Hybrid Cloud Architecture: Definitions, Types, and Design Principles

Hybrid cloud is defined as an IT architecture that interconnects multiple clouds—public, private, and on‑premises—through dedicated links or VPNs, enabling applications to communicate across environments.

The article distinguishes hybrid cloud from multi‑cloud, noting that hybrid cloud requires explicit network connectivity, whereas multi‑cloud relies on cloud‑management platforms (CMP) and OpenAPI for resource management.

Four typical hybrid scenarios are described: (1) public‑to‑public cloud mixing, (2) private‑to‑private cloud mixing, (3) public‑private cloud integration, and (4) public cloud combined with traditional IT infrastructure.

Key architectural characteristics of hybrid cloud are highlighted: elasticity (horizontal scaling across clouds), scalability (unified APIs allowing rapid integration of third‑party services), and security (higher complexity requiring unified security management and protection across heterogeneous environments).

Design goals are organized around the “five‑connectivity” concept: data‑center connectivity, network connectivity, data connectivity, application connectivity, and management connectivity, each enabling seamless resource orchestration and unified control.

The article connects hybrid cloud to the broader “new infrastructure” (new‑type infrastructure) agenda, explaining how cloud computing, 5G, IoT, and satellite internet form the information‑infrastructure layer that fuels digital transformation, big‑data processing, and AI‑driven intelligence.

Industry forecasts from Gartner and IDC are cited, predicting that hybrid cloud will dominate the cloud market, accounting for roughly 67% of total cloud spend, and will be the primary architecture for future digital‑economy workloads.