What’s a semi-cloud approach and why is it becoming popular?

17.10.2019 2,475 13

Martin Deshev

Are you ready for yet another type of cloud computing? A new term is trying to make its way onto the scene. After private cloud, public cloud and so on, we now could potentially have a… semi-cloud.

So, what is a semi-cloud? We could say that it’s another name for the hybrid cloud and that would be that. It’s not that simple, though.

The semi-cloud is not a technical term, but a strategic approach. As the Flexera-Rightscale 2019 State of the Cloud Report shows, more and more companies want to balance between the public and the private cloud. In fact, 58% of enterprises plan a hybrid cloud solution for their strategy.

Decisions, decisions

While more companies start moving to the cloud, many still prefer to keep at least some portion of their data in the classic way. So, even if they use a private cloud, but also keep some traditional infrastructure and tech in place, that’s a semi-cloud.

But why keep things simple? In reality most companies would use all – a public cloud, a private cloud and some traditional infrastructure. As a result, they would have a hybrid semi-cloud setup. “Cloud is an architecture — not a destination or location. Data management in a hybrid cloud environment should be approached by first looking at the type of data your company has and then determine its purpose”, states Andres Rodriguez, CTO of Nasuni to ZDnet.

In fact, the hybrid cloud seems the better choice. It may be a little tougher to set up and run as you will work with more platforms. But you also get access to a lot more features and benefits.

The benefits in question

Using a hybrid semi-cloud approach might be the best bet for many enterprises. The hybrid cloud in general is a lot more flexible. It brings the best from both worlds and adds an extra layer of security. “CIOs once viewed cloud as a security concern. Today, cloud, public or private, is the safest place to put your data”, Rodriguez says.

“A hybrid cloud architecture allows for unlimited immutable snapshots that are the last line of defense for mission-critical files. This eliminates the threat of ransomware attacks and the reliance on expensive and complex backup and DR systems”, he also adds.

Another benefit would be disaster recovery and access to more resources when they are needed. You can scale up with a few clicks only when necessary and then go back down to your normal plan. This is a nice way to add extra capacity during big campaigns when you would expect heavier traffic from customers, for example.

So, while a semi-cloud might just be yet another buzzword, it’s something that is more widespread than expected. It’s just that most people haven’t really thought about it that way. And it’s something you are either already actually using, or will use as you start moving towards the cloud.