Mastering multi-cloud networks: Best practices

According to a recent study by Flexera, 89% of organizations are embracing multi-cloud, up from 87% last year. But what exactly is multi-cloud networking, and what’s driving this trend? 

Multi-cloud networking is a strategy for using multiple cloud services from different providers simultaneously. This approach differs from hybrid cloud, which uses both on-premises infrastructure and cloud services.

The benefits are clear: Multi-cloud networking enables improved disaster recovery, increased flexibility, cost optimization, and the ability to leverage the best services from various cloud providers tailored to specific needs. However, navigating the complexities of managing multiple cloud environments while ensuring security and compliance can be challenging. 

This article will take a closer look at multi-cloud networking, discussing the various services and providers available, as well as the strategies and best practices you can use to effectively implement and manage this powerful technology.

Understanding the complexity of multi-cloud environments

Evaluating multi-cloud network orchestration tools

Orchestration tools simplify managing multiple cloud environments by providing a single control point for resources across various cloud providers. These tools offer a unified management interface that allows administrators to effectively monitor, control, and optimize their multi-cloud environments across different cloud platforms, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure.

Several orchestration tools are available in the market, each with its distinct features and capabilities: 

• Kubernetes: Often used for container orchestration, Kubernetes can manage applications across multiple clouds, providing scalability and portability.
• Terraform: This tool allows for infrastructure as code, enabling the automation and management of cloud resources across various providers.
• Apache Mesos: Facilitates resource sharing and workload management across multiple cloud environments.
• Cloudify: An open-source cloud orchestration tool that supports hybrid cloud deployments and automates the lifecycle of cloud applications.
• BMC Multi-Cloud Management: Provides comprehensive solutions for managing and optimizing resources across multiple cloud environments. It helps automate cloud operations and ensure compliance and security.
• Morpheus: A unified multi-cloud orchestration platform that provides complete control over application lifecycle management and infrastructure automation across different cloud environments.

When deciding which orchestration tool is best for your organization, be sure to consider factors such as user-friendliness, integration capabilities, automation features, and cost. 

Optimizing application delivery and performance

Leveraging multi-cloud strategies allows you to integrate different environments into a cohesive system, ensuring smooth communication and efficient resource management. To optimize application delivery and performance, consider the following techniques:

• Load balancing: Distribute traffic evenly across clouds to reduce the risk of overload and improve response times.
• Workload placement: Choose the right cloud for each workload based on its strengths, and strategically place workloads to minimize latency and ensure quick, efficient data processing and delivery.
• API utilization: Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) play a vital role in multi-cloud environments by enabling effortless integration, automation, and resource management. They allow you to manage applications, traffic, scaling, and performance monitoring across multiple clouds from a single interface.

Ensuring security and visibility across cloud platforms

Maintaining security and visibility in multi-cloud environments is crucial, as data and applications are dispersed across multiple cloud providers. However, this can be difficult due to challenges like data security risks, inconsistent access control, and varying security policies.

To address these challenges, organizations can deploy unified security management solutions that provide a centralized approach to managing security and visibility in multi-cloud environments. These solutions include: 

• Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tools for real-time monitoring and incident response.
• Centralized Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions for consistent access control and identity management. 
• Encryption services to protect data in transit and at rest, maintaining confidentiality and integrity.
• Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) tools to monitor cloud configurations and identify vulnerabilities. 
• Automated compliance checks to verify adherence to regulatory requirements.

Maintaining compliance

Each cloud provider may have its own compliance requirements, making it challenging to maintain a consistent compliance posture across the entire multi-cloud environment. To streamline compliance management, organizations can utilize unified compliance management tools offered by cloud providers, such as: 

• AWS Artifact: Provides access to AWS compliance reports and agreements. 
• Azure Compliance Manager: Offers compliance assessments and actionable insights. 
• Google Cloud’s Compliance Reports Manager: Helps manage compliance documents and reports. 

Best practices for multi-cloud networks

Implementing network policies

Consistent network policies across different cloud platforms are crucial in maintaining security and compliance in multi-cloud environments. Organizations can maintain data integrity and privacy across various cloud services by defining clear access controls, segmentation policies, and traffic management strategies.

“One of the key benefits of implementing consistent network policies is the ability to apply uniform policies across multiple clouds. This can be achieved through the use of centralized management tools, which simplify the administration of network resources and ensure that policies are consistently applied across different cloud platforms.” – Ryan MacDonald, Chief Technology Officer, Liquid Web

Major cloud providers offer various solutions for connecting and managing virtual networks. For example, AWS offers Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) peering, which allows you to connect two VPCs, enabling secure communication between them. Similarly, Azure Virtual Network allows you to connect Azure resources to each other and on-premises resources, while Google Cloud’s Virtual Private Cloud lets you create and manage virtual networks.

