Cloud Orchestration: The next step in cloud computing
Working in the cloud has gone mainstream, but organizations are beginning to realize that cloud computing is far more than just a way of scaling up as needed. In fact, the new question on everyone’s lips is: How can I ensure that cloud resources are organized effectively so that they’re always available when needed? The answer: cloud orchestration.
DevOps teams lead digital transformation
Cloud computing enables DevOps teams to scale resources up and down as needed, offering flexibility that is crucial to their agile way of working. DevOps teams are autonomous, self-managing and multidisciplinary teams that develop and implement new IT solutions. In order for them to lead the way toward digital transformation, they must have sufficient cloud capacity.
Why cloud orchestration?
Many organizations now operate a large number of DevOps teams. As a result of this development, organizations and their Chief Information Officers and IT managers will need to carefully consider how to meet the growing demand for cloud capacity. This is where cloud orchestration comes in. Organizing cloud resources is not simply a technical matter linked to security and architecture, but also requires the involvement of the purchasing department. IT sourcing is no easy task, however: cloud providers employ complex pricing models and often lack transparency. Cloud orchestration offers a solution, ensuring business and IT are aligned and matching supply with demand. This paves the way for organizations to create value by implementing new solutions.
Getting ready for cloud orchestration
While many organizations have embraced cloud computing, most have yet to take the next step to cloud orchestration. A world of opportunity awaits. Organizations will need to build on their expertise by attracting talented IT professionals who are knowledgeable about cloud orchestration or are willing to learn about it. Strategic decisions must be made about how to best to organize cloud resources in order to ensure that your organization always has sufficient capacity available. For example, how should data capacity be distributed across different platforms, such as Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services? The answer to these and other questions will change over time as new market developments arise and laws and regulations change. It’s up to Chief Information Officers and IT managers to not only initiate this process, but also to monitor it carefully and course-correct when necessary.
Tips for successful cloud orchestration
You should be able to meet roughly 80% of cloud resources requested by DevOps teams using cloud services from your organization's existing catalogue. If this percentage declines, it’s worth considering whether you need to add any additional cloud services. This is a complex process, as it involves examining a variety of interconnected issues: Does this fit into our existing IT architecture? How will it affect security and compliance? Which developments are currently underway within our organization? What are the latest market developments and pricing models? All of these issues must be taken into consideration before addressing the most important question of all: How can I meet my organization’s cloud capacity needs as effectively as possible?
Greatest challenge
When it comes to cloud orchestration, the greatest challenge facing organizations today is finding IT professionals who are knowledgeable about cloud orchestration and can design and implement the necessary solutions. As things currently stand in 2019, it’s like searching for a needle in a haystack.
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