Multicloud Connectivity & Low-latency: 5 Aspects to Consider

More and more organizations are opting for a multicloud strategy, where workloads run in different clouds. This often involves a combination of public cloud, private cloud, co-location, and on-premise.

The majority of companies using the cloud initially use the internet for connectivity to access the cloud. The internet is ubiquitous, highly accessible, and provides connectivity to virtually every cloud environment, making it multicloud. However, the downside is that strict SLA (Service Level Agreement) on this connectivity is not possible.

To ensure a strict SLA, specific direct cloud connectivity is needed.

Here are things to consider:

The implementation of a multicloud strategy requires solid knowledge. To continue benefiting from the advantages of the multicloud environment in the future, it is crucial to make the right choices from the beginning.

1. Multicloud Connectivity

The strong rise of the cloud means that, in addition to environments from well-known cloud service providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, more specific applications like SAP, Salesforce, etc., are being offered directly via the cloud. Therefore, preferably opt for multi-port access to the cloud. The benefits include:

• Flexibility to work with multiple cloud providers in the future.
  
• Freedom to choose the cloud provider that best fits your needs.
• Economical scalability resulting in the most advantageous solution.

2. Guaranteed Bandwidth

When it comes to cloud connectivity, there are roughly two options: either a connection over the internet (via an IPSEC tunnel) or using a dedicated layer-2 connection. However, an internet connection offers little network and routing stability and no predictable latency. To ensure guaranteed bandwidth and complete transparency, use a managed connectivity service provider.

3. Low-latency

Especially for real-time applications, low-latency is crucial. It is influenced by various elements in the network, such as the distance that needs to be covered, the applied encryption, and the number of PoPs (Points of Presence) in the network. Choosing connections that bridge large distances at an optical level prevents latency at layers 2 and 3. Additionally, network-specific intelligence can dynamically optimize connections to continuously guarantee the lowest latency. An additional advantage is that in the event of a cable break, the redundant second shortest route is automatically used.

4. Redundancy

When using cloud services, their continuity and availability are crucial. A guaranteed redundant connection is indispensable. To ensure that users do not experience a noticeable difference between the primary and redundant connections, it is essential that the route of the redundant connection is also fully focused on keeping latency as low as possible.

5. Encryption

Depending on the sensitivity of the data, there are different encryption options. Consider future developments and new laws and regulations, such as quantum encryption and NIS2. There is also the option to choose ExpressRoute directly as cloud connectivity, enabling MACSEC in addition to IPSEC. The benefits include less overhead, lower latency, and higher bandwidth.

Want to know more?

As specialists in the field of connectivity, our experts have in-depth knowledge and experience with all aspects related to multicloud connectivity. Would you like to exchange thoughts on this matter? Feel free to contact us at your convenience!