Most common use case: storage of data and files

A common use case is the storage of data on the cloud, whereby data protection and data availability play a special role. In particular, according to the study, despite the concerns, more and more secret and even sensitive data is being stored in the cloud. The types of data are:

• Non-critical information (81%),
• Data worth protecting (57%) and
• Secret information (33%).

The survey data show that companies are increasingly storing more data in the cloud and also significantly more internal IT systems such as ERP systems connect to the cloud. The two use cases mentioned are explained below.

Storage of files in the cloud

A good approach is to store files such as text documents, images, videos and much more in a secure cloud solution. There are numerous public providers who offer their own cloud solutions such as Onedrive, Dropbox and Google Drive but also private providers who sell software that can be operated on their own servers such as ownCloud, Nextcloud and Box. The decision can be made according to your own company guidelines and has a significant influence on data security and data availability. In addition to desktop and browser access, all providers mentioned also offer access to the data via iOS and Android apps.

Storage of data in the cloud

Another approach is to save company data such as customer names in a cloud or a cloud-enabled database. Various ERP systems and other internal company applications are then connected to this database. There is a data source that stores all the data and applications that can access the data source from anywhere on the Internet in a decentralized manner. The databases and applications can also be saved in a Public or private cloud (own server). This also has an impact on data security and data availability. Tips for ensuring data availability are given at the end of the article.

Companies see advantages in scalability

Storing data in the cloud should offer companies advantages. According to the Bitkom study, the following advantages were named that the companies are hoping for:

• Faster IT scalability (80%),
• Geographic collaboration (76%),
• IT availability and performance (64%) and
• Organizational flexibility (61%).

The most common concerns are DATA AVAILABILITY and privacy

In addition to the opportunities and potentials, there are also concerns and obstacles for the study participants in the Bitkom study. The most important are:

• IT failures (43%),
• Data protection incidents in companies (39%) and
• Increase in IT costs (34%).

Especially IT failures can have a serious impact on companies and even prevent work entirely for a short time. According to the study, over a third of the companies surveyed had experienced such an outage in the previous twelve months. Such a failure or a reduction in data availability can have serious effects or even bring a company to a standstill. It is therefore not surprising that it is on the most important point of business.

Conclusion: data availability in the cloud

In order to ensure meaningful data availability in the cloud, one must good cloud provider to select. The criteria for this are:

• You should definitely use Recovery Service Level Objectives (SLOs) of less than 15 minutes. Pay attention to all applications and data.
• It should also be ensured that the provider is highly automated. For a largely automated restart of the company’s IT after a failure, backup software should offer functions for disaster recovery orchestration (DR).
• Furthermore, the references of the cloud provider are very important. Putting big names on the cloud provider can be a sign of good performance.

The cloud can offer many advantages and bring with it a market advantage for companies. But there are also the risks of data protection and data availability. The risks can be minimized through the sensible selection of a cloud provider.

Der Beitrag How reliable is the data availability in the cloud? erschien zuerst auf agile Companies.

As early as in the coalition agreement, the governing parties commit themselves to preserving and regaining technological sovereignty. The focus is on alternatives to current US providers, which often offer cloud and software solutions without sufficient transparency. Due to the fact that we will become more and more dependent on technologies in the future, the sovereignty over their administration should lie in the hands of the German entrepreneurs.

This article shows current risks in the cooperation with large US providers and explains the use of open source software as an alternative solution for creating digital sovereignty.

Risk 1: Vendor LockIn

The reason for the frequent focus on one provider is obvious: Providers such as Apple and Microsoft often optimize their own components and it is difficult to link them with solutions from other manufacturers. One speaks of a vendor lock-in:

With vendor lock-in, a customer cannot replace a used service or product with an equivalent solution from another provider without increased effort. This is mostly due to the use of proprietary technologies that are incompatible with those of competitors.

Lindner et al. (2020)

The risks of such a vendor lock-in are often high costs and license fees, as there is a strong dependency on the individual provider.

Risk 2: Data in the cloud – but how are you?

Another risk is the storage of the data, which is often in the provider’s cloud. Cloud is defined as:

The term includes the interaction of several servers over the Internet. All servers share tasks among themselves. If one server fails, another server takes over. The cloud user does not have an overview of the individual servers. His data or applications run somehow (cloudy) in the cloud.

Lindner et al. 2020

You notice that the data in the cloud is therefore often not stored transparently and therefore it cannot be 100% guaranteed that the data is adequately protected from third party access. Such storage also often violates order data processing agreements (ADV) with important key customers.

Digital sovereignty

sovereignty is defined as the ability of a natural or legal person to have exclusive self-determination. The ability to self-determination is shaped by the self-reliance and independence of the individual and is the middle way too External control and self-sufficiency.

Delimitation: Sovereignty does not mean that a company has to do everything itself ( Self-sufficiency ) but that a company is able to act and can decide for itself what it does. It is able to choose between alternatives using powerful software.

The Digital sovereignty For me, stands for independence from a provider as well as self-determination as to which components I can use to digitally support a certain activity in the company. Furthermore, I have complete transparency about my data.

In the following I would like to show an example from my current experience for companies as well as private households.

