Most businesses decide to migrate to the private cloud because of their ability to control everything they need on their private cloud from space, users and level of security.
What is the difference between Public and Private Cloud?
Public Cloud
Most people are familiar with this solution as it a solution hosted in an off-site cloud system that people usually access via desktop or mobile browser.
- Updates and security are the responsibility of the owner of the cloud solution.
- Cloud solutions are generally a monthly or annual fee usually based on the number of users.
- Cloud solutions are considered easily scalable as a business grows because of the ease of being able to add users to an application.
Private Cloud
All of your data and applications are stored on your server or a private cloud at a physical location of your choosing.
The security of the on-premise solution is completely within your control and the ownership of maintenance falls to you.
On-premise solutions are generally the initial outlay of hardware and software and then maintenance. Generally, the hardware/software you purchase is limiting you to a certain limit of space or users, however, with good business planning you should be able to make the required purchase of additional space before it becomes an issue.
Considerations before you migrate
Storage and Speed – This may depend on your deployment strategy but you need to ensure you have the right amount of storage available before you start migrating anything over. There is nothing worse than having to stop halfway through and trying to locate what files went over and what didn’t.
I.T. Resources – You’ll need the right skills internally, or employ an outsourced I.T. solution to assist with the maintenance of your private cloud.
Security – You’ll need to consider the level of security you need for your cloud. If you are protecting data such as health records or other sensitive information, you’ll need to make sure your security is of a reasonable level.
Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity – What happens if you have a DR scenario? This could happen during the migration period so you need to consider this before you start the process. Do you have a back-up solution in place? Who needs to know about it? (Learn more about Disaster Recovery plans here)
Deployment strategy – Preparation and planning are key to a successful migration. Taking a haphazard approach could irreparably damage your business. Decide on how you are going to deploy your private cloud.
- Are you going to keep everything in the public cloud until it is migrated over?
- How much do you need to migrate?
- Will you migrate in stages or in bulk?
- Will you start with business critical systems?
- For what period of time will you keep the public cloud to ensure it has gone successfully?
- What costs are associated with this?
- How will you inform employees?
Devil’s Advocate
Playing devil’s advocate here; you don’t need to migrate everything to your private cloud. Hybrid solutions are becoming more commonplace where businesses utilise public and private cloud solutions.
Read our “Take the Hybrid Approach” blog to learn more.