Cloud computing offers several benefits to those seeking to improve resiliency operations. By accelerating and easing the restoration of servers, applications and data, it can dramatically improve recovery point objectives (RPOs) and recovery time objectives (RTOs), typically restoring operations with disk volumes and data that are only seconds old at the time of the outage. Cloud computing can aid in solving the intricate problems of restoring heterogeneous server environments. Cloud-based data retention and restoration can also help organizations comply with the data mandates set by government and industry regulations, such as the Heath Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and Payment Card Industry data protection standards.
In addition, many organizations find that cloud-based resiliency solutions—especially those offered by third-party technology providers—can help them both save money and improve scalability. Typically, third-party cloud solutions are offered with a “pay as you go” pricing model, requiring organizations to pay only for the capacity and services needed, and only when organizations need them. This billing model can help organizations control resiliency costs while more easily scaling resiliency solutions to accommodate growth or times of peak activity. For example, a retailer that needs more computing power for resiliency operations during the holiday season can simply request it from the organization’s cloud provider, then pull back when that additional capacity is no longer required.
4 Steps to Transforming Resiliency
Whether working with a technology provider or building a cloud in-house, there are steps organizations can take now to begin planning their cloud resiliency transformation.The process for developing an end-to-end business resiliency cloud strategy consists of four phases:
- Strategy
- Design
- Transition
- Transformation
Strategy
Start by examining business direction and aligning and documenting resilience requirements with that direction. Take into account needs for the availability, backup and restoration of data, applications and systems. Analyze workloads to determine which applications and data have the greatest affinity for cloud resilience. Be prepared to leave some systems, data and applications in their traditional state: data and applications housed on legacy hardware, as one example, or applications whose vendors won’t offer cloud support.
Next, determine which cloud deployment model or models best suit organizational needs for resiliency. Begin designing both the cloud and the networks that will underpin it— often, existing networks will need to be reconfigured to support the bandwidth required to continually transfer information to your cloud.
Design
Begin drafting a cloud transition plan. Integrate the cloud solution and legacy recovery systems into a cohesive whole shaped by which traditional resiliency processes the organization needs to preserve. Determine resilience tiers—or, if working with a technology provider, require specific service level agreements—for systems, applications and data based on their tolerance for downtime. Typically, mission-critical applications—such as customer relationship management and enterprise resource planning—have the lowest tolerance for downtime, and service level agreements should reflect that. Begin updating resiliency policies and procedures, then identify and document changes to resiliency processes. Develop architectural guidelines and an executable transition plan.
Transition
Begin provisioning the cloud, then conduct a pilot program to test the initial installation. Evaluate the melding of cloud and legacy systems. Begin educating personnel on the new resiliency environment and changes to recovery procedures. If working with a technology provider, educate appropriate personnel on the new cloud services available to them.
Transformation
Deploy the cloud solution and validate service delivery. Begin monitoring the environment. Develop key performance indicators and gauge the solution’s performance against those indicators and other performance attributes. Modify the solution as needed to keep pace with changing business needs and evolving threats.
Getting started
Because of the hurdles, many organizations prefer to work with a trusted third-party technology provider for the development and management of their cloud resiliency solutions. In a crowded cloud marketplace offering everything from bare-bones cloud infrastructures with little or no support to highly secure, enterprise-level, fully-managed private clouds, enterprises can sometimes find it hard to know what to look for in a cloud services provider.
Flagship can help your organization attain the levels of resiliency needed to meet the demands of an “always-on” business world. Schedule a consultation to learn more.
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