Open source as an alternative for companies

For almost every task there is free, so-called open source software, which often does not have to hide behind commercial applications. Open source software is software whose source code is freely available and can be downloaded from the Internet and used free of charge within the framework of open source license models. By publishing the source code, the user can understand that data is not used without the consent of the user (Lindner at al. 2020).

Let’s take the example of Office 365 from Microsoft, which is used in numerous companies for the following activities:

• Writing program (Word),
• Tables (Excel),
• Presentations (PowerPoint),
• Notes (OneNote),
• Videoconference (Skype),
• Email (Outlook) and
• File sharing (OneDrive).

Microsoft Office 365 combines various online services with classic desktop office software. Office 365 is available in different scope of services. The web applications can be used via a browser on computers with any operating system (Lindner at al. 2020)

There is also a secure alternative for Office 365. The various services could also be obtained on the basis of open source software. Through e.g. On premise installation (own server or free choice of data center) and a large number of administration and security features, entrepreneurs have full control over their data and are compliant with the GDPR (Lindner at al. 2020). The following figure shows the implementation by ownCloud with Collabora in the browser as an alternative to Microsoft Word and OneDrive.

Similarly, the entire functionality of Office 365 can now be recreated using individual open source variants. My advice is:

• Writing program, tables and presentations (OnlyOffice),
• Notes (Joplin),
• Videoconference (Kopano),
• User administration (Univention)
• Email (Open XChange) and
• File sharing (ownCloud).

These functions can be set up flexibly and integrated into the existing open source infrastructure. You can also exchange individual components at any time (no Verdor LockIn) and have transparent source code.

Open source as an alternative for the home

In private, too, you should pay more attention to the sovereignty of your own data. Similar to companies, providers such as Dropbox or Microsoft also give private users little transparency in the storage of their own data.

For example, I connected two hard drives (4TB) to a Raspberry PI at home. The hard drives are redundant so that data loss is not possible if one hard drive fails. The whole set will cost you around 250 euros. Since commercial clouds often cost 10 euros per month, this investment is worthwhile after 2 years. However, this was not my primary goal because I wanted to achieve sovereignty of my data.

I then installed the ownCloud software on my Raspberry PI. Because of the open source end, I could be sure that nobody would have access to my data. I also know exactly that the data is on my hard drives, which are on my desk.

Reading tip: read mine Instructions on how to set up such a cloud !

The alternative is to buy your own NAS station. For example, I still have a Synology NAS. Long established in PC circles, Synology is one of the leading manufacturers of NAS servers. The fully configured version is particularly suitable for beginners and requires very little knowledge. Components can be installed and set up with a click. They are not completely free, however, unlike Dropbox and Co., they have their own hardware. Here is my recommendation: Synology NAS DS-218 with 2 Seagate hard drives .

Conclusion

Digital sovereignty is an essential topic for companies. As more and more technology is being established in companies, the topic should also become more and more important. The main dangers are the dependency on a provider and the associated high costs as well as the lack of transparency of the data.

For almost every task there is free, so-called open source software, which often does not have to hide behind commercial applications. The use of such software can be an alternative to commercial providers and increase the digital sovereignty of companies and private households.

Tip: Read my new book: The way to the cloud at Springer Gabler or book me for a talk .

Image source: Pixabay

source

Lindner, D., Niebler, P., & Wenzel, M. (2020). The way to the cloud – a guide for entrepreneurs and decision-makers . Heidelberg: Springer Gabler.

Der Beitrag Digital sovereignty in companies through open source? erschien zuerst auf agile Companies.

Advantages and disadvantages of PaaS

At the same time, there are also some noteworthy advantages and disadvantages with this service model. With PaaS, these parameters stand out in particular:

benefits

• faster and less complicated development and delivery of the software
• Development, test phases and operation possible on a uniform platform
• Software development lifecycle easy to manage
• Many functionalities are directly available, e.g. authentication, security features, database management system, user directories and registration, monitoring, etc.

On the other hand, there are also some disadvantages:

disadvantage

• High dependency on the cloud provider, especially with regard to the vendor lock-in (German: difficulty in changing provider)
• Components cannot simply be taken along when changing providers
• Fast-moving market, ie many innovations & shutdowns in functions
• Constant price changes, ie running costs that are difficult to calculate

Software development in the cloud

In the area of the PaaS service model, there are some key principles in software development. I would like to take a closer look at the concepts of microservices, containers and orchestration at this point

Microservices

Microservices play a role especially in connection with modern IT architecture and ensure the modularization of software. It is about the interaction of many small microservices, each of which processes a task module and then packs it into a container. The individual microservices can communicate with one another on the basis of a common network.

Microservices are often used to break down complex software into small parts and thereby make it easier to understand as well as to facilitate the possibility of expansion. This is therefore possible because the applications within the entire process are made more modular and therefore scalable independently of one another.

Microservices example :

You want to make some tea. You break these tasks down into the microservices: provide tea bags, boil water, fill water in cup and put tea bags in cup.

Container

Another element of PaaS are containers. Such a container corresponds to a kind of scalable box around your own application and its dependencies, in which, for example, a microservice is accommodated (see Fig. 1). Completely independent of its environment, it is kept extra small and only contains the most essential features to be able to operate the application reliably. A well-known example of containers is the “Docker” open source solution.

