Method and apparatus for secure hybrid cloud connectivity

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing program instructions for secure hybrid cloud connectivity between an application in a public cloud service and an on-premises service supported by an on-premises appliance without modifying a configuration of an on-premises firewall, wherein access to the on-premises appliance is restricted via the on-premises firewall, wherein execution of the program instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:

• launching a public cloud gateway appliance in the public cloud service, the public cloud gateway appliance configured with security information associated with the on-premises appliance;
• providing the on-premises appliance with contact information associated with the public cloud gateway appliance;
• and
• establishing, by the on-premises appliance using an outbound port of the on-premises appliance, a communication channel from the on-premises appliance to the public cloud gateway appliance, wherein
• the contact information associated with the public cloud gateway appliance is used by the on-premises appliance to locate the public cloud gateway for establishing the communication channel,
• the communication channel is secured based on the security information associated with the on-premises appliance, and
• the communication channel provides inbound connectivity for the application in the public cloud service to the on-premises service through the on-premises firewall,
• wherein no inbound connection is initiated by the public cloud gateway appliance to the on-premises service through the on-premises firewall.

A system in a cloud architecture for secure hybrid cloud connectivity between an application in a public cloud service and an on-premises service supported by an on-premises appliance without modifying a configuration of an on-premises firewall, wherein access to the on-premises appliance is restricted via the on-premises firewall, the system comprising:

• memory;
• and
• one or more processors configured to:
• launch a public cloud gateway appliance in the public cloud service, the public cloud gateway appliance configured with security information associated with the on-premises appliance;
• provide the on-premises appliance with contact information associated with the public cloud gateway appliance;
• and
• establish, by the on-premises appliance using an outbound port of the on-premises appliance, a communication channel from the on-premises appliance to the public cloud gateway appliance, wherein
• the contact information associated with the public cloud gateway appliance is used by the on-premises appliance to locate the public cloud gateway for establishing the communication channel,
• the communication channel is secured based on the security information associated with the on-premises appliance, and
• the communication channel provides inbound connectivity for the application in the public cloud service to the on-premises service through the on-premises firewall,
• wherein no inbound connection is initiated by the public cloud gateway appliance to the on-premises service through the on-premises firewall.