{"id":11242,"date":"2022-01-18T19:09:34","date_gmt":"2022-01-19T01:09:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/threecloud.wpengine.com\/?p=11242"},"modified":"2024-02-07T07:39:06","modified_gmt":"2024-02-07T15:39:06","slug":"are-you-really-in-the-cloud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/3cloudsolutions.com\/resources\/are-you-really-in-the-cloud\/","title":{"rendered":"Are You Really In The Cloud?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">There\u2019s a strong chance that your organization\u2019s goal has been to move to the cloud, contributing to either the\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gartner.com\/en\/newsroom\/press-releases\/2020-11-17-gartner-forecasts-worldwide-public-cloud-end-user-spending-to-grow-18-percent-in-2021\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">$257.5 billion<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0in public cloud spending for 2020 or expected growth of another 18% for 2021. Perhaps you\u2019ve already done it. You\u2019ve allocated resources, tasked teams with getting ready for the migration, and one fine day you were told, \u201cit\u2019s done.\u201d Now, your IT department assures you that your infrastructure is \u201cin the cloud.\u201d Box checked, right? Maybe not.\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\"> \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">If all you\u2019ve done is move your virtual machines (VMs) from on-premises to\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">a cloud provider<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">, are you really \u201cin the cloud\u201d? Are you taking advantage of what the cloud provides? Read on as we unpack these questions for organizational and IT leaders and explore why failing to be fully in the cloud can mean missing out on its most transformative business outcomes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-contrast=\"none\">Cloud Services,\u00a0At A Glance<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Understanding whether you\u2019re fully leveraging the cloud starts with cloud service models. A lot of companies will pick their VMs up from their on-premise data center, drop them in the cloud, tinker with network settings, and call it a day. This <a href=\"https:\/\/3cloudsolutions.com\/resources\/lift-and-shift-cloud-migration\/\">lift-and-shift strategy<\/a>, however, only takes advantage of your cloud provider\u2019s infrastructure as a service (IaaS)\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">offerings<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">. While IaaS can be a reasonable first step, your internal team is still on the hook for managing a lot behind the scenes.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-contrast=\"none\">How Do I Choose?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Microsoft\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.microsoft.com\/en-us\/azure\/architecture\/guide\/design-principles\/managed-services\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">recommends<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0choosing PaaS offerings whenever possible. First and foremost, your organization gets to stop worrying about:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Patching operating systems<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Provisioning and sizing virtual\u00a0machines<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Installing and maintaining middleware (such as Redis, IIS, Active Directory etc.)<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Setting up\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">VNets<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"5\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Configuring infrastructure (load balancers, storage, etc.)<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Developing intricate disaster recovery plans<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">It should go without saying, but this is\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">huge<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"none\">. You don\u2019t have to question\u00a0whether or not\u00a0your servers are patched and secure. You gain back time that would be spent on operating system updates and setting up, testing, and maintaining the networking, storage, and software configuration for middleware. All this means your team can focus instead on delivering applications and, perhaps most importantly, innovating on services or products to maintain your competitive growth.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-contrast=\"none\">Why Doesn\u2019t Everyone Skip IaaS?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">You m<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">igh<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">t<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0be wondering why any organization would go the IaaS route. The answer is\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">that<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">it\u2019<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">s generally more complicated to move from VMs to PaaS offerings than it is to simply lift-and-shift your VMs and\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">VNets<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0to IaaS. This complexity manifests in the form of longer migration times, tougher knowledge ramp-up, and ultimately higher migration costs. These costs can be greatly amplified if you jump into a PaaS migration without deep knowledge of exactly how to move from, for example, a VM to an App Service.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">That said,\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">IaaS only gives you a fraction of what the cloud offers.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">To borrow an analogy from construction, going with IaaS is a lot like lifting your house and placing it on a new foundation. You may gain new electricity, plumbing, and gas lines, but the rest of the house and its issues remain the same. PaaS gives you the new foundation and basic utilities, plus you get to remodel the entire home to make it more modern and customized to your needs.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">In other words,\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">when you take into account the long-term resource savings, protection from security holes, and opportunities to easily leverage the latest technological offerings, PaaS gives you<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0so much more. It<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">s benefits for your business include<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Reduced costs in the form of lower maintenance, faster provisioning, and tight control over <a href=\"https:\/\/3cloudsolutions.com\/resources\/cloud-resource-management-tips\/\">cloud resource<\/a> utilization<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Improved efficiency through out-of-the-box availability of almost any feature an application\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">needs<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Faster innovation by allowing developers to use advanced features in a sandbox when developing proof-of-concept\u00a0designs<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Easier third-party integrations through API gateways, tons of built-in connectors, and easy access-and-control management<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">To summarize, only PaaS delivers a powerful combination by both freeing up your team to innovate\u00a0<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">and<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0giving them access to scalable, cutting-edge technologies to get there. If you\u2019re not going PaaS, you\u2019re only scratching the cloud\u2019s wispy surface.\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-contrast=\"none\">How Do I Get There?<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:400,&quot;335559739&quot;:120}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">The good news is that if you\u2019ve already taken the plunge to IaaS, you\u2019re well positioned to make the move to PaaS and broader organizational enablement. If you\u2019re still planning your cloud migration, you can confidently skip IaaS and go directly to PaaS.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">Microsoft Azure offers some great guidance on getting started through\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">their<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/azure.microsoft.com\/en-us\/migration\/migration-program\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Azure Migration Program<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0(AMP)<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">, which we\u2019ll dive into in an upcoming post<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Running through AMP with an\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/3cloudsolutions.com\/application-modernization\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">experienced partner<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0makes the process smoother and faster, and it sets you up for success when you begin. Polaris has done these migrations dozens of times, and we\u2019ve seen it all when it comes to interesting and challenging applications that need to be migrated to the cloud.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">However<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0you get there, prioritizing a true cloud migration can help put y<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">ou in good company with the\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gartner.com\/en\/newsroom\/press-releases\/2020-10-20-gartner-survey-of-nearly-2000-cios-reveals-top-performing-enterprises-are-prioritizing-digital-innovation-during-the-pandemic\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">top-performing enterprises<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0coming out of COVID-19 and ushering in a new era of digital innovation.\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There\u2019s a strong chance that your organization\u2019s goal has been to move to the cloud,&mldr;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":11456,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[292,264],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-app-innovation","category-enterprise-apps","topics-blog"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/3cloudsolutions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11242","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/3cloudsolutions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/3cloudsolutions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3cloudsolutions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/60"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3cloudsolutions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11242"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/3cloudsolutions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11242\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3cloudsolutions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11456"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/3cloudsolutions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3cloudsolutions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3cloudsolutions.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}