Today we discuss a Forrester report title Cloud Platforms that will turn Enterprise Architecture Inside Out
The report says that cloud services have been adopted in an adhoc fashion, driven by the opportunity and expediency more than by strategy, hence this report provides a template to develop cloud architecture to balance the needs to be agile while managing risks.
Cloud services are now being added under the mandate to provide competitive edge. This introduces risks to security and business models, the potential for vendor-lockin and other challenges. The trouble with cloud services are that unless they are specifically designed, they get used arbitrarily. Architects therefore spend time developing clear guidelines for cloud adoption and use. And they must develop them differently from the on-premise centric world. This report discusses the risks associated with the explosion of the cloud services. It proposes the use of architecture zones to manage the cloud agility and risk. Moreover, cloud is an opportunity for Enterprise Architect (EA) leaders to reinvent enterprise architecture.
Let us take a look at some of these challenges and risks:
Public cloud service providers have unstable pricing models. They regularly decrease the prices of highly visible services but also add new services that increase the costs to enterprises. Architects previously were not concerned with software licensing.
Vendor lockin versus business flexibility - EA pros have always been concerned with vendor - lockin. There are very few examples that prevent this in the cloud as compared with on-premise Standard and open-source products like Cloud Foundry and OpenStack help promise to insulate customers from lock-in but are still untested.
The trouble with cloud services is that if you bend it to your needs, you have more pain than the on-premise world. Customization is not what the cloud services provider was pushing and if you do decide to go with it, the CSP was probably not a truly offering cloud services to begin with.
Security and confidentiality concerns - even though major applications and services are building on public cloud, architects are rarely involved from the start to determine the security policies, procedures and controls.
If you design your own private cloud, guidelines for security may have to be explained even more.
The right approach for the EA depends on the CSP business models.
Hosting companies that focus on infrastructure as a service and hybrid is one such model. Most CSPs make their money by renting infrastructure capacity. They often invest more in capital equipment, infrastructure administration, and software management. For example RackSpace differentiated itself early on as an IaaS provider.
Integrators that focus on delivering the solution and not the means is another such model. This is typically the consulting company at the core. They have strongest background in managing, customizing, and integrating commercial off-the-shelf COTS software. The Accenture duck-creek suite, supported on Microsoft Azure is a good example.
Software companies that put their solution front and center. Independent software vendors (ISV) led cloud services providers have their own applications, middleware, tools or other code. Their model centers on licensing and renting of this IP and the expansion of their software portfolios.
Pure cloud CSPs that focus on subscription growth is another such model. They shift the focus to low entry points and pay-per-use business models, but long term customer commitments are driving these vendors. Leading SaaS vendors are massively multi-tenant.
This paper proposes the use of architecture zones. A simple template with well defined zones can help EA professionals to provide business related guidance.
The core business zone maintains the on-premise status quo - they provide the administrative backbone of the organization. This is considered the systems of record.
The intermediate zone is where change is less dynamic. Systems of automation and systems of design are appropriate for an intermediate zone. This is considered the systems of automation.
The business agility zone is where the change is the norm. Innovative new capabilities using cloud technologies enters this agility zone. This is considered the system of insight.
Let us take a look at some of these challenges and risks:
Public cloud service providers have unstable pricing models. They regularly decrease the prices of highly visible services but also add new services that increase the costs to enterprises. Architects previously were not concerned with software licensing.
Vendor lockin versus business flexibility - EA pros have always been concerned with vendor - lockin. There are very few examples that prevent this in the cloud as compared with on-premise Standard and open-source products like Cloud Foundry and OpenStack help promise to insulate customers from lock-in but are still untested.
The trouble with cloud services is that if you bend it to your needs, you have more pain than the on-premise world. Customization is not what the cloud services provider was pushing and if you do decide to go with it, the CSP was probably not a truly offering cloud services to begin with.
Security and confidentiality concerns - even though major applications and services are building on public cloud, architects are rarely involved from the start to determine the security policies, procedures and controls.
If you design your own private cloud, guidelines for security may have to be explained even more.
The right approach for the EA depends on the CSP business models.
Hosting companies that focus on infrastructure as a service and hybrid is one such model. Most CSPs make their money by renting infrastructure capacity. They often invest more in capital equipment, infrastructure administration, and software management. For example RackSpace differentiated itself early on as an IaaS provider.
Integrators that focus on delivering the solution and not the means is another such model. This is typically the consulting company at the core. They have strongest background in managing, customizing, and integrating commercial off-the-shelf COTS software. The Accenture duck-creek suite, supported on Microsoft Azure is a good example.
Software companies that put their solution front and center. Independent software vendors (ISV) led cloud services providers have their own applications, middleware, tools or other code. Their model centers on licensing and renting of this IP and the expansion of their software portfolios.
Pure cloud CSPs that focus on subscription growth is another such model. They shift the focus to low entry points and pay-per-use business models, but long term customer commitments are driving these vendors. Leading SaaS vendors are massively multi-tenant.
This paper proposes the use of architecture zones. A simple template with well defined zones can help EA professionals to provide business related guidance.
The core business zone maintains the on-premise status quo - they provide the administrative backbone of the organization. This is considered the systems of record.
The intermediate zone is where change is less dynamic. Systems of automation and systems of design are appropriate for an intermediate zone. This is considered the systems of automation.
The business agility zone is where the change is the norm. Innovative new capabilities using cloud technologies enters this agility zone. This is considered the system of insight.
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