Architecture, connectivity, security, risk management, and government compliance are the factors companies should consider before moving to cloud computing, says Warren Small, MD of BasisOne, speaking at the ITWeb Virtualisation and Cloud Computing conference, yesterday.
Small noted there has been a lot of curiosity about the cloud computing hype in the local industry recently. “However, there are certain considerations consumers should take before jumping on the bandwagon.”
Firstly, he pointed out that consumers should have the appropriate architecture to support cloud computing. “The success of cloud computing, to a large extent, hinges on the effective implementation of the architecture.
“Consumers should look at their architecture from a 'top-down' approach, whereby they don't just focus on how the application will work with the intended users. They should also consider that cloud computing demands an intricate interaction with the hardware, which is a vital aspect in ensuring that there is fluidity in the movement of operations,” he said.
Small pointed to data centres being the core of cloud computing hardware; often composed of different servers with optimal storage capacity and processing speed. He said the architecture should be flexible, starting off small and growing gradually before expanding. This is essential, noted Small, as the destruction of data centres could translate into millions in additional spending for companies.
Since applications and data are drifting towards the cloud, companies should also consider their connectivity options based on their infrastructure, he stated.
“Developments in the technology arena have given businesses and users multiple connection alternatives. Organisations should rethink how end-users would connect to applications.”
Cloud control
Small also said organisations considering adopting cloud-based computing should have a trusted standard to alleviate concerns about security, governance and control of their data and IT assets.
He noted that while traditionally companies control their own applications, servers, and storage infrastructure, the inception of the cloud has changed the control architecture.
"When a business moves IT resources and sensitive information such as personal names, addresses, and phone numbers into the cloud, control and trust issues must be addressed through a trusted third-party certification programme,” Small added.
Speaking at the same occasion, Greg Montjoie, manager of hosted solutions at Internet Solutions, said another issue regarding security is the idea of multi-tenancy and decoupling between specific hardware resources and applications. “For multi-tenant data, they need to trust the cloud provider that their information will not be exposed”.
Cloud service providers were also urged to adhere to government requirements before moving to the cloud. In SA, Small said, companies should look at complying with obligations of the King III report as well as the Companies Act.
Staying on track
Richard Sutherland, portfolio manager of dynamic infrastructures and client solutions at Fujitsu added that a company needs to choose whether on-premise or off-premise hosting is right for them.
A number of other things need to be considered as well, he noted. How the new systems relate to governance, for example. "Companies need to define the processes and procedures that need to be followed prior to any changes being made," he said.
Other considerations are finance and infrastructure. “How and when are services billed? How are new services deployed with old, and how do they interoperate?” he asked.
Maintenance is also an important issue to think about, said Sutherland. Things like systems monitoring, patch management and secure deletion all need to be implemented to keep a cloud system on track.
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