As organisations we can see the benefit of cloud and almost all organisations are taking advantage of it, be it a software service such as Office365 or backup and DR, the efficiency and simplicity of deployment of these kinds of services make them an attractive option.
However, what we are not seeing, in general, is organisations moving 100% to a cloud-based IT infrastructure, this can be for many reasons, for example, suitability, complexity or cost.
But our desire to take advantage of cloud services is not going to diminish, especially as we look at how we start to get the best from our data with analytics, business intelligence and machine learning, often the only practical way to access these services is via cloud.
With all this in mind we will see increasing numbers of organisations want to deploy a hybrid IT model, using cloud where appropriate and on-premises infrastructure as needed. If we are deploying a hybrid infrastructure, what does that mean to us and what do we need to consider when we are designing our IT services and importantly preparing our data assets to operate in this hybrid world?
Recently I watched a video prepared by storage vendor NetApp called “What it takes to get your data hybrid cloud ready” in which John Woodall, VP Engineering at Integrated Archive Systems, provided insights on how to prepare your data and infrastructure to operate effectively in a hybrid world.
John covered some great information and I thought exploring in more detail the points he raises in the short video would make an interesting Tech Interviews episode, so that’s exactly what I’ve done.
This week John joins the show to discuss and share his experience on how to prepare your IT infrastructure to operate in a hybrid environment.
We start our chat by looking at what we mean by hybrid cloud and the importance that it plays in a modern businesses IT strategy.
We also explore the challenges that come with building a hybrid model and why it’s crucial we don’t lose sight of who is responsible for the data that we share with any cloud service provider, remember IT’S YOUR DATA.
We talk about the joys of finances and why if you are thinking cloud is going to be a money saver, you maybe looking at this in the wrong way. We also discuss the importance, before we head off on our cloud adventure, of fully appreciating exactly where we are right now.
John also shares some of the basics you need to get in place to not only ensure you get your strategy right, but that you can deploy something that is consistent, secure and extensible. We also get to talk about Lego and Minecraft!
We wrap up with looking at why you may want to consider hybrid, whether you are a traditional business with lots of on-prem IT or even if you are a “born in the cloud” company who until now has delivered everything via the cloud, why you may want to bring some of that on-premises.
John has a real enthusiasm for deploying technology and helping customers get the best from their investment and he shares that in this episode, if you want to find out more from John or about Integrated Archive Systems then you can in the following ways;
Follow John on Twitter @John_Woodall
Check out his company website at www.iarchive.com
Hope you enjoyed the show, until next time, thanks for listening.
Techstringy 