Common Cloud Management Problems and How to Solve them

02 Dec Common Cloud Management Problems and How to Solve them

Cloud management offers businesses of any size a brilliant way to control and scale their IT infrastructure. It’s therefore no surprise that organisations are enthusiastically migrating to the cloud  – with over 60% of corporate data now being stored in the cloud.

In this article, we’ll walk you through some common cloud management problems that businesses face after cloud migrations. We’ll also discuss how working with a managed service provider can help mitigate these pitfalls.

Cloud management providers don’t implement security controls correctly
Unexpectedly High Cloud Costs

Cloud management helps most businesses save money by removing the need for costly hardware and network infrastructure. However, without properly managing your data usage, your business could be hit with an unexpectedly expensive bill from your cloud provider.

The trick here is to plan what resources you’ll need to power your workflow before you migrate and to keep checking what you’re using.

Here are a few tips to help avoid a nasty bill:

·       Plan the capacity you’ll be using. We recommend working with an MSP to monitor your current network usage and bandwidth. This will give a great indication of how much cloud capacity you’ll need. Businesses often overspend on resources they don’t need.

·       Avoid large data transfers. Many cloud providers charge data egress fees for large data transfers out of the cloud system. Try to limit the amount of data you pull from the cloud platform. For example, a 25TB egress will set you back $2,075 on Azure. For backups to offline storage, use incremental backups instead of full ones.

·       Use cost monitoring tools to see what you’re spending. Cloud providers offer some great tools to monitor your cloud costs. For instance, the Azure Cost Management + Billing tool tracks your spending, forecasts future bills and alerts over-budget users.

Cloud sprawl is a common problem in small and mid-level enterprises. Many firms fail to phase out cloud services that are no longer needed and continue to pay for them. An MSP can help you analyse your cloud usage and bring down your bill.

Lack of Resources and Expertise

There exists a skills and resources gap that’s limiting cloud expansion. Existing IT teams often lack the expertise needed to migrate and take advantage of a cloud deployment.

Resources are a problem too. According to research by iland, 83% of businesses say a lack of migration resources has delayed their cloud migration, with 12% stating this has prevented migration entirely.

What’s the solution? We recommend:

·       Resource planning: to understand what resources and infrastructure is needed to facilitate a successful cloud migration and management.

·       Outsourcing to a skilled MSP: to off-load expertise-heavy tasks and benefit from the guidance of cloud experts.

Working with an MSP can help plug these gaps. A managed cloud solution offloads the responsibility of planning and managing your cloud infrastructure, providing valuable assistance to your IT staff.

Ensuring cloud management compliance

Many businesses are bound by strict compliance. For example, medical and insurance companies handle sensitive data, and this can complicate a cloud migration.

Organizations must ensure compliance with legal standards based on their sector, location and requirements. Businesses need to look for cloud providers that provide compliance and adhere to the specific regulations needed in their sector.

For instance, Azure Security and Compliance Blueprints allow businesses to create, deploy, and update compliant environments. Azure Security Centre also unifies security management and enables advanced threat protection.

MSPs are experts in cloud management. They can work with you to ensure your cloud platform complies with the regulations applicable to your sector.

Streamline your cloud management with a Managed Service Provider (Care Computers)

Cloud migrations offer businesses some complex challenges. You can streamline this process by working with a cloud migration expert.

Managed service providers will help you plan a successful migration, identify and mitigate any possible pitfalls, and assist you with setting up your cloud environment.

Cloud management shouldn’t stretch your IT capacity. Outsourcing your cloud management responsibilities ensures you’re getting the most out of your modern, scalable cloud computing infrastructure. Contact us today