If you are in business and are looking into cloud services, then you’ll want to know a few fundamentals before you throw yourself head first into an unknown virtual world high up in the sky; Businesses that incorporate the cloud into their systems must have a fundamental understanding of how it works. Cloud computing is still a relatively young technology, and its capabilities are continuously increasing. The cloud is undeniably appealing to organizations, but how many can confidently claim to fully understand the cloud?
How much do you really know?
Understanding the fundamentals of cloud computing is one thing. Being capable of integrating cloud technology is something totally different. Before embarking on their cloud journey, businesses that want to undertake a cloud rollout must develop a sensible, educated approach. To aid you, below are some important areas of cloud computing principles and concepts that businesses should be aware of;
Where is your data?
Whenever you keep data in the cloud, you are not generally putting the data on servers that your firm cannot physically access. Instead, the server is managed by your cloud provider in a separate, generally faraway location. Depending on the scale of the cloud services provider, they may be maintaining servers in many locations across the world. Your information might be kept on any of them. It is critical to understand where your data is stored, and your provider should supply you with this information before you agree terms.
Who’s responsible?
Even if another company orchestrates your cloud infrastructure, you are still responsible for keeping it safe. The supplier will implement particular security processes and procedures, but they will also require you to follow appropriate technological security measures. The terms you agree with your provider should specify exactly what the provider and user are liable for in terms of security. You should also be aware of every security step used by the cloud vendor to maintain your environment’s safety.
It’s not a place for everything
Knowing what jobs your company should and should not perform in the cloud is part of defining an effective cloud strategy. The cloud may be utilized to manage a wide range of tasks, both important and routine. That does not necessarily imply that your company should perform everything possible in the cloud. While companies may be able to execute an important function in the cloud, changing their workflow to embrace a cloud solution may be too complex for your business.
Seems fair enough
The most frequently mentioned benefit of cloud computing by providers is cost effectiveness. Some vendors also promote a “pay-as-you go” fee structure, which provides the cloud a cost advantage over conventional, on-premise deployments. Your payment plan should only charge when, or if you ask for additional resources and infrastructure that they offer, rather than a fixed cost for a defined quantity of resources.
You should bear in mind that this pricing approach does not ensure that every cloud deployment will be less expensive than an on-premises infrastructure. However, in terms of total cost vs use, the pay-as-you-go approach delivers a significant financial benefit for most businesses.