The ways in which the physical infrastructure of the cloud are structured depend on how the user needs to use the cloud and where. One of the most important pieces of building a cloud-strategy is to understand how to select the cloud infrastructure structure that works best for your organization.
- Public – Cloud vendors provide access to their infrastructure to individuals and organizations. The vendor houses all the necessary equipment. For example, AWS operates world-wide and is introducing new Availability Zones constantly to help ensure speed and accuracy, IBM boasts 33 dedicated cloud service centers and Microsoft Azure is available in over 36 regions internationally.
- Private – This refers to services available for only one organization. An organization can choose to use a private cloud because they want to maintain control over all of their associated resources, or they might need to follow certain compliance rules or regulations depending on their industry. A private cloud can be set up two ways:
1. Create your own data center: While creating your own data center can be costly, and not entirely necessary for smaller organizations or startups, this gives larger organizations more control over their on-premise architecture and security.
2. Services can be purchased from a public cloud vendor, and that vendor agrees to provision space within their data center for the use of just one organization.
- Hybrid – A hybrid cloud is a mix of both private and public cloud services. This strategy for businesses can involve the use of a private, organization-owned cloud center for some things and then obtaining the ability to connect to a public cloud if more computing power is needed or developers want to access a particular service from a particular provider.
- ?Multi or Poly – Which tends to be our preferred method of using the cloud, is different from a hybrid cloud in that it allows organizations to take advantage of the best from each cloud provider, meaning the structure of the cloud usage usually involves two or more public clouds. This approach allows you to leverage the benefits of working in the cloud and the services offered by each vendor. For example, you can choose one cloud vendor that specializes in machine learning in order to gain accesss to their advanced services and support, then, you can choose to store your data with a provider offering increased and robust security practices. Ideally, a multi or poly-cloud approach works best when you need to take advantage of multiple services and offerings.
Most providers of software outsourcing services will create a specific, clear agreement with ?their clients detailing an agreed upon approach to using the cloud within the scope of the project. If you are working with a software development company that offers cloud computing as part of their delivery model, you’ll want to keep in mind a few things:
•Work with a provider that understands and supports your cloud strategy
•Find a partner to help you innovate. Working in the cloud can provide numerous benefits in this respect and your software development partner should be ready to help you excel.
•Security requirements are a huge component of a successful venture, make sure all regulations are being met and you and your partner have a contingency plan
Whichever way you choose and whichever company you decide to work with, just be sure you’ve created a robust strategy and understand how that will impact your business. For more info about how cloud can impact your business and developing a robust cloud strategy, stay tuned for our upcoming ebook on cloud computing.?
About Perficient Latin America:
PSL delivers high-quality software engineering solutions by mastering advanced processes and technologies, such as big data, machine learning, and DevOps, among others. The company’s reliable nearshore model, coupled with its top-tier, extensively trained software engineers, allows for efficient agile iterations and a focus on continuous experimentation.
