“A 2012 data strategy cannot survive in our current world,” argues database expert Rob Woollen in
Datamation magazine.
“Companies no longer have time to debate their cloud strategy,” he writes, calling fears surrounding cloud security “antiquated concerns” that prevent organizations from reaping returns from “today’s always-on, on-demand marketplace.”
Tech writer Nahla Davies sees cloud adoption more as a progressive journey than a race to rewards. She writes in
Enterprise Storage Forum: “Moving to a hybrid cloud environment should be done carefully and should be carefully planned out in advance.”
While we laud Woollen’s sense of urgency, as IT service pros, we tend to agree with Davies. Rushing migration to a hybrid cloud – a mix of public, private and on-premises data infrastructure – can curb the very benefits you seek – greater operational agility at lesser IT costs.
So, how do you navigate your hybrid cloud journey? Davies recommends these steps we’ve digested here:
- Design a 2-Step Strategy – First, review current data management practices. Then, assess the state of your current cloud architecture.
- Reconsider Workflows – How you operate today sheds light on how you will need to work tomorrow. Where are we efficient? Where are we effective? Then, where aren’t we on both counts?
- Realign Architecture – Davies suggests viewing infrastructure as a “continuum between public and private clouds” in which public-facing systems use public storage connected to secure private services.
Will Davies’ model work for you? Or should you follow a different path? Discuss it with us. We’ll help you decide.