Architecture or anarchy? When multicloud goes awry.
Multicloud, hybrid cloud – the IT world is increasingly bringing up alternatives to a purely homogeneous IT environment. But is this approach advantageous and suitable by default?
The answer is of course no. And this is not the first time we’ve come across the phrase by default in this article. So what’s the deal with multicloud – when does it become a tool and when does it become a trap?
Not Every Multicloud Is a Strategic Decision
Sometimes a misunderstanding occurrs. Companies think that using multiple clouds within an IT architecture immediately equals to multicloud. But that is not the case. Just because you buy wheels, parts, a chassis, and an engine doesn’t mean you have a complete car.
An IT infrastructure becomes multicloud when it is strategically decided so. The company will use multiple clouds, they will be interconnected and together they will create a unified environment for operations.
If a company chooses a multicloud approach by default, then it encounters a problem. It uses multiple clouds in its operations but there is no deeper strategy and planning behind it. Since the architecture is not aimed at a single, well-thought-out goal, it does not provide the company with any advantage.
On the other hand, if a company chooses a multicloud by design approach, it makes a conscious choice and devotes sufficient resources to ensure that the architecture is well-built and makes sense in the context of the company’s direction.
Companies can therefore choose between an ad hoc chaos and a conscious choice. The latter costs more time, money and effort, but it is an investment. Option number one is purely a cost.
When Will Multicloud By Design Be Beneficial?
When you plan well. Then it will bring you exactly what you expect from it. When its deployment meets the needs of the company based on analysis, then it becomes the answer.
There are many situations where multicloud makes sense. We will not name them all, but let’s at least look at the most common ones:
- Different data and operational needs – more and more companies perceive the needs of individual activities that ensure their operation. A different provider may be a suitable choice for specific functions.
- Acquisition/merger of companies – this situation is more complex, because each participant in this process already has everything up and running. However, it is still possible to find a suitable connection to a multicloud solution that will ensure the connection of the new ecosystem.
- Requirements for geography, legislation or latency – with the increase in legislative requirements for security, it may be appropriate for some companies operating in different countries to allocate specific functions and data to different clouds in order to meet legal obligations.
Want to find out if multicloud is the right thing for you? Then it is necessary to think about questions related to the specific company, its needs and its direction. Questions such as – What are we trying to achieve? What threats do we want to address? What do we need technically and what do we already have? – will help direct your company towards an IT architecture that will be as consistent as possible with your operations and expectations.
Partner vs. Reseller
When choosing a multicloud, companies often also focus on the conditions they get from the provider. These can include SLAs, problem solving, negotiation, incident resolution, price, control, transparency – the list goes on.
In the context of these conditions, it is necessary to distinguish well whether part of your multicloud does not come from a cloud reseller, not its operator.
A reseller is an intermediary, so it brings an extra layer to the operation of the cloud. You need to pay even more attention to availability, SLAs, references, and also who will be responsible for what if something goes wrong.
Warranty and liability are areas where question marks have no place.
Chaoscloud
The company will get it if clear governance and detailed planning are not in play from the very beginning of thinking about multicloud. In this case, frustration, inefficiency and high costs are in order.
Chaoscloud is deployed when multicloud is not well planned. When environments from several providers are simply accumulated. Each with its own conditions, contracts and administration. Central control is a term unheard of.
This misstep can lead to the company paying for duplicate activities and the right hand not knowing what the left is doing, because the administration and authorization will have a different set of users for each cloud.
Multicloud Is the Means
If you see multicloud as a goal, then it’s not for you. Like any other type of IT infrastructure, multicloud is used to achieve a specific goal.
A multicloud strategy works if the company has a clear reason, a plan, and the right partner. That’s the key to success — not hype, not emotions. So when you’re considering multicloud, answer these questions first:
- Why are we doing it?
- Who are we doing it with?
- How will we manage it?
