Imagine this. The CEO decides that the company will run 100% on “the cloud” in the next three years. Deadlines are issued. Administrators are panicking. Your phone rings. It’s the IT Director. He needs to know how to get to the cloud and fast.
This decision is complex and usually involves consulting and assessments but in this case it is simply used to illustrate that clients have three paths to the cloud:
- Deploy to the cloud
- Migrate to the cloud
- Develop on the cloud
Cloud Deployment
Deploying to the cloud requires either a new workload or a major-event upgrade, basically a redeployment. The process can include an assessment that compares the capabilities and prices from Amazon, IBM, Microsoft, Google and others. It’s the easiest path because it there is no legacy hardware or cost for migration. Deploying is a good fit for SaaS and managed or hosted offerings but could also work as a BYOL model. Especially if the client is moving other workloads to the cloud, which brings us to the migration path.
Cloud Migration
Migrating to the cloud is more complex because there is cost and risk associated with moving. Sunken costs on legacy systems may also result in a client uttering those two deal-killing words ‘good enough’ in reference to their existing kit. Arrow distributes software tools that automate the lift and shift process but it’s the job of the MSP to demonstrate the benefits to the client. Migrations usually involve IaaS and PaaS offerings for newer applications and managed or hosted offerings for older systems. Especially when a client has done in-house development on a particular platform and the cost to modernize far outweigh the benefits, which brings us to developing on the cloud.
Cloud Development
Developing on the cloud is the most complex investment for clients from a ease-of-use standpoint but can also generate the highest ROI. Platforms like IBM’s Bluemix offer cloud services and APIs that make developing and deploying easier than ever. The decision to buy vs build is a big one but clients that see differentiation or a competitive advantage are likely to invest. The opportunity for providers here is huge because of the drag on services and the resulting consumption at scale.
Now back to our example. Over time, the company with the three-year mandate can deploy all new workloads to the cloud easily and wait for others to have major upgrade events. IaaS, Paas, and SaaS offerings will streamline the effort. Certain existing workloads will be easier to migrate than others and there are tools and assessment services available to ensure success. DevOps in the cloud requires choosing the right platform and having the ability to execute in the long run – preferably with the right provider as a partner.
