Cloud: definition and software for your business
At a time when businesses are in the throes of a digital transformation, the cloud raises a number of questions, not least those relating to storage. Is virtualisation reliable? Secure? Should you opt for private cloud or cloud computing on a public cloud server? What should you look out for when deploying it?
Cloud computing: virtualisation
Cloud computing
The business ecosystem in IT has changed dramatically in recent years. For a long time, the norm was to work with local, in situ servers. Until the launch of the cloud changed all that. Now, small and large businesses alike are seizing the opportunity to relocate their IT infrastructure to the cloud, as part of the devops approach and the quest for agility and flexibility in the workplace.
The gift of ubiquity
The advantage of the cloud is that you can access it at any time, from anywhere. Data is automatically accessible to all employees. This use corresponds to the need for mobility in the workplace today, and solves the problem of storing large amounts of data. It makes life a whole lot easier!
Lower costs
Cloud computing works on a subscription basis. Companies no longer have to acquire IT assets, which used to be booked as CAPEX on the balance sheet and written off. The subscription replaces them with an accounting value of operating expenditure. When you place your data and business solutions in the cloud, you can do so on a private or public cloud, with your own management or outsourced. What is the associated margin of control? And what impact does this have on the capacity and security of the system?
The public cloud
A shared cloud server
The public cloud is shared hosting. An external service provider provides storage space, in other words a data centre, for several organisations or entities. This does not mean that it is accessible to everyone! It is only accessible to specific users. Examples include the Microsoft Office cloud, Amazon Web Services, Google Compute Engine, and Cloudwatt, Orange's public cloud based on Openstack.
Powerful, responsive virtualisation
Public cloud hosting providers have solid infrastructures. As a result, their customers can store large volumes of Big Data on their premises. Elasticity means that service availability can be optimised, via bandwidth and content accessibility.
The public cloud, fast and inexpensive
The initial outlay for these cloud solutions is virtually zero, because the infrastructure is already in place: integration is very easy. What's more, the price is self-service - pay-as-you-go - which means you only pay for what you use. A chargeback tool tracks your consumption: an advantageous formula up to a certain threshold. Beyond that, the mechanism can work against you.
A secure or not cloud offering?
The question of data security arises. We often deplore the lack of content tracking. And the vagueness surrounding the location of services gives rise to legal uncertainty as to the legal obligations concerning them. The government is now requiring all its bodies to use service providers who host their servers in France. An example that many companies are beginning to follow.
The private cloud: IaaS, PaaS, SaaS
Internal or external cloud: Numergy, Outscale and OpenStack
When we prefer a cloud service with dedicated hosting over which we retain complete control, we talk about a private cloud. You can then :
- retain management: this is known as an internal private cloud. You simply hire an Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): a virtual computer farm, consisting of a virtual machine where you install an operating system and cloud-ready applications;
- outsource its management: this is known as an external private cloud. In PaaS ( Platform as a Service) or SaaS ( Software as a Service) mode, the supplier takes care of the backup and orchestration of the private cloud for you. Private cloud providers include Numergy, Outscale and OpenStack.
More control over the cloud service
For strategic business applications or for hosting sensitive data, the private cloud is more reassuring for companies and their network management. Access is via a secure VPN-type network and the Internet. Everything is protected behind a firewall and the company has direct control over its data.
The private cloud, more expensive and less powerful than the public cloud
Because it requires specific deployment, the private cloud is more expensive. It may be fixed or depend on the number of users. What's more, the volume of data is limited. And increasing it requires action, which means a delay.
The hybrid cloud
Businesses can quickly find themselves with a huge volume of data to store and manage, some sensitive, some not. A mix of private and public clouds can be a wise choice. A hybrid cloud solution: private for security and confidentiality, public for volume. To ensure that everything runs smoothly, the systems need to be interoperable, with the help of your service providers.
Delegating the management of your cloud to a specialist is a good thing: at the cutting edge of the latest advances in security, it will protect your data as well as, if not better than, locally, and will enable you to ensure both both the gradual migration of data from internal storage on the company's various terminals to the cloud and check its high availability (or HA for High Accessibility). It will also help you deploy the solution internally. When you sign the contract, make sure that your data is reversible and encrypted, whether you opt for the private, public or hybrid cloud.
Article translated from French