The added value of containers

• Can be used in any environment and in any cloud
• Easy scalability
• With high resource consumption (e.g. traffic), several containers can act at the same time and distribute the load
• Irrespective of the hardware, images can be passed on from the development environment to the test environment through to production
• Containers are small and can start up significantly faster than large-meshed operating systems

How containers work

Each container is based on an image. An image describes a blueprint from which the containers are created. Images are usually stored at a central point and can be used from all environments.

The individual image consists initially of a large layer, called the kernel, on which the various containers can run. Based on this, images can finally be put into operation in containers. In fig. 2, for example, you can see a base image on the right stack (here: BusyBox) to which the Python runtime environment is added in order to be able to create a container from it. On the other hand, there is also the possibility, as on the left, that an image is based on an operating system (here: Debian) to which the two layers Apache “and” PHP “are assigned in this example.

Using these methods, as well as adding and changing layers as required, images can be specialized and displayed in many different variations.

Orchestration

The containers mentioned in the section above must also be properly managed using suitable orchestration software. Such software is used to monitor the interaction of the individual containers like a conductor and to bring them into harmony with one another. For example, to precisely determine the sequence of the microservices. A well-known example of such software is Google’s open source “Kubernetes” project.

Google provides users with a portable and infinitely expandable platform for managing services that are delivered in containers. Added value is not only significantly better operation, but also significantly easier scalability. This in turn means that both automation and configurations are enormously simplified.

Added value and functionality of Kubernetes

In addition, Kubernetes offers the possibility that the user only has to specify the desired status of the application and the software then independently takes care of the timely implementation in the appropriate version.

The smallest unit in Kubernetes is described by the so-called “pod”. This corresponds to a running process in a server and can only contain one or several equivalent containers. Each pod has a unique IP address, a set of network ports provided and its own hard disk space that can be shared by containers. These elements also make it possible for the individual containers to communicate via the common environment.

With an increasing number of users, the number of pods can not only simply be increased, but this can also happen automatically at the same time. In addition, by redirecting traffic to different pods, the program can perform deployments with no downtime. In this way, the pods can always be kept up to date (see Fig. 3).

Conclusion

Finally, it can be seen that PaaS is a useful service model, especially in the area of application development. Not only does it enable development times to be significantly accelerated. At the same time, the complexity of server operation and scaling can be significantly reduced.

When using PaaS, users should always put together small task packages for microservices with regard to a flawless monolithic application.

PaaS is therefore particularly suitable for those who are experienced in the cloud, as it can offer not only comparatively low costs, but also rapid development potential. At the same time, however, the disadvantages such as vendor lock-in and data security should also be considered. This can be an important factor in the decision for this cloud service model in the area of finance, for example.

Tip: Read my new book: The way to the cloud at Springer Gabler or book me for a talk .

source

Lindner, D., Niebler, P., & Wenzel, M. (2020). The way to the cloud – a guide for entrepreneurs and decision-makers . Heidelberg: Springer Gabler.

Image source: pixabay.com

Der Beitrag Cloud: PaaS – platform as a service erschien zuerst auf agile Companies.

At the same time, this means that companies usually have to pay a monthly or annual fee for use, based on the number of users.

SaaS is available in many areas. These include, for example:

• e-mail
• Office and writing programs
• Customer Relationship Management
• Payroll
• Sales, HR and financial management
• Content management
• Document collaboration software

Advantages and disadvantages of SaaS

At the same time, there are also decisive advantages and disadvantages with this service model. With SaaS, these are broken down as follows:

benefits

• simple and flexible administration as well as mobile working
• easy and inexpensive use of services via the Internet
• current updates
• transparent prices

disadvantage

• Licensing for multiple users is quite expensive
• Assignment of data, i.e. personal data within SaaS are often on US servers (problematic with regard to GDPR, tax audits, etc.)
• High dependency on cloud providers
• No final legal certainty guaranteed

A comparison of important SaaS applications

When using SaaS, you can finally choose between commercial and open source software. Two applications in particular come into play again and again: Office 365 from Microsoft and ownCloud in combination with other products as an open source alternative. Both will now be presented in more detail in this article.

Office 365 from Microsoft – commercial software

With Microsoft Office 365, various online services are combined with classic desktop office software. This means that the system is available to the user in a range of services. Finally, the web applications can be used with any operating system via the internet browser. Included applications are e.g. writing program (Word), tables (Excel), presentations (PowerPoint), notes (OneNote), video conference (Skype), e-mail (Outlook), file sharing (OneDrive) etc. . Sharepoint can be purchased. How the system works in the browser is shown in the following fig. 1 shown.

ownCloud – open source solution

Even if commercial software appears to be the professional option for many users. Instead, there are now many strong open source solutions on the market that no longer have to hide behind giants like Microsoft. One such free software, with open source code and free licenses, is ownCloud. With on-premise installation as well as a number of administration and security features, companies keep full control over their data and are at the same time compliant with the GDPR. In addition, entrepreneurs also have the option of booking enterprise support in order to ensure complete security in their own company.

Like Office 365, ownCloud offers various components such as writing programs, tables and presentations (Collabora or OpenOffice), notes (Joplin), meeting solutions (Kopano), e-mail (Open XChange), file sharing (ownCloud) etc. These technologies can be summarized as so-called Stack , form a specialized platform for certain applications (see Fig. 2).

