Ascendcloud

Tanzu guide: how it's changing the game for cloud-native apps

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 10:11:16 GMT

Going cloud-native? Discover how VMware Tanzu is changing the game in our accessible explainer.

How times change. When the cloud was introduced in the mid-to-late 2000s, businesses used it in conjunction with on-premises servers. This represented an exciting yet uneasy mix of hardware and software, virtual and physical, the old and the new.

Fast forward to 2026 and more and more businesses are going cloud-native. Rather than migrating legacy systems, these cloud-based pioneers design, build and run applications specifically for the cloud.

This involves technologies such as containers, microservices and automation to create modular, flexible systems. Cloud-native cheerleaders point to the reliability, cost-effectiveness, scalability and creative dynamism this approach can bring.

These apps allow for automated updates with next to no downtime. Resources can be dynamically scaled within a highly secure infrastructure.

So far, so blue-sky. But the issue for developers and systems administrators has always been how to manage these cloud-native apps. Enter VMware Tanzu, a platform that's changing the game for cloud-native app management.

What is VMware Tanzu?

Let's start by looking at what Tanzu does . It acts as a comprehensive platform that simplifies Kubernetes and container orchestration.

It's "opinionated", meaning it enforces a specific and intentional approach to the building, deployment and management of applications – not just a neutral set of tools.

Best of all, it bridges the gap between code-focused developers and security-focused operators.

Tanzu gives all parties a consistent and reliable environment across complex cloud environments – from on-premise to the public cloud to edge infrastructures.

That's what it does – so what is it, exactly?

Put simply, VMware Tanzu is a portfolio of software, services and tools designed to build, run and manage cloud-native apps and Kubernetes clusters. It does this across private, public and multi-cloud environments.

Put even more simply, it's software that allows Kubernetes to run on vSphere.

Essential Tanzu features include:

Tanzu Platform (an opinionated platform-as-a-service)
Tanzu Kubernetes Grid (TKG)
Tanzu Application Service (TAS)
The central management hub, Tanzu Mission Control
Tanzu Hub, a console for visualising and managing complex app environments

How does VMware Tanzu manage containers?

In cloud computing, much is made of central consoles where complex environments can be built, run and managed. VMware Tanzu is one such console: a clear vantage point from which administrators can take care of Kubernetes-based containerised applications.

That clarity is all-important. VMware Tanzu takes disparate tools for cluster life cycle management, security policies and GitOps workflows and streamlines them. This enables developers and operators alike to manage consistent infrastructure.

Why does VMware Tanzu matter?

Tanzu is a powerful tool with three main benefits for enterprises looking to manage cloud-native apps.

First, it enables them to modernise legacy applications . Secondly, it speeds up the delivery of software , transforming monoliths into microservices with advanced automation tools.

And thirdly, it unifies operations across sprawling infrastructures . This means both developers and operators are on the same page and ready to do business.

More broadly, VMware Tanzu is ideal for organisations already using VMware tools and concepts. It allows them to transfer this expertise onto container management, rather than reskilling staff or starting from scratch.

Similarly, Tanzu Kubernetes Grid users get native support for vSphere resources. This allows you to leverage existing storage and data stores when creating storage classes.

What is a cloud-native app?

A cloud-native app is a piece of software specifically designed, built and operated for use in cloud computing. Unlike legacy apps, it's designed to leverage the full advantages of cloud environments, such as scalability, elasticity and resilience.

And unlike legacy apps, cloud-native apps use modern architectures. These include microservices, containers and automated orchestration such as Kubernetes. This enables them to rapidly deploy and update with minimal downtime.

What are microservices?

Microservices structure applications as a collection of small, independent and loosely coupled services. Each microservice handles a specific function.

These functions differ according to the nature of the business using microservices. In eCommerce, they might be product catalogue management or customer accounts. In banking, they might be fraud detection or payment processing.

Microservices communicate via lightweight application programming interfaces (APIs). These are deployed individually, allowing for faster development and scalability.

What are containers?

A container is a kind of skeleton key that allows an app to run consistently in different cloud computing environments. It does this independently of virtual machines.

Inside a container, you'll find an application's code along with its dependencies, libraries and configuration files – everything you need to run the app in any environment.

What is CI/CD?

CI/CD stands for "continuous integration / continuous delivery or deployment". It's a DevOps methodology that uses automation to build, test and deliver code changes.

Teams can merge code into a shared repository, meaning they can streamline the development life cycle, update process and bug detection.

VMware Tanzu accelerates CI/CD by automating application containerisation, testing and deployment across Kubernetes environments.

What is Tanzu Spring?

Formerly Tanzu Spring Runtime, Tanzu Spring provides support, security and maintenance for the open-source Spring ecosystem, Apache Tomcat and Java. This enables enterprises to stay

compliant while accelerating modernisation.

What is a golden path?

Sometimes referred to as a "paved path" or "paved road", a golden path is an opinionated and task-specific path for creating software. In practice, this means a smooth and speedy development process that's under the developer's control.

How we can help

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we provide lab hosting services for VMware Education Delivery Partner (VEDP) courses. These include labs for two VEDP courses related to Tanzu:

These courses are suitable for vSphere administrators and platform operators. They presume knowledge of vSphere management and Kubernetes cluster architecture.

Are you looking for highly reliable, highly secure lab hosting services for VEDP courses? Get in touch with Ascend Cloud Solutions today to discuss your hosting needs with our VMware experts.

Sustainability in IT training: how virtual labs save energy and waste

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 13:05:57 GMT

In 2026, sustainability is as important to IT as to every other aspect of business. Find out the role virtual labs can play.

These days, sustainability is no longer a niche concern. Every organisation of every kind needs to consider the impact it's making on the environment and look for ways to mitigate it.

Virtual labs are increasingly used for IT training. They provide safe, secure sandboxes where developers, system administrators and other IT professionals can deepen their skills, knowledge and expertise.

They're also a key component in sustainable IT. This is because they use far fewer resources than their traditional, physical-hardware-based counterparts.

They enable course providers, lab hosts and even students to reduce their carbon footprint, energy consumption and electronic waste.

This should come as no surprise to those of you already familiar with the environmental benefits of cloud computing. Lancaster University reports that "customers consume 77% fewer servers, 84% less power and reduce carbon emissions by 88% by using the cloud" .

Of course, virtual labs alone can't turn an environmentally unfriendly organisation into a green pioneer. They work best when paired with other sustainable habits and practices, such as paperless teaching materials.

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we provide highly reliable and highly available lab environments for VMware Education Delivery Partner (VEDP) courses. We're proud to think that our services can help course providers cut their carbon output.

How virtual labs save energy for lab providers

On-site data centres have a problem. They require constant power and constant cooling.

Virtual labs, of course, are powered by these data centres. Nevertheless, a class full of students accessing cloud-based labs are using fewer resources than a class full of students accessing software run on a private server.

This is partly because cloud data centres often utilise more efficient cooling systems than individual physical labs. This elimination of HVAC makes virtual labs a more sustainable option for course providers.

It's not just that virtual labs require less on-site computational power. They also require less infrastructure, drastically cutting the number of computers, cables and other components in an educational institution.

This is what's known as "dematerialisation". Physical products are replaced with their virtual equivalents.

Dematerialisation is an investment in the future. You're not just reducing your reliance on physical hardware in the here and now. You're also creating a future in which you don't need to purchase, repair or dispose of hardware.

If you're a course provider offering virtual labs, you're harnessing specialised cloud hardware. These typically use less power than traditional, older equipment.

And because all that computing is outsourced to the cloud, user devices such as laptops and PCs can last longer. All they need is a decent internet connection and they're good to access learning from pretty much any course provider.

How virtual labs save energy and waste for educators

It's not just lab providers who save energy and waste through using virtual labs. It's educators, too.

This is in large part because virtual labs sweep away the endless piles of paper that tend to clutter up learning centres. Those mounds of manuals and handouts might eventually be recycled, but they used up resources being created in the first place.

On top of this, moving training to the cloud can save huge amounts of electricity. As Lancaster University reports:

"Research funded by Google and conducted by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in conjunction with Northwestern University revealed that moving business software such as email, CRM and more (on a national scale) to the cloud would lower the total energy consumption of these software applications by 87% – enough electricity to power Los Angeles for 12 months."

That's a lot of electricity. If you're a course provider looking for a greener educational offering, virtual labs could play a positive role in your paradigm shift.

How virtual labs save energy and waste for students

Learners, too, can cut their carbon footprint by using virtual labs.

This is because cloud-based training can be accessed anywhere. In the case of IT training, it can take place in an educational establishment, at home, on the train or up a tree.

This eradication of commuting means fewer carbon emissions. At the same time, its flexibility helps learners balance their training with other life and work commitments.

And because virtual labs require less infrastructure, course providers can charge less for their services. This isn't always the case – but in some instances, it can translate into savings for the student.

What are the other benefits of virtual labs for training?

As well as saving energy and waste, virtual training has a whole host of other advantages for course providers and learners. In our view, there are four key benefits:

1. They're risk-free

Virtual labs may be virtual – but the skills they teach have real-world consequences. Labs allow students to break things safely, deepening skills that can then be applied on the job.

2. They're flexible

Virtual labs can be accessed remotely, encouraging flexibility and enabling students to balance life, work and training more successfully.

3. They improve learner retention

"Active learning", "learning through doing", "hands-on learning"… These are all ways of describing the kind of learning enabled by virtual labs – and it's a kind of learning that can improve learner engagement and retention.

4. They provide real-time teacher feedback and tech support

One of the great advantages of virtual labs is that course instructors can quickly hop into a session to troubleshoot a problem. No matter where in the world the instructor is, they can provide hands-on assistance to learners as quickly as a driving instructor with her dual controls.

The same goes for behind-the-scenes tech support. If you work with the right lab hosting service, you can get speedy troubleshooting to ensure learner continuity – something that's good for course providers, teachers and learners alike.

Are you looking for lab hosting for VEDP courses ? Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we provide reliable, scalable, cloud-hosted lab environments for course providers across the globe. Don't hesitate to get in touch with our experts to discuss your needs.

How Ascend Cloud Solutions builds scalable VMware labs

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 23:04:33 GMT

Discover how we provide fast, high-performance lab hosting services for VMware Education Delivery Partners.

In his 1958 essay "I, Pencil", Leonard Read explored the family tree of that everyday item. He described the many hands and many processes that lead to the creation of a single pencil. From foresters to hauliers. From factory sweepers to lighthouse keepers.

Cloud computing may seem a world away from the simple pencil. But Leonard Read's lesson applies. While the cloud world yearns for its single pane of glass, it's nevertheless built from a diverse and even bewildering array of people, places and processes.

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, our involvement in building VMware labs makes us keenly aware of this productive ecosystem.

Look at it this way. Cloud engineers must be trained. To train cloud engineers, courses must be delivered. To deliver courses, labs must be built, administered and troubleshooted. Building, administering and troubleshooting labs requires infrastructure. This infrastructure needs to be installed and maintained… And on it goes.

Our role is to provide high-quality lab hosting services for VMware Education Delivery Partners (VEDPs). A big part of this is providing capacity and ensuring high performance. But it also involves behind-the-scenes troubleshooting that comes from years of VMware expertise.

This backend provision plays a crucial part in training up the next generation of cloud engineers. In this article, we take a closer look at how we provide the environments where learning can be brought to life.

Building a positive UX for students and teachers

So often in life, performance is sacrificed for profit. In the case of cloud computing labs, this involves cramming students onto courses with insufficient infrastructure. The result? Money for the providers and a wretched experience for the students.

After all, these courses are meant to give learners hands-on experience with complex cloud environments. This simply isn't possible if they have to contend with sluggish loading times and buggy interfaces.

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we recognise that it takes a lot of horsepower to run a lab. On average, we lavish half a terabyte and around 32 cores per student.

For the course providers who use our services, this means confidence that their staff can deliver courses to happy, engaged learners without worrying about performance issues.

24/7 support

When it comes to scalable VMware labs , provision isn't enough. Equally important is proactive troubleshooting.

It's easy to see why. If a lab fails, learning is interrupted. This isn't just a pain in the neck – it can also reduce student engagement and even student retention.

What every course provider needs is backroom support. And, here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we provide it around the clock.

Our support portal is accessible to instructors 24/7. And when we say "accessible", we don't just mean that an instructor can log their problem and then twiddle their thumbs until we lumber into action.

No, our response times are lightning-fast – typically between 15 and 30 minutes. This is because we classify issues with VMware labs as "priority one". That's the same priority level as downtime in corporate cloud environments. If a student can't take their next step, we take it extremely seriously.

Our troubleshooting covers the whole lab environment, from nested lab environments to the underlying infrastructure. That means we take responsibility for problems caused by students, such as accidental changes to settings, as well as our own mistakes.

Empowering learners with knowledge

All learners using the labs we host have full access to our knowledge base (KB). This is a repository of support articles, technical guidance and troubleshooting information to help users fix problems before they come to us for direct intervention.

So, if a learner makes a mistake, misconfigures or misses a step, they can easily discover where they went wrong. These resources cover key VMware products like HCX, VCF and Tanzu Kubernetes.

This isn't just a time-saving exercise. It also encourages learners to figure out how to fix their own mistakes – a vital skill for cloud engineers at all levels.

The importance of expertise

It's not just how we build scalable VMware labs that matters. It's also who's building them.

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, our lab hosting services are manned by ex-VMware employees who know the ropes like few others on Earth.

This is partly because some of us have direct experience in building these labs. We know how they're plumbed and how to navigate their most common pitfalls.

But it's also because new team members are trained up to use these labs. This means every staff member has the expertise necessary to provision and troubleshoot these educational environments.

The importance of backstage expertise can't be overstated. Disruption to a VMware lab means disruption to learning – something that costs both teachers and students money. With experts like us at the tiller, you know you're in safe waters all the way.

What is VEDP?

Formerly VATC, VEDP stands for "VMware Education Delivery Partner". These are authorised third-party organisations that provide official VMware training courses and certification programmes for cloud professionals.

These partners are certified to deliver training that covers the whole VMware stack. This covers VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF), vSphere, vSAN and NSX.

What courses do you host labs for?

We host labs for the full range of VEDP courses. You can explore the complete list in our course catalogue .

What is a VMware lab?

A VMware lab is a browser-based virtualised environment that allows users and learners to work with VMware products such as vSphere, VCF and NSX. They're often used as part of VMware training courses, providing hands-on training in a low-risk environment with ample backstage technical support.

Are you looking for high-performance lab hosting services for VEDP courses ? Don't hesitate to get in touch with Ascend Cloud Solutions to discuss your needs in detail.

How cloud engineers learn by breaking things safely

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 22:01:44 GMT

How do cloud engineers learn to troubleshoot common issues? Answer: by breaking things in controlled environments.

Ever wondered how firefighters learn to firefight? After all, it's hardly a skill you can learn on the job. You need to be well-prepared long before you tackle your first conflagration.

That's why trainee firefighters are put through live fire training. Fire services have specialised facilities where wood-fired or gas-fuelled simulators recreate the experience of fighting a blaze. There, trainees enter a smoky, hot simulation with zero visibility.

"Nice story," you might be thinking, "but what's this got to do with cloud engineering?"

The answer is that cloud engineers are firefighters, too. It's just that the fires they put out are digital, not physical.

And like firefighters, they need to be battle-ready long before battle commences. If something breaks, they can't take five to familiarise themselves with the problem. They need to sort it out immediately to spare the company costly downtime.

Firefighters have their live fire training. Cloud engineers have virtual sandboxes and training labs. These are online environments where they can break things safely and learn how to put them back together. In this article, we look at these invaluable training environments.

What is a virtual sandbox?

A virtual sandbox is a virtual environment designed for developers, engineers and IT professionals to test, build and experiment with cloud infrastructure. Crucially, the sandbox is isolated from any live systems, so what happens in the sandbox stays in the sandbox.

As well as being isolated, sandboxes should be secure and are often temporary. They're mostly used for simulating real-world scenarios and running proofs of concept.

They can also be proprietorial. Cloud platforms like AWS, Azure and Google Cloud provide sandboxes specifically for cloud engineers to develop skills relating to those platforms.

The same goes for VMware's training labs, where systems administrators gain hands-on experience with the VMware product suite.

Other kinds of virtual sandboxes include:

Security-focused sandboxes where users can analyse malicious, unknown or suspicious code in safety.
Platform-as-a-service (PaaS) sandboxes where developers build, test and scale applications.
Third-party training labs for training, certification and skill-building. VMware Education Delivery Partners (VEDPs) are an example of this kind of sandbox.

What are the use cases for breaking things safely in a cloud environment?

The principle of breaking things safely has many different applications in cloud computing. Here are five common use cases:

Testing new features, configurations and code. This can act as a dress rehearsal for deployment with no impact on live systems.
Cloud skill development. Sandboxes are an environment in which IT professionals can gain hands-on experience with cloud services and virtualisation services. This can help in getting staff ready for certification.
Project integration and testing. Teams can check the compatibility of different builds before deployment.
Cybersecurity analysis. Security staff can analyse malware behaviour and carry out tests for zero-day threats.
DevOps pipelines. Automation, CI/CD and app development can all be explored in safety.

In all these cases, users have the freedom to make mistakes without any risk to existing systems. This makes them a worthwhile investment for companies looking to strengthen their security, production lead times and overall cloud competency.

What is chaos engineering?

"Imagine," writes Antonio Garcia Martinez in his book Chaos Monkeys, "a monkey entering a 'data center', these 'farms' of servers that host all the critical functions of our online activities. The monkey randomly rips cables, destroys devices and returns everything that passes by the hand.

"The challenge for IT managers," he goes on, "is to design the information system they are responsible for so that it can work despite these monkeys, which no one ever knows when they arrive and what they will destroy."

Chaos engineering is when IT managers voluntarily let the monkey into a simulated environment. Controlled failures, such as server crashes, network latency and database outages, are deliberately introduced into a system. The aim is to identify, test and strengthen resilience against real-world disruptions.

It may sound a little out there, but chaos engineering is a fixture of Amazon Web Services, Netflix, Microsoft Azure and other big corporations.

An example from cloud computing is the practice of terminating random data-receiving pods in a Kubernetes environment. The amount of time it takes for a pod to recover is then recorded as a metric of resilience.

Not all training labs and virtual sandboxes use chaos engineering. However, the two concepts are closely related.

What are the benefits of learning through breaking things safely?

The main benefit of breaking things safely in a training lab or virtual sandbox is precisely that it's safe. To return to our original analogy, it's a way of learning how to fight fire without setting a building ablaze.

There are other advantages. These online environments offer a cost-effective kind of training – one that organisations can work into day-to-day operations and that doesn't require travel or accommodation overheads.

And perhaps best of all from an educational point of view, training sandboxes can be used again and again until users have internalised what they've practised.

Last but not least, virtual sandboxes can be rapidly provisioned and destroyed. This has benefits for everything from threat containment to quality assurance.

It's about building things as much as breaking them, of course. However, the ability to do both in safety is indispensable to cloud computing professionals.

What are VEDPs?

VEDPs are VMware Education Delivery Partners – third-party training providers for the VMware product suite.

These training labs are a great example of cloud engineers learning by breaking things safely. They provide safe sandboxes where software can be deployed and run with no impact on any live systems.

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we provide highly reliable and highly secure lab hosting for VEDP courses . Are you a VEDP and want to bring your training to life? Get in touch with our experts today and discover why we're the best of the best.

The perfect learning environment: why virtual beats physical

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 14:12:32 GMT

The future is bright! The future is virtual? Find out how virtual learning and labs beat physical classrooms every time.

The world of education is changing all the time. Yet no matter what changes are made, its aims remain broadly the same: to embed knowledge and deepen understanding.

This is as true of an English literature degree as it is of IT training. Technology is there to serve the student – and to cut overheads for the course provider along the way.

More and more people are taking courses online. Sometimes, this takes the form of hybrid courses, such as university degrees in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic. At others, the course is purely virtual, dispensing with textbooks, classrooms, blackboards and pens altogether.

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we provide lab hosting services for cloud computing course providers. And despite the benefits of classroom learning (there are benefits, certainly), our experience has shown that virtual learning often serves students and educators better nowadays.

Why? There's no one answer to the question. Virtual learning environments are more flexible, more accessible and more cost-effective. They enable students to learn at their own pace and in any location. And they can often be personalised in a way that physical courses struggle to compete with.

Why virtual learning beats classroom learning

1. Flexibility

Physical courses have their advantages – not least the pedagogical relationship that can develop between students and teachers. However, they have one major downside: inflexibility.

Can't make Monday's class? You'll have to catch up in your own time. Trying to balance childcare and education? Sadly, you'll just have to power through the session and catch up in your own time. Struggling with a topic? Well, it looks like you'll have to do some more catching up in your own time.

It's not ideal. Virtual courses, however, let you study at any time and in any location. All you need is an internet connection and a thirst for knowledge.

This flexibility isn't just about the time and the place. It's also about pace. Virtual sessions can be paused, rewound and rewatched to suit your own pace and learning style.

And finally, it's much easier to balance learning with other commitments when learning online rather than in a classroom.

2. Accessibility

Once upon a time, people were prevented from taking part in courses by geographical barriers. Studying a course based abroad or even in a different part of the country meant travel, upheaval and acclimatising to a new but probably temporary life.

Virtual courses, by contrast, are accessible no matter where in the world you are. This means you get access to the best course – not the one nearest to you.

This accessibility extends beyond geography, of course. It also means that learners with mobility issues, learning disabilities and other barriers to accessibility can still participate. The same goes for students who find classrooms anxiety-inducing environments.

3. Cost-effectiveness

Nine times out of 10, virtual is cheaper than physical – and this goes for both students and course providers.

Students access courses for less and don't have to shell out for commuting, parking or accommodation. Meanwhile, course providers can focus on delivering courses without blowing the budget on extra-curricular frills.

What's more, the course itself is cheaper to access and administer. E-books, recordings of lectures and AI summaries are all more affordable than textbooks.

4. Personalisation

Personalisation in education can be achieved in all sorts of ways. To cite one example, course materials can be adapted – or "differentiated", in educational lingo – to suit the specific needs of specific students.

Nothing new there. What virtual learning changes is the speed and ease with which resources, tests and activities can be tailored to the needs and learning styles of individual students.

This isn't just good for the student in terms of learning . It also means they're more likely to be engaged – and when a student is engaged, they're more likely to stay on the course.

Related to this is the fact that feedback can be delivered immediately. Again, nothing new here. The big selling point is that virtual learning empowers educators to give immediate feedback during complex, hands-on simulations.

Take cloud computing, our key area of concern. Let's say you're taking a VEDP course to learn how to master VMware Cloud Foundation. This course lets you participate in highly detailed, highly realistic simulations of core tasks.

And while this simulation is taking place, your instructor can give you in-the-moment feedback – no hanging around for your work to be marked and feedback to be delivered.

Again, this does double duty. It increases the chance of learner success and increases the chance of learner retention. Like so many aspects of virtual learning, it's beneficial for the student, the teacher and the course provider alike.

