which the entire discussion is structured. The script uses the example of 'Acme Freight' to illustrate how a company can leverage a hybrid cloud to run its applications and workloads across different environments, emphasizing interoperability and flexibility.

💡Developer Advocate

A Developer Advocate is a role typically associated with tech companies like IBM, where the person acts as a bridge between the company and the developer community. In the script, Sai Vennam introduces himself as a Developer Advocate with IBM, indicating his role in promoting and explaining IBM's technologies, including hybrid cloud.

💡ERP Application

ERP stands for 'Enterprise Resource Planning'. It is a software system used by organizations to manage day-to-day business activities. In the script, 'Acme Freight' uses an ERP application to manage their shipments. The ERP application is later broken down into microservices and moved to a public cloud to improve scalability and performance.

💡BFF (Back-end For Front-end)

BFF is a software architectural pattern where a back-end service is specifically designed to serve the needs of a particular front-end client. In the video, 'Acme Freight' creates a new BFF layer for their mobile application, which is deployed in the public cloud, to handle front-end requests and ensure a seamless user experience.

💡Public Cloud

A Public Cloud is a cloud computing environment where services are provided over the internet by third-party companies. The script describes how 'Acme Freight' moves parts of their infrastructure to a public cloud to take advantage of its scalability and resource availability, allowing them to manage increased workload during peak times.

💡Private Cloud

Private Cloud refers to a cloud computing environment dedicated to a single organization. In the script, 'Acme Freight' maintains a private cloud for certain sensitive operations, such as the user registry, to ensure security and control over their infrastructure.

💡Interoperability

Interoperability is the ability of different systems or components to work together. The script highlights the importance of interoperability in a hybrid cloud environment, where the public and private components must work in tandem to ensure seamless operation of applications.

💡Microservices

Microservices is an architectural style that structures an application as a collection of loosely coupled services. In the video, 'Acme Freight' breaks down their monolithic ERP application into microservices to improve scalability and flexibility, which are then moved to a public cloud.

💡Containerization

Containerization is the process of packaging software into standardized units called containers. The script mentions the use of Docker for containerization, which allows 'Acme Freight' to move their ERP application to the public cloud, ensuring consistency across different computing environments.

💡Orchestration

Orchestration in cloud computing refers to the automated arrangement and coordination of computer services. The script discusses the use of Kubernetes, a container orchestration system, to manage the microservices of the ERP application in the public cloud, ensuring they are scalable and maintainable.

💡Vendor Lock-in

Vendor Lock-in occurs when an organization is dependent on a particular vendor for its technology needs, limiting its flexibility and choice. The script contrasts this with the public cloud, where 'Acme Freight' can avoid vendor lock-in by using a variety of open-source projects and programming languages.

💡Portability

Portability in the context of cloud computing refers to the ability to move applications and services between different computing environments without significant changes. The script illustrates portability through 'Acme Freight's' use of hybrid cloud, which allows them to leverage both private and public cloud environments for their applications.

💡Security

Security in cloud computing involves protecting data, applications, and infrastructure from unauthorized access and threats. The script mentions that 'Acme Freight' keeps their user registry on-premises for enhanced security, demonstrating the hybrid cloud's ability to balance security needs with the benefits of public cloud services.

Highlights

Sai Vennam, a developer advocate with IBM, introduces the concept of hybrid cloud.

Hybrid cloud is a combination of private and public environments working together.

Acme Freight is used as an example to illustrate the hybrid cloud concept.

ERP application at Acme Freight is divided into BFF, core ERP functions, and user registry.

Acme Freight creates a new BFF layer on the public cloud for their mobile application.

Interoperability is key in hybrid cloud, allowing public and private components to work together.

Acme Freight's truck drivers benefit from the new mobile app infrastructure.

During peak times, Acme Freight's system experiences performance issues.

Acme Freight decides to break down their ERP application into microservices.

Linux container technologies like Docker and Kubernetes are used for moving ERP to the public cloud.

Public cloud offers scalability and the ability to scale out applications as needed.

Acme Freight benefits from the freedom to choose different technologies and services in the public cloud.

Third-party services like Watson are integrated for improved delivery rerouting.

Hybrid cloud architecture offers portability and the use of cool third-party services.

Security is addressed by keeping sensitive resources like user registry on-premises.

Hybrid cloud provides a balance of interoperability, scalability, portability, and security.

The video concludes by encouraging viewers to learn more about hybrid cloud through provided links and the IBM cloud blog.

Transcripts

Hi everyone, my name is Sai Vennam,

and I'm a developer advocate with IBM.

Today I want to talk about hybrid cloud.

