Cloud bursting is a cloud resource usage model in which the primary workload is handled by on-premise or private infrastructure, while additional computing resources are temporarily obtained from a public cloud during peak loads. This approach enables dynamic scaling of capacity without the need to permanently expand in-house infrastructure.
Cloud bursting is used in scenarios where workloads are irregular and periodically exceed the capacity of on-premise or private cloud environments. Instead of purchasing excess servers, organizations use public cloud resources only during peak demand, optimizing costs while maintaining control over their core infrastructure.
How cloud bursting works
At the core of cloud bursting is the integration of a local environment with a public cloud. Applications and services are designed so that when certain load thresholds are reached, part of the computation or workload is automatically shifted to the cloud environment. Once the load decreases, the public cloud resources are released.
To implement cloud bursting, orchestration, load balancing, and automatic scaling mechanisms are used. Network connectivity, secure data transfer, and configuration consistency between on-premise and cloud environments play a critical role.
Cloud bursting use cases
Cloud bursting is widely used in compute-intensive workloads and systems with seasonal or event-driven demand. Typical scenarios include analytical processing, big data workloads, rendering, testing and development, and web applications with sudden traffic spikes.
In enterprise environments, cloud bursting is applied to improve fault tolerance and ensure service continuity without continuously increasing on-premise capacity.
The role of cloud bursting in hybrid clouds
Cloud bursting is one of the key concepts of hybrid cloud architecture. It allows organizations to combine the advantages of local infrastructure and public clouds by keeping sensitive data and critical services in private environments while offloading scaling requirements to external cloud resources.
This approach requires careful architectural design, as not all applications and systems can easily adapt to dynamic workload distribution across environments.
Benefits of cloud bursting
Key benefits of cloud bursting include:
- reduced capital expenditures on infrastructure
- flexible scaling for peak workloads
- lower risk of overloading local systems
- the ability to use cloud resources on demand
At the same time, cloud bursting can increase architectural complexity and impose higher requirements on security and data management.
Limitations and considerations
Cloud bursting is not suitable for all scenarios. It is less effective for applications with consistently high workloads or strict latency requirements. Compatibility, licensing, and data transfer costs between environments must also be taken into account.