Abstract: A hybrid computing apparatus comprises a virtualization module receiving a task from a client application, defining a service call for the task, receiving a service result, and transmitting the service result to the client application. A layer 2 software-defined networking (SDN) component receives the service call from the virtualization module via a layer 3 SDN component, transmits the service call to a processing unit, receives the service result from the processing unit, and forwards the service result to the virtualization module via the layer 3 SDN component. The task may be split into several service calls transmitted to several processing units, from which sub-results are received and combined. A combination comprises two apparatuses, in which the virtualization module and the layer 3 SDN component are disabled in a second apparatus. The layer 2 SDN component of the second apparatus communicates with the layer 3 SDN component of a first apparatus.