The user can flexibly set up these functions as SaaS or PaaS solutions and integrate them into the existing open source infrastructure. The open source alternative thus offers an optimal SaaS solution for using the collaboration software. OwnCloud stands out not only with a high degree of flexibility, but also with data security and complete independence from cloud providers.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it can be said that SaaS is a good cloud service. Since the SaaS software is usually provided via the Internet, it offers companies the option of accessing the software from any device and location. At the same time, no special IT knowledge is required, just using SaaS, which is why the effort for companies can be kept low. On the other hand, the software is difficult to adapt, which is why it is always worth using standard applications with SaaS.

Tip: Read my new book: The way to the cloud at Springer Gabler or book me for a talk .

source

Lindner, D., Niebler, P., & Wenzel, M. (2020). The way to the cloud – a guide for entrepreneurs and decision-makers . Heidelberg: Springer Gabler.

Der Beitrag Cloud: SaaS – Software as a Service erschien zuerst auf agile Companies.

Private cloud vs. public cloud

To understand how exactly the hybrid cloud works, it is first necessary to know the characteristics of its basic components.

Private cloud (own server)

• Focus on security
• full possibility of customization
• own control

Public cloud (server of one provider)

• low cost
• Possibility of flexible billing
• high scalability

Building the hybrid cloud

For medium-sized and large companies, it is often sensible to combine both types of cloud in the form of a hybrid cloud in view of the low costs and high scalability at the same time (see Fig. 2).

For example, less critical company data can be stored in a public cloud such as Amazon or Google. Highly sensitive data, on the other hand, can be saved in your own private cloud by purchasing your own hardware.

Private cloud

In the private cloud, companies can, for example, buy their own hardware. Secure data such as secret strategies or customer-specific information. You can then adapt and encrypt your own cloud yourself so that future data misuse by a provider is excluded. An example of such a private cloud is the open source solution ownCloud .

Public cloud

Often, however, there is also less critical data in companies, such as within projects. In order to map these project efforts in a less cost-intensive and quick manner, you can use a public cloud such as Google or Amazon, where a similar data storage service is booked or set up on a server.

Due to its public accessibility, the public cloud is usually managed by an external provider. This not only eliminates the need to purchase expensive hardware, but also eliminates costs only after the service expenses have actually been used or on the basis of a previously agreed tariff model. This means that the public cloud is not only comparatively inexpensive, but also extremely flexible.

Interaction within the hybrid cloud

The hybrid cloud is particularly popular in many companies because IT infrastructure requirements can usually only be implemented in a complex and cost-intensive manner on their own servers. With the hybrid cloud, on the other hand, high costs can be saved thanks to its public share. In addition, the hybrid form of the clouds is also significantly more flexible and scalable and can also easily meet short-term requirements within resource management.

Companies are often faced with the problem that their own resources are firmly defined on servers and can therefore not be used during idle times. As a result, it is rarely possible to react quickly enough to short-term increases, which in turn can lead to poor customer service. Instead, the hybrid cloud gives companies much more flexibility and a significantly faster response time (see Fig. 3).

The following three examples are used to explain how such a hybrid cloud can be implemented.

Example 1: file sharing

In many companies, data storage and exchange solutions are repeatedly required to store data (file sharing). The order structure of a file sharing can be configured as shown in Fig. 4 look like shown.

Here, uncritical test environments and public flyers are automatically saved in the public cloud and critical customer data and internal projects are automatically saved in the private cloud. The responsible employees only have to save the respective data in the appropriate folder. You can do this in your own data storage solution, such as ownCloud in conjunction with a public SaaS solution such as B. Implement Dropbox.

Example 2: software usage

But a hybrid cloud can also offer significant added value in the area of software use, for example in the form of a mapping of the internal operational software. For example Field workers store their less critical data in a cost-effective, SaaS-powered public cloud. Data protection-critical applications such as the enterprise resource planning tool, on the other hand, can be operated on their own servers, i.e. a private cloud.

Example 3: software development

The third and last example now deals with the use of the hybrid cloud in software development. This use of development services from the cloud comes, for example. Apps that offer their customers the service of compressing photos through an upload function. For this, the photos are usually first saved in the customer’s account. By using a hybrid cloud, it would be conceivable at this point that the area with the complex and difficult to calculate compression of the images is mapped in encrypted form in the public cloud, e.g. by booking a public PaaS solution from Amazon. The storage and retrieval of customer data for the clear assignment of the photo, on the other hand, can be done on your own private cloud, which also contains a PaaS solution. Such a procedure for hybrid data storage can be implemented with the help of API interfaces.

Conclusion

It can be clearly seen that there are usually three routes to the cloud. In order to combine the advantages and added value of all three options, the decision to use hybrid cloud is often recommended.

Although the hybrid cloud is objectively not an independent product, but rather corresponds to a kind of concept, it can still be individually adapted to the use cases in companies. All that needs to be done is to separate information into critical and non-critical data. Companies then have the advantage that they can take measures that are difficult to implement, such as which the on-premise architecture can circumvent cost-effectively. At the same time, in addition to good scalability, the hybrid cloud also offers the possibility of solving short-term resource problems thanks to its public components.