5. Reduced risk

In education, some mistakes can be made safely. Get your German verb table wrong and no one's going to suffer. However, in some industries, a mistake can cause downtime or even personal injury.

This applies in sectors as diverse as the oil industry and cloud computing. You need to learn from mistakes – but you can't make them on-site for fear of unleashing chaos.

Virtual learning provides an answer to this conundrum. If you work on an oil rig, for instance, you can practise essential maintenance with a virtual reality headset or digital twin.

And in cloud computing, you can practise core activities relating to security, networking and more – all in a virtual sandbox. In this environment, making a mistake won't cause disruption. Quite the contrary: you get to make mistakes again and again until the correct procedure is embedded in your mind.

Hosting for virtual IT learning labs

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we provide highly reliable and highly available lab hosting environments for cloud computing courses – in particular, those provided by VEDPs (VMware education delivery partners).

These courses cover the whole gamut of VMware products and turn the skilled professionals of today into the cloud kings of tomorrow.

Want to bring your courses to life? Get in touch to find out why we're the best lab hosting provider for the job – and one of the most affordable.

Closing the skills gap in cloud infrastructure

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 07:33:51 GMT

Are you struggling to close the cloud computing skills gap in your firm? Explore 4 ways to proceed in our guide.

In many ways, running a business is all about closing the gap between dreams and reality. Things don't always work out the way they're planned, after all. A key part of your job is to notice this gap and take concrete steps to close it.

This is something we see again and again in the so-called "skills gap". This is one of those phrases that gets bandied around a lot in business. But what does it mean, exactly?

A skills gap is the mismatch between what you need to achieve your business goals and the skills your employees – or candidates – possess.

This mismatch or gap in knowledge or proficiency could be a case of hard skills or soft skills. A hard skill might be mastery of Python or project management, while a soft skill might be an aptitude for communication or problem-solving.

Why does the skills gap matter? Well, if your business doesn't have the skills it needs to achieve its business goals, it's probably not going to achieve its business goals. Simple as that.

A skills gap can reduce the quality of your work, your productivity, your ability to innovate and even your ability to fill open positions.

Every industry has skills gaps, and they're often related to technology. To take a common and straightforward example, a marketing team might want to make its first foray into Facebook advertising but only have experience with traditional advertising.

In the world of cloud computing, the skills gap is highly relevant simply because the landscape is changing all the time – and we mean all the time.

AI, serverless architecture, multi-cloud environments and more… These are now fixtures of IT companies. And yet they're highly specialised niches that require highly specialised knowledge.

So, what's the answer? Sadly, there's no silver bullet to turn that skills gap into a seamless join. But any business aiming to close the skills gap should seriously consider the following four steps:

Upskilling
AI
Building a learning culture
Training, training and more training.

1. Upskilling

OK, so you need someone on your team who can handle multi-cloud environments in all their complexity. You've got three choices.

First, you can hire a new recruit with an impressive CV. Secondly, you can upskill an existing IT professional on your team through training. And thirdly, you can reskill them, moving them from one area of expertise to another.

Reskilling can be a hard sell. It involves encouraging a member of staff to switch lanes, so to speak. They're unlikely to do this without a financial incentive. It's not impossible – but it's not the easiest route to take.

Hiring a new recruit could be the shot in the arm you need. But to get there, you need to go through the costly and time-consuming process of sifting through CVs and interviewing candidates.

Far better, in our opinion, to upskill an existing member of your team. This doesn't just save you money. It also means you're building on existing relationships, improving team cohesion and making the most of the talent you have.

2. Harness AI

There's an argument raging in the world of cloud computing: can AI help close the skill gap? Let's consider both sides of the argument.

In the red corner, we have the view that AI-driven learning platforms can provide personalised training. This means IT professionals can quickly adopt new skills.

What's more, the contestant in the red corner says, some AI systems can handle routine administrative tasks such as network monitoring, software updates and security patching. This means employees can focus on skilled tasks.

In the blue corner is the view that AI could deepen the skills gap, not close it. This view argues that AI "diminishes hands-on learning opportunities for IT professionals… making career progression difficult". In turn, this may "[result] in a workforce which relies heavily on AI-driven tools without fully understanding the underlying processes."

What's more, "AI cannot fully replace soft skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving and interpersonal communication".

Perhaps the truth lies somewhere in the middle. AI can't close the skills gap altogether – but used wisely, it can help.

3. Think about the culture

Upskilling is vital in closing the skills gap. As a mindset, however, it tends to focus on improving the knowledge and proficiency of individual staff members.

That's all very well and good – and it could produce highly competent team members. But without considering company culture as a whole, it's unlikely to bring about the changes you desire.

This means it's vital to move from sporadic training to continuous, hands-on and incentivised training. Without this, you'll get left behind, no matter how many tech whizzes you have on payroll.

It also means creating a workplace culture where people feel incentivised to share their knowledge. You could hold webinars, hackathons or show-and-tells. The most important thing is to demonstrate to your staff that your business is committed to deepening its knowledge and skills.

4. Training and hands-on experience

Here comes the big one. A company that wants to close the skills gap won't stand a chance without training, training and more training.

Not any training will do, of course. It needs to be role-specific and personalised. And perhaps most importantly of all, it needs to be hands-on.

In the context of cloud infrastructure, this means executing core tasks and problem-solving in a virtual sandbox environment. Without these virtual guardrails, mistakes can create downtime and throw money down the drain.

A cloud lab, by contrast, is the cloud equivalent of a flight simulator. You get to deepen your skills and internalise processes without any risk to yourself or others. Win-win!

Are you looking for VMware lab hosting services for VEDP courses? Get in touch with Ascend Cloud Solutions today to find out how we can help you bring learning to life.

What the next generation of cloud engineers expect from training

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 06:56:59 GMT

Cloud computing training is evolving. But does it chime with the expectations of Gen Z cloud engineers? Let's find out.

If you're reading this article, you're bringing to it a whole host of knowledge, experience and assumptions. Some of these will be unique to your background, education and career paths. But others you'll share with people from your generational cohort.

Boomers, millennials and Gen Z all have their distinctive ways of doing things. It's not clear-cut, of course. For every tech-shy baby boomer, there's an enthusiastic adopter of new technologies. And for every up-to-the-minute Gen Z-er, there's an old soul in new clothes.

Nevertheless, generalisations about the generations are both pertinent and useful when deciding how to train your staff.

There's a simple reason for this. Each generation has grown up with different technologies. These impacted far more than just how you spend your downtime. It also impacts the way you were educated.

Someone born in the 1940s was schooled with pens, paper, blackboards and chalk. Over the decades, these were blended more and more with screens of all kinds and, as time went on, online portals and smart devices.

These formative technological experiences feed into your expectations of training. If you grew up with smartphones, for example, you'll likely find old-school DVD-based training a slog.

This matters because cloud-first organisations should always look forward. The priority is to train the next generation of cloud engineers to ensure you keep on top of all the ever-changing advances in cloud tech.

So, you might as well make it easy for yourself by providing training that suits Gen Z learning styles. That way, you're more likely to have engaged, satisfied and informed trainees.

But what are Gen Z learning styles, exactly – and how do they differ from the generations that went before? Let's find out.

What characterises Gen Z learning styles?

Gen Z didn't invent the smartphone. But they adopted them earlier in life than millennials and the generations preceding them. This affects their learning style, preferred media, content size and even the way they think about their career paths.

Gen Z is used to a style of education that's blended, self-paced, independent and hands-on. Broadly speaking, they expect practice over theory and working at their own pace over regimented scheduling.

As digital natives, they expect laptops, web-based learning, apps and plenty of video content. Some embrace virtual reality, augmented reality and assisted reality headsets.

This isn't to push the cliche that someone born after 2000 wouldn't know a book if it landed in their hands. Quite the contrary. It's simply to say that where career-based learning is concerned, a blend of technologies is essential.

When planning your training, it's important to consider the size of the content, too. Again, we're not pushing myths or generalisations. Gen Z doesn't have the attention span of a woozy goldfish. But they are more used to bite-sized learning than previous generations.

Then there are expectations about how students interact with one another. People are collaborative, and no technological shift is going to take that away. Nevertheless, Gen Z learners are more used to individualised and personalised learning than their predecessors.

Finally, there's the way that training relates to career growth. Boomers and millennials typically see training as a path to career advancement. Gen Z, by comparison, tends to want to see an immediate application of their training.

These are the ways in which Gen Z's learning style differs from previous generations. Has cloud computing training kept in step?

How has cloud computing training changed?

Cloud computing is a rapidly changing field. So, it's no surprise that cloud computing training has also changed substantially over recent years.

Perhaps most importantly, training has moved from classroom-based and theory-based learning to hands-on experience using virtual labs and sandboxes. In these cloud-based simulators, students can safely explore real-world scenarios.

The rate of change has also meant that training now tends to be continuous rather than one-off. New areas of expertise, such as infrastructure-as-code, DevOps and complex cloud environments, need to be kept on top of.

Another recent change is the increase in specialised, role-based training. More and more courses are available to enable students to fill a particular post, whether that's cloud architect, data engineer, security specialist or something else.

As in all areas of education, AI is on the scene. Training programmes are incorporating AI more and more to help professionals crack their cloud environments.

And finally, training these days is cheaper, more accessible and more flexible than ever before. This has removed barriers to access, ensuring students can realise their potential regardless of geography.

Does today's cloud computing training chime with Gen Z expectations?

Mapping the wide world of cloud computing training onto the wide world of Gen Z expectations isn't easy and requires a certain amount of generalisation. However, it's fair to say that on the whole, today's training programmes are what the next generation of cloud engineers both wants and expects.

This is partly because of the emphasis in today's training on active and hands-on learning. Cloud computing is practical, not theoretical. This chimes with Gen Z's desire to participate in real-world projects rather than master theory in a vacuum.

Today's cloud computing training also chimes with Gen Z expectations because it focuses on digital tools and video content rather than traditional lectures and analogue learning.

It also provides immediate and tangible results, getting them ready for specific roles rather than asking them to invest in a nebulous career future.

And finally, it encourages personalised, flexible and self-directed learning paths. This chimes with their experience of school and university and allows them to balance training with other life commitments.

Are you looking for high-quality lab hosting services for VMware education delivery partner courses? Get in touch with Ascend Cloud Solutions today to find out how we can help you bring your learning to life and train the next generation of cloud engineers.

IT training: why experience beats rote learning every time

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 15:51:13 GMT

Looking to deepen your VMware knowledge? Find out why experiential learning wins the day, every day.

If you're a VMware admin, you don't need us to tell you that there's a lot of knowledge to keep on top of. Broadcom's acquisition of VMware ushered in changes to the catalogue that can throw a curveball into any working day.

The best way to stay in the loop is through continuous training. And where VMware is concerned, one of the best avenues for training is through VMware Education Delivery Partner (VEDP) courses.

These offer a sandbox environment where VMware admins can try out core tasks with no risk of real-life repercussions. In an ever-changing field, this is invaluable experience.

It's a great example of experiential learning (learning through doing). Online manuals and walkthroughs are certainly helpful – but only up to a point. In the world of complex computing with real-life ramifications, experience is king.

Not convinced? Here are five reasons why experiential learning is your best route to proficiency – whether in VMware in particular or education more generally.

1. How deep is your knowledge?

Do you remember your least favourite subject at school? Chances are, you crammed for an exam. You stuffed your mind's pockets with the information you needed to get through it. And the minute you closed the exam paper, that information plunged into oblivion.

But perhaps your least favourite subject at school involved a school trip, an experiment or a group activity. This may have stuck in your memory long after you left school and vowed never to touch that subject again.

Why? Because experiential knowledge plants roots in your memory. Rote learning, on the other hand, has a tendency to go in one ear and out the other.

The difference, then, isn't just between active and passive learning. It's also the difference between short-term and long-term knowledge. And in an IT environment, you need knowledge that lasts.

2. Getting ready for the real world

In many countries, learning to drive involves two separate tests – a theory test and a practical test.

The theory test gives you the information you need. However, without practical application, you're unlikely to bring that information to mind when it's needed to keep you safe.

The same goes for information related to VMware software administration. You might know how to deal with a disaster in theory . But without experiential learning, you're unlikely to confidently implement that knowledge.

In other words, experience and experiential learning give you the gift of adaptability – so when real life strikes, you're ready to act.

With this readiness to act comes a deepening of critical thinking, analytical skills and general problem-solving. In the sandbox, you can try before you do.

3. Meaningful feedback

Let's say you have to memorise 20 facts about Barbary macaque monkeys. Once memorised, you have to complete a multiple-choice quiz. This will be marked by a monkey expert.

This feedback tells you what you got right and what you got wrong. But in itself, it doesn't help embed that knowledge.

Compare that to an online classroom where your tutor is giving you in-the-moment feedback. Let's say you're deploying an app. Any mistake you make can be instantly corrected and put back on course.

This feedback isn't just the postscript to a dull exam. It's integrated in the learning process itself and is far more likely to stay in your mind, ready for real-world applications.

4. More engaging, less… boring

This is the big one. We can theorise all we like about the virtues of experiential learning. But at the end of the day, if training is boring, it's not going to sink in.

Rote learning is boring. That's not to say it has no value. If you want to learn your times tables, it's probably the way to go. However, if you're talking about complex IT procedures, rote learning is likely to make your eyes glaze over and your eyelids droop.

Experience, on the other hand, is a great teacher because it's engaging . Learners are given dynamic problems to solve, not dry theories to memorise.

The importance of learner engagement can't be overstated. It's the difference between giving a professional the basics they need to get by and the deeper skills that enable them to flourish in challenging situations.

5. Creative thinking allowed

Rote learning encourages you to memorise facts. It doesn't encourage you to use your creative thinking, much less deepen your creative thinking skills.

Active learning, however, activates those creative lobes. It encourages you to think outside the box in your quest to solve real-life problems.

And because training takes place in a virtual sandbox, you can explore to your heart's content. As you explore, you can rest assured that no mistake is permanent and nothing you do will cause downtime or disruption.

Exploration, after all, is all about considering multiple solutions and landing on the best. IT professionals don't just complete training with deeper knowledge. They also leave it with deeper creative thinking skills.

What is VEDP?

VEDP stands for "VMware Delivery Education Partners". It refers to VMware-authorised training courses that teach IT professionals how to unlock the full potential of VMware's product suite.

VEDP's training labs are hands-on, active, experiential programmes. This means they bring learners all the benefits we've looked at:

Deepening knowledge
Getting learners ready for the real world with engaging courses
Providing meaningful feedback
Encouraging creativity

VEDP has replaced VMware Authorised Training Centres (VATC). This change was a consequence of the acquisition of VMware by Broadcom in 2022.

How we can help

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we provide lab hosting services for VEDP courses to help bring training to life. Our platforms are highly secure, highly available and highly flexible.

Interested? Please don't hesitate to get in touch with our experts to discuss your needs in more detail. You can also browse our range of supported courses to see exactly what our infrastructure is capable of.

Kubernetes for VMware admins: a gentle introduction

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 15:37:34 GMT

Struggling to get your head around Kubernetes (K8s)? Explore the core concepts and use cases in our guide.

They say that in life, only two things are certain: death and taxes. To that short list, we can add that IT professionals have a new concept to grapple with every few years.

This endlessly unspooling learning curve is both a curse and a blessing. A blessing, because it makes the cloud computing world a dynamic one to work in. And a curse, because the sheer volume of new information to absorb can make your head spin.

At the time of writing, the hottest new concept on the cloud computing block is unavoidably AI. But for up-and-coming admins, there's another concept with an equally threatening visage: Kubernetes, often shortened to "K8s" or "K8".

Kubernetes is an open-source platform that automates the deployment, scaling and management of containerised applications.

But how, exactly, does it work? And what, precisely, is it used for?

In this article, we aim to break it down gently.

What is Kubernetes?

Kubernetes is a platform for managing containers. These are digital boxes which bundle together the code, configuration and dependencies of an application. Each container has its own resources and runs independently.

Every application is "containerised" – put into either one or multiple containers. These containers are then grouped together into "pods".

A key benefit of Kubernetes is its ability to work on multiple kinds of infrastructure: bare-metal servers, virtual machines (VMs), public cloud, private cloud and hybrid cloud.

Perhaps the best way to understand it (as outlined by Hany Michael in a blog post ) is by comparing it to vSphere. "It is to containers," he says, "what vSphere was for VMs to make them datacenter ready."

How does it work?

Kubernetes works in stages. First, you define how you want your application to run – the so-called "desired state". These specifications, defined in YAML files, are submitted to the Kubernetes API.

Containers are packaged in pods and assigned to the best nodes in the cluster. Kubelet then launches the containers and gives the application as a whole a stable IP address and DNS name.

To achieve the admin or developer's desired state, Kubernetes now continuously monitors the application and makes corrections as it goes. If a pod crashes, the Kubernetes controller will automatically run a replacement.

And when it's time to scale, Kubernetes continues automating. It creates and removes pods as required to meet your scaling needs.

What are the three core design principles of Kubernetes?

There are three core design principles of Kubernetes: it should be secure, user-friendly and extendable. It shares these with other open-source solutions.

Of course, all cloud-based IT systems should be secure. But Kubernetes is intended to follow best practices, not the next best thing.

User-friendly, because Kubernetes can be run anywhere with just a few simple commands. And extendable, because Kubernetes is provider-agnostic and can be easily customised.

What are the benefits of Kubernetes?

There's a reason Kubernetes has legendary status among the tech-inclined. This is because of its wide range of benefits for businesses and tinkerers alike. Here are some of the most relevant to VMware admins.

Operations are automated so that applications are always running the way you intend them to run – the so-called "desired state".
Admins can focus on applications, not the underlying environment. Compute, networking and storage are all virtualised and handled elsewhere.
Kubernetes can orchestrate and manage large, complex environments with plenty of containers and plenty of hosts.
It auto-scales according to compute, networking and storage needs.
It runs continuous health checks. If a container fails or stalls, Kubernetes automatically restarts it.
Resource utilisation is optimised by packaging containers onto nodes according to their requirements. In turn, this helps lower infrastructure costs.
For developers (not so much VMware admins), development cycles are accelerated. More ideas can be tried, tested, removed and sent to market.
Application management is simplified. Kubernetes provides a uniform approach to the deployment, updating and managing of applications.
The software is open-source and portable. It can be run on the public cloud, on-premises data centres and on hybrid set-ups. The same simple commands can be used in a range of environments.

Kubernetes and Docker: what are the differences?

A common misconception is that developers and admins need to choose between Docker and Kubernetes. In fact, they're often used together to manage containers – and Kubernetes can be run both with and without Docker.

Essentially, Docker puts applications into a container and Kubernetes delivers that container to where it can be used. They work together to manage containers in a wide variety of cloud environments.

What are the use cases for Kubernetes?

Kubernetes has a wide range of use cases. Here are four of the most common:

1. Developing apps faster

Because Kubernetes allows microservices to be deployed at speed, developers rely on it to accelerate development cycles.

2. Avoiding vendor lock-in

Kubernetes can be run anywhere. That means it can be run across multiple cloud providers. This is a strategy favoured by enterprises that want to optimise costs, leverage high availability and avoid the dank spectre of vendor lock-in.

3. Auto-scaling on demand

One of Kubernetes' secret weapons is its ability to automatically adjust the size of a cluster. In practice, this means it can auto-scale video encoding (to take one example) according to the number of users watching.

4. Legacy app modernisation

With Kubernetes, traditional applications can be containerised and run on any environment.

There are plenty more use cases for Kubernetes. These examples are intended to give you a flavour of its breadth of application.

Where did Kubernetes come from?

Kubernetes began life as Google's internal cluster management system, known as "Borg". It was developed at Google Cloud and released as open source in 2014.

Are you looking for cloud optimisation services from VMware experts? Get in touch with Ascend Cloud Solutions today for a quick, competitive quote or explore our range of services online .

Why Cloud Foundation 9.x is the future of private cloud

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 21:00:42 GMT

Cloud Foundation 9.x is the latest version of VMware's private cloud platform. Discover how it bolsters security and supports future growth.

What do businesses need from private clouds? As with so many aspects of business in general and business IT in particular, it's a question that has not one answer but many.

They want a total cost of ownership (TCO) that doesn't make the finance department wince. They want everything operable from a single console. They want security. And they want speed.

For a long time, however, speed and security have been seen as mutually exclusive. Want security? You need a private server in your offices. Want speed? It's time to leverage the mighty processing power of AWS and co.

This is the problem that VMware Cloud Foundation 9 solves. It gives businesses the scalability and agility of public cloud platforms with the robust security of an on-premises solution.

What's more, it can be used in all manner of environments – from customer-managed data centres to edge locations to cloud endpoints.

And within those environments, you can run pretty much any workloads you fancy. That stretches from traditional workloads to containers, AI/ML and other modern offerings.

What is VMware Cloud Foundation 9?

VMware Cloud Foundation 9 is a full-stack infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) platform. This means it abstracts from physical hardware all aspects of cloud infrastructure: compute, network, storage, security and management.

VM and container deployment can be automated, scaled and clustered, and the platform offers built-in resilience. It gives businesses the agility of the public cloud without the need to recruit new staff.

Simplification is the name of the game. From Day 0, Day 1 and Day 2 tasks all the way to full-stack deployment, VMware Cloud Foundation 9 simplifies, automates and orchestrates.

What's new?

VMware Cloud Foundation 9 is far from the only IaaS platform in town. What makes it so different and, well, so new?

According to Sabina Anja , Senior Technology Product Lead for VMware Cloud Foundation, the fundamental shift is that "private-cloud operations and private-cloud consumption are now the central part of the product while operating on top of our core innovation that our customers have learned to love and rely on".

Whatever you're doing, Anja explains, "you work from the same policy model, the same API surface and the same lifecycle engine.

"That consistency," she goes on, "trims learning curves for operators, removes friction for developers and – crucially – reduces the points of failure that appear when separate tools drift out of sync."

And by making life easier for operators and developers, businesses are in a stronger position to innovate and increase their profits. Not bad for a single piece of software.

What are the benefits of VMware Cloud Foundation 9?

1. The best of both worlds

For a long time, businesses stood at a fork in the road. In one direction lay the public cloud with its agility, scalability and speed. In the other, lay on-premises hardware, promising total administrative control.

Today, that choice has all but disappeared. An IaaS platform like VMware Cloud Foundation 9 lets businesses take both paths at once – or rather, to take one path towards speed and security.

Or, to put it in Anja's words: "With VCF 9.0, we're redefining what a modern private cloud can be – combining the speed and flexibility of the cloud experience with the performance, governance and cost control enterprises need on-prem." Win-win!

2. A unified cloud experience

In recent years, IT has more and more moved in the direction of the fabled "single pane of glass". This is a management console or dashboard that aggregates data from multiple sources and applications. It gives you visibility, clarity and ease of use.

And as cloud environments have grown more complex – and compliance measures more stringent – the need for a single pane of glass in cloud computing has grown ever more necessary.

VMware Cloud Foundation 9 provides this. Admins can set up infrastructure, configure new VMs or set up Kubernetes pods from the same place – a place, moreover, that's highly secure. Meanwhile, developers can use the same platform for their purposes.

