Hybrid cloud integration platform
Enterprises no longer exist solely within one location, today’s businesses are global and need to share data across on-premises locations, the cloud, and devices. Hybrid enterprises need hybrid cloud integration.
As businesses innovate and deploy new cloud-based technology, more data is needed from these legacy systems. Integrating cloud and legacy systems in a point-to-point fashion does not scale new business demands.
Hybrid integration is a viable option for enterprises that are looking to innovate without fully replacing their legacy system with a cloud solution.
What is hybrid cloud integration?
Hybrid cloud integration is a means of connecting business systems using a combination of on-premises and cloud integrations for enterprise-wide connectivity. This type of integration platform allows for existing enterprise applications and systems to work seamlessly with new cloud-based solutions.
These integration platforms are often used by businesses that want to leverage data within an on-prem legacy system while taking advantage of the latest cloud-based technology. Hybrid integration allows businesses to customize their integrations to fit their exact needs.
This type of integration provides a middle ground for enterprises. A flexible integration platform assures that data from on-prem legacy systems can integrate with cloud systems, without the need for a full system overhaul.
With the right hybrid cloud integration platform, businesses can:
- Run applications both on-prem or any other public or private cloud.
- Manage runtimes across a hybrid IT environment from a single management view.
- Move apps between cloud and on-prem environments without rewriting code.
- Reduce operational overhead by deploying apps and APIs in Dockerized containers.
Top 5 on-premises to cloud integration challenges
No 1: Locked legacy data
Many enterprises have data that is inaccessible because it is stored in a legacy system. This valuable data cannot be left behind, so making a full switch from on-prem to a cloud-based solution is not an option for some enterprises.
No. 2: Security and compliance issues
With cloud-based models, there is a higher security risk as cloud data is stored outside the enterprise’s firewall. In many organizations, sensitive data must be controlled and managed to meet security and compliance measures. This is even more of a challenge as employees bring their own devices and need to access data from within the firewall.
No. 3: Slow to digitally transform
Digital transformation is no overnight task, especially in legacy-heavy enterprises. These slow-moving organizations need several months to switch to a cloud integration platform but also need to make the switch without interrupting access to existing data and systems.
No. 4: Lost value in systems and data
Significant time and resources go into setting up, maintaining, and governing enterprise systems. Ripping and replacing legacy systems will waste years of investment and often require a rebuild of integrations in the new system. Some enterprises would lose valuable data when it is moved from on-prem to the cloud.
No. 5: Heavy-lifting for IT
Switching from on-prem integration to cloud integration can require significant effort from IT when built with custom code. Businesses need to ramp up system integrations quickly to stay competitive.
5 ways hybrid integration addresses top challenges
No 1: Unlock legacy data
Hybrid cloud integration bridges the gap between existing enterprise systems (legacy, databases, warehouses, applications) and newly available solutions, like SaaS/PaaS, BYOD, B2B/B2C, and big data. Rather than moving this data to an entirely new solution, hybrid integration allows information to be taken from existing systems.
No 2: Meet regulations
Hybrid integration allows businesses to use cloud-based solutions for certain less-sensitive data sets while keeping sensitive data safe behind the on-prem firewall. This allows businesses to choose which data is stored where and monitor the movement, ownership, and access to that data.
No 3: Move at your own pace
Hybrid cloud integration allows enterprises to move at their own pace while still taking advantage of all the data and solutions they need to succeed.
No. 4: Retain system and data value
Businesses maximize the use of their data and applications by bringing them together in a hybrid format. One way many companies do this is by putting a cloud service layer over their legacy system to get the best out of both technologies.
No 5: Transform gradually
With hybrid integration, businesses can digitally transform, innovate, and gain a competitive edge from new technology without too much overhaul that comes with a total data transfer.
How LuxAir Group integrated SAP and Oracle with cloud-based solutions
MuleSoft’s Anypoint Platform hybrid cloud infrastructure is built into the Mule runtime architecture. This feature allows businesses to run the same APIs or applications across multiple cloud environments or on-prem legacy systems.
MuleSoft provides both a fully hosted and managed cloud solution. It offers Dockerized containers for running and managing Mule apps. Anypoint Platform has flexible deployments and unified management of hybrid integrations.
LuxairGroup was looking to drive innovation within its enterprise, however, its infrastructure made it difficult to add new systems and innovate quickly. Much of their data was stored in legacy systems.
Upon implementing MuleSoft’s Anypoint Platform, they were able to expose data from legacy systems, like SAP and Oracle, while still integrating with cloud-based solutions. With hybrid integration, LuxairGroup could innovate while retaining the value of its legacy systems.
Learn more about hybrid cloud integration best practices by downloading our whitepaper.