Tip: Read my new book: The way to the cloud at Springer Gabler or book me for a talk .

source

Lindner, D., Niebler, P., & Wenzel, M. (2020). The way to the cloud – a guide for entrepreneurs and decision-makers . Heidelberg: Springer Gabler.

Der Beitrag Cloud: The hybrid cloud erschien zuerst auf agile Companies.

From these beginnings, today’s cloud technologies finally developed. But what exactly do they actually describe? What service and delivery models for cloud technologies are there now? And what conclusions can be drawn from the rapid development?

What does the term mean?

The use of special IT infrastructure is described with the term “cloud”, in English “cloud”. It is primarily a matter of making IT resources available dynamically via the Internet in the form of an interaction between several servers. Individual service packages are distributed to the respective server so that another server can always take over the tasks in the event of a failure. As a result, the user does not have a precise overview of where his data and applications are located in the cloud, but can be sure of their occurrence at all times. Use is billed according to flexible payment models.

According to a definition by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST, NIST 2019) from 2012, cloud technologies should also have the following characteristics:

• On-demand self service: The user can access cloud resources via the Internet at any time.
• Broad network access: Users can access the cloud using the Internet in combination with well-known mobile devices such as smartphones, computers or tablets.
• Resource pooling : The performance of the server is bundled and made available to the user so that the user has no influence on individual servers.
• Rapid elasticity: The storage space and the performance of the cloud can be adjusted almost infinitely.
• Measured service: The servers are optimized and monitored by the cloud.

Service models of cloud technologies

Service models in the field of cloud technologies have been growing rapidly for over 10 years. Such a model is not only defined by an overview-like description of a service, but also by the parameters required for implementation.

In practice, a distinction is usually made between three different categories, some of which flow into one another.

• Software as a Service (SaaS),
• Platform as a Service (PaaS) and
• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Even if service models of cloud technologies have been well represented for a decade, the initial steps were rather small. Because before models like Infrastructure as a Service or Platform as a

Service markets became lucrative, initially it was only software as a service applications that achieved significant sales (see Fig. 1).

SaaS, PaaS and IaaS in comparison

In the following I would like to compare the various service models with one another for a better overview (see Fig. 2).

SaaS

The first service model with the abbreviation SaaS stands for the term Software as a service and is one of the best-known variants among most end users. Cloud providers provide their customers with software that can be used over the Internet for a fixed monthly price. While the provider monitors and organizes all of the requirements relating to updates and settings, the user has only limited influence on the software itself. The main advantage here is the comparatively low costs and the ability to use the software at any time and from anywhere.

Examples of SaaS: Microsoft Office 365, WordPress.com, GitHub, ownCloud online and Mailchimp

PaaS

PaaS describes the second service model and stands for the term Platform as a Service . As the name suggests, in return for a payment, the user can gain access to a fully configured and flexibly expandable software environment. There he can also run his own software. PaaS is therefore particularly well represented among software developers who use the service model, for example, to develop their own software applications or to test them in the provided environment. Compared to your own software environment, the flexibility of PaaS is significantly higher and gives software developers the option of different programming languages and almost infinite computing power.

Examples of PaaS: Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services and OpenShift

IaaS

Infrastructure as a Service or short IaaS includes the last service model. It describes a virtual data center and the first alternative to buying your own hardware, such as virtual computers, storage and networks. Since the end user is responsible for the virtualization of the environment and the installation of software, Iaas scores with the advantages of high flexibility and scalability as well as an almost limitless use of IT resources.

Examples for IaaS: Clouds from Google, Amazon and Microsoft

Delivery models of cloud technologies

In addition to the service models, there are also delivery models in the area of cloud technologies. Such a model describes how an acquired service model (SaaS, PaaS or IaaS) can be provided or made available as a service. A distinction is usually made here between three different delivery models

• Public cloud
• Private cloud
• Mixed forms (e.g. hybrid cloud)

The first two are usually more important and widespread in companies (see Fig. 3).

Public cloud

In practice, the public cloud of any provider is described as a public cloud, such as SaaS applications such as Google Docs or Microsoft Office 365 or IaaS solutions through the clouds from Google, Amazon or Microsoft. The great advantage of the public cloud lies in the possibility of individual and needs-based setup. At the same time, however, in some countries public access can also lead to problems with the legal situation in terms of data protection.

Private cloud

The private cloud, on the other hand, describes a delivery model where data protection obstacles and IT security usually do not pose any problems. The reason for this is that the private cloud is only explicitly available for companies that operate this cloud themselves and make it available to their workforce in the form of company-specific software, a platform or an intranet.

Hybrid cloud

However, since many companies are looking for a combination of the advantages of both cloud technologies, the delivery model of the hybrid cloud has now also established itself. It describes a hybrid form of public and private cloud as well as the possibility of operating certain services with public providers via the Internet and data protection-critical applications and data in their own cloud.

Example of the use of a hybrid cloud

A company stores customer and strategy data in its own cloud. In addition, the company bought its own servers, which are managed by internal IT staff. Since the acquisition of your own servers is very expensive and therefore only limited capacities are available, data that is not worth protecting (e.g. brochures, company presentations …) is stored in the inexpensive public cloud of a regional German provider. A community cloud are infrastructures that are used by several companies, e.g. B. suppliers, for example in the context of a project are operated jointly, with certain services being shared. For example, three suppliers can share IT infrastructure and specialists for the implementation of a project for the same end customer. Only shared data is then stored in the cloud.

