cloud application deployment
The discussion about the right hosting type for any business cannot be resolved once and for good. Today, we are going to talk about cloud solutions and catastrophic mistakes even the most tech-savvy companies make.
Choosing a cloud-based solution often comes with the growth of a business and its operations. However, the problems begin when a company ignores its own business goals. It usually comes with ‘everyone’s going into the cloud; let’s do this’ approach.
Most cloud solutions have tools that allow you to scale your application up. However, growth is not just about the number of customers served, but also their needs. Yes, a scalable architecture allows modern applications to handle a vast amount of users daily. However, what it can’t do, is managing the architectural changes.
One may also experience problems with the introduction of new services and features. Thus, you have to plan and understand what needs to be done in the future. So before you deploy your application to the cloud, take a good look at it, think about where you would like to go in the future, and schedule updates, changes, and new features.
Another critical issue comes up when a company ignores the need for proper security analysis. Some old systems with complex security requirements are not meant to be deployed to the public cloud. In other cases, cloud deployment requires changes in the architecture of an application.
For example, if you store or process sensitive data within your application, it should be accumulated securely. Here is what you should know about cloud security.
Unlike traditional servers, clouds can have various privacy settings. There are three basic types of cloud solutions.
Failing to understand the proper privacy requirements, you can put yourself in danger of violating your clients’ privacy.
There are two significant ways companies approach cloud solutions. In one case, the existing system is deployed to the cloud as it is. However, such an approach ignores the possibility of improvement in the future as an app will not be ready for the changes.
In another case, migration is performed with changes in the code that adapt an application to the specifics of the cloud. It helps you create a more flexible system that will be open for growth, the introduction of new features, as well as the growing number of operations. In other cases, migration with the changes in code might be a much better alternative.
Managing a physical server is relatively complicated. You have a data center with limited resources, and scaling or handling hardware failures can be a problem. Cloud computing allows you to manage the infrastructure with greater flexibility. However, the prices may vary depending on the location. Not knowing how to set-up your cloud correctly, may result in additional expenses.
If you use a public cloud, there is an urgent need for proper resource management. Unlike traditional data centers, where administrators control CPU usage, disk storage, etc., public clouds force you to share the same virtual server with several other apps.
When an app is deployed to the cloud, you should compare the performance to the baseline. Technical teams might need to make adjustments until the acceptable performance rates are reached.
Business intelligence has proved to be a life-saving experience for many companies. With the growing amount of data, business owners need to collect, aggregate and analyze it. Therefore, business intelligence allows companies to get valuable insights and take more effective business decisions. It allows them to understand what happens, why, and what can be done in case something goes wrong. Cloud solutions make it much easier to monitor essential aspects of application performance, including:
Tools that were used in data centers are not always suitable for cloud solutions. For example, the serverless approach does not have PC instances, and common metrics like CPU utilization or RAM usage cannot be applied. Also, the hardware part is not a top priority as all you need to control are limits and prices.
No one wants to doubt the success of their product, but it is vital to understand what happens when an app crashes or the whole thing goes down. There are two important aspects to consider:
Moreover, if an application is down, you should find a way to inform the users and minimize their troubles.
Unlike physical servers, cloud computing comes with numerous benefits. For example, up to 40% of work can be handled by the cloud itself. It includes auto-scaling groups, back-ups, and load balancing. However, to properly set up and support the system, traditional knowledge of servers is not enough. Ignoring the fact that you need a DevOps with cloud expertise can cause many troubles.
There are three levels of cloud architecture: infrastructure, platform, and SaaS. Misunderstanding of the requirements can result in a lot of useless work. For example, there is no need to design everything from scratch since most administration tools can handle preparation for you (unless your platform provider is unable to provide the infrastructure required). Doing less work is always better.
Knowledge sharing and proper maintenance are impossible without up-to-date documentation. If you have a well-documented project, the chances of human error or knowledge loss are lower. Documentation includes wikis, automation tools, descriptions of operational procedures, or any other form of docs available.
Wrap-Up
As you can see, cloud deployment begins with a proper analysis of the business needs. It allows you to plan, mark important aspects, and avoid some of these mistakes. What is even more important, a lot of these mistakes stem from the inability to understand the differences between traditional data centers and cloud solutions. To achieve the best results, you should invest in hiring an expert with applicable knowledge and experience to minimize the aftermath of cloud migration.