Despite the numerous challenges associated with cloud management, businesses – big or small, are adopting cloud-based systems at an astounding rate. The cloud offers various benefits, including reducing the upfront costs of IT management, improved scalability, and better security. Globally, 90% of Fortune 500 companies are using Microsoft Azure Cloud services to drive their business. Using a deeply-integrated Azure cloud, enterprises can rapidly develop, deploy, and manage simple or complex applications with ease. Here are six effective tips to successfully manage applications while saving cost on Azure:
Begin with a Pilot
Experts advise businesses to explore the variables that you can rapidly adjust to meet variations in the capacity and performance of the Azure cloud storage by starting with a modest pilot program. There are many factors to consider that a mere reading of the pricing sheet won’t suffice. It is essential to experience how it all works and see how that translates into a monthly bill before you can really appreciate the nuances of cloud pricing.
Look for Immediate Returns
Those at the top of the management chain are often attracted by the huge potential cost savings of the cloud and are keen to move all storage over to more of a utility model. However, caution is advised. Cloud migration must be done tactically to make actual savings. And in most cases, that means the avoidance of an “all-cloud now” technique. The best way forward is to identify spot uses for Azure cloud storage where its flexibility and convenience bring immediate payoff without having to deliberate on long-term strategic decisions.
Think Co-location
Many IT experts have experience in using co-location facilities. They are aware of the way co-location works and how to determine what elements are worth co-locating and what is not. For those who are less familiar with Azure pricing, yet who are being urged by management to head for the cloud in a big way, it is best to think of the cloud in a similar way to co-location economics.
Evaluate Azure the way the same way you assess a co-location facility, but with someone else taking care of the day-to-day chores necessary to keep the servers and storage infrastructure functioning optimally.
Understand All Costs
The above points all add up to garnering an understanding of all the real-world costs of cloud storage. This extends beyond storage capacity, and encompasses bandwidth, compute fees, the cost of API calls, event monitoring, and the oft-forgotten inter-region, intra-region, and intra-cloud communication charges.
Be Flexible
Flexibility is key to effectively managing applications on Azure Cloud. While a surface assessment of low storage costs in the cloud may appear to save a lot, the corresponding compute charges or network and gateway, as well as API fees, may kill any real savings. Evaluate the various services and weigh all your options, including where your applications are going to be located to maximize cloud efficiency. That may mean paying more for storage to get more compute and lower latency translating into greater productivity.
Address Latency
Latency and fast access to applications and data are crucial considerations in any cloud strategy. You don’t want your users to go out to the cloud every time they need to access data. That could mean unwanted delays. To address this, Azure provides computer resources for a premium to greatly reduce latency. According to Warren Mead, vice president, alliances and business development, Nasuni, “Azure is used to store the authoritative ‘gold copies’ of all files, but frequently accessed files are stored locally in edge appliances for fast flexibility.
Undoubtedly, cloud services are effective in saving money: they lower management costs by reducing on-premise hardware and software management, simplifying monitoring, and reducing the need for extensive capacity planning. But managing applications on the cloud can be a daunting task. With the right provider like Microsoft Azure and adequate information, planning, and preparation, it can become worthwhile.
We hope that these tips will ensure that your applications are well managed in the cloud. If you are ready to learn more request a free consultation today!
