10 steps to understanding

your IT before moving to cloud

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10 steps to understanding your IT before moving to cloud

It is a misnomer that cloud computing is perfect for every aspect of a business,

or indeed for all businesses. But the overwhelming majority of commercial

companies can greatly benefit from implementing this technology effectively.

The reality is that the overwhelming majority of businesses will move away from

on-premise computing in the near future, with analysts already predicting that 80%

of SMEs will be utilising the cloud by the end of the decade.

Commercial Necessity

Eventually the time will come when failing to embrace the cloud will put a

business at such a commercial disadvantage that it will simply be a no-brainer to

sign up for the technology. The benefits of cloud computing, particularly its

scalability and flexibility, have been well documented, and more and more

businesses are getting on board with this revolutionary form of computing as a

consequence.

But the concept of computing elasticities and being able to carry out business

quicker and more efficiently can only be realised if cloud is put into place

satisfactorily in the first place. In this sense, businesses need to understand

precisely what form of cloud provision will suit their needs, and the best way to

put it into operation to suit their particular requirements.

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Three Cloud Platforms

So the first important thing to understand are the three particular cloud platforms.

Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) refers to the delivery of components such as

hardware, software, data center space, networking and storage. This is

effectively the foundation of your cloud setup.

Platform as a service (PaaS) is a bit more complicated to explain, but it

effectively refers to a combination of IaaS and a set of middleware, software

development and deployment tools. This particular element of cloud computing

is very much related to creativity, development and the deployment of the cloud

within a business.

Software as a service (SaaS) is an application which is created and hosted by a

service provider. Within this particular model of cloud computing, users do not

have a direct impact over the cloud environment; this is instead completely in

the hands of an external provider. In many ways, this can be a good way for

companies that are uncertain about the cloud, but want to adopt it for the first

time, to dip their toes into the water.

Before moving to cloud, businesses should understand that the cloud is not

merely a technology but also a complete transformation in their internal systems

and operations. In order to successfully adopt the cloud, it is absolutely essential

to profoundly understand the environment your existing IT is operating in, and

this particularly entails identifying the workloads that will best fit your target

cloud environment. This is simply the best way to ensure a return on investment

and to get the best ultimate cloud environment for your business.

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Ten Key Steps

So before you blindly stumble into cloud computing, the following ten factors

should be considered closely.

1. Business impact: This must come first on the list. Ultimately, cloud

computing will have a positive impact on your business, but it is generally

advisable to move less critical applications first.

2. Production versus testing: It is important to test the cloud environment

effectively, but production within a business must also come into consideration.

Utilising the same infrastructure for both is a wise policy.

3. Performance matters: It is important to understand that environments which

are performance sensitive can be problematical. Application response time can

cause issues with clients.

4. Complexity: Particularly when first migrating to the cloud, any systems

featuring complex architecture should be avoided like the plague.

5. Licensing: Before switching to the cloud it is important to analyse the cloud

model utilised by your vendor to see if it is more costly, or indeed beneficial, as

compared to a dedicated model.

6. Service level agreements: Before opting for any cloud provider it is

absolutely essential to study the service level agreement in some depth. In

some cases, if at all feasible, it may even be worthwhile getting legal

representation and advice on the subject.

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7. Security: Security is an absolutely key consideration with any element of

computing, and it is vital to ensure that your vendor supports security constraints

and functionality required by your business.

8. Platform: Understanding operating systems and other platforms which are

required for your setup is essential. It is also important to ensure that vendors’

cloud offerings are compatible with your chosen platform.

9. Data hosting and legality: As with any activity that takes place across

borders, there can be legal issues related to the cloud. One of the most

prominent of these is the fact that in certain nations it is not permitted to host

data outside your own country. Familiarise yourself with the law, and if it is an

issue ensure that your vendor has a cloud data center nearby.

10. Preparation: It is important to consider whether the application you wish to

implement is actually prepared for the cloud. Failure to do this properly can be

extremely time-consuming and expensive in the long-term.

Despite all of the information contained within this article, switching to the cloud

is actually perfectly feasible for businesses of all sizes. One must bear in mind

that planning is always extremely important, and failing to pay heed to important

issues may be extremely costly.

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