Cloud computing is a hot topic right now but there’s a real lack of clarity surrounding the solution. Before you sign on the dotted line, there are a whole host of business considerations that you need to make. We’ve collated the most important business considerations to help you identify which option makes more business sense.
Performance
Understandably, one of the main concerns when picking a cloud computing solution is performance. You obviously want high-speed delivery but this is sometimes easier said than done. It is a multifaceted challenge that requires an end-to-end view of your request–response path.So it’s worthwhile talking to your potential vendor about how they plan to combat any potential issues. Performance problems can be caused by the geographical proximity of the application in relation to the end user, network performance and access speed.
A number of services like Cloud Sleuth and CloudHarmony have started measuring the performance of cloud providers from different locations. Before you decide on your vendor, it’s worth testing the solution using services like the ones above. That way you can see how it performs in a variety of different locations.
Outages
When we talk about outages, it’s often thoughts of backup and recovery that come to mind. However, it’s also worth noting that outages are going to have a knock-on effect on your internal and external SLAs. Without a reliable connection you’re going to struggle to operate your business. So when choosing your cloud computing solution, make sure that you have a robust connection to support it. Without this, your files will struggle to be backed up.Be realistic, though: your connection will occasionally lose connectivity. Therefore, it’s also worth physically backing up critical data just in case. Some vendors do offer fail-safe features that allow you to carry on unaffected by the time-out.
Some cloud providers offer guarantees of higher levels of service to make them stand out from the crowd. However, it’s worth investing the time in testing the software before committing to it. SLAs are merely an indication of the consequences of a service failure; they don’t account for how reliable the service actually is. To get a more transparent view of the service’s reliability and availability, take a look at customer testimonials and comparison sites.
APIs
Another key consideration to make when selecting your cloud provider is the application programming interface (API) it provides for accessing your infrastructure and performing certain tasks such as provisioning and de-provisioning servers.If you have an API that is supported by a number of providers and vendors, this can reduce lock-in. This is because migration from one provider to the other requires fewer changes to the application.
If your API is supported by a group of developers and vendors, the service will be protected by an entire ecosystem.
These kinds of APIs are provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS) and various VMware cloud providers.
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