How to succeed with your cloud strategy
Public cloud, private cloud, multi-cloud, hybrid cloud... The cloud was supposed to simplify IT operations, but it's easy to get lost in terms, options, licensing models, costs, and regulations surrounding data storage. Read our tips on how to migrate your data and applications to the cloud and get the most out of your investments.
Cloud, or "the cloud," is essentially nothing more than large data centers connected via the internet and located around the globe. While the foundation is simple enough, there are many considerations when a business is establishing a robust and future-oriented cloud strategy.
Let's begin with a clarification of terms. The various cloud names have slightly different meanings depending on the user and the context in which the terms are used. Here we specify the terms, used without further discussion of their definitions.
Cloud strategy
Overall strategy for moving solutions and licensing models from on-premises to cloud-based services/cloud platforms.
Cloud platforms
Platform services from commercially available cloud providers such as Oracle, AWS (Amazon), Google, Microsoft Azure. Often referred to as public cloud in English.
On-prem
Licensing models and infrastructure associated with local, physical solutions, a local data center operated by oneself or others.
Public cloud
Commercially available, publicly accessible cloud services available over the internet (e.g., AWS, Azure, OCI).
Cloud Platform Architecture
Technical architecture that describes various combinations and solutions of platform services from different providers. The following are the common terms:
• Single Cloud: Where there is only one cloud provider for all cloud-based services and solutions.
• Multi-cloud: Where cloud platforms from two or more cloud providers are part of the total solution.
• Hybrid Cloud: Where on-premises solutions are integrated into the cloud platform(s).
• Private Cloud (also "cloud at customer"): Hardware and all data processing occur at the customer's premises in the customer's data center but are operated, licensed, and managed as if it were a public cloud.
Choices affecting the cloud journey
Having a clearly defined and communicated cloud strategy is a prerequisite for adopting the cloud and a cloud platform architecture with the flexibility, scalability, and licensing models of the cloud. The cloud strategy must be anchored in leadership, clearly explained, and accepted by all relevant parties (business units/departments) in the company.
The cloud migration itself may not be very time- or labor-intensive but often involves additional work. This is because, during preparations, technical debt, incomplete documentation, and a desire to spend time on significant changes in IT infrastructure and/or application portfolios are uncovered.
It is common to plan with a "lift-and-shift" strategy, conclude with a "move-and-improve" approach, and end up with a "rip-and-replace" approach. But what do these terms mean?
Lift-and-shift: Solutions are moved unchanged from on-premises to the cloud. The intention is to minimize risk and post-migration work. It is easier to compare performance and functionality, among other things.Move-and-improve: Changes are made in the migration process, such as major application upgrades, new database versions, upgrades that require more testing and verification after migration. Changes in performance and functionality must be expected, not as a consequence of a platform change but as a change in the application and solution.
Rip-and-replace: Technologies, software, and application platforms are significantly changed in the migration process. Here, a new solution is created in the cloud, requiring significant testing and verification before production.
Factors influencing cloud architecture choice
The choice of cloud platform architecture often becomes a compromise to meet all requirements for costs, technologies, operational management, and data processing regulations. The solution may be multi-cloud, hybrid cloud, or single cloud/private cloud.
The right architecture is often based on:
- Classification of processed data.
- Technologies and systems:
- Costs associated with licenses, services, and infrastructure.
- Physical location of data, redundancy, and latency.
Next, we elaborate on the three points mentioned above:
Classification of data
Data is usually classified into four categories:
1. Public (publicly accessible via the web).
2. Data with special protection levels (internal/confidential/strictly confidential).
3. EU-regulated (subject to emergency regulations, personal data).
4. Nationally regulated (subject to emergency regulations, critical systems, SCADA).
Data with strictly protected levels, confidential/strictly confidential, or data regulated by national rules may not be suitable for a public cloud on standard encrypted database services. Still, if the data is processed in a cloud solution with systems that secure unauthorized access from the cloud operator ("operator access control") and has special methods for storing and securing encryption keys outside the database system (cloud vault), these data can often be processed in the cloud.
Technology and systems
In some cases, solutions being moved can be significantly simplified and improved by using services provided by certain vendors. This can range from Windows services at Azure to Kubernetes services and autonomous database systems at Oracle. It is also clear that vendors like Microsoft and Oracle make it very advantageous to run their services on their platforms. A multi-cloud approach here provides the best technological and economic advantage for the customer.
Costs associated with license usage and infrastructure also vary significantly among different vendors. Azure is usually the cheapest for Windows in most cases but may be the most expensive for Linux or other operating systems and infrastructure services. Costs for data storage, capacities such as RAM, block storage, and CPU, as well as data to and from the solution (ingress and egress), will also significantly affect the total costs. Determining the total cost can be a complex task. For many, the cost will be crucial in choosing the cloud platform, and the architecture and solution design will significantly impact the costs.
Physical location of data, redundancy, and latency
We began by stating that cloud solutions are nothing more than large data centers with different physical locations. Where these data centers are located, and their physical structure is crucial in hybrid and multi-cloud solutions because the physical distance between data centers leads to communication delays. This delay (latency) will, in some situations (depending on the solution architecture), significantly affect the user experience and data processing. Therefore, understanding the consequences of choosing data center regions and the concepts of Availability Domain and Fault Domain is essential.
A cloud region, such as Amsterdam, has two cloud providers, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) and Microsoft Azure. Together, they have multiple physical data centers for their cloud services in Amsterdam. These physical data centers are called Availability Domain (AD). Each AD has multiple Fault Domain (FD). FD means that a physical data center has several separate data rooms with their own infrastructure, communication, and power for increased security and backup. In a multi-cloud architecture, it is crucial to have as low latency between cloud platforms as possible. In some cases, major cloud providers use the same physical data centers. Therefore, it can be crucial to choose specific Availability Domains for cloud providers. This way, there is a co-location of physical data halls. With the right architecture services in a multi-cloud, it is possible, in some cases, to experience latency that is equal to or lower than what one has in their own local data halls.
Most importantly: a well-thought-out strategy and a good plan
A list of terms, as we have provided in this relatively long blog post, can be overwhelming for many. Nevertheless, it is crucial to understand the many complex aspects when choosing cloud platform architecture and planning for cloud migration.
The information above is based on our experiences gained through numerous cloud migrations and the establishment of cloud solutions for clients. We aims to help our clients at the beginning of this process to best address all aspects in choosing the right cloud platform architecture.
Ommund Øvrelid, Principal Solution Architect, Cegal
"Cloud truths" also have a limited lifespan. New services and licensing models are constantly emerging, and new data centers are being established. It is important to start planning for cloud migration as soon as possible but with architecture principles and mechanisms/scripting that allow adaptation to upcoming changes.
Multi-cloud can provide your business with more advantages than single cloud/on-prem, but, of course, it depends on your needs, goals, and challenges. Regardless, the most important thing for success is a thoughtful strategy, good planning, and management of the entire migration project when transitioning to a multi-cloud strategy.
With our cloud expertise we make you feel secure when choosing us as a partner, and our super skilled consultants add huge value to your organization.
Cegal has the super skills and knowledge you need to realize digital success, efficiently and without fuss.Ommund Øvrelid