On the face of it, VMware Cloud Foundation 9 is a sprawlingly complex beast. But at its heart is an emphasis on simplification.

3. Cyber resilience and platform security

Security has never been optional, but it's arguably never been more urgent. In the age of AI, cybersecurity threats are continuously evolving and continuously evading traditional defences.

VMware Cloud Foundation 9 protects everything: your core platform, your applications, your endpoints and your edge.

It does this in three main ways. First, it offers admins an easy-to-use security operations dashboard. Secondly, it offers configuration compliance and monitoring – continuously and automatically validating the infrastructure against industry security guidelines.

And finally, it offers identity and certificate management, securing, authenticating and authorising access across the whole VCF SDDC stack.

4. Lower TCO

All too often, businesses sacrifice operational efficiencies in favour of a more favourable TCO. VMware Cloud Foundation 9 gives you the best of both worlds.

It drastically reduces storage capacity needs, lets organisations run more workloads on fewer servers and lowers hardware acquisition costs. By automating upgrades and simplifying operations, it reduces manual labour, human error and time spent on management.

5. Supports a range of workloads

Modern businesses deal with a forbidding variety of workloads – from bare-metal VMs all the way to Kubernetes, containers and AI/ML.

VMware Cloud Foundation 9 lets you take charge of them all. This enables businesses to bridge the gap between their existing infrastructure investments and cutting-edge innovations.

It also lets them modernise at their own tempo. Like all of VMware's products, it provides a single safe, unified and scalable environment – not bitty infrastructures each with their own maintenance needs.

Ascend Cloud Solutions is a trusted team of digital transformation specialists based in Cork, Ireland. We help global clients accelerate their ambition with smart, strategic cloud computing solutions. Need support with a private cloud migration ? Don't hesitate to get in touch with our experts .

Disaster recovery with VMware Live Site Recovery explained

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 23:51:25 GMT

Want to ensure business continuity with automated failover and failback? Find out how VMware Live Site Recovery can help.

The business world is full of holy grails. One of the easiest to wrap your head around is business continuity – or, to be more precise, an effective business continuity strategy.

Business continuity is your ability to bounce back from a disaster. It's not much different from the plans we put in place in our personal lives. You take steps to ensure downtime is kept to a minimum.

For businesses, the need to get back on the saddle has financial and reputational incentives. Business continuity safeguards you against unnecessary financial loss and lets your employees, partners and clients know you're still open for business.

VMware Live Site Recovery (formerly VMware Site Recovery Site Manager) is a powerful piece of software built to ensure business continuity in the event of a digital disaster.

It does this by automating and orchestrating failover (switching to a standby) and failback (restoring operations). In plain English, this means it keeps downtime to a bare minimum.

So, how does it work – and what are the benefits? Let's find out.

How does VMware Live Site Recovery work?

VMware Live Site Recovery is a disaster recovery solution to ensure business continuity. It allows IT professionals to plan, test and run the recovery of virtual machines (VMs). It can be configured in the following ways:

Datastore groups
Individual VMs
Virtual volumes

VMs can be recovered from the protected site to the recovery site in two main ways: planned migration and disaster recovery.

In the words of VMware , planned migration is "the orderly evacuation of virtual machines from the protected site to the recovery site", with both sites running. By contrast, disaster recovery can be executed without both sites running.

In the event of a disaster, VMware Live Site Recovery minimises data loss and system downtime by shutting down VMs and synchronising storage on the protected site. It then powers on the replicated VMs on the recovery site.

It does this according to a recovery plan. The recovery plan includes a number of things:

The order in which the VMs are powered on
Network parameters (e.g. IP addresses)
User-specified scripts

On top of this, VMware Live Site Recovery lets you test your recovery plans using a temporary copy of the replicated data.

Because the test is run with a temporary copy, neither the protected site nor the recovery site is affected. This means you can carry out tests during the working day without fear of interruptions.

That's how it works. Now, what are the benefits for your business?

What are the benefits of VMware Live Site Recovery for your business?

There are multiple benefits of VMware Live Site Recovery for your business. In our view, these are:

Non-disruptive testing. VMware Live Site Recovery lets you test recovery plans even during business hours, meaning no disruption to your day-to-day operations.
Speed of recovery. It reduces recovery time to minutes with automated and orchestrated failover for thousands of VMs
Flexibility. It can be flexibly deployed and replicated between on-premises data centres or to VMware Cloud on AWS.
Continuity. Live migration of VMs at scale across sites means zero-downtime application mobility.
Safety. VMs are isolated during recovery to prevent reinfection.
Familiarity. It gives IT professionals a familiar vSphere environment – no need to retrain or retool.
No need for manual runbooks. Up to thousands of VMs (see operational limits here ) can be protected with centralised recovery plans.
Investment protection. Investments and tailored recovery point objectives (RPOs) can be protected using supported replication.
Scalability. Data can be protected at scale – up to four cloud file systems per recovery SDDC.

VMware Live Site Recovery vs VMware Live Cyber Recovery: which is the right solution for you?

Deciding between VMware Live Site Recovery and VMware Live Cyber Recovery (formerly VMware Cloud DR) depends on several factors. These factors relate to the nature of your site (on-premise or cloud), whether you need disaster or ransomware recovery (or both), and your RPO.

You can, however, use both solutions together for the same VMs as part of the VMware Live Recovery solution.

What are the system requirements for VMware Live Site Recovery?

To use VMware Live Site Recovery, you'll need VMware Site Recovery Manager 9.0 or a later version. You'll also need two vCPUs, 8GB of RAM, one 16GB hard disk, one 4GB hard disk and a 1Gb network card. These requirements change if you want to protect more than 1,000 VMs.

How is VMware Live Site Recovery different from VMware Site Recovery Manager?

VMware Live Site Recovery is the rebranded and revamped version of VMware Site Recovery Manager. It's now part of the VMware Live Recovery software bundle and can't be configured without Site Recovery Manager (version 9 or later).

Site Recovery Manager focused on the on-premises orchestration of array-based or host-based replication. Live Site Recovery augments this with a unified SaaS-based management console and improved integration with hybrid cloud environments.

How has disaster recovery changed?

Disaster recovery used to be all about restoring lost data after a disaster. Today, the focus is on operational continuity.

This is achieved in a number of ways. First, there's been a shift from on-premise backup sites to disaster-recovery-as-a-service (DRaaS) solutions.

Secondly, more and more manual recovery processes have been replaced – and continue to be replaced – by automated, orchestrated workflows such as automated failover.

These trends show no signs of abating – and VMware Live Site Recovery is a great example of how disaster recovery software is moving forward to adapt to a changing world.

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we empower cloud-first businesses with intelligent, scalable strategies – including cloud backup strategies . Want to discuss how our expertise can give you more peace of mind? Don't hesitate to get in touch with our team .

Understanding VMware NSX security concepts in practice

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 23:28:31 GMT

Looking for a breakdown of core NSX security concepts? Get to grips with the basics – and how VEDP courses can help.

VMware NSX is a software-defined networking and security virtualisation platform. Its main job is to abstract network functionalities away from physical hardware, with all the cost savings and operational efficiencies that brings.

These functionalities include core tasks like switching, routing, firewalling, load balancing and VPN.

As well as letting you do without physical hardware, NSX also enables security policies and network automation across complex cloud environments (private, public and multi-cloud).

It also allows systems administrators to use advanced security tools. These are flexible, cloud-based and highly capable tools built on the cybersecurity principle of "zero-trust security".

VMware's NSX's core security features include micro-segmentation and firewalling. So, what do these mean in practice?

In this article, we take a quick look at these essential concepts before exploring how VMware Education Delivery Partner courses can help IT professionals level up their NSX-pertise.

First of all, what do we mean when we talk about "micro-segmentation"?

What is micro-segmentation?

Imagine you have a million euro (or dollars, or pounds) in cash and you want to store it safely at home. One safe is a good start. But if the code is cracked, your money's gone. The best thing to do is to split that million between a variety of safes.

This is the simplest analogy for micro-segmentation. Networks are divided into small, isolated segments known as "micro-segments". These segments are workloads, applications and even devices.

This has two main benefits: one internal and one external. Internally, IT has greater control than ever over who has access to workloads.

Externally, cyber attackers are thwarted in their attempts to breach your network. Why? Because they no longer have one point of entry that can be smashed in with a digital crowbar. Instead, they now have to contend with a sea of isolated, contained segments.

Micro-segmentation is a key example of zero-trust security. This is a school of cybersecurity that believes every device and every user poses a potential risk to the network, both internally and externally.

This might sound like paranoia. But in the context of a business handling sensitive data (read: all businesses in 2026), this rigorous approach is invaluable.

Micro-segmentation is one of VMware's biggest contributions to the IT landscape. It was introduced to the market through the first version of NSX in 2013.

It replaces traditional network security methods such as VLANs and WANs, taking those big perimeter fences and turning them into endless boxes.

As well as micro-segmentation, VMware NSX relies on another powerful concept: the distributed firewall.

VMware NSX's distributed firewall

Distributed firewalls (DFWs) have been around since the late 1990s. They were introduced to address the problems faced by traditional perimeter firewalls – namely, their difficulty in handling internal traffic (also known as "east-west" traffic).

Today's distributed firewalls are more powerful than ever – and NSX's is a great example. It operates at the kernel level on every hypervisor and includes a Gateway Firewall for edge security.

As with micro-segmentation, the main benefit of a DFW is granularity, ensuring that security policies are followed consistently and all east-west traffic is secured.

Both the DFW and the Gateway Firewall are managed via the NSX Manager and cover all virtual, physical, containerised and cloud workloads.

Like all distributed firewalls, NSX's DFW replaces the perimeter-based, hardware firewalls of old. It takes security from a single checkpoint to a decentralised and software-defined model.

Advanced Threat Prevention

Advanced Threat Prevention (ATP) was introduced in the mid-2010s by security vendors seeking to help organisations combat sophisticated malware and zero-day threats.

ATP is central to NSX's security concepts. Here, it provides a comprehensive and multi-layered security approach, tackling all threats within the data centre, no matter how sophisticated.

It works by integrating distributed intrusion detection systems and intrusion prevention systems (IDS/IPS), network sandboxing, vDefend security services and network traffic analysis (NTA).

ATP improves the accuracy and reliability of security alerts, reduces false positives (false alarms) and secures east-west traffic. The result? A faster and more accurate form of threat prevention across all cloud networks.

Zero-trust security

In complex cloud environments, the attack surface is spread out. You might think this is a reason to rest on your cybersecurity laurels. In fact, cyber criminals are more advanced than ever, and the principle of zero-trust security has never been more relevant.

Zero-trust security is based on the principle "never trust, always verify". In practice, this means that users and devices have to be continuously authorised.

Gone are the days when staff could be logged in permanently. We live at a time when the network consists of multiple devices in multiple locations – so authentication has to be thorough and relentless.

It's another example of how cybersecurity has become more and more granular. Segments have become micro-segments, and each login attempt is given equal weight.

These principles aren't unique to VMware NSX – but they are central to an understanding of how NSX operates in the real world.

How we can help

Educators the world over will tell you that the best way to learn is on the job. You can't beat experience – but in the context of cybersecurity, experience can be hard to find.

That's because real-world experience of cybersecurity has real-world consequences – consequences that could cost a company time, money and headaches.

This is where VMware Education Delivery Partners (VEDPs) come into their own. They provide IT professionals with a sandbox environment where they can experiment with VMware products, including NSX, to their heart's content – and at no risk to their business's day-to-day operations.

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we provide best-in-class lab hosting services for VEDPs. So, if you're looking for VMware lab hosting services to bring your training to life, get in touch with Ascend Cloud Solutions today to find out why we're the best for the job.

The business case for continuous VMware learning

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 23:08:47 GMT

Training should never be a one-off. Find out why – and how it can benefit your business in the long run.

Continuous learning. Continuous professional development. Do these phrases strike fear into your heart? If so, it's probably because you believe they necessitate continuous spending.

And you wouldn't be wrong. Keeping IT professionals up to speed with their field – whether VMware specifically or something broader – is going to take bites out of your budget.

That's only a bad thing, however, if the training doesn't deliver a healthy ROI. And in our opinion, that's exactly what it does – if you work with a reputable, experienced and flexible provider.

The fact is that virtualisation in general and VMware in particular are constantly evolving fields. For the big picture, just think about the recent rise in AI integrations. And for VMware in particular, consider the way its product portfolio has recently been thinned out and consolidated.

This is where VMware Education Delivery Partners (VEDPs) come in. These are VMware-authorised third parties who provide courses on the full range of VMware software. And here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we provide flexible and affordable lab hosting services to bring this kind of training to life.

At the end of the day, a business that relies on VMware software needs staff who know how to use it. And in an ever-changing landscape, that requires continuous learning.

But beyond this headline, what is the business case for continuous VMware learning? Let's take a closer look at the benefits.

It maximises ROI

When it comes to continuous VMware learning, your bottom line is the bottom line. By setting aside part of your budget to frequent training, you're sowing seeds for future profits.

There are a couple of reasons for this. The first is that it ensures your IT staff are in a position to fully leverage VMware solutions, whether VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF), Tanzu, Horizon or another product.

After all, the benefits of these products are primarily financial. They consolidate servers, cutting energy and hardware costs. They optimise resources and automate routine tasks, slashing operational costs.

None of this is possible – or, more precisely, fully achieved – without staff who know their vSAN from their vSphere. And as the IT landscape shifts and evolves, that involves regular training to ensure they're up to the minute.

But there's another way in which continuous VMware learning maximises ROI. This is down to the cost-effectiveness of upskilling your existing employees rather than going through the costly rigmarole of external recruitment and onboarding.

This is true in all sorts of industries. But in an industry as niche as VMware-based cloud computing, upskilling is the way forward.

It increases operational efficiency

IT staff who are up-to-date in their training can manage infrastructure more effectively. The result? A smoothing out of operations and an acceleration in the deployment of products and solutions – not to mention an elimination of data silos across departments.

It reduces risk

Cybersecurity is nothing new. It's at least as old as the 1970s, when Creeper (the first computer worm) was defeated by Reaper (the first antivirus program).

Nevertheless, the threats posed by malware, ransomware and other cyber threats continue to proliferate. Often, IT teams are engaged in a long, long game of whack-a-mole as new threats pop up and disappear.

Continuous learning makes sure staff contain these moles before they rear their ugly heads – and long before they compromise systems and reputations.

On top of this, it teaches IT professionals how to improve their disaster recovery plans, ensuring business continuity even in the event of a cyber-calamity.

It increases employee retention

There's no one way to maximise your chances of increasing employee retention. But a culture of training within your company is bound to help.

It's not just that it gives staff the confidence to execute everything from core tasks to edge cases. It's not even that they feel on top of the constant changes that the world of cloud computing is subject to.

Above all, it's that they come to appreciate the value you put on their education, skill sets and professional development. Continuous training is a way of demonstrating commitment to staff – something that will drastically increase the chances of them sticking around and adding value to your company.

It closes the skills gap

VMware experts are out there. But many are already gainfully employed. How do you close this skills gap and ensure your business is using its virtualisation software to the utmost degree?

This is another area where continuous learning can be a huge benefit. It ensures your staff are more than capable – they're up-to-date, too, and can go toe-to-toe with staff at other companies.

It gives your business a competitive edge

What do all these benefits amount to? At the end of the day, it's all about gaining an edge over your competition.

Skilled IT staff who can streamline operations? Check. Cost savings that let you adopt cutting-edge technologies like AI and ML? Check. Robust systems that are secure and compliant? Check, check, check.

This is the ultimate investment: continuous learning that translates into continuous improvement across the board. Once you've made the decision to strategically invest in this future, you won't look back.

Conclusion

If you see continuous learning as an expense, you'll probably see it as a financial burden – money as so much confetti.

If, however, you see it as a strategic investment in your business's future, the return on investment becomes clear.

In fact, "ROI" doesn't quite cover it. The return isn't just a matter of tangible financial savings and healthy-looking spreadsheets. It's also about those intangible benefits that give your business a competitive edge.

So, if your cloud infrastructure is built on VMware products, it's worth considering how continuous learning can make your business go further.

Ascend Cloud Solutions is an Ireland-based provider of cloud computing and digital transformation services. That includes providing secure, highly available lab hosting services for VEDP courses .

Troubleshooting in VMware: how simulations save real systems

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 17:30:05 GMT

Cloud engineers need to learn from their mistakes. Find out how this can be done safely with simulated lab environments.

Educators the world over will tell you the importance of learning from your mistakes. Learning the right way to do something is all well and good. But without trying, failing and trying again, theory is, well, just theory.

And it's not just pedagogues who believe in the power of experiential learning. Most of us subscribe to a similar belief, whether we call it "earned wisdom", "the school of hard knocks" or something else entirely.

Learning from mistakes is an easy philosophy to implement when learning Spanish verbs, say, or how to cook an omelette. But what if you're learning how to use a real system with real-world consequences?

This is true in all sorts of activities, endeavours and industries – from cave diving to nuclear power, from keyhole surgery to cloud environments.

In cases like these, on-the-job learning is difficult, if not impossible. In the case of cloud administration, a slip-up could result in downtime for a business – and downtime means losing money.

This is why more and more businesses rely on simulated environments for training purposes. These provide a risk-free, cost-effective sandbox where cloud architects and administrators can deepen their skills – all without putting business operations at risk.

Want to know more? Here are six ways simulated environments can save real systems.

1. Risk mitigation

Let's start with the most essential function of a simulated environment. This is a simulation, not the real thing.

Real systems, you see, are fraught with risks. They're practically risk machines. If you incorrectly deploy, manage or scale a cloud environment, the problem isn't merely technical. It has ramifications for business operations – and budgets.

This is where simulated environments come into their own. They let cloud engineers, architects and administrators learn from their mistakes without putting real-world systems at risk. With simulated environments, mitigation is the name of the game.

2. Saving time when time is money

Closely related to the question of risk mitigation is the question of time and money. If you let IT try things out for the first time in the real world, you could be looking at disruptions to your day-to-day operations. The same goes for the time set aside to practise cloud skills on your actual system.

Simulations, by contrast, enable you to build and test multiple systems – systems that can be tweaked and scaled with ease.

Simulated environments save time and money in another way, too. Once upon a time, training involved travelling to a specific location to complete tasks on a specific piece of hardware.

Today, remote training is the norm, not the exception. This means training can be accessed on any device in any location and snugly fitted into the working day. The result? Less money on travel and training, and less disruption to core IT tasks.

3. The power of "what if?"

From one perspective, IT is all about answering the question "what if?" Every problem can be solved in a range of ways. Choosing the most cost-effective and time-effective method means answering those what-if questions.

But familiarity with these hypothetical scenarios can't safely be achieved on the job. Simulated environments, by contrast, offer a sandbox where specific variables can be isolated, manipulated and observed.

These variables can cover everything from commonplace cases to edge cases that are hard to replicate in the real world.

And best of all, these variables can be played with again and again and again. This means your IT staff end up with a comprehensive knowledge of what-ifs – an invaluable tool when faced with real-world troubleshooting.

4. Increasing confidence

Any experienced system administrator will tell you that knowledge alone isn't enough. You also need the confidence to make decisions.

In life, confidence mostly comes from experience. This is a general truth that applies to everything from speaking up in the workplace to juggling satsumas. And it most certainly applies to deploying, configuring and managing cloud environments.

As we've noted, however, experience with cloud administration can't be safely learnt on the job. Simulated environments deepen trainee confidence as well as skills – a combination that will drastically reduce errors when it's time to operate real systems.

5. Better systems for better engineers

Simulated environments don't just produce better engineers – they also produce better systems.

This is because simulations allow cloud architects to identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies and other gremlins. These can be solved in theory before they're implemented in practice. As with training, this saves time and money and reduces errors in the real world.

So, if you want to ensure that real-world configurations are consistently effective, road-testing simulated environments could be just what your business needs.

6. Staying on the right side of compliance

Ah, compliance. Let's face it – this essential fact of business life is not what you went into business for. So, how can you make sure you're compliant without wasting time and shredding money?

In the context of cloud architecture, simulated environments can help. Cloud-based software can be thoroughly tested and validated against specifications and regulatory requirements.

The advantage is the same as using simulated environments to improve operational efficiency. Compliance is done ahead of time – so when your cloud environment is up and running, you know it's in line with industry regulations.

How we can help

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we don't just help businesses migrate their workloads to the cloud. We also provide lab hosting services for VMware Education Delivery Partner (VEDP) courses.

Our labs are secure, scalable and cost-effective. They provide the perfect infrastructure for course providers to bring their learning to life. And like all good simulated environments, they produce better systems, better engineers and better outcomes for your business.

So, if you're looking for lab hosting services for VEDP courses , don't hesitate to get in touch with our VMware experts at Ascend Cloud Solutions today.

How VEDP labs prepare engineers for real-world pressure

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 09:13:40 GMT

VEDP courses provide cloud engineers with hands-on training. Find out how they can prepare staff for the real thing.

What makes a good cloud engineer? As in any other profession, the answer is multifaceted.

For one, they need deep technical skills – skills in platforms, automation, coding, containerisation, virtualisation, database management and more.

But like so many things in life, technique can only get you so far. Working as a cloud engineer is not unlike working in a restaurant kitchen. Your skills are only beneficial to the business if you can cope with pressure.

Yes, there's no escaping the fact that cloud engineers face pressure from multiple directions. There's the pressure of working in a fast-paced field that's constantly changing – and where change usually means more complexity. There's the need to balance work and life and avoid burnout.

But above all, there's the constant need to maintain complex systems – systems that are as essential to the successful running of a business as electricity and water.

This isn't to say, however, that cloud engineers will inevitably bow under this pressure. With the right training and the right support in the workplace, these pressures can be successfully overcome.

So, where do VEDP labs fit into this? First, let's establish what they are.

What are VEDP labs?

VEDP training labs are virtual, online sandbox environments used for training and certification programmes for VMware's virtualisation software.

These allow trainees to explore VMware products in a safe, simulated environment. Systems can be tested and problems solved without presenting any risk to real-world systems that have real-world consequences.

VEDP courses are offered by VMware-authorised third parties called VMware Education Delivery Partners (VEDPs). They cover the whole suite of VMware products.

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we provide lab hosting for VEDP providers . They provide the training and we provide the sandboxes.

The business benefits are clear. VEDP labs are cost-effective, scalable and available. Unlike older forms of training, VEDP courses can be accessed at any time from any device in any location. And like the best kinds of modern training, they provide risk-free, hands-on training for niche technical skills.

So, how can they help cloud engineers deal with pressure specifically? In our view, there are three main benefits. VEDP labs increase confidence, increase speed and reduce risks. Let's take a look at these one by one.

1. They increase confidence

IT is a niche – and cloud computing is a niche within a niche. What's more, it's a niche within a niche that's constantly changing.

Containerisation. AI integration. DevOps. Hybrid and multi-cloud management. These are all relatively recent advances in cloud computing that continue to sprout heads.

