Before deploying applications to cloud, it is necessary to consider your business requirements. Following are the issues one must consider: Show
To meet all of these requirements, it is necessary to have well-compiled planning. In this tutorial, we will discuss the various planning phases that must be practised by an enterprise before migrating the entire business to cloud. Each of these planning phases are described in the following diagram: Strategy PhaseIn this phase, we analyze the strategy problems that customer might face. There are two steps to perform this analysis:
Cloud Computing Value PropositionIn this, we analyze the factors influencing the customers when applying cloud computing mode and target the key problems they wish to solve. These key factors are:
All of the above analysis helps in decision making for future development. Cloud Computing Strategy PlanningThe strategy establishment is based on the analysis result of the above step. In this step, a strategy document is prepared according to the conditions a customer might face when applying cloud computing mode. Planning PhaseThis step performs analysis of problems and risks in the cloud application to ensure the customers that the cloud computing is successfully meeting their business goals. This phase involves the following planning steps:
Business Architecture DevelopmentIn this step, we recognize the risks that might be caused by cloud computing application from a business perspective. IT Architecture DevelopmentIn this step, we identify the applications that support the business processes and the technologies required to support enterprise applications and data systems. Requirements on Quality of Service DevelopmentQuality of service refers to the non-functional requirements such as reliability, security, disaster recovery, etc. The success of applying cloud computing mode depends on these non-functional factors. Transformation Plan DevelopmentIn this step, we formulate all kinds of plans that are required to transform current business to cloud computing modes. Deployment PhaseThis phase focuses on both of the above two phases. It involves the following two steps:
Selecting Cloud Computing ProviderThis step includes selecting a cloud provider on basis of Service Level Agreement (SLA), which defines the level of service the provider will meet. Maintenance and Technical ServiceMaintenance and Technical services are provided by the cloud provider. They need to ensure the quality of services.
In more or less extent most enterprises have already started their Journey to the Cloud: an evolution of how they provide, use and innovate from the more “traditional IT” processes and IT resources to the new ways that the Cloud can enable but in a faster, hisperscalable and more agile way and often -when done correctly- in a more economical way. (It is either less cost or less TCO -Total Cost of Ownership- for the same resources and services at the same or better Service Level Agreements -SLAs-). This evolution to the Cloud is often referred to as Enterprise Journey to the Cloud, as shown in the figure below. Needless to say, each company does this journey at its own pace, but it shows a common way of starting the trek. We typically divide this journey into four phases. As your enterprise moves to the following phases, additional gains and benefits can be obtained. These are typically measured in Agility from a business perspective and Cost Savings from an economic one. Let’s look into the Cloud Journey with some additional detail. The four main phases that you will commonly see are the following: 1. The Strategic Phase – Making the Business Case At the initial or strategic phase, companies start evaluating the possible implications of adopting Cloud computing. From a practical perspective, companies need to understand what the Cloud is and how it differs from traditional IT. They also need to comprehend the potential benefits, risks, security, compliance and data control, and impact on the organization and IT. At this stage, most enterprises start getting some training, IT and Cloud assessments, first internal analyses, and depiction of roadmaps, often with the help of consulting companies. Among aspects being considered at this stage are timing, ways of contracting cloud services, costs, TCO, portfolio of systems and apps that could be the first candidates for Cloud adoption. And most importantly, they look at business drivers. They ask, “Can Cloud computing help increase efficiencies and strategic objectives for the company? Are business and IT as usual enough to maintain and increase market position? Is the digital transformation in our business really required in an economic and institutional world that is increasingly engaging and transacting through mobility with increased intelligence?” If your answer is yes, then be assured that Cloud computing and Cloud services are behind all those new capacities. 2. Testing Phase: Start of Cloud Adoption At this stage, the easiest way for companies to start adoption and testing is to use Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions, which are usually not business-time critical like CRM, human resources, accounting, collaboration tools, or office productivity, such as Office365 or G-Suite. When considering other aspects, such as in-house development or thoughts about moving business-critical solutions (e.g., ERPs, warehousing, and production), it’s the time companies start contracting and deploying Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) and doing first pilots and proofs of concept. At this stage, when starting IaaS for non-critical applications, such as test or development environments, it’s also the time for designing the first hybrid setups. In practical terms, it is providing networking and communications between end-users and the resources deployed in Cloud and connecting sites and the on-premises centers, which everybody calls the Private Cloud. At this stage, it’s important that at least basic Cloud governance is defined in terms of deployment, security, and compliance. Whether these tasks are going to be performed in-house or with the help of external Cloud professionals, it’s useful for IT to start receiving technical training to better understand capabilities as well as risks. You don’t want to get your company exposed to any external or internal threats. Public Clouds are well prepared to be safe and secure, and they provide lots of services and options, but this does not mean you don’t have to design and deploy your security policies. 3. Optimization Phase: Cloud Migration Once the organization is convinced of the benefits that the Cloud model can provide, this phase is the natural step or actual door to a more mature Cloud strategy to obtain the impact and benefits being pursued. The most common topics that are decided and started during this phase are the following:
4. Innovation Phase: Business Models Before Cloud computing, all sorts of innovations, in the form of new products or services or improved efficiencies, were constantly taking place in all types of private and public organizations and institutions. And the exponential advances in technology and computing, in particular, were key enablers for that. The Cloud is a step forward, an evolution proving unprecedented capacities for innovation, and it probably is a more democratic way since it allows even smaller organizations to take advantage of computing power and resources that previously could be only purchased with deep pockets for investments. The innovation phase is when companies start realizing the potential and most benefits of the Cloud: the agility to innovate. It’s not just costs that can be saved. It’s mostly the time that is needed to develop and put in place new services and products to reach a greater market and to more efficiently serve customers and citizens alike. Time efficiency translates into savings, including taking much less time to procure IT resources in a more optimized and automated way. The Cloud is an improved gateway to a world of possibilities to design and develop new business models in a globalized marketplace. More detailed information about Cloud Adoptions and Migration can be found in the first chapter of the Cloud Migration Handbook Vol. 1 |