Conclusion

The term “cloud” describes the interaction of several services via the Internet, which are divided up into individual task packages so that a different server can always step in in the event of a failure. Although the cloud user never has a precise overview of where their data and applications are currently located in the cloud, they can be sure of their occurrence at all times.

Within the cloud technologies, a distinction is made between service and delivery models and their individual classes.

Service models are split into three different categories so that the cloud user can use different types of abstraction:

• Software as a Service (SaaS),
• Platform as a Service (PaaS) and
• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

On the other hand, cloud providers offer their users three different delivery models:

• Public cloud
• Private cloud
• Mixed forms (e.g. hybrid cloud)

Tip: Read my new book: The way to the cloud at Springer Gabler or book me for a talk .

source

Lindner, D., Niebler, P., & Wenzel, M. (2020). The way to the cloud – a guide for entrepreneurs and decision-makers . Heidelberg: Springer Gabler.

Der Beitrag Basics of cloud technologies erschien zuerst auf agile Companies.

Use of cloud

In the area of using the cloud, it is primarily about the desire and the possibility resulting from the cloud in the area of information technology (IT) to be able to work efficiently and at the same time flexibly and agile. While these parameters only appeared feasible for startups for a long time, larger companies are increasingly making use of these advantages with the help of cloud technologies.

A study by Bitkom ( Cloud Monitor 2019 ) in the time interval from 2016 – 2018 that more than 70 percent of the companies surveyed (as of 2018) have not only integrated cloud technologies into daily business, but also actively use them (see Figure 2). These results not only speak for a rapid increase in the use of the cloud in practice. It also shows that companies are ready to ignore the risks of use in order to actively take advantage of the many opportunities offered by the cloud.

In addition to the type of use, the study also looked at the advantages and disadvantages of the cloud.

Type of use

But even if almost three quarters of all companies surveyed agree on using the cloud, the areas of application still differ. Because cloud technologies have long since ceased to function purely as digitization tools for internal processes and procedures. Rather, it can be used to further develop current business models or even to create completely new ones. This is achieved, for example, through new sales channels such as online shops.

In addition, the cloud is also used to develop trending topics such as Industry 4.0. For example, big data scenarios are tested in advance using cloud technologies.

Benefit in all areas from the possibility of storing critical data in the cloud (see Fig. 3). With the help of these, intelligent forecasts can be evaluated.

Since more and more companies have recognized this opportunity, the upload volume of sensitive or secret data to the cloud has risen rapidly (see Fig. 3), opening up more and more new possibilities for companies to use the cloud in practice.

Positive impact

But the use of cloud technologies also has many positive effects. Four opportunities came to the fore in the results of the study (see Fig. 4).

For example, 80% of the companies surveyed stated that the internal IT can be changed significantly faster or realigned without additional costs thanks to the cloud-based, flexible and rentable systems. In addition, completely new technologies can be tested cost-effectively.

But geographically distributed work can also be simplified in practice by using the cloud. Three quarters of the companies participating in the study stated, for example, that thanks to the browser-based software, significantly better access to data from distributed locations is possible. Ultimately, this enables not only better efficiency in daily business but also cost savings.

In addition, companies also see great opportunities for customers in the cloud. More than 60% of the companies stated that their own IT performance had increased significantly, which ultimately also resulted in higher customer satisfaction. Finally, more than every second company (60%) stated increased flexibility. Changes in the company can generally be implemented much faster thanks to the new options such as flexible change from workplace IT and IT. In addition, they appreciate the advantage that internal hardware and software can be tailored much better to the workforce and individualized for them.

Negative impacts

But with the use of cloud technologies, in addition to the many opportunities, there are also some risks. The companies surveyed in the study fear in particular difficulties with data protection, rising IT costs and failures (see Fig. 5).

Failures can have serious effects, for example if work comes to a standstill. More than 40% complained that there had been significant failures in the area of information technology in the last 12 months.

It therefore makes sense for companies not to become dependent on the use of the cloud in practice and to draw up emergency plans at an early stage.

But also in the area of data protection, companies should take early action in order to avoid loss of trust among customers and high fines. Over a third of the companies saw themselves exposed to at least one such incident in the last financial year without emergency plans such as audits and IT security concepts for the secure storage of data.

Furthermore, more than a third of the companies surveyed also complain about IT costs that are well above the planned budget. Which is why measures should also be taken here that precisely analyze the cost-benefit ratio of the acquisition of cloud technologies.

Conclusion – the cloud in practice

The use of the cloud in practice is primarily based on the digitization of internal processes, new sales channels and the development of trends such as Industry 4.0. According to current studies, more than 70 percent of all companies use cloud technologies, which means that the IT resource has long since developed from a start-up trophy to an all-round winner.

Even if 30 percent of companies still fear risks such as data protection, costs and failures – almost three quarters have already recognized where the great opportunities of the cloud lie: fast scaling and good IT performance, geographical cooperation and, above all, significantly more flexibility!

Tip: Read my new book: The way to the cloud at Springer Gabler or book me for a talk .

source

Lindner, D., Niebler, P., & Wenzel, M. (2020). The way to the cloud – a guide for entrepreneurs and decision-makers . Heidelberg: Springer Gabler.

