As enterprises migrate their workloads to IBM Cloud, they often face the challenge of establishing secure and reliable connectivity between different cloud service providers, especially in regulated industries. In this article, we will explore some common questions and provide an overview of the key concepts and approaches that enterprises can utilize to connect IBM application workloads to other clouds. By understanding these options, enterprises can evaluate and determine the best connectivity offerings for their specific use case.

Summary

Regulated industries, such as insurance, banking, and healthcare, often have complex business processes that require specialized services or applications that may not be available on the same cloud provider. Additionally, enterprises may have on-premises applications or they may partner with managed service providers who operate on different clouds. The need for multicloud connectivity arises in these situations to ensure seamless communication and data exchange between application components. IBM Cloud provides a variety of connectivity options for regulated workloads, including public internet interfaces, virtual private networks (VPNs), connectivity through provider networks, and direct connectivity at co-location data center facilities.

FAQs

1. Why are regulated workload components spread across multiple clouds?

Regulated industries have complex business processes and workflows that require specialized services or applications that may not be available on the same cloud provider. Additionally, enterprises often have on-premises applications or partner with managed service providers that operate on different clouds. Multicloud deployments allow these components to be spread across multiple clouds to meet compliance requirements, reduce vulnerability to outages, and lower the risk of vendor lock-in.

2. What are the typical workloads that require multicloud connectivity?

Workloads that require multicloud connectivity can be categorized into application data exchange, batch data transfer, administration access, monitoring and tooling data transfer, and data replication. These workloads involve client/server communication, batch data transfers, administrative remote access, monitoring data transfer, and data replication between systems and components running on different cloud providers.

3. How are IBM Cloud regulated workloads set up and connected to other clouds?

IBM Cloud provides the VPC-based reference architecture for regulated industries, such as insurance and banking. Enterprises can follow this architecture to securely connect multicloud application workloads on IBM Cloud to other clouds and on-premises networks. Connectivity options include IBM Cloud VPC offerings, such as Site-to-Site VPN and Direct Link Connect, which provide secure and private connectivity over the public internet or through partner networks.

4. What are the different ways multicloud workloads can connect and communicate?

There are three main approaches to establish connectivity between workloads running across different cloud providers: over the public internet, through connectivity partner networks, and direct connectivity at the data center facility. IBM Cloud offers various connectivity options, including public internet interfaces, VPNs, direct links through partner networks, and direct physical connectivity at co-location data center facilities.

Wrap up

Enterprises in regulated industries can leverage IBM Cloud’s VPC-based reference architecture and connectivity offerings to securely connect multicloud application workloads. By utilizing options such as Site-to-Site VPN and Direct Link, enterprises can establish reliable and cost-effective connectivity between clouds, meeting their business and technical requirements.

Learn more about IBM Cloud for Financial Services here.

For a more detailed comparison of key factors to consider when evaluating multicloud connectivity, stay tuned for our next blog post.