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What is a Workload in Cloud Computing?

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cloud workload defined
As any new technology takes hold, our vocabulary inevitably changes. New terms and phrases, or new meanings, take hold, and our vernacular grows and changes. When you talk to technologists about the cloud, the term du jour is Cloud Workload.

Cloud Workload Definition

Talking cloud environment, workload refers to any measurable utilization of cloud services. Cloud computing allows users to access and utilize computing resources, such as processing power, storage, and networking, on-demand over the internet from a managed cloud service provider. The more technical use refers to processor, memory, storage, or network loads. Workload often refers to a “package” of cloud use. The package may be part of an application, a full application, or a set of integrated applications.

Example of a Cloud Workload

Email is a workload; a file sync-and-share service is a workload; a back-end database is a workload; website analytics is a workload. The challenge, of course, is that your business does not think or run on technology components. You have people, processes, systems, and services.

Workloads can vary significantly based on their nature and purpose. Some common examples of cloud workloads include:

  1. Web Applications: Cloud platforms are commonly used to host web applications, websites, and web services. These applications can range from simple blogs to complex e-commerce platforms.
  2. Data Storage and Backup: Cloud storage services allow users to store and access data over the internet. These services often provide features like data redundancy and automated backups.
  3. Big Data Analytics: Cloud computing strategy enables organizations to perform large-scale data analysis and processing, leveraging the scalability of cloud resources to handle vast datasets.
  4. Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence: Cloud platforms provide tools and infrastructure to develop and deploy machine learning models, making it easier for developers to integrate AI capabilities into their applications.
  5. Video and Media Streaming: Cloud-based video and media streaming services enable the distribution of multimedia content to a wide audience over the internet.
  6. Development and Testing: Cloud environments are frequently used for software development and testing, allowing developers to provision and configure virtual machines and other resources quickly.
  7. Internet of Things (IoT): Cloud platforms can handle data processing and storage for IoT devices, supporting the massive influx of data generated by interconnected devices.

The main advantages of running workloads in the cloud include flexibility, scalability, cost-efficiency, and reduced management overhead. Cloud providers offer various service models like Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS), or more recently SaaSOps to cater to different workload requirements.

When deploying a cloud workload, considerations include selecting the appropriate cloud service model, provisioning the required resources, ensuring data security, and optimizing performance to achieve the desired outcomes efficiently.

Importance of Managing Cloud Workload in Your Business

When planning your cloud presence, think of workloads in terms of business functions and systems. Yes, email may be a workload. But so maybe your “communication services,” your “customer service” function, or your “analytics services.”  By looking at workload in terms of your business, you will be less likely to fragment your cloud and on-premise systems. Building and managing the hybrid environment will be simpler and more effective over time.

To discuss your workloads and which may be best in the cloud, contact us for a free and no obligation consultation.

 

 

 

Extended Benefits of Cloud Computing

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A Case Study in Network Efficiency

Changing the names to protect identities, let’s take a look at NE Company’s network history and design.  NE Company currently has 4 locations. The company’s headquarters are located in a suburban business park along with a second facility hosting R&D and some engineering functions. The third location for software development is a few miles down the road; the fourth location is a distribution center that is an eight hour drive away, across two state lines.

Generation One:

When NE Company only had the HQ and out of state locations, they connected the offices using point to point leased lines. Internet access was available from both locations. Because of slow performance accessing files, NE Company installed a local file server in the distribution center. While having two file servers fixed the file performance issue, email still suffered from the central location, they occasionally experienced file duplication issues, and the solution was costly.

Generation Two:

As NE Company added locations, they initially stuck to the point-to-point model, creating a hub-and-spoke network. Performance was an issue, as was managing router configurations such that Internet traffic moved to the Internet locally while application, email, and file traffic stayed within the corporate network.

To improve performance and to reduce redundancy and costs, NE Company transitioned to a MPLS, or Multi-Protocol Labeled Switching network.  A single connection to each office could no route inter-office traffic and Internet traffic through a single pipe.

Granted, NE Company increased it’s wide area network capacity by more than 80% while cutting costs in half, but the operational limitations linger. The company’s email server is still centralized at HQ, as are most of the files, and hosting for the company’s web-based management system. Users face performance delays often. The company has added local file services at all locations, increasing user confusion as to file locations and how to access information. The additional file servers have also complicated data backup/recovery services, which now require more administrative time and attention.

As the workforce has become more mobile, access to data and applications has driven an expensive investment in VPN services. VPN concentrators, client software, and management have been an expensive addition to the environment. While providing access, performance fails to meet reasonable user expectations and the support cost is high.

Generation Cloud:

If NE Company took a cloud-centric view of computing, email and file services would move to the cloud.  The company could move its on-premise CRM system to the vendor’s SaaS service, and could host its custom web-based management system in a cloud-based server environment.

In doing so, NE Company would

  • Provide all of its employees with equal access to resources and better performance
  • Replace the complex, managed MPLS network with direct Internet access connections at each office
  • Reduce wide area networking costs by nearly 80%
  • Provide direct access to files and applications from on-premise and mobile employees
  • Eliminate the need for most VPN services
  • Reduce its server footprint
  • Simplify the backup/recovery services
  • Reduce IT Admin time on basic infrastructure operations and maintenance

Conclusion

The impact of moving from on-premise systems to the cloud-based solutions is never as simple as the specific application or service. By looking at the integration points and indirect or secondary impacts, you can better understand the nature of the migration. As important, you can identify potential savings and other benefits as a result of the move.