This rate of change is part of what makes cloud computing such an exciting field to work in. But only the brainiest of brainboxes wouldn't admit that it can occasionally lead to a crisis in confidence – or at least a wobble.

VEDP labs help increase cloud engineer confidence by providing them with up-to-date models that can be used again and again. Everything from core skills to edge cases can be experimented with until procedures are deeply ingrained.

By supplementing their expertise with experience, VEDP labs encourage cloud engineers to keep their cool in the event of an IT disaster.

2. They increase speed

One of the biggest pressures cloud engineers face is the pressure to achieve results quickly.

This is understandable. In our cloud-based age, cloud environments aren't a fancy add-on to business operations. More often than not, they comprise a significant chunk of those business operations. If your cloud environment goes down, your revenue is likely to go down with it.

This means cloud engineers must be able to respond quickly and effectively to problems as they arise.

By providing trainees with virtual guardrails, VEDP labs give cloud engineers a safe environment to practise their skills until they can execute them quickly and accurately.

The return on investment is clear. Giving cloud engineers a safe space to deepen their skills means they're able to act decisively when real life comes calling.

The result? Cloud environments that are fine-tuned for high performance – and above all, available around the clock.

3. They reduce risks

What makes one situation pressurised and another footloose and fancy-free? One answer to this question is that a pressurised situation is one where the stakes are high.

In a business context, there are fewer stakes higher than business continuity. After all, your availability directly correlates to your ability to do business. No cloud, no clout.

VEDP labs don't just make cloud engineers quicker and more confident. They also reduce the risks they run when faced with a real-world cloud crisis. This lowering of the stakes means they can identify and zap the problem with more experience and less pressure.

This is especially true for multi-cloud and hybrid environments. VEDP labs give cloud engineers the chance to explore these infrastructures in all their complexity. In the event of a multi-cloud or hybrid cloud calamity, they can go under the hood with far fewer risks in store.

The same goes for cloud security. GDPR, after all, is no laughing matter. If your system goes down and your data goes on the rampage, you could face a substantial fine – not to mention a reputational kicking when clients find out.

VEDP labs equip cloud engineers with hands-on knowledge of compliance and security issues. This means the risks are lower when it comes to tackling a real-world problem.

How we can help

If your organisation is built on VMware products, VEDP labs are a valuable investment, producing quick, confident cloud engineers operating in a low-risk cloud environment.

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we provide secure, scalable lab hosting environments for VEDP partners. If you need a cost-effective virtual sandbox to bring your training to life, get in touch with our experts today . We'd love to help you engage your learners and boost business outcomes.

Why enterprises are moving away from physical training labs

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 23:25:59 GMT

More and more enterprises are training IT staff with virtual labs. Find out why in our jargon-free guide.

One of the most exciting things about working in IT is the rate of change. Other kinds of change are often slow: social change, for example, or regulatory change. But cast your mind back over the last decade and you'll see just how rapidly IT moves.

To the person in the street, this might mean the rapid adoption of AI by tech companies worldwide. But for our money, the most radical change has happened almost without us noticing. It's the shift from on-site work to remote or hybrid work.

When we say "without us noticing", we obviously don't mean no one's realised they're now working from home or in a cafe. What we do mean is that the scale of the change has yet to be processed. We're not in Kansas anymore, but many of us still think we are.

Hybrid working was on the rise at the beginning of the 21st century before being sent into overdrive by the COVID-19 pandemic. Lockdown measures meant a new way of working – and the tech world responded with a rapid and wide-scale adoption of video conferencing software, SaaS solutions and remote training.

Let's put this into perspective. An article by Oxford College reports that "Online learning is the fastest-growing market in the education industry". So far, so what. But when the sentence goes on to mention "a 900% growth rate globally since the year 2000", the scale of the transformation comes across.

One area where this is apparent is the shift from physical training labs to online labs. Yes, these became more common because of COVID-19 restrictions. But in the years following the pandemic, the advantages of online labs have continued to be felt.

So, what are the benefits of non-physical training labs? Is it primarily a case of cutting costs, or are there educational and environmental benefits, too? Let's find out.

1. Cost-effectiveness

Online training labs share one thing with remote and hybrid working in general: it costs more to run an office than a scattered workforce connected to the internet.

In the case of training, it's not just that physical labs require substantial investment in hardware, the space itself and any related maintenance. It's also that instructors and attendees need to get to the site – something that eats into the budget and increases the carbon footprint.

2. Agility

In a physical training lab, all the students in the room need to be catered for simultaneously.

This can, of course, create valuable learning opportunities as students interact and learn together. But it can also lead to rigid schedules, undifferentiated tasks and one-size-fits-all learning programmes.

Online training labs, by contrast, enable employees to balance their training with day-to-day tasks. The remote nature of the training allows them to incorporate it into their working day and proceed at their own pace.

This self-directed pacing has another advantage: it can encourage learners to feel like they're in charge of their learning. For adults, this can be the difference between engagement and disengagement and is likely to translate into post-training performance.

3. Sustainability

"Sustainability" means different things to different people. But in the context of training, it primarily refers to the amount of energy consumed in the provision of a training course.

The stats are promising. Online learning, one article says, "reportedly reduces energy consumption by 90% compared to classroom learning".

So, as well as cutting costs, non-physical training labs cut carbon emissions: the ideal solution for an environmentally conscious business in the age of hybrid working.

4. Low maintenance

Physical machines have their advantages – but there's no denying they're a pain to update.

Many of you will remember the days of software updates that involved a day of downtime. Online training labs, by contrast, are maintained by the provider. That means course providers and learners don't have to put down their virtual pens when maintenance and troubleshooting are in progress.

The same goes for updates. With technology updating all the time, physical labs are hard to update in time. Virtual labs, by contrast, can be refreshed quickly and seamlessly.

5. Scalability

Every business wants to grow. But if you're overly reliant on physical spaces, scaling up can be hard. It involves literally moving operations from one place to another. This is as true of training as it is of workspaces.

Virtual training labs get around this problem by providing learning environments that can be scaled up and down on demand. This is ideal for a fluid, geographically dispersed or growing workforce.

6. Progress monitoring

Physical and virtual training labs have their advantages and disadvantages when it comes to progress monitoring. But one thing's for sure: in a virtual lab, assessment can be based solely on data, not on a trainer's individual judgment.

This focus on data can help in another way. It allows course providers to get granular insights into the success of their training programmes – and identify areas where there's room for improvement.

What is VEDP?

VEDP training refers to courses offered by a VMware Education Delivery Partner (VEDP). These are authorised third parties that provide expert-led training and certification programmes for VMware's suite of virtualisation products.

And crucially, these training programmes take place online in sandbox environments. This gives learners the chance to explore the products as though in real life – but with virtual guardrails in place to ensure their mistakes are educational, not disruptive.

VEDP training courses have all the advantages of online labs. They're cost-effective, scalable, agile and sustainable and combine expert guidance with self-directed learning.

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we provide lab hosting services for VEDP training providers . This gives them the online foundation they need to bring training to life with highly secure, highly available labs.

Ascend Cloud Solutions provides technology solutions and cloud consultancy services to organisations around the globe. Need help navigating the cloud? Don't hesitate to get in touch .

vSphere, vSAN and NSX explained: how they fit together

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 23:42:07 GMT

What are VMware vSphere, vSAN and NSX – and how do they work together? Find out in our accessible guide.

For more than two decades, the American cloud computing and virtualisation firm VMware has been providing enterprises with workable, flexible virtualisation software.

Essentially, this software lets businesses run multiple virtual computers known as "virtual machines" (VMs) on a single physical server. Different operating systems and applications can be run side by side. The end result is a scalable, cost-effective and flexible cloud-based infrastructure.

Acquired by Broadcom in 2023, VMware's product suite is indispensable to businesses across the world. However, we'd be lying if we said it was a piece of cake to navigate.

This is partly, of course, because cloud computing and virtualisation are niche, technical areas of expertise where many people fear to tread. But it's also because of the names VMware gives to its core products.

Sure, a virtualisation expert might be able to glean at a glance the operational differences between vSphere, vSAN and NSX. But if you've clicked on this article, chances are you're still a little confused about what's what.

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we provide tailored cloud migration services to enterprises worldwide. We also provide training labs to VMware Education Delivery Partners (VEDPs). These provide a sandbox environment in which systems administrators can learn the intricacies of these three products (and more).

All that's to say we know the VMware software stack like the backs of our hands. Want to know what vSphere, vSAN and NSX do? You're in the right place.

What is vSphere?

vSphere bundles a couple of pieces of software together: ESXi hypervisor and vCenter Server.

ESXi provides the foundation. It's a bare-metal hypervisor – essentially a type of computer software that creates and runs virtual machines directly on physical servers. vCenter, meanwhile, is the central management console for controlling multiple ESXi hosts.

By bundling these solutions together, vSphere enables a raft of powerful features. These range from resource pooling to workload mobility, from GPU acceleration for AI to integrated Kubernetes.

And because of the presence of vCenter, all these features – along with compute, storage and network resources – can be managed from one place.

Businesses use vSphere to cut costs, ensure high availability and boost security. It's the core virtualisation platform – but without vSAN, it doesn't always work to its full potential.

What is vSAN?

vSAN stands for "virtual storage area network". It's a software-defined storage solution that pools local discs from multiple servers in a cluster. It combines these local disks into a single, virtual pool (datastore) accessible by all VMs in the cluster.

The key advantage of this is that vSAN is software-defined and runs without the need for discrete physical hardware. This makes management simpler, availability higher and scalability easier.

vSAN is distributed and resilient. This means data can be replicated across different hosts – so, if one server fails, mission-critical VMs remain available.

Together, vSAN and vSphere often create the basis of a hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI). They're used together with VMware NSX. vSAN and vSphere combine compute, storage and networking into a single integrated platform, while NSX provides the network virtualisation and security layer.

What is NSX?

Like vSAN and vSphere, NSX is software-defined. This means it creates virtual networks independently of physical hardware for private and hybrid clouds. It's a network virtualisation platform that turns previously physical functions – such as firewalls, switching and routing – into software.

NSX offers services including automation of network provisioning and policy enforcement, micro-segmentation and simplified management. It forms a key part of software-defined data centres (SDDC) and VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF).

At its most basic, NSX creates virtual networks that mirror physical ones. This makes provisioning quick and practically seamless.

Micro-segmentation, meanwhile, delivers granular security right down to individual workloads. This reduces the attack surface, keeping businesses safe from cyber attacks.

Finally, NSX supports a range of environments, including multiple clouds, hypervisors and bare-metal workloads.

How do they fit together?

Perhaps the easiest way to understand the relationship between vSphere, vSAN and NSX is to see each piece of software as serving a one-word function. vSphere virtualises compute, vSAN virtualises storage and NSX virtualises networking.

Scratch the surface and it soon gets more complicated. But if you want to understand their basic functions, these three words are enough.

All three work together under vCenter to create a fully integrated software-defined data centre (SDDC). This enables businesses to retire physical hardware and work with scalable, flexible cloud environments.

How we combine all three in a virtual sandbox

These virtualisation solutions are niche – and if your system administrator is going to deploy, configure and manage them successfully, they'll need training.

One training route consists of VMware's VEDP training labs. These are virtual, hands-on learning environments for VMware products. Essentially, they provide practical experience with real VMware software and solutions in a protected sandbox environment.

The kind of environment provided is important. Learners get to try out essential skills without the risk of causing downtime or other disruption. They can also use software without having to install or manage it in real life.

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we provide lab hosting for VEDP providers . Our lab hosting services are cloud-based, meaning they can be accessed from anywhere in the world and at any time.

This global accessibility means you can provide training for your IT staff without paying for transport, physical lab setups or time off. Instead, learners can train in their own time and on their own devices.

And as well as being cloud-based, our lab hosting services are highly secure. This means learners can practise in safety with no risk of system compromise.

Finally, we provide lab environments that can be used for self-directed or instructor-led training. It all depends on the needs and resources of your company.

Whatever your requirements, our VEDP lab hosting services can help bring training to life, whether you're a provider, a learner or a manager.

Based in Cork, Ireland, Ascend Cloud Solutions provides consultancy and technology solutions to a range of global clients. For more simple cloud computing guides, follow our blog .

What is VMware Cloud Foundation? (And why training labs matter)

Fri, 26 Dec 2025 13:00:39 GMT

Managing a cloud solution like VCF requires training – and training needs to include hands-on exercises. Here's why.

Not all businesses are built the same. But they all have one thing in common – they all need somewhere to run their computer, storage, networking and system management processes.

Traditionally, this was done on private servers. The last few decades, however, have seen a rapid shift to cloud-based solutions. It's no exaggeration to say we're now living in the Age of the Cloud, whether or not we're aware of it day by day.

This brings with it a whole host of benefits. But for business managers, it also raises the spectre of choice fatigue – the exhausting prospect of finding exactly the right solution for your requirements.

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we're system-agnostic. We don't believe that one cloud solution is better than another, per se. The solutions we see are answers, not just products.

Nevertheless, our background is in VMware – and we know its Cloud Foundation platform inside out. It's a private cloud platform that can speed up workload deployment by 61% , save 55% compared to old-school three-tier infrastructure and 40% compared to native public cloud.

Sounds good, right? But it's not as simple as downloading the software and seeing an instant change. Every business that uses VCF needs staff who know how to use it to its full advantage – and that requires training.

In our view, training in cloud computing needs to involve hands-on lab exercises. Without this practical grounding, you may as well try to split the atom by following the manual.

In this article, we take a look at the benefits of VMware Cloud Foundation – and how hands-on training labs can help you unlock its fearsome potential.

What is VMware Cloud Foundation?

VMware Cloud Foundation is a private cloud platform that integrates several core components into a single, automated stack. These components include:

vSphere (compute virtualisation)
NSX (network virtualisation)
vSAN (software-defined storage)
SDDC Manager (the central management component, allowing for simpler deployment and configuration of the stack)

By combining these core components, VMware Cloud Foundation allows organisations to treat their private cloud infrastructure like a public cloud.

What are the benefits of VMware Cloud Foundation?

VMware Cloud Foundation puts all your processes in one place. But more than that, it lets you automate and streamline your infrastructure management. This makes your processes more efficient – and your mistakes more easily spotted and zapped.

It's also forward-looking, supporting modern workloads such as containers and AI. And like all good virtualisation software, it's highly secure and highly scalable. If you've got your eyes on the big time, VCF can go there with you.

Why is hands-on training valuable?

If you want to become a VCF maestro, you'll need to undertake training. This is complicated stuff, even for IT professionals with years of experience under their belts.

We believe that good training is hands-on as well as practical. To illustrate why, consider what it takes to learn to drive a car.

To get your driving licence in Ireland – as elsewhere – you need to pass your theory test as well as your practical. The two tests complement each other and produce safe, well-rounded drivers.

The theory test teaches you braking distances. But what good are they if you don't know what the brake feels like under your foot? Vice versa, what's the use of smoothly changing through the gears if you can't quickly identify and process road signs?

Learning to use VCF isn't all that different. Yes, you need to learn a lot of facts, terms and processes. But without hands-on lab exercises to underpin that knowledge, you'll struggle when faced with a real-world problem.

Five ways that hands-on training can help

1. It leads to better knowledge retention

Successfully making a spaghetti dish once doesn't mean you can work in a restaurant kitchen. Knowledge retention comes through active doing – and the more you do it, the more the knowledge sticks and the quicker problems can be solved.

By speeding up problem-solving, issues can be contained and eliminated more quickly. This, in turn, means less downtime or disruption to your day-to-day operations.

2. It results in higher engagement levels

Yes, cloud computing is fascinating. No, it's not always easy to stay completely focused throughout a multi-day course. Hands-on exercises help boost engagement – and engagement means better knowledge retention. And better knowledge retention means… Well, you get the idea.

3. It prepares you for the real world

Real-world simulations – sometimes known as "sandbox training" – let students analyse problems and try out solutions without bringing the whole thing to a halt. It's a safe space to make mistakes and learn.

Participating in hands-on labs, students prepare for real-world scenarios, not theoretical ones. So when it comes to deploying apps, automating processes, managing virtual servers or configuring secure networking, they'll have been here before and know what to do.

4. It increases confidence

System administrators have a lot of responsibility – and to carry out their jobs effectively, they need confidence as well as capability. And what better way to cement knowledge and increase confidence than through practical exercises?

But training labs don't just increase the system manager's confidence. They can also pave the way for certification exams – and these act as a strong trust signal to clients old and new.

5. It enables real-time feedback

Teaching yourself has its advantages. But it can be a long and winding way to get where you want to be. By contrast, getting real-time feedback from instructors helps reinforce knowledge and best practices in the moment.

All of these benefits combine to make lab exercises a prerequisite for good training. In business terms, that means system administrators who can hit the ground running and know how to contain problems before they lead to disruption.

About VMware Education Delivery Partners

VMware Education Delivery Partners (VEDPs) are organisations that provide training in VMware products. Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we provide the lab infrastructure necessary to deliver courses that combine hands-on exercises and theoretical knowledge.

Our lab hosting services are highly secure and highly available. We work behind the scenes to bring your training to life, replicating full multi-cloud setups for learners.

So, if you're looking for lab hosting for VEDP training , don't hesitate to get in touch with Ascend Cloud Solutions and speak to a cloud expert today.

The future of IT training is virtual: here's why

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 09:01:56 GMT

More and more training programmes take place online. Explore 6 key benefits in our guide to 21st-century learning.

Telling the future is never easy. For every prediction Nostradamus got right, a hundred were wrong. But while we don't have a crystal ball, we're sure of one thing: the future of IT training is virtual.

It's a trend that's grown dramatically over the last couple of decades. Older readers will remember training with DVDs, PowerPoint presentations and paper hand-outs. Heck, some of you may still be training that way. But for companies across the world, online training is increasingly the norm.

It's not difficult to see why. Online training is more convenient, more cost-effective, more scalable and easier to update than its pen-and-paper or on-premises equivalents. It even creates new opportunities for increasing student engagement.

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we're proud to play a part in this move towards online training. We're not educators ourselves. Instead, we provide essential backend to online course providers in the form of lab hosting.

We wouldn't do it if we weren't convinced of the value of the service we're providing. This is underpinned by our belief in the mind-expanding, cost-saving, barrier-busting potential of e-learning. Let's take a closer look at what this means for course providers and students.

1. Convenience

Today's businesses are more geographically scattered than ever. Cloud technology means that an engineer in Jakarta can collaborate on a design plan with a colleague in Cancun.

Hand in hand with this geographical diversity is a newfound mix of working styles. More and more companies split their personnel between the office and the home.

Both these trends open up huge possibilities for businesses – not least in recruiting the finest, not the nearest.

But they come with challenges, too. If you have an international team, how on Earth are you going to get them on the same page with training?

The answer, of course, is online training. It gives staff flexible, remote access, no matter where they are in the world. All you need is an internet connection – no travel or accommodation necessary.

2. Cost-effectiveness

Training is like good-quality socks. Everybody knows it improves your quality of life, but not everyone is prepared to fork out.

It's understandable. Pretty much every business is juggling the different bits of its budget with an expression of strained concentration on its face. Expenses need to be justified.

The board agrees that training would benefit the company. But can it really afford to spend all that money on trains, planes and automobiles this quarter? Is there really money in the coffers for venue hire, hotel rooms and per diems?

Virtual training isn't free. But it is significantly cheaper than in-person training. All your participants need is their laptops and a place to sit.

It's cost-effective in another way, too. Often, a training session in the centre of town means a day in the office with fewer staff. Online training, however, can fit into the course of a working day, reducing downtime as well as expense.

3. Scalability

In the not-so-recent past, IT courses were limited to a certain number of participants – a number largely determined by how many people you could fit into a room.

It goes without saying that there are limits to the number of participants in an online course. But there's a key difference: virtual training is scalable.

New office opening in Stuttgart? Your new staff can be enrolled in online training far more quickly than in a traditional, on-premises course.

And because the course provider is paying for online hosting, they shoulder the burden of scalability – not you. All you need to do is update the names and details of participating staff and the course provider will do the rest.

4. Opportunities for increased engagement

Online courses don't have to be a carbon copy of physical classrooms. Instead, they create new opportunities for engaging learners, improving knowledge retention and inspiring confidence.

In the context of cloud computing (our speciality), this is easily seen in the use of virtual labs in online training. These are replicas of cloud environments that can be used just like the real thing.

The difference is that if you make a mistake in a mock-up, it won't have real-world consequences. Learners get to learn the ropes without putting the network at risk.

But virtual labs are just one example. Online training introduces increased opportunities for gamification – and, in the case of virtual reality and augmented reality, ever more immersive training scenarios.

And guess what? As the tech progresses, the opportunities for learning will, too.

5. Ease of updating

The Age of the Textbook is giving way to the Age of the eBook. And one undersung advantage of this transitional period is how easily online course materials can be updated.

In the olden days, you'd have to wait at least a year for a new edition of a textbook with up-to-date information to come out.

Today, course materials can be updated immediately. This means students are never lagging behind the latest in IT. And at a time when it feels there are more updates than minutes in a day, this has never been more important.

6. Innovation

The internet itself isn't the only innovation that makes e-learning possible. There are also developments such as AI and virtual labs.

AI is shaking things up with data-driven custom learning paths, chatbots and virtual tutors. Meanwhile, virtual labs allow IT learners to practise core tasks in a sandbox.

Looking ahead

Online IT training is developing all the time – and as it develops, new opportunities for learner engagement and knowledge retention open up.

We don't know exactly what the future holds for IT training. But as e-learning evolves, we'll be sure to keep you informed of the latest developments.

Ascend Cloud Solutions is a cloud consultancy and VMware lab hosting provider based in Cork, Ireland. For more guides and industry analysis, follow our blog .

From classroom to cloud: how trainers use virtual labs

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 08:43:53 GMT

More and more cloud computing students take part in virtual labs. So, what are they – and how are they used by trainers?

By now, most companies are convinced of the benefits cloud computing can bring – from the restaurant on the corner to a sprawling multinational market leader.

But what's often overlooked is that the cloud is only as good as its operators. Deployment alone isn't going to take your business to the next level. You need a steady hand at the tiller – and an informed, experienced one at that.

In practice, this means cloud administrators need to be trained. Without adequate training, you're simply painting over the cracks. Only with high-quality training can cloud deployment improve customer loyalty and employee performance.

But just as the cloud is only as good as its operatives, so trainees are only as good as their training. Too often, IT professionals go through one-size-fits-all, tick-box training. And more often than not, these inferior training courses prioritise passive learning rather than hands-on exercises.

What trainees need are virtual labs. These are replicas of cloud environments where students can test, analyse and learn from their mistakes.

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we provide lab hosting for VCF Education Delivery Partners (VEDPs). These partners provide courses in all things VMware that put active learning first.

How do they do it – and why? Let's find out.

Why VEDPs use virtual labs

1. Replication of cloud environments

A virtual lab is a replica of a cloud environment. It is to the cloud what a flight simulator is to an aeroplane.

