Build hybrid and multicloud architectures using Google Cloud

Last reviewed 2024-10-24 UTC

This architecture guide provides practical guidance on planning and architecting your hybrid and multicloud environments using Google Cloud. This document is the first of three documents in the set. It examines the opportunities and considerations associated with these architectures from a business and technology point of view. It also analyzes and discusses many proven hybrid and multicloud architecture patterns.

The document set for hybrid and multicloud architecture patterns consists of these parts:

You can read each of these architecture articles independently, but for the most benefit, we recommend reading them in sequence before making an architectural decision.

The rapid pace of change in market demands has increased the requirements and expectations that are placed on enterprise IT, such as dynamic scale, increased performance for optimized user experience, and security. Many enterprise-level companies find it challenging to meet these demands and expectations using only traditional infrastructure and processes. IT departments are also under pressure to improve their cost effectiveness, making it difficult to justify additional capital investments in data centers and equipment.

A hybrid cloud strategy that uses public cloud computing capabilities provides a pragmatic solution. By using the public cloud, you can extend the capacity and capabilities of your computing platforms without up-front capital investment costs.

By adding one or more public cloud based solutions, like Google Cloud, to your existing infrastructure, you not only preserve your existing investments, but you also avoid committing yourself to a single cloud vendor. Also, by using a hybrid strategy, you can modernize applications and processes incrementally as resources permit.

To help you plan for your architectural decision and hybrid or multicloud strategy planning, there are several potential challenges and design considerations that you should consider. This multi-part architecture guide highlights both the potential benefits of various architectures and the potential challenges.

Overview of hybrid cloud and multicloud

Because workloads, infrastructure, and processes are unique to each enterprise, each hybrid cloud strategy must be adapted to your specific needs. The result is that the terms hybrid cloud and multicloud are sometimes used inconsistently.

Within the context of this Google Cloud architecture guide, the term hybrid cloud describes an architecture in which workloads are deployed across multiple computing environments, one based in the public cloud, and at least one being private—for example, an on-premises data center or a colocation facility.

The term multicloud describes an architecture that combines at least two public CSPs. As illustrated in the following diagram, sometimes this architecture includes a private computing environment (that might include the use of a private cloud component). That arrangement is called a hybrid and multicloud architecture.

Diagram of the three architectures discussed in this series: hybrid, multicloud, and mix of hybrid and multicloud architectures.

Contributors

Author: Marwan Al Shawi | Partner Customer Engineer

Other contributors:

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Drivers, considerations, strategy, and patterns