Glossary›Storage Systems, Protocols, and Scale›Hybrid cloud storage

Hybrid cloud storage

Why does hybrid cloud storage matter?

Because most organizations already have it, planned or not. Active work stays on fast local storage close to users, while backups, archives, and extra capacity go to the cloud. Hybrid cloud storage lets each data set sit where it costs and performs best, and lets an organization add capacity without waiting for new hardware. The risk is that data ends up in more places than anyone can track.

What is an example of hybrid cloud storage?

A research lab keeps the data its scientists use every day on its own high-performance file storage, next to its compute cluster. Finished studies move to cloud object storage, and raw instrument data older than three years moves to a cloud archive tier. When a new study needs old results, researchers search one catalog that covers all three places and bring back only the files they need.

What is the difference between hybrid cloud and multi-cloud storage?

Hybrid cloud storage combines on-premises storage with the cloud. Multi-cloud storage uses more than one cloud provider, such as Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. Many organizations have both: storage on premises and in two or more clouds. The challenge is the same in both cases, because each system reports only on itself.

What are the challenges of hybrid cloud storage?

Most of them come from data being spread across systems that do not talk to each other:

• No single view: each storage system and each cloud account has its own console, so no one sees the whole estate.
• Duplicate copies: the same files often sit on premises and in the cloud, and both are paid for.
• Unexpected costs: cloud fees for requests and for reading data back out, called egress, add up when data moves often.
• Different metadata: file systems record owners and last access dates, while object storage usually does not, so the same rule can give different answers on each side.
• Location rules: some data must stay in a specific country, so the location of every copy must be known. See data sovereignty.

Which data should stay on premises and which should go to the cloud?

As a general rule, keep data that is read often, needs a fast response, or is sensitive on premises, close to the people and applications that use it. Send data that is rarely read, such as finished projects, archives, and backup copies, to the cloud, where it costs less to keep. Base the choice on access dates and sizes from your file metadata rather than on guesses, and include the cost of reading data back: data that comes back often can cost more in the cloud than on premises. Cloud tiering policies can then move it automatically.

How do you manage data across a hybrid cloud?

Start with one catalog. Index the metadata of every on-premises file system and every cloud bucket into one index, so each file is described the same way wherever it lives. Then set policies on that one description: what to tier, what to keep, what to delete, and who owns it. Scan again on a schedule so the catalog stays current as data moves between the two sides.

← Back to Storage Systems, Protocols, and Scale

Last updated: November 13, 2026.