Is your organization really using hybrid analytics?
By Drew Clarke, VP ofCloud, Qlik
The simple definition of hybrid cloud is
a computing environment that uses a mix of on-premise, private cloud, and/or
public cloud infrastructure to deliver services, with orchestration between the
platforms. Hybrid cloud joins multiple
clouds – or on-premise installations with cloud-based installations. Under that
general definition, many vendors will claim “hybrid cloud analytics” in their
marketing verbiage. However, you have to get into a little more of the details
to better understand what value you are getting.
a computing environment that uses a mix of on-premise, private cloud, and/or
public cloud infrastructure to deliver services, with orchestration between the
platforms. Hybrid cloud joins multiple
clouds – or on-premise installations with cloud-based installations. Under that
general definition, many vendors will claim “hybrid cloud analytics” in their
marketing verbiage. However, you have to get into a little more of the details
to better understand what value you are getting.
For example, being able to publish an analytical
application (or sheet for some) from an on-premise installation to a cloud
offering could be valuable, but it’s not hybrid cloud analytics.
application (or sheet for some) from an on-premise installation to a cloud
offering could be valuable, but it’s not hybrid cloud analytics.
There are a few key ingredients that we use to
define our approach for hybrid cloud analytics:
define our approach for hybrid cloud analytics:
Transparency – First
off, a hybrid cloud analytics solution is completely transparent to the end
users of where the data resides, and where the analysis happens. Any user
should be able to access their environment, from any device, and choose what data
and/or applications they want to view and interact with, regardless of where it
sits and runs. You should have universal
hub which represents everything available to a user based on their role
and security permissions, not the location of where things reside and
run.
off, a hybrid cloud analytics solution is completely transparent to the end
users of where the data resides, and where the analysis happens. Any user
should be able to access their environment, from any device, and choose what data
and/or applications they want to view and interact with, regardless of where it
sits and runs. You should have universal
hub which represents everything available to a user based on their role
and security permissions, not the location of where things reside and
run.
Location Enforcement
– For many reasons, customers may choose that data sources – and/or the
analysis that is run against those data sources – stay in a particular
environment. Typically, they want to
restrict data and/or the analytical applications with that data to an
on-premise environment, behind their own firewall. This may be due to several
reasons including but not limited to industry regulations or data that
represents a company’s most secret competitive weapon. Regardless, we believe a
properly governed solution enables organizations to define rules around where
data and/or the analysis on that data can be stored or run. For example, you
might choose that a particular data source is too sensitive to allow outside of
the firewall, and that any analytical application that uses that data source
should also therefore run behind the firewall. By simply designating this in a
management console, you can create enforcement rules on where things can and
will reside based on that data set.
– For many reasons, customers may choose that data sources – and/or the
analysis that is run against those data sources – stay in a particular
environment. Typically, they want to
restrict data and/or the analytical applications with that data to an
on-premise environment, behind their own firewall. This may be due to several
reasons including but not limited to industry regulations or data that
represents a company’s most secret competitive weapon. Regardless, we believe a
properly governed solution enables organizations to define rules around where
data and/or the analysis on that data can be stored or run. For example, you
might choose that a particular data source is too sensitive to allow outside of
the firewall, and that any analytical application that uses that data source
should also therefore run behind the firewall. By simply designating this in a
management console, you can create enforcement rules on where things can and
will reside based on that data set.
Orchestrated Entitlement –
One obvious need is for organizations to be able to easily manage entitlements
and licensing for their user base across the hybrid cloud solution. This is a
basic element of “orchestration between the platforms”.
One obvious need is for organizations to be able to easily manage entitlements
and licensing for their user base across the hybrid cloud solution. This is a
basic element of “orchestration between the platforms”.
Bi-Directional Migration
– If the whole point is to enable customers to choose where data and analysis
should occur, based on their own criteria, then the solution must allow for
bi-directional migration to/from one infrastructure environment to another in
the hybrid cloud deployment.
– If the whole point is to enable customers to choose where data and analysis
should occur, based on their own criteria, then the solution must allow for
bi-directional migration to/from one infrastructure environment to another in
the hybrid cloud deployment.
Single Management Console –
A hybrid cloud analytical solution should be managed as one, seamless
environment across infrastructure boundaries, so it should be managed via a
single console.
A hybrid cloud analytical solution should be managed as one, seamless
environment across infrastructure boundaries, so it should be managed via a
single console.
With that in mind, when thinking about your
long-term hybrid cloud analytics strategy, ask your teams and vendors these
questions:
long-term hybrid cloud analytics strategy, ask your teams and vendors these
questions:
–
Can the user access data from any device
based on their role and security permissions and not be limited by restrictions
of where data resides?
Can the user access data from any device
based on their role and security permissions and not be limited by restrictions
of where data resides?
–
Can we define rules around where data
and/or the analysis on that data can be stored or run?
Can we define rules around where data
and/or the analysis on that data can be stored or run?
–
Can we create enforcement rules on where
things can and will reside based on the sensitivity and security of that
dataset?
Can we create enforcement rules on where
things can and will reside based on the sensitivity and security of that
dataset?
–
Can we manage user entitlements and
licensing between the platforms?
Can we manage user entitlements and
licensing between the platforms?
–
Can we migrate data to and from one
infrastructure environment to another?
Can we migrate data to and from one
infrastructure environment to another?
–
Can we manage all our data in one
seamless environment across cloud and on premise infrastructure?
Can we manage all our data in one
seamless environment across cloud and on premise infrastructure?
In essence, don’t be fooled by marketing speak.
To ascertain if your organization is using hybrid analytics, be sure to raise relevant
questions and use the above checklist of Transparency, Location enforcement,
Orchestrated entitlement, Bi-directional migration, and Single management
console.
To ascertain if your organization is using hybrid analytics, be sure to raise relevant
questions and use the above checklist of Transparency, Location enforcement,
Orchestrated entitlement, Bi-directional migration, and Single management
console.
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