Image source: pixabay.com

Der Beitrag Use of the cloud in practice erschien zuerst auf agile Companies.

Packages from IaaS

The resources linked to this system are usually made available in a kind of smaller package. These in turn contain individual components such as:

• Virtual CPUs: Virtual CPUs differ from real CPUs in that no dedicated CPUs are provided for a customer, but the calculations are carried out on currently “free” cores.
• Storage: Typically there is a choice between HDD (optimized for low costs and few accesses) and SSD (optimized for fast and many accesses).
• Network: Own networks can be created and incoming and outgoing firewall rules can be defined.
• operating system (English Operating System – OS): Usually you have the choice between Linux and Windows Server. Linux (including CentOS, Ubuntu and Debian) is the most common.

Advantages and disadvantages

At the same time, as with any other system, this service model also has significant advantages and disadvantages. At IaaS, these are broken down as follows:

benefits

• Greatest flexibility compared to other service models
• Easily portable thanks to the VMs offered
• Provision of VM and operating system
• Possibility of adapting the environment at any time
• Flexible and individual requirements can be implemented at any time

On the other hand, there are also some negative aspects:

disadvantage

• High effort, e.g. when scaling
• Increase in performance (e.g. with an increasing user base) must be adjusted yourself, as well as additional tasks in the area of setting up B. Load balancers, monitoring and distributed storage

Components

In addition, IaaS consists of a number of different components. Which is why I analyzed the most important ones in more detail below.

VM (virtual machines / server)

The abbreviation VM stands for the term virtual machine and describes the fundamental element on which the cloud is based. It reflects the software representation of a normal computer with operating system, access to virtual CPUs, RAM, data, etc. The VM thus solves the problem of the need for an additional computer if an additional operating system is required. With the help of software (hypervisor) that is responsible for coordination, any number of virtual computers can run on one computer.

Storage

With Storage the solutions for storing the permanent backup of digital data in IT are described. It is up to you whether the storage is made up of hard drives or other technologies such as USB sticks.

In general, a distinction is made between three different types of storage:

• Direct Attached Storage (DAS) : Single hard drive attached to the server
• Network Attached Storage (NAS): Hard disk storage with network connection (network of hard disks)
• Storage Area Network (SAN): Network for the connection of hard disk subsystems (connection of several storage devices with a file server)

Network access

The use of a virtual machine (VM) usually requires an IT expert who not only connects to it, but can also secure the VM against unauthorized access. Such access can also take place in many different ways, with SSH and VPN being the most common solutions.

• SSH (Secure Shell): Network protocol with encrypted access by IT experts, e.g. in the form of a password and mutual authentication using certificates with secure key procedures.
• VPN (Virtual Private Network): Use can only be made by certain participants and communication can only take place via its own, specially secured VPN protocol with data encryption.

Network security and monitoring

In addition, the VM must also be protected against unwanted access via the Internet by means of a secure firewall, so that data packets can safely enter and exit.

In addition, there should also be a monitoring solution that regularly checks the performance of the VM and, if necessary, should also sound an alarm, such as failures.

operating system

A suitable operating system is selected along with the virtual machine (VM). The following systems are frequently selected:

CentOS (Community Enterprise Operating System)

• Developed by RedHat
• Open source solution
• Conclusion: free distribution, based on RedHat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Ubuntu (German: “Humanity)

• Based on Debian
• most used system on private Linux PCs
• Open source solution
• Conclusion: easy to install and easy to use, lots of tutorials

Debian

• Based on Linux
• Open source solution
• Conclusion: fewer interfaces with simple clicks, more for experienced users

Windows

• Probably the best known operating system
• Conclusion: Particularly suitable in conjunction with Microsoft solutions, many different versions available

Conclusion

The bottom line is that IaaS is often the first entry into the field of cloud technologies. Relatively easy to use, you basically only have to rent a virtual server here. This must then be equipped with network components and a firewall as well as an operating system and storage solutions. Ultimately, all you have to do is set up the server individually to suit your needs.

Tip: Read my new book: The way to the cloud at Springer Gabler or book me for a talk .

source

Lindner, D., Niebler, P., & Wenzel, M. (2020). The way to the cloud – a guide for entrepreneurs and decision-makers . Heidelberg: Springer Gabler.

Image source: pixabay.com

Der Beitrag Cloud: IaaS – Infrastructure as a Service erschien zuerst auf agile Companies.

For the other sub-area that is still on the way, this article is intended to provide an introduction to the topic.

Guide to the world of cloud technologies

Entrepreneurs and beginners in the field of cloud technologies should first of all make the decision about the right service model. With regard to your requirements, you should choose between IaaS, PaaS and SaaS.

Overview of the service models

The service model IaaS describes the least complex variant and describes a virtual data center with computing power, storage and networks. Infrastracture as a Service can score points above all with a high degree of flexibility and easy migration of existing applications that run on virtual machines.

The next level of service models is through PaaS shown. Platform as a Service is particularly popular with software developers, as it enables them to develop and execute their own programs faster on the infrastructure offered by means of interfaces. It is also easily scalable.

The most complex form of the service model is through SaaS described. Software as a service is already comparable to a business model. The functions of a software are made available to the customer for a fee.