Whatever your cloud infrastructure, a virtual lab can recreate it in detail. Every aspect of the infrastructure is there to be used – but unlike the real thing, there's no harm done when mistakes are made.

This is good for learners in one key respect. Instead of reading how to deploy an app, say, a learner can do it. And they can do it as many times as they need for it to become second nature.

The result? System administrators who've already carried out essential tasks in a replica environment. You'll be amazed at what a difference this can make to troubleshooting, deployment, configuration and more.

2. Scalability

Spend five minutes in the world of cloud computing and you'll hear about scalability. It's a key benefit of cloud computing – the ability to extend provisioning without tearing literal wires out of the wall.

Virtual labs are scalable, too. After all, a physical classroom can only hold so many people – and it's likely to hold people from a circumscribed geographical radius.

Virtual labs, by contrast, have all the benefits of e-learning. Maybe your company needs to train one person. Perhaps it needs to train a dozen. Cloud computing courses, such as those provided by VEDPs, can be scaled to meet your requirements.

If you're making the leap from brick-and-mortar teaching to the cloud, you'll soon realise just how big a change this can bring about.

3. Real-time feedback

Cloud computing trainers use virtual labs differently from remote learning.

If you learn on your own, you have to wait for corrections – either by checking your work yourself or sending it off to an expert for feedback.

With virtual labs, feedback is instantaneous. Instructors are in the lab with their students and can jump in immediately when help is needed.

This direct relationship between instructor and student speeds up the learning process. Make a mistake? You'll be set on the right track in seconds, not days.

What's more, students can be signposted to training materials instantaneously. Information is at everyone's fingertips. That means no time wasted Googling the answers or waiting for feedback from a remote assessor.

This speed of training isn't just motivating for students. It also makes training a more economical option for companies. After all, managers are far more likely to invest in training if outcomes are quickly achieved.

4. Hands-on simulations

Virtual labs give students the chance to make mistakes in a jeopardy-free environment. Rather than passively absorbing knowledge, they learn through doing.

Virtual labs are often referred to as "sandboxes". A sandbox is defined by Oxford Languages as "a testing environment in a computer system in which new or untested software or coding can be run securely".

"Securely" is the key word here. In a virtual lab, you can try out core tasks without any chance of putting the wider network at risk. It's a safe space for experimentation and learning. For many companies, this is the optimum way to turn competent IT professionals into exceptional operators.

Sure, knowledge acquisition is important. But if retention is your aim, you can't beat active learning – and in the world of cloud computing, that means real-world, hands-on simulations.

Where hosting services come in

What do course providers do? The clue's in the name. Their primary function is to provide courses – not necessarily to host them.

Many providers, in fact, host their courses on external infrastructure. This division of labour means both sides of the coin are given equal value – the course itself and the backend that makes it possible.

With lab hosting services, course providers can focus on what they do best – enrolling, teaching and assessing. Behind the scenes, lab hosts make sure everything is working as it should be.

It's not so different from the relationship between IT and the rest of a company. IT works hard in the background to ensure everything else runs smoothly.

Here at Ascend, we offer lab hosting for VEDP partners . We provide a service that's highly secure and highly available – globally available, in fact.

It doesn't matter where in the world you and your students are. It doesn't matter how many there are or how many courses you want to deliver. We take care of the backend so you can focus on what you're good at.

So, if you're looking to bring your training to life with reliable, flexible lab hosting, get in touch with Ascend Cloud Solutions . We'd love to help you turn today's learners into tomorrow's cloud experts.

Why big data depends on big clouds

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 22:58:00 GMT

These days, the majority of enterprises hold huge quantities of data. Find out how big clouds can help.

These days, most enterprises are sitting on a huge pile of data.

This pile could be a goldmine – or it could be a dungheap. It all depends on how it's handled. Data alone isn't good for much. But sorted and put to work, it can unlock new levels of velocity and versatility in your business.

Data resides in clouds – so the more data you have, the bigger the cloud environment needs to be. Once upon a time, a company could run everything on-premises with private hardware. Today, they mostly rent resources from public providers.

These public cloud resources are built for big data. They allow you to scale up with ease, giving you the space you need to store and run your workloads. And above all, they let you leverage these capabilities without squandering money on maintaining and upgrading private servers.

Everybody in the business world knows about the recent explosion of data. But too often, their response is to dabble in data analytics and leave it at that.

The truth is that most businesses aren't getting the most out of their big data – and this is partly because they're not getting the most out of big clouds. In this article, we look at how the two interact and help businesses to grow.

What do big clouds do?

Cloud adoption has skyrocketed over the last decade. We're now well and truly living in the Age of Cloud.

But think back, if you will, to the olden days. Chances are, your workloads ran on a server in your office – a big machine with blinking lights and spooling wires.

As data grows, these on-premises servers become increasingly insufficient. Why? Because they're extremely hard to scale up. Upgrading servers, or ripping them out and replacing them entirely, costs money and takes time (another way of saying it costs money).
That's where big clouds come in – feature-rich, scalable public cloud environments managed by tech giants like Amazon (AWS), Microsoft (Azure) and Oracle (OCI).

The key selling point of big cloud environments is that they're built for size and velocity.

First, they provide data ingestion and processing tools. Even the most hard-working IT team is unlikely to be able to sort through and categorise your data hoard. Instead, a big cloud can do the job for you – fast.

Secondly, big clouds are, well, big. These cloud platforms offer huge silos for your data using distributed file systems. And when you need more space, you simply scale up. The only consideration is how to keep your storage in line with your budget.

Then there's the question of data analytics. What's the use of all that data, anyway? Sure, it helps you stay on top of sales histories, customer profiles and the like. But if that's all you're using it for, surely a spreadsheet will do?

Big clouds often come with built-in data analytics tools like machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI). These put your data to work. They can help you forecast demand and downturns and provide a granular analysis of who's buying what and who's coming back for more.

Next up is the integrative power of big clouds. These cloud solutions come with APIs that interface between different sources of data. This creates a seamless experience for data travelling within, towards and away from your organisation.

Finally, big clouds provide big security – high levels of encryption, access control and security audits. And unlike some businesses, they also have the resources to stay on top of the ever-changing security threat landscape and adapt accordingly.

What are the challenges of big data in the cloud?

Some of the challenges of big data are the same as the challenges of data in general. Mostly, it's a matter of scale.

Big data comes from a variety of sources. Payment processing. Warehouse systems. CRM systems. Even IoT sensors. Without big clouds, the sheer scale of data can be a problem.

Secondly, there's scalability. Data can fluctuate and your cloud system needs to be able to adapt. Luckily, most big clouds from public providers are easy to scale.

Thirdly, there's the need for data to turn into insights. Without this capacity, you can easily lag behind your competitors. Big clouds work best when supplemented with ML and AI tools to help you process and instrumentalise your data.

Finally, there's the rise of remote work and the security challenges it introduces. More and more devices join and leave your networks from more and more locations. You need a big cloud with the functionality to deal with this level of complexity.

What are the benefits of big clouds for big data?

If you've got a lot of data, you need a lot of capacity to handle it, store it and put it to work. Big clouds let you do this with scalable resources and easy-access analytics.

It also removes the need for upfront hardware costs. Resources can be provisioned and adjusted at the click of a button – no disruption, no delay.

Finally, big clouds let you make better decisions driven by data. In a saturated marketplace, this can be the difference between treading water and accelerating your ambitions.

How to effectively deploy cloud-based big data solutions

So, that's what big clouds are for. But how can you be sure they're deployed effectively?

You need a vision – and you need to map that vision onto clear, actionable, measurable goals. If you can't answer the question, "What is this cloud solution for?", you're probably on a hiding to nothing.

You then need to assess your existing data infrastructure and choose the right provider or providers for the job. All the while, you need to align these technological goals with your bottom line.

It's a tricky business that requires a lot of strategic thinking and cloud expertise. You may find that a cloud consultant can help you unlock the benefits of big cloud environments.

If that sounds like you, why not get in touch with Ascend Cloud Solutions? As a trusted cloud consulting firm , we'd love to help you deploy a big cloud environment and make your data work for you.

Cloud basics: APIs and their role in cloud computing

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:21:00 GMT

What are cloud APIs and how can they help your business bloom? Find out in our jargon-free guide.

How is cloud computing like medicine? The better it gets, the more complex it becomes.

Cloud adoption is at an all-time high. Most businesses no longer need to be told the benefits. Increasingly, it's not a choice. It's just the way we do things now.
But by heck, it can get complex. Today, even small businesses are handling huge tranches of data, multiple services and, in many cases, multiple cloud platforms.

How can this sprawl be managed? One answer is APIs or application programming interfaces.

An API lets two applications talk to each other. Take the weather app on your phone. This acts as an interface between you, the client, and the Met Office or other weather bureau. You request and they respond, with the API providing a bridge between you.

Of course, it quickly gets more complex than that. But at its most basic, an API is a bridge between two services.

APIs are now the backbone of cloud computing. Without them, businesses and customers alike would be forced to interact with bitty, sporadic and overly complex IT systems.

In this article, we take a closer look at what APIs are – and how they can help your business.

What are the main types of APIs?

There are different ways of categorising APIs. Perhaps the most common-sense way is to think of them in relation to the types of services they connect.

These days, cloud computing is often split into PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service), SaaS (Software-as-a-Service and IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service). Each of these virtualised service types has its own APIs.

PaaS APIs connect your cloud infrastructure to third-party platforms. Developers then use these platforms to build their own applications.

SaaS APIs, by contrast, connect your cloud infrastructure to cloud-based software managed by third parties. A user can access a cloud application – Gmail, say – within a cloud environment.

A classic and commonly used example of this is third-party payment processing.

Let's say you're shopping online for a bag of salt. When you go to the checkout, the site asks if you want to pay with PayPal. You click "yes", and an API sets up the connection between you and PayPal.

This brings us to an important point. You, the user, don't need to see what the API is up to. Your interaction with the API is a seamless customer experience.

Next, there are IaaS APIs. These help you provision and manage virtualised infrastructure. They can be used to streamline server management, cloud security, storage and other services.

Finally, there are cross-platform APIs. In the age of the multi-cloud environment, cross-platform compatibility is a must. Cross-platform APIs let you access cloud-based resources from multiple cloud providers. At its most basic, this means you don't need to keep logging in and out of different cloud platforms.

Another way to categorise APIs is by their relation to the internal user and the external service. Seen in this light, they can be described as open APIs, partner APIs, internal APIs or composite APIs.

Open APIs are open-source application programming interfaces. Partner APIs connect you to a business partner. Internal APIs are hidden from external users. And composite APIs combine multiple APIs.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. There are database APIs, SOAP APIs, remote APIs, REST APIs, WebSocket APIs… But the types of APIs we've explored above give you an idea of the basic functionalities of APIs – and why they now constitute the backbone of cloud computing.

What about security?

No discussion of cloud computing is complete without considering security. In some ways, the cloud is your business and needs to be secured with the same rigour as your brick-and-mortar premises.

There's a difference, though. If you have an office, there's typically only one way in. But cloud computing systems are now brimful of applications, servers and APIs. Each one can be the weak link in the chain that lets a cyber criminal in.

This matters for several reasons. First, a data breach can give your reputation a knock (what else, a prospective customer might ask, is this business letting slide?) Secondly, it disrupts your workflows and loses you money. And thirdly, you could be issued a fine under GDPR or another regulatory framework.

Like any other cloud resource, APIs need to be highly defended. This means multi-factor authentication, thorough identity management and the guiding principle of zero-trust security. Anything less is putting you, your partners and your customers at risk.

One benefit of APIs, however, is that they let you control the amount of data you share. When a request is made, an API shares a small, relevant packet of data, leaving irrelevant internal system details hidden.

Why use cloud APIs?

The cloud isn't going anywhere – and in our opinion, that's a good thing. It can save you money, unlock new possibilities for remote collaboration and be scaled up and down with ease.

But whether you're a first-time migrator or spinning up a cloud-native infrastructure, cloud computing is a complex proposition. You need APIs to ensure your resources, workloads and services communicate with each other.

This interoperability spreads outwards to the customer. These days, customers have high standards when it comes to apps, web stores, portals and other online services. If it's hard to reach you or buy your services, customers are just a click away from a competitor.
As well as improving the customer experience, APIs boost collaboration between cloud applications. This lets you automate workflows and share ideas no matter where in the world you are.

Finally, APIs enable you to connect with new business partners, many of whom offer their services free of charge (at least to begin with).
In a word, it's all about smoothness for you and your customers. Go get some!

Are you looking for expert cloud transformation solutions to help your business grow? Get in touch with Ascend Cloud today for a free, no-obligation consultation.

How much are businesses spending on the cloud in 2025?

Sat, 22 Feb 2025 01:15:00 GMT

Cloud computing costs are set to rise in 2025. Are you paying too much? Join us as we explore the facts.

There was a time when "the cloud" was something that ran parallel to day-to-day business life. It was a tool used for specific purposes in conjunction with on-premises hardware.

Today, the cloud is business life. Everything from meetings to customer-facing apps to file storage to hybrid working depends on cloud solutions.

So, it's no surprise that cloud spending is a source of keen interest and keen worry for enterprises. It's a keen interest because the business benefits are there for all to see. And it's a keen worry because cloud costs can be complex and unpredictable.

In a dynamic market like cloud computing, unpredictability is a near certainty. The cloud is a constantly shifting landscape – just look at the spanner generative AI has recently thrown into the works. This leads to the constant question: how can you get your budget to line up with your cloud goals?

It's all about cloud cost optimisation, a set of tools and resources used to make your cloud infrastructure more efficient.

But before we get into that, how much are businesses spending on the cloud in 2025, exactly?

Facts and figures

IT as a whole is set to grow in 2025 – at least according to the business news outlet Raconteur . It forecasts that 64% of organisations expect to increase their overall IT spend in 2025.

This isn't primarily because the services themselves are getting more expensive. It's because of "increased security concerns" and an "increased emphasis on IT projects".

And, of course, no discussion of cloud computing in 2025 is complete without a mention of AI. 54% of businesses plan to spend more on generative AI in 2025.

Interestingly – but on closer inspection perhaps not surprisingly – there's a gap in perception of IT spend between staff and seniors. Fifty-four percent of staff think their company isn't spending enough on IT compared to 19% of managers and just 15% of directors.

That's IT as a whole – so how about the cloud? While sources point to an upward trend, it's not a single straight line going up and up but more of a mixed picture.

Technological research firm (and much-mined source of cloud data) Gartner predicts that end-user cloud spending will increase by 21.5% globally to $723 billion in 2025.

But what is "cloud spending"? This isn't as pedantic as it sounds. "The cloud" is a vast global market with many sub-markets. For this reason, TechRadar questions whether Gartner's prediction is quite on the money.

It seems that "Gartner has slowly been pulling categories from its predictions. In 2023, the firm took out cloud management and security services, and [in 2025] business process as a service (BPaaS) has been removed."

What's more, IaaS compute, storage and networking capacity spend are all forecast to be lower than in previous years.
This doesn't mean that Gartner's prediction of growth is unfounded – just that it's a more nuanced picture than an untrammelled rise in cloud spending. As TechRadar points out, "The cloud market is so big that predicting accurately can be extremely difficult, and even minor trends could have a significant knock-on effect."

Whatever the precise facts and figures, it's clear that the rise in AI technologies is driving global cloud spending. It seems as if every enterprise in town wants a piece of the GenAI pie.

Sid Nag , VP analyst at Gartner, has written that "the use of AI technologies in IT and business operations is unabatedly accelerating the role of cloud computing in supporting business operations and outcomes".

TechRadar believes this will lead to an increased focus on "hybrid ecosystems that integrate on-premises systems with hyperscaler infrastructure".

It all adds up – and many businesses suspect they're spending too much on the cloud. Could their hunches be true?

Are businesses paying too much?

Cloud spending in 2025 is a mixed picture. Like any global industry, we're likely to see a mixture of upturns and setbacks, some predictable and some coming out of left field. However things pan out, it's clear that many businesses are going over budget.

Induprakas Keri , senior vice president and general manager of hybrid multi-cloud at Nutanix, tells a familiar tale: mid-market organisations, he says, "which are strapped for IT capability to begin with", often end up with "[a] significant amount of sprawl".

In the world of cloud spending, sprawl is the issue. It's never been easier to spin up servers and applications. Too often, businesses go spin-up-crazy, neglecting to measure and monitor how they're utilising these resources and applications.

What's to be done about this? The answer is cloud cost optimisation.

What is cloud cost optimisation?

IT is like a garden. You set out with a clear vision of how it's going to look. But before you know it, there are weeds in your raised beds, bushes in need of a trim and what looks like Japanese knotweed in your herbaceous borders.

The cloud is no different. The best-laid plans in cloud computing can easily go awry, leading to under-utilised resources, inefficient infrastructure and costly cloud resources.

Cloud cost optimisation is a set of tools and procedures to hack through those weeds and make the cloud more efficient.

It's a complex process that involves limiting expenses, removing over-provisioned resources, procuring more cost-effective cloud services, setting strict budgets, deploying automated tools and optimising capacity.

Sounds like a lot? It is. That's where a cloud computing consulting company like Ascend Cloud Solutions can make a big difference.

How we can help

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we've managed more than 400 migrations and counting – so we know a thing or two about cloud environments and how to keep budgets under control.

As well as migrating workloads, we offer flexible and cost-effective cloud cost optimisation solutions . Work with us and you'll quickly see your budgets stretch further and your cloud reach new heights of performance.

Interested? Don't hesitate to get in touch to book a free discovery call.

VMware's NSX Application Platform: what does it do?

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 13:17:00 GMT

How can NSX Application Platform (NAPP) help you improve your security posture? Find out in our guide.

Today's networks are large, sprawling affairs that require a robust security posture as standard. VMware's NSX and its Application Platform help enterprises achieve this with agility, flexibility and scalability.

VMware NSX Application Platform (NAPP) is a microservices application that offers high-performance security analytics, management and advanced threat prevention. It does this by collecting and analysing network traffic data.

Some types of cybersecurity have persisted over the years: multi-factor authentication, for instance. However, the security landscape is changing and cloud-first businesses need cloud-first security.

After all, "network traffic data" is now a many-headed beast. Once upon a time, networks were like model railways, with traffic going round and round from office computer to office computer.

Today, enterprise networks are international, multifaceted and divergent. Users and devices join from different locations. This gives businesses greater flexibility and unlocks new possibilities for collaboration. But it also means that the network's attack surface is bigger and more vulnerable.

NAPP is an example of how VMware is tackling this issue. It's a powerful tool that comes with VMware NSX. In this article, we take a deep dive into a platform that can improve your security posture – and ultimately save you money.

But first, a quick recap.

What is VMware NSX?

VMware NSX is a network virtualisation and security platform. It allows IT to create software-defined networks (SDNs). It can be used across many cloud-native platforms such as KVM, Docker, Kubernetes, OpenStack and AWS native workloads.

Its overriding purpose is to improve network security and management. It's a versatile platform that can be used in public and private clouds and for both legacy and modern applications.

NAPP is one aspect of NSX's security features. The platform also includes a distributed firewall and micro-segmentation features that can help reduce the risk of data breaches.

NSX also simplifies management and streamlines operations by centralising network administration.

That's VMware NSX. So, how about NAPP in particular? What is it about this tool that can help your enterprise enhance its security posture?

What are the benefits of NAPP?

NAPP's key task is to collect and analyse large sets of data. It harnesses machine learning to detect and contain threats and protect workloads in a fully distributed fashion.

Using VMware's cloud-based correlation engine, NAPP provides malware prevention and network traffic analysis. Its security policies are enforced at the level of individual workloads, making it fully distributed and highly scalable.

Several NSX Advanced Threat Prevention (ATP) security applications run on NAPP. These include NSX Intelligence, Network Detection and Response (NDR) and NSX Malware Prevention.

These are the specific strengths of NAPP. But taken together with NSX as a whole, NAPP has one clear benefit: it saves you money.
Cloud security is a classic example of speculating to accumulate. You may wince at the initial outlay, but it's sure to reap rewards in the long run.

This is because security failures are expensive. If you suffer a data breach because of inadequate threat detection, your business will be on hold while the problem gets fixed. Along with this loss of revenue, you could be slapped with a fine under GDPR or another regulatory framework.

No single application will guarantee total security. But NAPP can be a valuable string to your bow, whatever workloads you need to support.

What workloads does NAPP support?

Part of NAPP and NSX's offering is that it supports a range of workloads. NAPP supports bare metal workloads, public clouds, multiple clouds and cloud-native applications.

How do you deploy NAPP?

NAPP can be deployed either automatically or manually in your NSX environment.

First, you need to be sure you meet the minimum system requirements. You should also identify any analytics data in your current and past NSX Intelligence installations you'd like to migrate to NAPP.

The platform is deployed using NSX Manager. VMware recommends you use the NSX Application Platform Automation Appliance (NAPA) to automate the deployment.

Full details on how to deploy NAPP can be found on the Broadcom website .

Other NAPP resources

We've only touched the surface of NAPP's capabilities and technical requirements. Here are two invaluable resources to find out more, both from VMware:

If you're unsure about your cloud networking security needs, a cloud consultant can help. By leveraging external expertise, you can realise your goals more quickly and avoid operational obstacles down the road.

Other NSX-T resources

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we like to provide accessible guides to cloud-related topics. If you want to learn more about VMware NSX-T, why not explore some of these articles?

What alternatives are there to VMware NSX?

For our money, VMware NSX is an excellent platform for enterprises looking to enhance their security posture. However, it's not the only horse in town. Popular and highly performant alternatives include Azure Firewall, Cisco and ManageEngine.

How we can help

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we don't just move workloads from A to B. We also provide post-migration cloud security solutions to help businesses lock down their cloud environment.

Our team is made up of ex-VMware employees, so you can count on us for the experience and expertise needed to spot and manage risks before they come to haunt you. On top of this, we can work with you to implement and automate security controls.

Finally, we provide flexible management and optimisation services to ensure peak performance and peak security.

So, if you're looking for a cloud security consultant, get in touch with us today and learn more about our services. We guarantee a flexible, tailored service that will keep your workloads under lock and key.

6 cloud computing innovators from Ireland

Fri, 14 Feb 2025 07:12:00 GMT

Ireland's cloud industry is booming. Join us as we celebrate 6 of the innovators who made it happen.

The Irish tech industry punches well above its weight.
Ireland's digital economy is worth $50 billion, accounting for 13% of our GDP. To put that into perspective, Germany's digital economy is worth around $216 billion – a relatively paltry 4.8% of its GDP.

And sure – when you stack them side-by-side, $50 billion might not seem terribly impressive next to $216 billion. Ireland's digital economy is only worth 23% of Germany's. But remember that we achieved that with a population of just five million. Germany's population is more than 16 times larger.

Is there something in the Éire? Quite possibly. As we've covered before , Ireland's cool climate and transatlantic aspect make it the ideal location for new data centres.

But that's only one piece of the puzzle. Irish Government spending and favourable tax conditions have also played their part in the country's tech boom.

