As businesses move their business-critical data to the cloud, hybrid cloud architecture, which supports an organization’s data in both public and private cloud environments, is being embraced as a strategic middle-ground for many organizations. For some industries, hybrid cloud is a temporary solution―a stepping stone―as enterprise applications are deliberately and carefully moved to the cloud; for others it’s a more permanent solution due to a variety of business requirements.

For example, in the world of finance, the high speed and performance of the cloud are compelling, but regulations and compliance restrictions get in the way of moving all data to the cloud. That set of circumstances make hybrid a natural fit. Similarly, healthcare has taken to the hybrid cloud, allowing it to easily share patient information between providers and insurance companies, while still maintaining compliance with HIPAA.

But as implementations of hybrid cloud grow, it’s more important than ever for DBAs to fully understand both the benefits and challenges of hybrid cloud environment to strategically plan and support corporate migration strategies and optimize Oracle, SQL Server, and NoSQL database performance. Here are key hybrid cloud challenges that should be on every DBAs radar:

Hybrid Solutions Should Be Deliberate But Oftentimes Aren’t

With more and more data moving to the cloud, it’s increasingly common to find organizations that haven’t so much chosen a hybrid strategy so much as they’ve haphazardly wandered into one. Being deliberate about your hybrid strategy is imperative to success and making the most of your available IT resources.

Hybrid Deployments Are Often More Time-Intensive

The speed of deployment has long been a thorn in the side of organizations. A recent survey found 70 percent of companies take up to a year to complete the lifecycle of an application deployment. The personalization that is required when implementing a hybrid cloud solution likely means a time-intensive process, and that may not be feasible for all companies from a cost or personnel perspective, particularly in the case of small businesses.

Security Requirements Are Often More Complex

While it must be said that cloud security (particularly public cloud) is better than ever, trust in that security is still catching up, with only 23% of organizations today saying they completely trust public clouds to keep their data secure according to Intel. The complex setup of a hybrid cloud solution makes certainty around security even more imperative.

Private Cloud Is Not Keeping Pace with Public Cloud Innovation

For hybrid cloud to be a worthwhile strategy, it can’t just be about running public and private clouds side by side. Both public and private need to offer agility and room to scale up your applications and databases. Many private cloud options simply do not have the same level of efficiency and features of public cloud offerings. For this reason, many hybrid cloud solutions cross into the realm of hybrid IT by incorporating an on-premise solution, usually a previously existing data center vs investing in a traditional private cloud environment.

Understanding these challenges for your company’s particular data landscape is an important first step toward building your strategy to thrive in a hybrid cloud environment. Learn more about hybrid cloud database management strategies in this complimentary eBook: 

Or download this webinar recording on Database Management for Hybrid Cloud.