Making cloud computing safer
As the cost and other benefits of cloud computing become apparent, more and more companies move parts of their infrastructure out of their data centers; there is a need, though, to think long and hard about disaster-proofing the cloud
Cloud computing offers benefits in cost and convenience, and as these benefits become more apparent, more and more IT departments are seriously considering moving large parts of their infrastructure out of their data centers. A year or two ago it was possible to dismiss many of the cloud offerings as too new and somewhat rickety, but Evolved Media’s Dan Woods writes that that objection no longer applies.
He writes that the first and most important step that savvy IT managers take when deciding what can be moved to the cloud is to separate infrastructure into various groups according to its importance. In every company, there is a set of applications and infrastructure so important that nobody outside the company can be trusted to run them, “But for most businesses, the bulk of their infrastructure could go into the cloud,” he writes. “The definition for what is safe for the cloud is different for every business, but if you can live without an application for two days, it is probably safe to put it into the cloud.”
Once a company has decided what it can put into the cloud, how does it manage the risk of disaster? If you are in IT management, you should read Wood’s suggestions.
