Multi-Cloud Networking

What is it

Multi-cloud refers to the use of multiple private, public, and hybrid clouds for applications and infrastructure. Its adoption is often not planned, but occurs naturally, with industry analysts agreeing that enterprises need to embrace it rather than restrict its use.

In many cases, Multi-cloud networking occurs due to varying requirements from business units, or compelling cost benefits associated with a specific cloud provider in a region. Having the right architecture and operating model to support this environment is essential.

How it works

Multi-cloud networking builds of the same principles as cloud networks, but comes with additional layers of complexity by deploying services over multiple service provider environments and regions. 

In multi-cloud environments, we often see SD-WAN used as an intelligent edge that provides:

  • The abstraction layer between the underlay and overlay – use any underlay, and design the network at the overlay layer
  • Application-level and user-level policy management is critical for traffic classification, prioritization, and steering
  • Advanced analytics help identify trends and anomalies in the network, even in complex multi-cloud environments

What's expected of the enterprise WAN in a Multi-Cloud environment?

It starts with the underlay

  • Maximise provider choice
  • Leverage the best-preforming providers at each location on the network
  • Optimize for bandwidth – demand will continue to rise in a multi-cloud environment

More edge intelligence

  • Everything looks the same to a traditional router network – HTTPS traffic to external Ips
  • Need to be able to differentiate between critical business apps and lower-priority traffic
  • Not just transactional traffic – even demanding real-time traffic is moving to the cloud

CSPs offer new architectures

  • The ‘center of gravity’ of enterprise WANs is moving away from on-premises data centers
  • Cloud environments are no longer considered as spokes, but an integral part of the environment
  • Cloud providers offering more products to keep the traffic on their backbones – Azure Virtual WAN, AWS Transit Gateway, etc.

Integrated security is required

  • Backhauling traffic is no longer viable when it represents 80%+ of the usage of the WAN
  • Users expect to be able to operate everywhere with the same functionality – not just in the office environment
  • provide the right level of control and filtering for each type of traffic. An emerging ‘best practices’ set of functionality for integrating security and the WAN is called ‘Secure Access Service Edge’, or SASE. This allows for the best mix of edge functionality and cloud-scale services to address security as an integral part of the network.

Adoption

For many enterprises, the ‘center of gravity’ of the WAN is moving toward cloud providers. Despite this, the consistent approach that Coevolve hears from enterprises is that the traditional approach for WAN does not work with this multi-cloud model. With Coevolve’s well-versed cloud experience, enterprises can deploy and optimize their cloud workloads to meet their business needs in the best way possible from a performance or cost perceptive.

Learn about Coevolve's Multi-Cloud Network Management

Software-Defined Wide Area Network in Multi-Cloud Networking

With traditional WAN architecture unsuitable for a model cloud model, enterprises need to rethink how they can handle distributed applications and data-heavy workloads in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

Read eGuide

Client Success Story
MPC Kinetic

Segregating Network Traffic Across Multiple Isolated Sites: VMware SD-WAN and Coevolve implement a software-defined solution that provided total network control and cost savings.

Read case study

Ahead of the Cloud Episode 4
Multi-Cloud Networking and Deployment Challenges

In this episode we dive into how enterprises can overcome the challenges associated with multi-cloud deployments, and provide secure connectivity into and between cloud environments?

Listen here