Overview of delivery models

The next step is to select the right delivery model. So the option that describes whether it should be a private or a public cloud.

As the name suggests, describes the Public cloud the offer of a provider for a cloud with all its services that is freely accessible to the public via the Internet. Many companies are afraid of problems with data protection. On the other hand, this cloud technology offers the advantage that you can dispense with the purchase of your own hardware and software and the management of IT. These necessary tasks are taken over by the provider here.

Entrepreneurs and decision-makers for whom the risk of data protection violations is too serious can also opt for the use of a Private cloud decide. The administration and accessibility of IT services are regulated in-house. Finally, maintenance-free and installation-free IT applications as well as a scalable IT infrastructure can be accessed via the web browser.

Often, however, it is also in the interests of entrepreneurs and decision-makers to combine the advantages of both variants. For this reason, there is now a third form, the Hybrid cloud , crystallized out.

The hybrid cloud

In the Hybrid cloud the most important characteristics of the public and private cloud are brought together. The hybrid form of cloud technologies enables applications that are subject to data protection criteria to be kept internally in the company. At the same time, applications that are less strictly protected can be managed publicly on the Internet by external service providers.

However, the hybrid cloud also has some obstacles. In particular, the strict separation of data is often a difficult undertaking. A structured and consistent subdivision of critical and non-critical company data, business processes and workflows is required in order to set up the system efficiently.

Conclusion

Getting started with the cloud is often difficult. On the one hand, this is due to the high level of complexity and, on the other hand, the fact that cloud solutions are still somewhat unknown. However, it is very clear that cloud technologies have become indispensable in the area of agile and modern work. For example, the collaboration of virtual teams with customers around the world can be managed much better.

Tip: Read my new book: The way to the cloud at Springer Gabler or book me for a talk .

source

Lindner, D., Niebler, P., & Wenzel, M. (2020). The way to the cloud – a guide for entrepreneurs and decision-makers . Heidelberg: Springer Gabler.

Der Beitrag Cloud technologies: recommendations for entrepreneurs and decision-makers erschien zuerst auf agile Companies.

The main advantage is that the user only pays for the cloud service actually used. This gives companies the opportunity to reduce their operating costs. At the same time, you can implement needs-based scaling in an effective infrastructure.

But how many companies have already recognized these opportunities? And what is the current usage rate?

Or to put it another way:

What is the status quo of cloud computing in companies?

How current statistics of the “Cloud Monitor 2019” from Bitkom show, almost three quarters of all companies already use cloud computing. This means that the use of cloud technologies has increased by almost 10 percent in just two years (2016-2018). This means that there are fewer and fewer objectors and more and more planned uses.

But even if cloud computing seems to be gaining ground across the board, the type of use and the forms of data backup have changed in recent years. While the first phases of rapprochement were cautious in 2016, more trust has now developed. The storage of uncritical data has been reduced by 3 percentage points, while the backup has increased by ten percent between 2016 and 2018. And users have also discovered cloud computing for themselves when it comes to secret information. Here usage has even increased from 19 percent to 33 percent in just two years, which is a whole 14 percentage points.

What are the still problems with implementation and use?

But even if trust in cloud technologies is steadily increasing, the implementation seems to be a real problem for some companies. Many management levels are longing for more productivity and competitiveness and find the apparently optimal solution in the outsourcing of information, data and entire programs to the computers of Internet service providers. At the same time, however, there is often one thing missing: qualified, expert-based personnel with whom the change can be efficiently implemented. This is probably the main reason for still almost 1/5 of refusals as well as the still main use of cloud computing for uncritical information.

In particular, the fact that cloud computing is sometimes difficult to access for the average employee with little IT knowledge, often leads to inferior uses, as shown in the following graphic, for example:

Due to the implementation of cloud technologies, large parts of the workforce are often ready to use them in their everyday work, but at the same time the resources are lacking. And the background knowledge for optimal application is not always available. This often leads to chaotic situations in which information is uploaded to the cloud, but there is no uniform system behind it. As a result, the system can quickly become inefficient and lose flexibility and speed. Ultimately, this means that processes can only be scaled poorly and unnecessary costs arise.

Conclusion

Still, I see far more benefit than harm in using cloud computing. Of course, the principle of cloud technologies is not easy to understand for everyone. At the same time, however, the opportunities outweigh so much that it can be worthwhile for companies to invest a little more at the beginning. These investments should be used to get the right specialists for a successful implementation.

In addition, I recommend companies that are already using cloud technologies to stay on the ball. Cloud computing should be used consistently. As the statistics from Bitkom Monitoring show, trust in the cloud is increasing steadily. This also means that more and more secret data is securely stored.

Tip: Read my new book: The way to the cloud at Springer Gabler or book me for a talk .

source

Lindner, D., Niebler, P., & Wenzel, M. (2020). The way to the cloud – a guide for entrepreneurs and decision-makers . Heidelberg: Springer Gabler.

You can find more information on the subject in the following articles:

• What is cloud computing?
• Opportunities and advantages of cloud computing
• Risks and Disadvantages of Cloud Computing
• Cloud Computing: Private or Public Cloud?

Image source: pixabay.com

Der Beitrag Cloud computing – the current status in companies erschien zuerst auf agile Companies.