Optimizing application delivery and performance

In a multi-cloud environment, optimizing application delivery is vital in ensuring smooth user experiences. Performance monitoring, load balancing, and effective resource distribution are essential components of this process.

To enhance responsiveness and performance, techniques such as Content Delivery Network (CDN) deployment, application acceleration technologies, and edge computing can be employed. These strategies help reduce latency, improve caching, and optimize resource utilization, resulting in faster application delivery and improved user satisfaction.

Moreover, implementing automated scaling and resource allocation strategies is essential for optimal application performance under varying loads and across different cloud infrastructures.

Centralized logging and monitoring

Maintaining visibility and security across multiple cloud environments requires a comprehensive approach. A unified logging solution allows you to collect, aggregate, and analyze logs from all your cloud services in one place, providing a thorough view of your multi-cloud infrastructure. 

This centralized approach helps with compliance by providing a single record of all activities and events across your cloud infrastructure, which can be particularly useful for meeting regulatory requirements and providing evidence for audits or investigations.

Tools like Splunk offer centralized monitoring capabilities, making it easier to detect and respond to security incidents, performance issues, and compliance breaches. 

With Splunk, you can monitor and analyze logs from various cloud services, including AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and on-premises systems, so you can quickly identify and address issues that may arise.

Data backup and disaster recovery planning

In a multi-cloud environment, having secure data backup and disaster recovery plans is critical for preventing data loss and ensuring business continuity. With data spread across multiple cloud providers, implementing redundant backups is key to minimizing downtime and data loss.

A multi-cloud strategy should include regular backups across different cloud providers, which guarantees that data is safely stored and can be quickly restored in case of a disaster. Additionally, be sure to regularly test your disaster recovery plans to verify their effectiveness when needed.

Comparing networking services and providers 

Multi-cloud networking is about connecting different cloud services efficiently, securely, and in a way that meets your business’s specific needs.

Choosing the right provider for a multi-cloud strategy depends on several factors, including your business needs, existing infrastructure, and the level of integration and flexibility you need across different cloud environments. 

Each cloud provider possesses unique strengths and weaknesses, and understanding them is essential for making an informed decision. Here’s a breakdown of some of the popular networking services: 

AWS Networking Services

AWS offers a powerful set of networking services, including:

• Amazon VPC: Provides resource isolation and allows for customization of network settings.
• AWS Direct Connect: Enables dedicated network connections for high-bandwidth applications.
• AWS Transit Gateway: Supports network scaling and provides a single point of connection for multiple VPCs.

Google Cloud Networking Services

The Google Cloud Platform (GCP) provides flexible networking services, including:

• Google Cloud VPC: Offers customizable networking and supports multiple subnets.
• Google Cloud Interconnect: Provides dedicated network connections for high-bandwidth applications.
• Google Cloud Armor: Enhances security with Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) protection and Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security (SSL/TLS) encryption.

Microsoft Azure Networking Services

Azure offers isolated networking services, such as:

• Azure Virtual Network: Provides secure networking and supports multiple subnets.
• Azure ExpressRoute: Enables private connections for high-bandwidth applications.
• Azure Firewall: Enhances network protection with advanced security features.

To put things in perspective, here’s how these platforms stack up against each other: 

Enhance your multi-cloud strategy with Liquid Web

If you’re serious about optimizing your multi-cloud environment, it’s time to consider a hosting partner that can help you achieve your goals. 

Liquid Web is the perfect choice for businesses navigating the complexities of a distributed multi-cloud world. A comprehensive suite of solutions complements your existing cloud services, including: 

• Hosted private clouds: Enjoy a secure and scalable private cloud solution that meets your specific needs.
• Managed private clouds: Get expert management and support for your private cloud infrastructure, which leads to optimal performance and security.
• Disaster recovery services: Ensure business continuity with disaster recovery services that protect your data and applications.
• Advanced orchestration and automation tools: Streamline your cloud management with advanced automation tools that simplify and optimize your workflows.
• Secure networking capabilities: Secure your network with strong security features that protect your data and applications.

Liquid Web’s solutions are designed to work effortlessly with your existing tools and systems, ensuring a smooth transition to a multi-cloud environment. Their team of cloud professionals is available 24/7 to provide expert guidance and support, helping you resolve any issues that may arise. Moreover, Liquid Web’s pricing is competitive and cost-effective, allowing you to focus on your business goals without breaking the bank.

Explore Liquid Web’s hosting solutions today to enhance your multi-cloud net strategy!