If you're watching this video

then you're probably tasked with the very important role

of figuring out how hybrid cloud

fits in with your company's architecture.

Or maybe you're just a little bit curious about this cloud computing approach.

Either way,

essentially, hybrid cloud boils down into

a mixture of a private, as well as a public, environment.

And essentially the two are working in tandem

to run your workloads and applications.

To better explain hybrid cloud,

I want to start with an example.

Let's say we've got a fictional company, "Acme Freight",

who is essentially tasked with running shipments.

Acme Freight has an existing on-premises application,

an ERP application

- which many people might be familiar with,

is an "Enterprise Resource Planning" app,

which enables them to manage their shipments,

and make sure that they make it there on time.

But let's say that this ERP application is made up of 3 major sections.

We've got the BFF (Back-end For Front-end).

In the middle here we've got the chunk of the ERP application that runs things like

inventory, truck drivers, deliveries, shipments, that kind of thing,

and we've got, at the bottom here, a user registry

- human resources, that kind of thing.

So the BFF is going to basically handle

any time front-end requests are made to make sure

that web dashboard looks great.

But Acme Freight has just created a new mobile application

that needs a new BFF application

to actually serve those endpoints

so to do that, the team decided to create a new BFF layer

on the public side.

So, they've started with a new public cloud

and they've decided to deploy the back-end for this mobile application

on this cloud.

So, we've got the mobile BFF application here.

So, the main thing to keep in mind here,

so only the mobile BFF application is running in the public cloud.

So, they still need a way for this to interact with the existing ERP app.

To do so, they'll simply open up a tunnel

that allows the mobile BFF application

to work with those private endpoints

that the ERP application serves.

So, that's one of the key tenets of a hybrid cloud environment

is the fact that they must be interoperable.

Essentially meaning that the public components

and the private components are working in tandem.

So, so far, the truck delivery drivers

are loving this new infrastructure.

They're able to use their mobile apps to submit whenever a delivery is made.

But, what they've noticed is, during the holiday season

or peak hours, this whole system is bogging down

and it's leading to deliveries that are late

and shipments that are being missed.

To tackle this, Acme Freight decides,

"You know what? It's about time."

"We need to start breaking this monolith down."

So, they decide to move the ERP portion, the big chunk,

break it apart into microservices

and move it to a public cloud.

To do so, they take advantage of Linux container technologies,

things like Docker,

as well as container orchestration management tools like Kubernetes,

and, successfully,

they move that ERP layer to the public cloud.

Not an easy task.

So, we can imagine that there's a number of microservices

that represent that ERP application

that are running in a public cloud.

And they're working with

Docker technology and Kubernetes technology,

keeping everything orchestrated and scaled out.

That's one of the great things

about taking advantage of a public cloud,

is that there are seemingly endless

public resources to to scale out your application.

So, although they get to keep their existing on-premises ERP architecture,

they start moving to the public cloud

and take advantage of the scalability

and the capabilities that are offered there.

Another advantage of working with the public cloud -

you're no longer locked into a specific vendor.

Traditionally, with monolithic applications,

maybe you're working with a Java EE stack,

You're forced to use the capabilities that the stack allows you to use

But with public cloud you can go "window shopping"

- there are lots of open source projects out there,

programming languages that you can use,

and with micro-services speaking on public interfaces

all of those services can talk to one another

regardless of the technology that they're written in.

So, definitely,

by taking advantage of the public cloud,

they get to use cool third-party services.

So, Acme Freight decides, "You know,

we can do better with delivery rerouting

whenever there is a snowstorm or inclement weather,"

and, so to do that,

they hook up this ERP application to Watson

and take advantage of some of the cognitive capabilities

to power delivery rerouting.

So, effectively, where they were taking advantage of the portability features

offered by taking on a hybrid cloud architecture.

The last thing I want to touch on is security.

Although Acme Freight moved over

the mobile BFF piece as well as the ERP application

and to micro services - and, you know, in a perfect world,

maybe they've even phased out these two portions,

they continue to keep the user registry on premises

because that's something that they want to keep firewalled

- they want to keep it completely secure

and always on their own infrastructure and hardware.

That's one of the great advantages of hybrid cloud

is that they can continue to keep certain resources firewalled

and on-premises,

while taking advantage of the public cloud

to continue to run their applications and workloads.

So, together, hybrid clouds you get the features of interoperability

scalability, portability, as well as security.

All of these come together to enable developers

and companies to take advantage of the best of both worlds

when running their applications.

If you want to learn more about hybrid cloud,

check out the accompanying links or the IBM cloud blog.