SVP, Business Head Cloud and Managed Services, Sify Technologies Ltd.
Various business applications of enterprises are usually hosted on-premise or on cloud infrastructure. With the surge of multi-cloud environments, companies now combine the strengths of various cloud providers, enabling them to seamlessly migrate workloads based on which is beneficial to them.
However, managing the multi-cloud landscape doesn’t come without drawbacks. Coordinating multiple service level commitments from many providers can be challenging, especially when businesses lack secure integration of IT systems in the business.
In comparison to hybrid environments in which clouds are interlinked, navigating the complicated landscape of multiple clouds poses its own set of issues. Unlike hybrid clouds, in which public and private cloud setups adopt distinct approaches, multi-cloud arrangements contain several service providers providing services via similar deployment patterns.
At an advanced stage, the structure of a multi-cloud system connects multiple categories such as, private cloud, hosted private, hyperscale cloud, and hybrid clouds, each featuring its own set of vendor partners.
Hence, managing a multi-cloud environment is a challenging task. It includes difficulties such as lack of interconnection (as in the case of hybrid clouds), and the complexity of handling resources, capacity planning, service supply, regulatory adherence, and financial supervision. Automation emerges as an asset in multi-cloud governance.
In the attempt to overcome these potential challenges, employing automation technologies that cross environmental barriers is crucial. By implementing solutions that effortlessly handle resources across multiple cloud environments, organisations may decrease complexities, enhance performance, and strengthen the security standpoint of their multi-cloud environment. Therefore, automation solutions are essential for managing resources, optimising operations, and increasing productivity.
While looking at some of the advantages of a multi-cloud environment, scalability, cost optimisation,
and access to specialised services are a few among the many. Without an established strategy, properly managing this dynamic environment can become challenging very quickly.
A multi-cloud administration plan is a comprehensive strategy for combining and overseeing cloud services. It provides the framework for strategies that address critical areas such as ITSM integration, database monitoring, business process analysis, patch management, and lifecycle management. The centralization of resource use is a prime example to this. The model enables users design ideal usage patterns based on the cloud provider and service category. This may entail designating one cloud
provider for data analytics, another for storage, and a third for AI applications to guarantee ideal performance and cost efficiency.
Therefore, integration is key to effective multi-cloud management. A unified solution provides a wholesome picture of all your cloud assets, allowing you to monitor cloud networks, individual apps, and any security risks.
Effective multi-cloud administration involves more than just linking cloud services. It requires a comprehensive integration strategy that addresses six critical dimensions: organisation, business, processes, governance, information, and tools. This holistic strategy ensures that all areas of your cloud operations are coordinated and functioning properly. It is more efficient to have a single interface, such as a command centre, from which all the IT administrators are able to quickly manage all resources in a multi-cloud system.
Containers emerge as a strong tool for improving application maintenance and portability. Combining specialised applications within these separate entities separates them from their fundamental setting. This enables programmes to move smoothly across cloud providers while maintaining functionality. This flexibility allows organisations to select the best cloud provider based on specific factors such as pricing, availability and storage. Containerisation is ideal for microservices, in which applications are composed of discrete, readily portable components. This modular approach works wonderfully with the dynamic nature of multi-cloud settings.
Nevertheless, conventional IT administration techniques are unsuitable for the multi-cloud future, because resources are naturally diverse. Separated management, with distinct resources for each cloud service, becomes inefficient and costly. Complexity reduces a multi-cloud environment’s inherent agility and adaptability. Integration closes this gap by presenting the multi-cloud architecture as a unified system, easing operations and maximising the benefits of a multi-cloud approach.
In summary, a multi-cloud management blueprint enables organisations to overcome the balancing act and transform their multi-cloud environment into the right flow of efficiency and control. The conventional approach to cloud management is unable to compete with the agility and flexibility provided by an operational multi-cloud service-based system. The orchestration and collaboration are critical components for effective multi-cloud governance. Orchestration serves as a conductor, automating jobs, optimising procedures, and increasing performance while also improving security. The integration process, on the contrary, serves as a gateway into the multi-cloud world, allowing complete visibility across all resources.
To sum it up, containerization serves as the mystical box, ensuring applications are portable and easily maintainable, allowing them to move seamlessly between cloud services. By adopting these technologies, organisations may realise the full potential of multi-cloud, resulting in unparalleled flexibility and adaptability in this evolving IT landscape.
Anitosh Halder is SVP, Business Head Cloud and Managed Services, Sify Technologies Ltd.