And then there's the talent. Ireland seems to have a knack for fostering sons and daughters of industry. These tech-savvy innovators are busy revolutionising all things digital – from fintech to AI to the cloud.

Let's celebrate some of these cloud computing wunderkinder, starting with two brothers from Tipperary.

Patrick and John Collison

Stripe needs little introduction. Headquartered in Dublin, this Irish-American SaaS provider is now the world's largest privately owned fintech company.

The brains behind this behemoth belong to brothers Patrick and John Collison. Raised in the small village of Dromineer in County Tipperary, the brothers went on to found Stripe when they were both in their early 20s.

Precocious? Not half. But for the Collisons, this kind of fearless ambition was par for the course. In 2005, at the age of just 16, Patrick had won first place at the Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition. And in 2016, just six years after founding Stripe, John became the youngest self-made billionaire in history.

The brothers now live in San Francisco – but they haven't left Ireland behind. John, for instance, has funded university programs in his native country, while both Collisons backed a think tank to tackle Ireland's housing crisis.

Adrienne Gormley

Adrienne Gormley's CV reads like a who's who of global tech. The veteran Irish businesswoman has held leadership positions at cloud storage pioneer Dropbox, challenger bank N26 and electronics company Creative Labs. She also spent the best part of a decade at Google.

More recently, Gormley has lent her talents to cloud-powered companies at the vanguard of sustainability and ecology.

From January to December 2024, she was COO of Sylvera – a London-based carbon data provider that helps organisations measure and deliver against net-zero targets.

She's also spent more than two years as an independent board director at Monta. This Danish software company builds solutions to help EV drivers and infrastructure providers make the most of this growing technology.

It's cloud computing for the greater good – and we're all for it.

PJ Hough

PJ Hough was born in Manchester, England, to Irish parents. However, he spent the bulk of his career at Microsoft's offices in Redmond, Washington.

He earns a spot on our list, though, for his tenure as CPO of Citrix – a software company best known for its virtualisation solutions.

Virtualisation is one of the core technologies behind modern cloud computing. And while Citrix isn't as well-known as market leaders like VMware and Oracle, it still netted a not-too-shabby $3.2 billion in revenue in 2021.

While at Citrix, Hough helped develop the company's machine learning capabilities – technologies that are now redefining the digital landscape at large. Hats off to Hough.

Hazel Murray

Hazel Murray has many strings to her digital bow. This Cork-based academic has worked as a cybersecurity lecturer at MTU and a visiting cryptography researcher at the University of Chicago, among other things.

She's also the brains behind QCloud – a visionary new project that provides scalable access to quantum computing resources through the cloud.

Funded by the EU OCRE initiative, QCloud is open to researchers throughout Ireland and is free to use. This means research teams can explore the potential of quantum computing without the need for big bank accounts or bleeding-edge hardware.

The project is powered by Amazon's AWS cloud platform. As Murray told CyberInnovate, "The AWS infrastructure and the research environment developed as part of this project will not only improve the quality of Irish quantum research but will also provide ease of collaboration between national and international distributed research teams, promoting cross border collaboration and resource sharing".

Sean O'Sullivan

Sean O'Sullivan is a bit of a wildcard entry. See, it's debatable whether he's "from Ireland". This Irish-American entrepreneur and philanthropist was born in New York City, some 3,000 miles from the Emerald Isle.

In any case, the Irish have taken O'Sullivan under their wings. The MapInfo founder is easily as famous here as he is in his native country – thanks in no small part to his appearances on RTÉ's Dragon's Den.

And Irish or not, he's earned a spot on our list. Without him, we might have ended up referring to the cloud by a very different name. Like "the tangle". Or "the big network thing". Or something even worse.

Yes, O'Sullivan is widely credited with coining the term "cloud computing" back in 1996. In a business plan for his NetCentric startup, he envisioned a world where "applications that had previously run on your desktop PC or on your local area network would run on the internet itself".

As we now know, the cloud encompasses a little more than that. But as an early attempt at a very big idea, it's not far off the mark.

Based in Cork, Ireland, Ascend Cloud Solutions is a home-grown cloud consulting company with a global outlook. We help clients around the world accelerate their ambition with cloud migration support, security consulting and cost optimisation services. Want to make more of the cloud? Get in touch with our experts to arrange a free discovery call.

How to manage costs when the cloud gets complex

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 21:06:00 GMT

Cloud costs have a way of snowballing. Find out how to manage them in more complex environments.

Can complex cloud environments save you money? The answer, as so often in the world of tech, is yes – if you do it right.

All too often, enterprises adopt multi-cloud, hybrid or polycloud solutions with hope in their eyes and joy in their hearts. Then the invoices come. Things are bad. Very bad. What's worse, no one seems able to identify exactly where these costs have come from.

It doesn't have to be like this. There are simple steps that any business can take to wrest back control of their resources and cut back those unexpected costs.

Whatever the nature of your cloud environment, it's all about cloud cost optimisation. But the more complex the environment, the more complex the optimisation. For this reason, external help can be beneficial.

That's not to say it can't be achieved internally. It's just going to take time and money. Sometimes, it's far more cost-effective to leverage external expertise. Aside from anything else, a cloud consultant will be on top of the cloud's ever-changing requirements, challenges and opportunities.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves. Before we gently blow our own trumpet, let's look at the financial challenges presented by complex cloud environments. First up: multi-cloud environments.

Multi-cloud environments

Multi-cloud environments are a great example of the chasm that can open up between dreams and reality.

The dream goes something like this. By leveraging multiple public cloud providers, you get to cherry-pick the most cost-effective services, saving you money and avoiding vendor lock-in.

That can be the reality. But too often, enterprises find that managing costs across cloud platforms can be an uphill struggle.
This is because pricing, billing and management aren't standardised across cloud providers. This can have the unfortunate effect of reducing your overall visibility of your spending.

Think of it this way. A multi-cloud environment is like renting each room of your house from a different landlord. Sure, it could result in cost savings. But it's going to take effective management to work.

One form that effective management takes is consistently tagging resources across all your cloud environments. This is a surefire way to improve accountability and make your cost tracking more granular. The more you see, the more you know and the more you can save.
It can also be advisable to automate cost controls. This can help you enforce budgets and spot cost anomalies before they snowball. It can also help you to scale resources according to demand.

You can also consider implementing a centralised cost management platform. This will give you all the data you need from all your cloud environments. It's the cloud equivalent of logging into online banking and seeing the money in your various accounts.

Hybrid cloud environments

Where multi-cloud environments use multiple clouds from multiple providers, hybrid cloud environments deploy a combination of public and private clouds.

In order to keep costs under control, you need to allocate workloads effectively. Needs vary from enterprise to enterprise, but as a rule of thumb, the private cloud is the best place for workloads that require ultra-low latency and high levels of security.

As with any cloud environment, you need to uncover and consolidate dormant resources. Features such as auto-scaling and load balancing mean you don't need to hold onto resources for a rainy day. Those underutilised resources are simply eating into your budget and dragging down your cloud's performance.

Visibility is all. You can't control what you can't see. Monitoring and reporting needs to be implemented – and automated where possible – to track usage and identify those parasitic resources.

You also need a firm grasp of your budgets. This involves regularly reviewing the pricing and billing of all your cloud environments. Are you going over budget? Are better deals available elsewhere? Without this regular check-in, you can easily end up overspending.

Many cloud cost optimisation tools are available to provide you with detailed metrics, analytics and automated tools. These are ideal for hacking through the thickets of a complex cloud environment.

If you're unclear about your options, you may find it helpful to work with a cloud consultant. They'll be able to closely examine your resources and figure out where costs can be made. They can also help implement tools and processes for future use.

Polycloud environments

Despite having similar names, multi-cloud environments and polycloud environments are very different beasts.

A multi-cloud environment involves deploying multiple cloud environments from multiple vendors. A polycloud environment, by contrast, involves using individual cloud environments for specific purposes – Microsoft Azure for disaster recovery, say, and AWS for basic cloud services.

This puts performance first. Rather than spreading your workloads across multiple environments to cut costs, you're allocating specific tasks to specific clouds.

The trouble is that this can lead to vendor lock-in. If prices go up, you could be stuck with them. This is one reason why you need to be sure of the business case for a polycloud environment before you press the big button marked "YES".

How we can help with cloud cost optimisation

If you're overseeing a complex cloud environment, you may feel that savings can be made. We hope that the pointers in this article help you make a start. But if you reach an impasse, you may want to reach out to a cloud consultant.

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we offer cloud cost optimisation . Our task is simple: to assess your environments and reduce your spending.

Achieving this requires a lot of niche expertise – and we've got it in spades. We can reinforce your security posture, automate your workflows and provide cost-cutting boosts to your cloud's performance.

And with our background in VMware, we're well-placed to optimise vSphere and vCenter.
So, if you're looking to get the best possible bang for your buck, get in touch with our experts today to book a free discovery call.

Cloud basics: how does storage work in the cloud?

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 20:49:00 GMT

Consumers and enterprises rely on the cloud for storage. But how does it work? Get to grips with the basics.

In 2025, most people know about cloud storage – or, at the very least, use it. If you have a smartphone, your photos are usually saved to the cloud by default.

At work, many people collaborate on documents, access files and folders and upload work to the cloud. It's become as normal a part of the working day as a break for lunch.

But how does it all work, exactly? And how is it different for enterprises with large amounts of data?

To answer that question, we first need to distinguish between two types of storage: ephemeral storage and persistent storage.

What are the two main types of cloud storage?

Different types of data have different storage needs. It's no different in principle from storage at home. Knives and forks go in the drawer, your tins and packets go in the cupboard, and so on.

In cloud storage, a distinction is made between ephemeral storage and persistent storage.

Ephemeral storage refers to storage that exists only when your virtual server is up and running. If you cancel your subscription or the host crashes, the ephemeral storage goes with it.

This makes ephemeral storage ideal for scratch discs, local discs and as a temporary home for log files. It gives you high performance at a low cost. Typically, it's physically attached to the host that the virtual server runs on.

Persistent storage, by contrast, continues to exist even when disconnected from the virtual server. This is the type of storage we typically think of when we talk about "cloud storage", whether as a consumer or as an enterprise.

What are the different types of persistent storage?

There are lots of different types of persistent storage. The three most common, however, are block storage, file storage and object storage.
These mount to devices in different ways. Generally speaking, block storage is attached to a virtual server via the hypervisor. File storage is generally mounted via a mount point directly to the virtual server. Object storage, meanwhile, doesn't mount at all. Instead, it interacts with the virtual server via an API.

Object storage is great for "buckets" of items such as videos, text and icons. These are all types of data that don't need to be "run". For this reason, object storage isn't as highly performant as other types of storage. You wouldn't, for instance, run a database on object storage because it wouldn't give you the responsiveness you need.

How is cloud storage billed?

Cloud storage is billed in two ways. One is the way we're all familiar with. You pay a certain amount per month for a fixed number of gigabytes of storage. If you want more or less, you simply change tier. This scalability is one of the key selling points of cloud storage as opposed to external hard drives or on-premises servers.

However, you're also paying for performance. The more bandwidth you need, say, the more expensive the storage will be.

Enterprises are always looking to balance these two expenses: on the one hand, the performance needs of their apps and website and, on the other, the cost involved in running the necessary infrastructure.

At an enterprise level, object storage is priced according to another metric, too: how often you add and retrieve data from your buckets and the level of availability you require.

Many object storage providers offer cold storage. This is a type of storage where you can place data you're legally required to hold onto but rarely, if ever, need to access. This is offered at a dramatically lower rate than storage that needs to be frequently accessed.

How is consumer cloud storage different?

Consumer cloud storage is now a familiar feature of our daily digital lives, be it Dropbox, iCloud, OneDrive, Google Drive or another platform.
These are web applications that give you a place to host your files and photos and keep your devices in sync with one another.

They look like file browsers – the kind you have built into your computer. But under the bonnet, these platforms all use object storage, just like enterprise solutions.

What are the advantages of cloud storage?

The key advantage of cloud storage for consumers is that it gives you a place to store your files and photos. But for enterprises, there's a whole host of other benefits.

One relates to modern-day work life. Gone are the days when a team would all sit in the same office. Today's teams are scattered, international and often online.

Cloud storage allows remote and hybrid work patterns to exist. It enables staff to access the documents they need in a secure, easy-to-use online environment. It also enables them to collaborate on documents from any device in any location.

And on top of all that, it saves enterprises money. If you're maintaining your own on-premises server, you're responsible for patching, upgrading and replacing your hardware.

But with public cloud storage, that infrastructure is the domain of the provider. If there's an outage, it's their job to provide failover.

This reduces the burden on IT teams, who now are responsible for security and core tasks rather than costly and time-consuming repair jobs.
Finally, cloud storage provides flexibility and scalability in a way that private hardware doesn't.

Businesses are dynamic and changeable. They don't always need the same resources, either because of growth or strategic scaling back. Cloud storage can be augmented and reduced as and when.

Enterprises can also avail themselves of multi-cloud environments. This involves cherry-picking services to provide the most cost-effective solution across multiple platforms.

All in all, cloud storage unlocks cost savings and efficiencies for businesses and consumers alike. We hope this article has helped you unpick the science behind the services.

Are you looking for expert cloud transformation solutions ? At Ascend Cloud, we've handled more than 400 cloud migrations and counting. Get in touch with our specialists today to book a free discovery call.

What is cloud security posture management?

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 09:21:00 GMT

How can you manage the security and compliance of your cloud workloads? Find out how a CSPM can help.

IT professionals have a lot of questions to answer. Questions like, "Why isn't it working?" and "Why is it still not working?"

Beneath these everyday queries, however, IT has one big question to grapple with: how do you manage the security and compliance of your cloud workloads?

The cloud is a classic example of a new technology becoming quickly embraced. It's gone from not-quite-zero to hero in what feels like the blink of an eye.

On the one hand, this has led to countless benefits for management, staff and customers alike. On the other hand, the sheer speed of deployment has led to costly and frustrating mistakes. All too often, these mistakes take the form of misconfigurations.

It tends to go something like this. A company is sold on the benefits of cloud migration. They shift their workloads to a cloud provider – AWS, say, or Oracle. They do so assuming that the provider is responsible for cloud security.

In one sense, they're right. The cloud provider has to ensure that the infrastructure is secure. But the cloud provider isn't responsible for security breaches caused by cloud misconfiguration. That, alas, is on you.

And guess what? Most cloud security data breaches are the direct or indirect result of misconfigurations. How can you stop this from affecting your business?

This is where cloud security posture management, or CSPM, comes in. It's a collection of tools and technologies that help you identify and remediate misconfigurations across different cloud environments and infrastructure – from Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) to Software as a Service (SaaS) to Platform as a Service (PaaS).

By automating threat detection and remediating misconfigurations, CSPM can save you time, stress and money. But before we take a closer look at the benefits – what is security posture, exactly, and why does it need to be managed?

What is security posture?

The phrase "security posture" gets bandied about a lot. But what exactly does it mean? Is it a tool, a set of tools or a mindset?

You can think of security posture as like a hygiene rating at a kebab shop. It refers to the business's ability to identify, respond to and recover from problems with hygiene, whether cloud-based or kebab-based.

But this ability isn't purely abstract. It's closely related to the tools, procedures and reviews that are in place to maintain that ability.
Security posture covers the assets that need protecting, including software, hardware and data. It covers visibility into and awareness of vulnerabilities. Finally, it refers to the identification and containment of internal and external threats.

If your organisation has a strong security posture, you can withstand an attack or bounce back from it quickly. This reassures customers and other third parties that you're a safe pair of hands. It also means that if disaster strikes, it won't be a costly, disruptive mess.

What are the key capabilities of CSPM?

The first key capability of CSPM is its ability to continuously monitor the compliance of your cloud resources.

In the kingdom of the cloud, compliance is king. If your cloud environment isn't compliant, it could cost you in two ways – first, through the disruption it causes, and, secondly, through a fine under GDPR or another regulatory body.

As well as monitoring compliance, CSPM enforces access to data based on your security policies. It does this automatically, meaning consistency and continuity.

Next, it offers advanced threat detection, swiftly identifying risks that could tear a hole in your cloud environment.

Finally, CSPM immediately remediates those risks and eliminates any compliance issues.

On a macro level, CSPM gives you more visibility into and control over your cloud security. The result: a cloud security posture fit for the cloud-first age.

What are the key benefits of CSPM?

There are three key benefits of CSPM. The first is visibility. Today's cloud networks are complex. If you can't see them, you can't manage them.
Secondly, it centralises management, giving IT a single dashboard acting as a single window into the cloud environment.

But visibility alone isn't enough – nor is threat containment, in fact. A good security posture also requires actionable insights that can be used to maintain cloud compliance and provide evidence for security audits.

That said, threat containment and remediation is a key benefit of CSPM. By automating the process, it drastically reduces the time and effort that manual remediation requires.

Taken together, these benefits empower security teams to keep their cloud infrastructure under tight surveillance and to swiftly deal with problems as they arise.

What causes cloud misconfigurations?

CSPM is a solution to the problem of misconfigurations. But where do these misconfigurations come from – and how can they be avoided?

Misconfigurations occur when applications, containers, infrastructure and other software components are installed. Often, they stem from a lack of visibility into the infrastructure. They also come from businesses leaning on default settings without appropriate fine-tuning.

One of the best ways to avoid misconfigurations is to work with a cloud consultant. By leveraging their experience and expertise, you're nipping problems in the bud and saving money in the long run.

What's the difference between CSPM and CASB?

"Only three things in life are certain", said Dr Johnson. "Death, taxes and cloud security acronyms."

It's frustrating, we know. The difference between a CASB and a CSPM, however, is fairly straightforward.

A cloud access security broker or CASB is a kind of firewall that ensures users interact with the cloud in line with company policy.

A CSPM, however, is a set of tools that focuses on detecting and remediating misconfigurations to minimise security risks.

Conclusion

Cloud security is more important than ever – and a CSPM can play a critical role in detecting and remediating threats. It could be the difference between business as usual and a whole lot of drama.

Are you looking for a cloud security consultant to help polish up your posture? Ascend Cloud Solutions empowers organisations of all sizes to protect their data and get more from the cloud. Get in touch with our experts today to book a free discovery call.

VMware NSX: Reddit's questions answered

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 10:09:00 GMT

What do Reddit users want to know about VMware NSX? Get the questions – and answers – in our article.

VMware NSX is a powerful piece of network virtualisation software. But one thing's for sure: it's not the kind of software you can install and reap the benefits of straight away.

No, VMware NSX is a niche product. Making the most of it requires intimate familiarity with VMware infrastructure and an up-to-the-minute understanding of cyber security.

It's no surprise, then, that Reddit's VMware subreddit is full of trained IT professionals asking for help.

At Ascend, we've got no interest in keeping our technical knowledge to ourselves. We believe that a customer is more likely to be happy if they're informed about what's at stake than if they're told to just trust the experts.

To that end, here are some questions from Reddit, answered in plain English. We hope it helps you understand the challenges and opportunities that NSX presents.

What is NSX?

Before we take a look at some questions from Reddit users, let's be sure we're all on the same page about VMware NSX.

It's a software-defined networking platform that lets you build and connect environments and automate the implementation of network and security policies. With NSX, you can deploy micro-segmentation, distributed firewalls and other security measures built for the cloud-first age.

NSX-T was launched in 2017. It effectively replaced its predecessor, NSX-V, when general support for the latter ended at the start of 2022.
Then, with the release of version 4.0.0.1 in 2023, the product name was simplified to "VMware NSX". However, to differentiate the new from the old, we'll refer to it as "NSX-T" throughout the remainder of this article.

NSX-V to NSX-T: How big of a lift is it?

A "lift and shift" migration from NSX-V to NSX-T involves deploying a new NSX-T infrastructure alongside your existing NSX-V environment and then moving workloads over to the new platform.

Whether you manage the migration yourself or use external help, you can avail yourself of "parallel deployment". This is where you install and configure your new NSX-T environment while NSX-V infrastructure operates as usual.

The simple answer to this question is, "How long is a piece of string?" Different environments will take different amounts of time. The more complex the environment, the longer it will take.

The main thing to remember is that NSX-V and NSX-T are two very different animals. Like Paris, France and Paris, Texas, all they really share is a name.

You can use VMware's migration coordinator to make the switch. However, it helps to have VMware expertise supporting the process. A good cloud consultant will help you make the shift with a minimum of disruption and a minimum of risk.

Do we really need NSX-T for Tanzu?

One Reddit user asks whether NSX-T is necessary for Tanzu, VMware's multi-cloud application development and deployment platform.

NSX-T isn't essential. But it does provide the network infrastructure needed to successfully deploy and manage Tanzu Kubernetes clusters.

It lets you manage the network layer for Tanzu clusters. This gives you granular control over security rules and network policies.

The same goes for NSX-T's Advanced Load Balancer. This can be used within Tanzu to distribute application traffic across multiple pods.

Finally, it provides connectivity to the Supervisor Cluster (the management plane for your Tanzu environment).

Can I deploy VMware VCF or separate VMware Tanzu, NSX-T and vSAN using 3 hosts in production?

This question touches on an important point. How many hosts can be configured in VMWare Cloud Foundation?

If it's a lab, you can run three nodes. But for the management domain, you need a four-node cluster for the production deployments of both vSAN and NSX.

This is to protect yourself against host failure. You can read more about this on the VMware website .

Is nested NSX-T for a VMware lab OK?

"Nested NSX-T" refers to running an NSX-T environment inside another NSX-T environment. This lets users test and experiment with configurations in a virtual sandbox.

And yes, it works. Network administrators can set up nested NSX-T environments to experiment with NSX-T functionalities and simulate real-world deployments before they go live.

However, you need to provision resources carefully to ensure your nested NSX-T environment runs well. Without ample memory and CPU, you could be looking at some serious lag.

Any suggestions about NSX-T video learning (on demand) resources?

Hands-on Labs provide, in VMware's own words, "a quick and easy way to access VMware products and solutions, testing use cases and learning about the latest features with no installation required".

These are free resources that can be accessed without a license or any special hardware. It includes a seven-module lab about NSX's Networking Fundamentals.

On YouTube, the tech channel NRDY Tech has several playlists about NSX-T. These cover the service-defined firewall, troubleshooting, bridging, deployment from scratch and more.

In our opinion, your best bet is to train directly with VMware or a VMware Authorised Training Centre . Alternatively, reach out to a cloud consultant who's done the studying for you. The more technical things get, the more you need complete confidence that you know what you're dealing with.

How great is VMware NSX-T?

OK, so this is a rhetorical question. But our answer is: "Pretty darn great, actually."

It brings virtualised networking right up to date with a platform built for multi-cloud security and scalability.

Its powerful micro-segmentation and distributed firewall tools give each and every one of your workloads airtight security.
That's all well and good. But a Reddit user makes a valid point when they answer the question like this: "Great if you have support within your org".

You see, NSX-T is a complex bit of kit. It's certainly not beyond the abilities of a trained IT professional. But it may require extra training. And while that training is in process, your network stays the same.

This is a key reason why working with a cloud consultant can be a good idea for your business. It means you can get from A to B – or V to T – with an absolute bare minimum of disruption.

