As the computing needs of healthcare organizations expand and evolve, forward-thinking hospitals and health systems are looking to the cloud as a cost effective way to house infrastructure as well as applications. One specific type of cloud configuration—the hybrid cloud—involves leveraging public and private cloud resources along with dedicated servers to realize a computing model that delivers scalability, security, speed and performance.
When Does Using a Hybrid Cloud Make Sense?
Put simply, the hybrid cloud is a network configuration that includes a combination of internal hardware, private cloud resources and public cloud capabilities, such as those offered by Amazon or Google. An organization can seamlessly go between a hybrid cloud's different entities to access all of its data and infrastructure.
The primary advantage of a hybrid cloud is that it gives organizations the ability to rapidly, securely and cost-effectively increase the scale and flexibility of their computing power.
There are several situations in which this advantage is attractive. For example, if a hospital has a short-term burst in computing needs—such as when it chooses to conduct a large-scale study involving complex data—it may want to use a hybrid cloud to manage the increase in scope. The organization will have to rapidly scale up for the big project and then reduce capacity after it finishes. Instead of investing in hardware to accommodate the short-term need, which may be quite expensive or even cost prohibitive, an organization can send the extra workload to the public cloud, using its computing power to facilitate data analysis. This would allow the private cloud and any other internal resources to continue supporting operations without interruption.
Disaster recovery and data archiving are other functions made easier by cloud technology. Historically, if healthcare organizations wanted to ensure their records would not be lost during a disaster or if they wanted to archive old information, they would have to pay for off-site storage in a data center, often located in a different region. This can be an expensive option, requiring the organization to lease facility space, pay for utilities, hire appropriate staff and so on. On the other hand, the cloud offers a relatively inexpensive method for storing and protecting information without the added infrastructure costs. In fact, organizations may find the public cloud to be a more cost-effective solution than even the private cloud.
Determining if a Hybrid Approach is Right for You
While a hybrid model has its benefits, it is not meant for everyone. Before embracing this tactic, organizations should carefully assess their current computing operations as well as future goals. The following are key questions to keep in mind during the review process.
1. Are your computing requirements growing? As mentioned previously, a hybrid cloud is a comparatively inexpensive way to increase scale and flexibility. If an organization has several short-term, large-scale projects on the horizon, a hybrid model may be a logical choice to support fluctuating computing needs, especially if an organization has a limited budget for capital expenditures.
2. Are you thinking about investing in new IT hardware? If your organization is looking to revamp existing hardware, it is a good time to explore cloud resources. Before sinking money into new servers and computers, consider whether some of your computing requirements can be met through the cloud. Conversely, if your organization has already invested significant funds in infrastructure, it may not be the best time to pursue a hybrid model. In this case, organizations may want to optimize their new servers and computers before leveraging the cloud.
3. Is your current system sufficiently reliable? In healthcare, it is critical for computers to remain online and operable 24/7/365. Getting to that level of reliability can be expensive. Because a hybrid uses both internal and external resources, it can cost-effectively increase a system's reliability, preventing outages that could negatively impact patient care.
4. How confident are you in your data security? One of the main hesitations organizations have with cloud technology is perceived security concerns. Many hospitals and health systems are afraid to put their data on the cloud, particularly patient data that falls within HIPAA's purview. However, with robust encryption, data can remain secure in a private or public cloud—as secure as it would be in an internal data center. The reality is that strong data security protocols can protect data no matter where it resides, and poor controls can open the organization up to risk. For this reason, it is important to assess your security protocols closely, to make sure you can fully protect data regardless of location.
5. Are your architectures and applications cloud-ready? Not every solution transitions well to the cloud. For example, the cloud does not accommodate proprietary hardware and software easily. Organizations should check if their systems comply with open standards because standards-based applications will transition to the public cloud more smoothly while proprietary systems may work better in a local data center or private cloud.
The decision to use a hybrid cloud should not be made lightly. By taking time to consider whether this approach is a good fit, organizations can ensure they optimize their computing resources, supporting both existing and long-term data needs.
Shane Aubel is director, infrastructure strategy and Chris Jackson is an infrastructure services subject matter expert at Systems Made Simple, a leading provider of IT systems and services to support critical architecture, data, and application challenges in the healthcare industry.
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