Hello everyone,

I’m currently in the process of setting up Storage Area Network (SAN) storage within a hybrid cloud architecture and would love to hear your thoughts on the best practices for doing so effectively. Integrating on-prem SAN with public cloud services is no small task, and I want to ensure that my setup is both secure, efficient, and scalable. Below are some of the key challenges and considerations I’m facing. If you’ve worked with hybrid cloud SAN setups, your input would be highly appreciated!

Here are a few things I’ve been considering, but I’d love to hear more from those with experience:

1. Network Configuration: Use a dedicated high-speed connection for SAN traffic and consider using VPN or private links like AWS Direct Connect or Azure ExpressRoute for secure, high-performance communication between on-premises and the cloud.

2. Data Replication: For cloud-native solutions, AWS Storage Gateway or Azure Site Recovery can integrate on-prem SAN with cloud storage for replication. But if you’re looking for flexibility, investigate third-party options like Veeam or Zerto.

3. Security: Make sure to use encryption both at rest and in transit. Also, implement strict IAM roles in the cloud, and use multi-factor authentication for additional access control.

4. Scalability: Leverage cloud storage services like AWS S3 or Azure Blob Storage as extensions of your SAN. Set up automated scaling policies for cloud storage to keep it cost-effective.

5. Disaster Recovery: Consider a hybrid cloud disaster recovery solution such as Zerto or Veeam. They offer seamless failover between on-prem SAN and cloud storage, which is critical during outages.

Any insights or recommendations based on real-world setups would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.