Embracing Supercloud

Lori MacVittie at F5 explains how embracing Supercloud networking can simplify multi-cloud operations

 

A number of factors have created a pressing need for organisations to streamline their operations such as the growth of hybrid IT environments and widespread multi-cloud adoption for AI, security and global expansion.

 

Plus, forecasts are predicting that companies spending on cloud computing infrastructure will be over $1 trillion this year for the first time. Put together, it’s not surprising that businesses feel a need to modernise and improve their operations, which is exactly what supercloud networking sets out to do. 

 

“Supercloud” as a concept isn’t new and has been around for a few years. Some may dismiss it as yet another piece of tech jargon in a sea of buzzwords, but it is gaining significant momentum in cloud networking, as it embodies a vision rather than a specific technology like Extended Berkeley Packet Filter (eBPF) or WebAssembly (WASM).

 

The objective of the supercloud is to untangle the intricate web of management complexities that organisations are having to tackle. This convolutedness is due to the differences between their existing built-in tools and APIs required to deploy, operate, and monitor apps and APIs across various cloud platforms already in use. 

 

To understand the importance of the Supercloud and its potential value, it is essential to understand  the advantages and potential obstacles of multi-cloud deployments. 

 

Let’s start by explaining what Supercloud is. 

 

Understanding Supercloud

As I see it, “Supercloud, at its core, is a cloud architecture that enables hybrid IT to seamlessly operate every layer of the IT stack across different cloud providers, traditional on-premises setups and cloud environments, and at the edge.”  

 

If we want Supercloud to move from vision into reality, the first step is to address the foundational layer of the IT stack: infrastructure. That’s the connective tissue between the data centre and public cloud – the networking layers that make it possible not only for consumers to consume, but also for packets to pass from point A to point B and for clients to call. The solution proposed to simplify connectivity is often called multi-cloud networking or MCN in the market. 

 

Essentially, multi-cloud networking simplifies connectivity by standardising the way networks are established and operate across all environments – both public and private cloud, in the data centre or even at the edge.

 

By creating a unified networking mesh across all properties and when approached strategically, multi-cloud networking can help organisations to eliminate the complexity of multi-cloud environments. To this end, it employs consistent constructs, configurations, and management consoles to operate and monitor across all locations. This approach enhances security, performance and scalability, enabling businesses to adapt more quickly to changing demands.  

 

Choosing the one for you

Nevertheless, different multi-cloud networking solutions offer different capabilities. It is therefore essential to assess the solution for its security and application performance optimisation abilities, in addition to connect multiple properties. 

 

There will still be challenges for many organisations looking beyond the time and money saving opportunities of cloud migration, namely around security and data protection. Therefore, if no comprehensive security measures are introduced, the solution will only eliminate some of the complexity, without dealing with the challenge of applying consistent security across all applications. 

 

The consequence of this is leaving organisations and their applications vulnerable to cyber threats, undermining the integrity of their entire IT infrastructure. Incorporating these Supercloud services into a multi-cloud networking solution further streamlines operations by offering standardised tools to manage a unified console.

 

Why choose Supercloud simplicity

Complexity introduced by the need to optimise application performance is just as important to address – since no one connects clouds just for the sake of it. Businesses that incorporate multiple clouds do so to achieve global reach, accelerate growth through rapid scale, or make the most of AI services to gain a competitive advantage. 

 

As the need to adopt new platforms and as-a-service offerings grows for organisations, optimising application performance is crucial to maximising the benefits of multi-cloud environments. 

 

This ultimately means enhancing applications and APIs – and applications need application services. These are security and delivery technologies that optimise, secure, and scale applications and APIs. They are a part of the connective tissue, often surfacing as proxy-based solutions that provide capabilities like identifying and stopping bots, defending against DDoS, and automatically adjusting delivery location to ensure the best user experience possible. 

 

These services, too, add to the complex ball of yarn that makes delivering digital services today an often frustrating – and costly – task. Multi-cloud networking that includes application services as part and parcel of the solution can offer the same benefits of standardisation as that of the network – lower cost, similar tools, and a single console through which to manage them. 

 

The benefits of multi-cloud networking

The ideal multi-cloud networking solution should address challenges that customers face when operating across multiple cloud and data centre environments, including the following:  

1. Guaranteeing uniform security for all applications and APIs 
2. Managing complexity and costs related to diverse tools, APIs, and consoles 
3. Boosting application performance  

For almost a decade, these challenges have consistently topped the list of multi-cloud challenges. Supercloud aims to address these issues, with multi-cloud networking serving as the foundational building block for achieving this vision. 

 

Multi-cloud networking should be established with these complexities front of mind, if organisations really want to pave the way for a more streamlined approach to hybrid IT management.  

 

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Lori MacVittie is a Distinguished Engineer at F5 

 

Main image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com and Just_Super