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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between hybrid cloud and multi-cloud?
Hybrid cloud combines private infrastructure (on-premises or private cloud) with public cloud services, connected by a private network or VPN. Multi-cloud uses services from multiple public cloud providers (AWS + Azure + GCP) without necessarily including private infrastructure. Many enterprises use both: a hybrid multi-cloud architecture that spans on-premises, private cloud, and multiple public clouds.
When should you repatriate workloads from cloud to on-premises?
Cloud repatriation makes financial sense when: (1) cloud costs exceed on-premises TCO at sustained utilization above 40–60%, (2) data egress fees are significant (common with analytics workloads), (3) latency requirements cannot be met by cloud regions, (4) data sovereignty regulations require on-premises storage, or (5) AI/ML workloads require dedicated GPU infrastructure. DCS Global's cloud repatriation assessment quantifies the break-even point for your specific workloads.
What is FinOps and why does it matter?
FinOps (Financial Operations for cloud) is a practice that brings financial accountability to cloud spending by creating shared ownership between engineering, finance, and business teams. Organizations without FinOps practices typically overspend on cloud by 30–40% through idle resources, oversized instances, and unoptimized storage. FinOps tools include AWS Cost Explorer, Azure Cost Management, and third-party platforms like CloudHealth and Apptio Cloudability.
Key Terms
An IT architecture combining on-premises infrastructure with public cloud services, connected by a private network and managed through a unified platform.
The process of moving workloads from public cloud back to on-premises or private cloud infrastructure, typically driven by cost, performance, or compliance requirements.
A cloud financial management practice that enables organizations to maximize business value by helping engineering, finance, and business teams collaborate on data-driven cloud spending decisions.
A physically isolated location within a cloud region with independent power, cooling, and networking, designed to provide fault isolation.
Buyer\'s Guide
Questions to ask when evaluating cloud solutions.
Why it matters: Vendor lock-in is the primary risk of cloud adoption. Organizations without exit strategies face 3–5x higher migration costs when switching providers or repatriating workloads.
Red flag: Cloud providers who cannot provide data portability guarantees and migration tooling.
Why it matters: Identity federation between on-premises Active Directory and cloud IAM is the most common failure point in hybrid cloud deployments, causing security incidents and operational friction.
Red flag: Proposals that treat on-premises and cloud identity as separate systems.
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