Looking for support migrating to NSX-T? Ascend Cloud's VMware cloud migration services have helped hundreds of global organisations accelerate their ambition. Get in touch to learn how we can do the same for you.

Why is Broadcom pushing private clouds?

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 09:00:00 GMT

Recently, Broadcom has told enterprises that private clouds are the way to go. Find out why in our article.

The cloud is here to stay. More than that, its benefits are baked into how we do business. Cost efficiency, remote collaboration, quick scalability – all are now as familiar to us as the Google logo.

But while the cloud's selling points remain the same, infrastructure changes. This can be clearly seen in Broadcom's recent pivot to advocating private clouds.

Of course, private clouds are nothing new. However, the last few years have seen enterprises focus on public rather than private cloud provision.

Today, Broadcom's CEO tells us that "the future of the enterprise – your enterprise – is private… Private cloud, private AI, fuelled by your own private data."

It's not just Broadcom, either. Oracle's Larry Ellison has predicted that private clouds will soon "greatly outnumber" public clouds, chiefly because of their affordability.

So, what's changed? The answer, as so often in life, has multiple dimensions. Two of those are spelt out in those statements from Broadcom and Oracle. One is the rise of AI. The other is the question of affordability.

In this article, we take a look at this renewed focus on private cloud architecture – and what it could mean for you.

Taking back control

In some ways, the challenges facing IT have remained constant since the dawn of the internet. First, there's security. Secondly, there's affordability.

At the same time, the lay of the land is constantly changing. The CIO of a modern-day enterprise is looking at a very different landscape from the IT department of an office branch in the 90s.

There are four sides to this. What they all have in common is a focus on taking back control of costs and infrastructure. First, and for many enterprises foremost, is the question of money.

The million-dollar question

Affordability and cost efficiency have always been key selling points of the public cloud. The sales pitch could be summarised as "do more for less".

But more and more enterprises find themselves experiencing the modern malady of cloud shock . This is an experience akin to booking a flight with a budget airline and then discovering just how many hidden costs there are. The difference is that enterprises have already paid those costs.

There are all sorts of reasons why enterprises miscalculate and end up weeping over invoices. All of them are contributing to the sense that a private cloud could be a more cost-effective option.

Take the case of JPMorgan Chase. The CIO of this financial services firm recently remarked : "Folks that didn't have discipline on-prem but went to the public cloud found that it's far more expensive because you don't have the same control levers available to you."

This is nowhere more apparent than in the deployment of cloud resources to run AI. Technological research firm Gartner, for instance, has found that CIOs can get the costs wrong by a margin of 1,000%.

Cloud shock isn't inevitable. Done well, a lift-and-shift migration to a public cloud can unlock all the benefits of enterprise cloud computing. But it is undeniably one of the reasons why a company like Broadcom is pushing private over public.

Big data

The next factor is data. Enterprises have never held more data. Sometimes, it feels as though data is flowing like water. At other times, it builds up deposits in data silos. Either way, there's a lot of it. And we mean a lot.

What happens if this data gets lost, corrupted or stolen? It's not just a logistical headache as you try to recover your workloads. It can also cost you. In the age of GDPR and similar regulatory frameworks, big data can cost you big money.

Private clouds are built for security. They are, well, private. There's a reason why the Irish government doesn't run its operations from a single public cloud environment. Confidentiality and tight security are essential as far as sensitive data is concerned.

This is another reason why Broadcom and others are advocating for private clouds. It'll cost you less, they say, and it'll keep your data safer.

The AI plot twist

In the world of cloud computing, a lot can change in a short time. Take the huge upswing in cloud adoption during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

This isn't just a change in the way we collaborate on documents. It's also changed the way we work, with remote and hybrid working now the norm for many enterprises.

In recent years, however, the biggest change has been the curveball thrown by AI. It seems as though every enterprise in town wants a piece of the AI pie.

And, of course, public cloud providers are embracing AI. But whatever its benefits may be, AI has created a problem for enterprises in the form of privacy concerns.

The question for today's CIOs is whether the public cloud can run AI workloads efficiently or whether a private cloud would be better.

When we say better, we mean it in two senses. First, there's the question of performance. But secondly – as always in conversations about cloud architecture – there's the question of affordability.

Deloitte's Akash Tayal, for instance, has revealed that "the number one reason our clients are calling us for private cloud is because of generative AI… They're realising that running generative AI workloads can get really expensive in the public cloud."

Again, it doesn't have to be this way. But the rise and rise of AI is making many enterprises think twice.

Conclusion

Broadcom's recent advocacy of private cloud solutions says a lot about the cloud computing landscape in 2025. Many enterprises feel they need to take back control of their data, their costs and their privacy.

Will these concerns last? Will public clouds step up and answer them? Will the demand for AI-ready cloud computing continue? Only time will tell.

Are you looking for a consultant to help with your private cloud migration strategy ? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we've handled more than 400 migrations and counting. Don't hesitate to get in touch with our experts to book a free fact-finding call.

Cloud transformation vs cloud migration

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 09:37:00 GMT

What are the differences between cloud migration and cloud transformation? Get to grips with the key issues.

Spend five minutes in the cloud sector, and you're bound to hear two phrases: "cloud migration" and "cloud transformation". They sound, well, similar. So what's the difference – and why should it matter to your business?

The simple answer is that cloud migration involves moving your data and applications from a local server to a cloud environment.

By doing this, you've already initiated a kind of transformation. You'll soon be spending less on server maintenance and can now scale up or down with ease, for starters.

But for a full cloud transformation, you need to modernise your applications. Without this extra step, you'll find you're paying for poor performance at an inflated cost.

Think of it this way: cloud migration is like moving house. It's primarily about moving from A to B. Cloud transformation, by contrast, is about making yourself at home.

Perhaps that dresser doesn't quite fit in your new bedroom. Or perhaps you need new storage for your collection of stuffed animals. In this scenario, optimisation is the name of the game.

In our opinion, cloud migration is almost always a worthwhile thing to do. But to get the most out of your new cloud environment, you should commit to a wider transformation.

In this article, we drill down into the differences between cloud migration and transformation before looking at common obstacles to both – and how a cloud consultant can help.

Cloud migration

Cloud migration is about moving data and applications from an on-premises server to a cloud-based infrastructure. This could consist of one or more public cloud environments.

Often, migrations are of the lift-and-shift variety. As the name suggests, this involves lifting your workloads and shifting them to the cloud without any substantial changes.

Sure, you might remove unwanted workloads or delete duplicates. But other than that, your workloads are moving as-is.

Nothing obviously wrong with that – but you may find that some of your older workloads are square pegs trying to fit into a round hole. This is where cloud transformation comes in.

Cloud transformation

Cloud migration gets your workloads from A to B. Cloud transformation takes steps to ensure they're firing on all cylinders in their new environment.

The cloud, after all, isn't just a storage room for data any more than your office is just a place to sit in and walk about. It's there to help you achieve your business objectives. This isn't possible if you have fusty old workloads struggling to adjust to their new cloud environment.

There are three aspects to cloud transformation: application modernisation, network transformation and security transformation. Let's take a closer look at these in turn.

What is application modernisation?

In the cloud world, old applications get a bad rap. They're called "legacy applications" (read: seen better days). They're called "monoliths" (read: they're big and cumbersome). But that doesn't mean old applications can't be modernised.

A big part of cloud transformation involves architecting applications to be cloud-native. The technical side of this is highly complex, but the outcome is easy to grasp. Cloud transformation means you can use your tried-and-trusted applications on the cloud without any compromise to performance or security.

It does this by leveraging new infrastructure and new tools – things like DevOps, micro-services and AI. The result? Modernised systems that preserve the best of your old systems and jettison the worst.

What is network transformation?

Once upon a time, networks were simple. You could draw a hub-and-spoke office network on a napkin.

These networks, however, no longer cut it. By comparison with modern networks, they're slow, hard to upgrade and not cost-effective.

For this reason, network transformation is a key part of cloud transformation. It involves modernising your network through cloud services. In its new cloud-based environment, your network is agile, scalable, cost-effective and secure.

It's also built for the age of hybrid working, where users enter and exit the network from multiple locations and multiple devices.

What is security transformation?

Finally, any cloud transformation strategy worth its salt has to prioritise security.

Modern networks, you see, have one big problem. Their ever-increasing complexity introduces new attack surfaces for cybercriminals. Simply lifting and shifting to the cloud won't necessarily keep your network secure.

Cloud security deals with this by deploying zero-trust architecture, granular access permissions, AI-driven threat detection and more.

Of course, every reputable cloud service provider will have watertight security. But remember, you share responsibility for security with them. If you suffer a data breach because of inadequate security controls, it's you, not they, who shoulder the responsibility.

What obstacles are there to cloud transformation?

In our view, there are four main obstacles to cloud transformation that even the most well-provisioned and forward-thinking enterprises face.
The first is technical complexity. Re-architecting and integrating legacy systems into new cloud services is a technical minefield. Poorly handled, it can lead to disruption and overspending.

This brings us to our next point. Many enterprises struggle to manage their costs. There's even a name for it: cloud shock . Too often, businesses wince when they get the invoice for their cloud usage.

Then there's the question of security. Data security and compliance are essential to protect both you and your customers. Cloud environments require extra protections – and not every enterprise is up to the challenge.

Finally, there's internal resistance to change. Some people will embrace your new cloud solutions. Others will fight it. Others still will disengage. Managing these reactions can be a challenge.

Luckily, help is at hand in the form of cloud computing consulting services . A reputable cloud consultant can help you optimise your cloud migration and ensure your post-migration infrastructure is fit for purpose. In the long run, that means better performance, better savings and better security.

Are you looking for an experienced VMware cloud consultant to help with migration or post-migration services? Get in touch with Ascend Cloud Solutions today to book a free fact-finding call.

Cloud basics: how virtualisation can help build a cloud strategy

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 07:45:00 GMT

How can virtualisation help a business build an effective cloud strategy? Find out the key benefits.

Virtualisation dates from the dawn of the Information Age. But like so many innovations from the second half of the 20th century, it remains as relevant today as it was back then.

No cloud computing strategy can ignore virtualisation. No matter your sector, you want higher capacity and lower costs. Virtualising your IT infrastructure is the first step in that direction.

Despite its ubiquity, not everyone is clued up about what virtualisation actually is. This is perhaps because the word "virtual" is now so all-encompassing.

Put simply, virtualisation is the process of creating a software-based version of a piece of IT infrastructure. Every aspect of IT infrastructure can be virtualised: from compute and storage to networking and servers, from applications and desktops to data centres.

This is all possible because of hypervisors. A hypervisor is a piece of software that sits on top of the physical server.

There are two types of hypervisors. They do the same job in different ways. Their primary function is to pool resources from physical servers and allocate them to virtual environments.

What are the main types of hypervisors?

Spare a thought for students getting ready for their cloud computing exams. The two types of hypervisors are called – wait for it – "Type 1" and "Type 2".

A Type 1 hypervisor is installed directly on top of the physical server. It replaces the operating system (OS). This type of hypervisor – also known as a "bare metal hypervisor" – is the most frequently used by businesses today.

Of the two types, Type 1 hypervisors are the most secure and offer the lowest latency. Frequently deployed examples include Microsoft Hyper-V, VMware ESXi and KVM (a piece of open-source software that turns the Linux OS into a hypervisor).

Type 2 hypervisors are much less common in business. They're most often used for end-user virtualisation. Unlike Type 1 hypervisors, they have a host OS layer sitting between the physical server and the hypervisor.

Examples of Type 2 hypervisors include Oracle VirtualBox and VMware Workstation. They have more latency than Type 1 hypervisors.

Whichever type is used, hypervisors can build virtual environments and run virtual machines (VMs).

What is a VM?

A virtual machine is a software-based computer. It runs like a physical computer with an operating system and applications.

Multiple VMs can be run on a hypervisor – and they run entirely independently of one another. The hypervisor allocates resources to these VMs from the underlying physical server.

VMs are often referred to as "guests". The physical machine is known as the "host".

The fact that VMs run independently is crucial. This allows IT to run different operating systems on different VMs. You could, for instance, run Windows on one VM, Linux on another and Unix on another still.

Their operational independence also makes them portable. A VM can be moved from one hypervisor to another with virtually no lag.

What are the benefits of virtualisation for a cloud strategy?

1. Lower costs

With virtualisation, consolidation is the name of the game. Multiple virtual environments can be run from a single piece of infrastructure.
This lowers electricity use, improves the ROI on your hardware and significantly cuts back on maintenance costs. This is good for your bottom line and for the planet.

2. Speed and agility

Do your devs need to spin up a test scenario? Virtualisation lets them do so quickly and easily.
Whatever the virtual environment is for, VMs can be spun up in far less time than it would take to install an OS on the physical server. Overall, it's a much more straightforward process than provisioning a whole new environment.
You can also quickly and easily move your VMs between your on-premises data centre and public cloud environments, harnessing the benefits of both.

3. Less downtime

In today's business world, high service levels can never be an afterthought. Virtualising your IT infrastructure means your VMs always have another hypervisor to go to if downtime strikes.

In other words, backups are built into the system. This means customers and staff alike can rely on your IT systems around the clock.

4. Sustainability

Sustainability is now a watchword for many enterprises. The question is being asked the world over: how can we act in a way that's environmentally sustainable without sacrificing profits or operational efficiency?
Virtualisation is part of the answer. By employing fewer physical servers, your energy consumption plummets and, with it, your environmental impact.

5. Security

We're not just living in the Age of Sustainability – we're also living in the Age of Compliance.
Data breaches aren't just bad for your day-to-day operations. They can also result in hefty fines.
Virtualisation can bake security into your cloud strategy in several ways. You can easily scan VMs for malicious software. You can "time-travel" to a snapshot of a VM before it became infected. Or you can speedily delete and recreate it.

Who invented the first VM?

In 1972, IBM rolled out the first ever VM – the VM/370. Its job was to support virtual memory on IBM's System/370 mainframe.
This built on IBM's groundbreaking work creating computer hardware that could support multiple users at the same time.

How is server virtualisation different from containerisation?

Spend long enough in the cloud space, and you're bound to hear about containers and containerisation.
Containers bundle up application code so the applications can run on any physical or virtual environment without any changes being made. They're kind of like an operational skeleton key, bringing the Holy Grail of interoperability closer than ever to IT.

It's not the same, however, as server virtualisation. Server virtualisation builds a road between two places. Containerisation, by contrast, parachutes in applications to either of those destinations.

Ascend Cloud Solutions is a team of ex-VMware employees based in Cork, Ireland. We know cloud VM solutions like the backs of our hands – and we're happy to share our knowledge with you. Follow our blog to read more posts in our "cloud basics" series .

A tour of Ireland's data centres

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 00:49:00 GMT

Ireland is an international hub for data centres. Take a tour of its infrastructure – and the challenges it faces.

In 2024, a remarkable statistic came out of Ireland. This was the first year that the country's data centres used more electricity than urban homes – 21% versus 18% of the national grid's total power.

Yes, if there was any doubt, Ireland is a hub for data centres – and, by extension, a hub for international tech. Without data centres, your flight would be cancelled, your work chat would be down and you'd be digging out the DVDs.

And now that AI has arrived on the scene with its promises of greater efficiency and demands for more resources, data centres are more vital than ever.

Like other countries, however, Ireland finds itself in a fix. The demands of global IT need to be balanced against climate targets. This has led to a mixture of frustration, opportunity and innovation.

But before we dive into the challenges faced by the industry in 2024 – just how many data centres are there in Ireland?

How many data centres are there in Ireland?

In one respect, the cloud is like a cloud: the closer you look, the less you see. At least, that's how it can feel when trying to establish just exactly how many data centres there are in Ireland.

Business law firm Mason Hayes Curran puts the figure at 82, with 14 more under construction and planning approved for another 40. Online database Data Center Map says there are 72, while another directory says there are just 47.

Whatever the precise figure, data centres in Ireland provide services for multinationals, including Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft and TikTok.

Microsoft, for instance, runs a data centre campus in Grange Castle data park, around 10 kilometres west of Dublin city centre. It's also planning to build a data centre in County Kildare, southwest of the city.

Why does Ireland have so many data centres?

Ireland has been a thriving tech hub since at least the mid-1990s when the so-called "Celtic Tiger" boom saw a period of rapid growth.

But why is it home to so many data centres? There are four key reasons.

First, Ireland is home to a highly educated workforce with many specialist IT professionals. As cloud computing becomes more and more sophisticated, this workforce is more valued than ever.

Secondly, Ireland has a cool climate with plenty of available clean water. This allows data centre owners to stop their servers from overheating with less water than in other parts of the world.

Thirdly, there are tax incentives. Ireland has one of Europe's lowest corporation tax rates, even taking into account its increase from 12.5% to 15% at the start of 2024.

Finally, Ireland is well-placed for undersea cables – those vital pieces of underwater infrastructure that transfer packets of data across the seas. Ireland is a node for cables travelling to Britain, mainland Europe, Iceland and the USA.

All of these factors make Ireland an enviable location for data centres. But it's not all plain sailing. In 2021, a moratorium was placed on the construction of new data centres in Dublin. This was in response to the burden they were placing on the electricity grid.

Tech companies were encouraged to look outside Dublin and adopt new power supplies. Ireland isn't alone in this kind of initiative. Similar restrictions have been introduced in Germany, Singapore, China and the Netherlands.

Nevertheless, it's a clear roadblock for a country that puts so much stock in data centres. Take the case of Digital Realty.

The effect of regional moratoriums: the case of Digital Realty

Texas-based Digital Realty has a 5,500-square-metre data centre at Grange Castle. Since 2017, it has provided colocation facilities for banks, social media platforms and email providers.

But at the time of writing, it's standing idle. It's waiting for permission to connect to the electricity grid, despite (it argues) having the resources to run all its Irish data centres on renewables.

Renewables, it seems, are at the heart of the roadblock – and many providers are stepping up to the challenge.

In Blanchardstown , north-west Dublin, for instance, an Equinix data centre has its own gas-fired plant.

Gas-fired plants aren't renewable, but they can be used to support renewable energy sources. This particular plant could, it's argued, free up electricity on the national grid at times of high demand – and in the future, it could run on renewable hydrogen.

Or take the AWS data centre in Tallaght, a suburb of Dublin. Large pipes carry waste heat from the data centre into a building next door. Here, the waste is turned into warm water and used to heat a university and public buildings.

Data centres are also some of the biggest buyers of renewable energy. In this regard, they could support what Chris Kavanagh calls "the twin transitions" of decarbonisation and digitalisation.

The boglands call

What's next for Ireland's data centres? The moratorium on data centre construction in Dublin has led some developers to look to the boglands of central Ireland.

County Offaly is a region of Ireland famed for its bogs and peatlands, comprising some 21% of the county's total land mass.

A government report pitches the region as a site that could foster "thousands of green jobs" and compete with Dublin, Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam and Paris as "an anchor for data centres powered by renewable energy".

It's not just the moratorium that is creating hurdles in Ireland's data centre sector. It's also the planning permission system.

This could be set to change, with the introduction of the Planning and Development Bill 2023. Although this has been passed, it will take time to implement and for its effects to be felt.

Despite these obstacles, Ireland remains a hotbed of data centre activity, attracting talent and investment from multinationals. We'll keep you posted about any major developments.

Are you looking for a cloud strategy consultant in Ireland? Based in Cork, Ascend Cloud Solutions helps global businesses get more from the cloud. Get in touch with our experts today for a free fact-finding consultation.

Cloud security ain't what it used to be

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 14:01:00 GMT

Cloud security threats and solutions are developing all the time. Get up to date with our jargon-free rundown.

As the cloud changes, cloud security has to change, too. And change it has. The last few years have seen subtle but significant shifts in how IT systems worldwide are protected against cyber threats.

These changes are fascinating in themselves – from the rise in "zero-trust" security to the increasingly prominent role of AI in threat detection and neutralisation.

But they're not just interesting – they're also useful. Those who fail to learn from history, they say, are doomed to repeat it. Studying current trends in cloud security can help businesses prepare for the cyber threats of tomorrow.

But before we look towards the future, what have we learnt from the recent past?

What have we learnt?

The cloud landscape is always changing. But the fundamental questions for IT departments and consultants the world over remain pretty much the same.

Data breaches, hacked accounts, insider threats, DDoS attacks: none of these terms will be new to any cyber security professional. It's the methods used by both criminals and security experts that are changing.

In other words, the main lesson we've learnt in recent years is that cyber security can never sleep. Both internal and external threats remain present, and they can cause businesses big and small a huge amount of stress (not to mention financial losses).

The other lesson has been that speed is double-sided. It's never been easier to create and deploy apps. This dynamism is helping businesses innovate – but it's also leading to more frequent misconfigurations. This is a lesson that many businesses would do well to consider in the coming years.

What's changed?

To explain how cloud security has changed, you must first understand how society has changed.

Before the pandemic, most workforces were concentrated in office premises. Networks were contained within neat perimeters. Cyber threats were real – but it was relatively easy to keep a watchful eye over the network.

Today, hybrid working is the norm, bringing with it increasingly complex and sprawling decentralised networks. Devices and users enter and exit the network from multiple locations.

This has unlocked efficiencies for businesses and in some cases improved staff wellbeing. But it's also lifted the lid on a Pandora's box of novel threats.

Today, every access request is suspect. This is the number one reason for the recent upswing in zero-trust security models. When every device and user could be a threat, your cloud security posture must be ruthless and comprehensive.

Zero-trust security assumes the worst. Its core principle of "never trust, always verify" makes it harder than ever for threats to get through a gap in the chain.

It does away with the notion that once a user or device has been authenticated, it can make itself at home. Instead, it has to be re-verified each time it joins the network.

This zero-trust philosophy is often linked to tiered access permissions. Not everyone needs access to everything. Tiered access permissions, sometimes called granular permission management, give people the access they need and keep them away from workloads above their pay grade.

How is AI changing cloud security?

AI is now so firmly embedded in IT that it's hard to imagine life without it. It's even penetrated the mainstream, with text and image generators like ChatGTP and DALL-E becoming household names.

It's a hugely complex and varied field. When it comes to cloud security, it can be both a threat and a form of protection.

AI-generated phishing emails, for instance, are good at slipping past filters into people's inboxes. Many of us have become adept at spotting spam – those telltale signs such as poor spelling, punctuation and grammar, appeals to sympathy, and so on.

But AI has a way of sounding more human than some humans. This means that cybersecurity has to become more vigilant than ever to stop people from getting scammed or company security from being compromised.

It's not all doom and gloom. AI is also being harnessed as a tool for fighting cybercrime. With its superhuman ability to spot patterns, it's well-placed to identify and neutralise threats.

DevSecOps: putting security at the centre

Finally, recent years have seen many businesses put the "Sec" into "DevOps", automating security with DevSecOps.

This is to address a significant problem – the so-called "pace gap" that occurs when businesses create apps too quickly to effectively secure.
DevSecOps integrates security automation into the production process. Done well, this means businesses can quickly spin up apps without exposing them to security risks.

