Cloud computing has been hyped as a great progressive solution for people with no access to the required hardware; it is also an awesome technological advancement, but still there’s a lot of confusion as to who needs the cloud power, and why.
Ever since Amazon’s AWS platform was launched and a new glossary of phrases like IaaS, SaaS, PaaS and elastic beanstalk were introduced; all businesses got the access to cloud power and things turned glittery. However, moving away from this external glamour that the cloud computing arena has created, we get to experience things like huge edifices, server farms, and more.
Aspects related to cloud services like deployment of services as and when required, lower expenses on infrastructure and spinning up of virtual dedicated machines on demand may seem to be appealing, but still there remained risks with network design and the cloud turned out to be none different from all the other services.
Virtualization a part of your business infrastructure on cloud does not come without risks. Moreover, there are few applications for which the cloud may not be the most suitable option. Here are few downsides of cloud that may not make it apt for your business and this can help you decide if your business really requires it.
Connectivity
It seems quite evident, but it’s important for newbies to understand that they will not be able to use the cloud services without a connection. In case a link between your core and your network’s cloud part breaks down, can you imagine the impact it can have, on your business? Your business productivity may be at stake if, for instance, the database of your customer details goes down even for a minute. Cloud providers are now shifting to a different model wherein they can provide ‘direct connect’ services, which eliminate the need for Internet for enhancing computing performance.
Geography
If you opt to deploy cloud services, it implies you are choosing where you are positioning a part of your network physically.
Geography must be a serious consideration for this. If you are not planning to build a datacenter at a particular place, then why would you want to purchase cloud services at that place? Furthermore, you also need to consider things like the physical location of the infrastructure remotely. Electrons and light in a copper wire itself travel so fast. This is relevant because latency plays a vital role when using cloud on some other continent. If the individual packet speed and response time is crucial in certain applications, it doesn’t make sense to make them pass through the Atlantic. In short, choosing a random location can be detrimental for performance of your cloud apps, and services.
Control
The terms of agreement that you have with your cloud provider present the responsibilities and rights of both the parties involved as in the case of any other commercial service. When you purchase a service, you need to consider the control you have over it and stay aware of the modifications that can be made to it. If you’ve tied your business infrastructure to a cloud system for a specific length of time, then it is essential that you ensure it remains as expected for the period of the specific contract.
Privacy and Security
This is one concern that has been at the forefront in the recent past, though as with any other outsourcing you are giving your data and its handling to your cloud provider. Needless to say, more the number of parties involved with handling your data, higher will be the chance for it to be misused or disclosed, either accidentally or intentionally. For all the money and time you spend on safeguarding your network, sensitive details could leak if your cloud provider is negligent.
Taking these aspects into account, you can now decide whether or not cloud hosting is a necessity for your business; don’t go by the ho-hum created by the cloud vendors in the market, nor worry too much about what others are doing because you know what’s needed for your business!