What new security challenges do enterprises face?

The cyber security landscape is changing all the time. Today's "new security challenges" could fade into insignificance or be replaced by some newer, more challenging threat.

At the time of writing, however, there are three main challenges that enterprises face.

The first is the seemingly unstoppable rise of diverse cloud environments. Very few medium- to large-sized businesses now rely on a single cloud. Hybrid and multi-cloud environments are the norm. More complexity can mean better performance and improved cost-effectiveness. It can also introduce new security risks.

Then there's the sheer speed at which new cyber threats can emerge. We predict that many enterprises will use AI more and more to identify, contain and neutralise these threats.

But for our money, the biggest threat is internal, not external. Many enterprises don't have the skilled personnel they need to implement and manage cloud security solutions that are fit for today's threats.

It's not surprising, really. State-of-the-art security solutions are highly technical and highly specific. Even well-trained IT personnel can struggle to keep up.

This is where a cloud consultant can make all the difference. By leveraging external expertise, you're freeing up time and resources for yourself and putting your company in the best possible position to deal with cloud security threats.

So, if you're looking for a cloud security consultant , don't hesitate to contact Ascend Cloud Solutions for a no-obligation consultation. We've been securing clouds since the cloud was born – and with our agile, solution-focused approach, we keep one step ahead of new risks.

Why weather forecasts rely on cloud computing

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 11:20:00 GMT

Today's weather forecasts rely on cloud-based data modelling. Find out more in our easy-to-follow guide.

The art of weather forecasting has a long history. It began in 650 BC when the ancient Babylonians would study the clouds in the sky and make predictions based on the patterns they saw.

Since then, weather forecasting has embraced – and invented – new technologies to make its predictions more finely tuned.
In the analogue age, weather forecasters relied on anemometers, hygrometers, barometers, rain gauges and wind vanes. Then, as the Information Age kicked in, they embraced weather stations, satellites and radar.

Today, weather forecasts rely on cloud computing. This provides the massive computational power needed to run complex weather prediction models.

You see, forecasts come from data. Lots of data. Data from satellites, radar and weather stations. Cloud computing provides the computational capacity needed to crunch those numbers and spit out tomorrow's weather.

Everyone benefits from accurate weather forecasting – everyone from Jo and Joe Bloggs to pilots, farmers, power companies, filmmakers, ice cream sellers… The list goes on and on.

So, join us as we dive deep into a fascinating topic: how cloud computing can make predictions about temperature, precipitation and wind more accurate than ever.

Why is cloud computing essential for weather forecasting?

The short answer is that weather forecasting requires complex calculations based on vast reservoirs of data. The question for meteorologists is how this data can be effectively handled.

On-premise data centres are a possibility. But they cost a lot to run and maintain – and if more computational power is needed, they're a devil to scale up.

The cloud, by contrast, is managed by the cloud services provider (CSP). It's responsible for maintaining the servers that make those calculations possible. If a server goes down, they get in there with torches and screwdrivers.

This pay-per-use basis is far more cost-effective than investing in a supercomputer. If a meteorological agency needs more resources, it can scale up with ease. The business angle is that cloud computing offers complex weather models on a budget with no compromise to accuracy.

But this scalability isn't just about money. It also lets meteorologists make quick adjustments to model configurations depending on the region or weather event under study.

Cloud platforms also provide meteorologists with easy access to a wide range of data sources. It's simpler than ever for experts to study and quickly switch between satellite images, observations from the ground and historical weather data.

Finally, cloud platforms facilitate collaboration between weather forecasting teams and research institutions. Data sharing is quick, easy and secure.

Of course, computerised modelling is nothing new. It's been around since the 1960s. The added value that cloud computing brings is its scalability, cost-effectiveness and sheer computational power.

How have weather forecasts improved?

The 20th and 21st centuries have seen a significant improvement in the accuracy of weather forecasts. There are still many factors affecting the overall accuracy, but the general trend can be seen here .

There are three key reasons why accuracy has improved. The first is that satellites in the sky and weather stations on land are collecting more data than ever. There are also more weather stations in more parts of the world.

The second reason is that the instruments used have improved in accuracy. And the third is that the computers that run weather forecasting models are unprecedentedly powerful.

The UK's Met Office used to model the world's weather in 90-kilometre-wide squares. Today, it's reduced that to 1.5-kilometre squares.
Smaller squares mean more complex calculations. To achieve this, you need to use either a supercomputer or cloud-based technologies.

In the world of weather forecasting, the stakes are high. Accurate forecasts can save lives by providing early warnings of extreme weather events.

However, high-quality weather forecasting isn't evenly distributed across the world. There's a significant "quality gap" between richer and poorer countries.

What is the next generation of weather forecasts?

In the UK, the Met Office is collaborating with the Alan Turing Institute to deploy AI in weather prediction.

This effort is inseparable from the cloud. The Turing Institute provides AI model designs and ways to optimise and scale them up on cloud platforms.

In 2024, the partnership announced it had developed "FastNet", a machine-learning model that could be "the next step in the evolution of weather prediction".

The goal of the collaboration is to deploy FastNet for "the optimal blend of physics-based and ML-based modelling for UK weather prediction".

The private sector and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts have developed AI weather models that made the news during the USA's 2024 hurricane season.

However, concerns have been raised that the NOAA – the American weather forecasting agency and the largest body of its kind in the world – is falling behind in this high-tech race.

In China, companies like Alibaba and Huawei are developing advanced AI models for weather forecasting.

Alibaba's "nowcasting" platform "produces high-resolution imagery with one-kilometre grid spacing with updates available every 10 minutes".

It can, Alibaba claims, help farmers, couriers and power stations adapt to changes in the weather. Then there's Huawei's Pangu-Weather, a deep learning-based system operating at 0.25° resolution.

Forecasting the future of weather forecasting is a mug's game. But it seems likely that AI will continue to improve the accuracy of weather models.

Weather apps

It's not just meteorological organisations that use cloud technologies. Millions of people worldwide use cloud-based weather apps to plan for the day or days ahead.

The most popular apps include the Met Office's, Forecast Advisor, Carrot Weather, The Weather Channel, AccuWeather, WeatherBug and Weather Underground.

It's a great example of how cloud technologies benefit both businesses and customers. By providing substantial computing power at low prices, businesses provide better services and customers get the information they need.

Ascend Cloud is a trusted, Ireland-based consultancy specialising in cloud transformation solutions for global organisations. For more cloud computing news and analysis, follow our blog .

How the cloud is helping Ireland's fishing industry fly

Fri, 03 Jan 2025 08:10:00 GMT

Cloud computing is helping Ireland's fishing industry become more productive and efficient. Find out how.

Ireland's fishing industry is important both to global supply chains and the country's coastal communities. With its 7,500 kilometres of coastline, it's no wonder Ireland has been a source of high-quality seafood for millennia.

It's also been a source of substantial revenue. In 2022, the Bord Iascaigh Mhara Business of Seafood Report revealed that the total value of Ireland's seafood economy was €1.3 billion. In the same year, the industry directly and indirectly employed more than 15,000 people.

So, where does cloud computing come into this? It's tempting to think that an ancient practice like fishing relies on ancient tools. In fact, the fishing industry in Ireland and elsewhere has been embracing cloud computing.

Of course, there's no sector in the world that hasn't embraced cloud computing at some level. But in the seafood industry, it's more than just migrating workloads to the cloud and backing up data.

In fact, the industry now has digital cloud-based technologies at its core. From ships at sea to fish farms on land, the cloud and related technologies are there to stimulate growth. At a time when wild fish stocks are depleted, this digital transformation is more important than ever.

What challenges is Ireland's fishing industry facing?

The main issue in fishing industries worldwide is the ongoing depletion of fish stocks. How can fishing companies meet the global demand for fish and seafood?

It's a complex question with many possible answers. However, the industry itself sees digital transformation as essential to achieving sustainability.

Cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), edge computing, AI, machine learning, blockchain – all are being put to work to make fishing more efficient, less polluting and more profitable.

This is a global trend. But as a key player in the global seafood market, it's no surprise that Ireland is part of this transformation.

To take just one example, consider the fish farm in Donegal owned by Norwegian multinational Mowi. This farm is the beneficiary of Mowi's substantial investments in cloud and digital technologies and part of its "Blue Revolution" to "modernise the core IT systems" and implement a "cloud-first strategy".

How can cloud computing help Ireland's fishing and seafood industry?

Perhaps the biggest contribution that cloud computing can make is its ability to collect and analyse large amounts of data.

The fishing industry can't stay competitive and improve its sustainability without data – and lots of it. It needs data about weather conditions and the type of fish it catches to make fishing trips more productive. It needs data about marine environments to know how much time and money to spend on exploratory trips.

This data can be collected from fishing vessels, docks and ports. Much is collected from IoT sensors and processed by cloud computing platforms. These platforms use AI tools to crunch numbers that would make even a professional data analyst dizzy.

For many people, AI is a source of novelty images and dread. For the fishing industry, however, it helps improve fuel efficiency by predicting the availability of fish in specific areas. In turn, this can help reduce marine pollution.

Resource management, after all, is a key component in any sustainability programme. This is why so much research funding is being poured into AI applications.

Can cloud computing optimise feeding?

In 2019, cloud giant AWS showcased monitoring technologies created by aquaculture software company Aquabyte. This software is now applied all across the industry, especially in offshore farms.

The software provides facial recognition for fish "from farm to table". It creates large data sets from underwater photos of fish and feeds them into an AI platform. This can be used to optimise feeding, thereby reducing costs as well as carbon emissions.

Could this lead to a fully autonomous fish farm? The answer is yes – if and only if this solution is rolled out at scale. We'll keep you posted…

In Ireland , fish farms are using IoT sensors to gain "real-time data on water quality, temperature, and feeding patterns, helping maintain optimal fish growth and health conditions".

These sensors can increase sustainability and efficiency by monitoring oxygen levels and optimising feeding schedules – all while cutting back on waste and unnecessary energy use.

Meanwhile, in August 2024, Tidal (a spin-off from Google owner Alphabet) launched an underwater cage camera and AI system .

This lets fish farmers track real-time growth, estimate yields, identify and act on sea lice pressure and feed fish autonomously.

As with so many cloud computing solutions, the big sell is that this suite of tools will lead to data-driven decisions that improve efficiency and planning. It could also make feeding more sustainable and protect marine habitats.

So far, Tidal's system is commercially available in Norway, Scotland, the Faroes, Canada – and Ireland.

Vessel monitoring

In the world of fishing, international lines matter. Fish don't recognise borders, but fish farmers need them to protect their yields.

It's a serious issue that's led to high-profile trade treaties and even the Cod Wars between the UK and Iceland between 1958 and 1976.

Sometimes, shipping vessels intentionally cross international lines. Other times, it's accidental. If vessels are fitted with IoT sensors, their whereabouts will be reported to the relevant authorities and the issue can be dealt with swiftly.

Conclusion

Cloud computing is about so much more than backing up your holiday snaps. It can help industries across the world optimise their operations, cut back on spending and improve their sustainability.

Ireland's fishing industry is no different. With cloud solutions at its core, this stalwart of Ireland's economy is dealing effectively with the challenges it faces. Long may it continue!

Whether you're in the fishing industry or you're fishing for innovative cloud solutions , we can help. Ascend Cloud is an Ireland-based consultancy company that assists global businesses in navigating and accelerating their cloud transformation. Get in touch with our experts to learn how we can do the same for you.

The cloud in 2025: a meta-analysis of trends and predictions

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 10:27:00 GMT

What could 2025 hold for cloud technology? We analyse tech blogs and outlets to see what could be in store.

Over the last few years, cloud adoption has gone through the roof. Already picking up pace in the 2010s, it went into overdrive during the COVID-19 pandemic and shows no signs of slowing down.

But the current cloud landscape isn't just offering the same solutions in different packages. It's continually embracing cutting-edge technologies to unlock new efficiencies and enhance performance.

What, then, could 2025 hold? We've got our own ideas, but for this article, we turn our attention to what other tech blogs, news sites and analysts are saying.

If these sources are right, 2025 will be a year that sees increased adoption of edge computing, multi-cloud strategies, AI and machine learning, enhanced security and compliance solutions, and serverless computing.

So, let's explore these trends and predictions. The future is never easy to read, but it seems clear that in the near future, there will be more innovation in the cloud space.

1. Edge computing

A cloud service is only as good as its bandwidth and capacity to process data. The more data is processed, the more traditional cloud architectures struggle to keep up.

One solution to this is edge computing. This brings data processing closer to where it's generated. Could 2025 be the year when edge computing reduces latency and improves cloud-based performance once and for all?

Forbes , for instance, predicts "significant advancements and strategic investments in edge technologies, driven by the need for cost efficiency, reduced latency, uptime and enhanced data processing capabilities".

The article points to the decentralisation of data as a key driver of edge computing. "More than 40% of larger enterprises," says Forbes, "are expected to adopt edge computing as part of their IT infrastructure by 2025."

The result could be more distributed cloud infrastructure in manufacturing and smart cities.

Meanwhile, Republic focuses on reduced latency in "time-sensitive applications" like autonomous vehicles and remote surgeries. It also suggests that "localised processing will not only enhance performance, but also lower energy consumption by minimising data transmission to central clouds".

2. Hybrid and multi-cloud adoption

Multi-cloud environments are already a familiar sight in enterprises across the world. But if tech digest CXO Today is to be believed, we're heading for a significant uptick in 2025.

The eternal quest for flexibility and cost-efficiency is leading more and more companies to use a combination of cloud providers.

"These approaches," says the site, "offer operational flexibility by enabling workloads across on-premises, private and public clouds, ensuring businesses leverage the best of each."

They also help businesses avoid vendor lock-in, "enhance resilience and continuity", and allow "cost-efficient workload allocation without compromising performance".

3. AI and ML integration

This is the only entry on our list that has penetrated the mainstream. People who don't know their private from their public cloud are still aware of AI's increasing prominence in IT.

IoT World Today reports that "AI, including predictive and generative AI, machine learning and natural language processing, has been ranked as likely to be the most important technology of 2025 in a global survey of technologists".

The precise line of travel is unclear, but these tools are likely to become more integrated into cloud platforms, providing advanced data analytics, predictive modelling and sophisticated threat detection.

AI can also play a valuable role in data-driven decision-making, the automation of repetitive tasks and the creation of tailored services and marketing materials for customers.

More specifically, it can help automate routine tasks such as patch management and scaling. It's likely these tools will grow in sophistication, becoming more and more able to support complex workloads.

4. Enhanced security and compliance

Many outlets point to the advances in security and compliance that 2025 could hold. As networks become more complex, the need for robust security becomes ever more critical.

DevOps has been around for a while, rolling Devs and Ops into one. But security isn't always integrated into the process. Developer highlights the rise of DevSecOps, literally sandwiching security between the two ends of the development cycle.

This could mean that businesses are able to create and roll out apps at speed without any compromise to security – and without being put at risk of hefty fines.

Arabian Business believes another established approach to security will be adopted more in 2025. Zero-trust architecture is the practice of verifying every user and device whenever it joins the network.

Together, these developments could lead to enhanced security and compliance across the board.

5. Serverless computing growth

Serverless computing, often shortened to "serverless", is a cloud computing model that allows developers to build and run applications without managing the underlying infrastructure.

It's a complex model but essentially involves developers uploading code and cloud service providers provisioning, scaling and managing the infrastructure.

ET CIO highlights the growth of serverless in 2025. "Experts," it says, "predict that serverless computing will drive innovation across industries for the next few years, enabling organisations to deploy services at unprecedented speed and agility."

Developers will be able to "focus on writing, testing and managing codes" while offloading server and backend management. The results will be "faster time-to-market, enhanced scalability and lower operational costs in development and implementational processes".

An increase in serverless services could also introduce cost savings. Instead of purchasing a fixed allocation of resources, businesses can pay just for the resources they use.

Conclusion

The 2020s are an exciting time for cloud technologies. As adoption continues to grow, more and more novel and cutting-edge technologies are being explored by businesses of all shapes and sizes.

We can't tell you exactly what the cloud landscape will look like in 2025. But if these tech firms are anything to go by, it seems that the cloud will become only more agile, flexible and cost-effective.

Looking for a cloud advisory consultant to help make 2025 your year of growth? Get in touch with Ascend Cloud Solutions today for an expert consultation.

Multi-cloud or polycloud: what's the best strategy for your business?

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 02:16:00 GMT

Should your business choose multi-cloud or polycloud architecture? Explore the issues in our article.

There's a paradox at the heart of cloud computing. As it becomes simpler and simpler to use, the technology behind it becomes more and more complex. And as it becomes more complex, the language grows more rarefied, too.

Of course, people have always used objects they don't understand the science behind. But an early adopter of the telephone would stand a much better chance of explaining how it works than someone who relies on Google Cloud for collaborative workflows.

All this has a serious consequence for businesses. When they come to explore their cloud options, they're confronted with a veritable jungle of jargon.

This is nowhere more clearly seen than the distinctions made between hybrid cloud, multi-cloud and polycloud environments.

You can see where the confusion comes from. "Hybrid", "multi" and "poly" all mean the same thing, right? Is this just a case of needless complexity? Is the tech industry bent on blinding its customers with science?

Well, there may be a grain of truth to that. But in this case, the differences are real – and they could have a significant effect on your business.
In this article, we focus on the difference between multi-cloud and polycloud environments – two types of cloud architecture that sound the same but are subtly yet importantly different.

Multi-cloud and polycloud: what's the difference?

Imagine you're moving house and need to put your possessions in storage. You decide to spread them between multiple storage units.

You've got two options. You could spread them willy-nilly. One unit has some books, kitchenware and garden tools. Another has more books, your laptop and your collection of rare French lithographs.

Alternatively, you could put all your books in a specialised book storage unit, your electronic devices in a dedicated space, and so on.

The first approach is analogous to a multi-cloud approach. Your data and workloads go wherever there's room.

The second is a polycloud approach. You store your data on Google Cloud, say, but use AWS for AI services.

You might choose a multi-cloud approach for cost efficiency's sake. It doesn't matter where the data goes – the point is to spread it across the most affordable solutions. If one goes under or ceases to fulfil your needs, you can easily switch to another. And because you're likely running the same workloads across multiple clouds, one failure isn't the end of the world.

On the other hand, you might opt for a polycloud approach for specialised support. Cloud X, you decide, is better than cloud Y for one specific purpose.

The disadvantage here is the issue of vendor lock-in. Let's say you choose one cloud platform for your AI services. If you decide that another platform is preferable, you may find it difficult – and expensive – to switch.

Both of these differ from a hybrid cloud. This is a combination of private and public cloud environments. You might have an on-premises data centre for confidential information and a public cloud for your CRM, for instance.

Hybrid clouds tend to be deployed by companies who want the full administrative control of the private cloud and the flexibility and cost-effectiveness of public providers.

You get the picture. The choice between hybrid, multi-cloud and polycloud has to be taken on a case-by-case basis. You may find yourself in a better position to make that decision with external help.

How can a cloud consultant help?

In our view, a cloud consultant can help you choose your cloud infrastructure in two simple ways. They save you time and they save you money.

They do this in a number of ways. First up, working with an experienced cloud consultant gives you affordable access to a dedicated team. Unlike an internal department, the cloud consultant just has one job: to help you achieve your goals.

Secondly, a good cloud consultant is up-to-date with cloud technology. You might think this is a given – but you'd be surprised.

The thing is, cloud technologies are constantly evolving. It takes a team of experts to be across it all. But when you find a cloud consultant with up-to-the-minute knowledge of cloud solutions, cloud security and compliance issues, you'll quickly feel the benefits.

Finally, working with a cloud consultant removes the need for retraining. If your IT department lacks the technical knowledge to choose the right combination of vendors, you could spend time and money training them up.

Alternatively, you could leverage external expertise. In our view, this gives you the best bang for the buck – and more often than not leads to more efficient cloud infrastructures.

Our cloud-agnostic approach

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we know the VMware suite like the backs of our hands. In fact, our team is comprised of ex-VMware staff. Clients of all shapes and sizes leverage our expertise to unlock their business goals.

Crucially for you, we're cloud-agnostic. We don't mind where you're coming from or where you're going. Our job is simply to get you there.
This means that we can work with all types of cloud infrastructure, including multi-cloud and polycloud solutions.

Perhaps you want to spread risk and unlock savings with a multi-cloud strategy. We can help you make the move in a way that's closely aligned with your business goals, deadlines and other commitments.

Or perhaps you have your eye on one cloud in particular for one particular purpose. We can take a close look at your existing workloads and figure out the best way to make it happen.

At the end of the day, cloud technologies are there to serve your business goals. It's never a purely technical exercise, as much as we love to geek out on this stuff. Above all else, we want to help you improve performance and productivity and unlock cost savings.

Looking for a consultant to help create and implement a poly- or multi-cloud strategy ? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, our agile, solution-focused approach ensures you get tailored advice that drives value. Get in touch today to speak to our VMware experts.

6 tech companies in Ireland that are changing the world

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 08:26:00 GMT

In Ireland, it's boom time for tech. Discover 6 tech companies in Ireland that are busy changing the world.

Why do tech investors invest where they invest?

It's a question that can be answered in many ways. But in our view, you can get close to a comprehensive answer by looking at the tech scene in Ireland.

Ireland has many draws for investors. It's home to world-class universities like Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin. The government gives support to tech companies in the form of incentives and tax breaks. Additional financial support comes from venture capital firms and angel investors.

All these factors make Ireland a place where tech companies can grow. Success has a way of breeding success, with innovative start-ups popping up and exploring the outer limits of 21st-century tech.

You'll notice we're saying "Ireland", not "Dublin". This isn't just because we're based in Cork (AKA the most beautiful place on Earth). It's also that tech talent is making strides up and down the country.

In this article, we explore six tech companies in Ireland that are changing the world – right here, right now.

1. UrbanVolt

If the world plays its cards right, the 2020s could one day be seen as the Age of Decarbonisation. But the fact of the matter is that this can't be achieved without considerable investment.

Governments play a huge role. But forward-thinking companies like UrbanVolt are also helping to bring about change and build a sustainable future for Ireland and beyond.

It does this by providing businesses with "Solar-as-a-Service". Businesses get to use solar power without paying an upfront cost.
With operations in Ireland, the UK, the USA and Europe, UrbanVolt is instrumental in helping the business world transition to renewable power.

2. Stripe

Ever made a payment online? Then chances are you've used Stripe – the Irish-American multinational that provides eCommerce websites and apps with payment-processing software.

Stripe is big business. In 2023, it was valued at around $65 billion. That's more than the entire African fintech market. And unlike some online services, Stripe gets used a lot. The figure is going up all the time, but in 2023 it had exceeded $1 trillion in total payment volume.

Online payment processes are now so embedded in our daily lives that it's hard to remember just how game-changing and disruptive Stripe has been. Vive la Stripe!

3. Nuritas

No round-up of world-changing tech would be complete without a mention of AI. It's the field of research and development that's grabbing the most headlines. And one of its most exciting applications is in the biotech industry.

Biotech doesn't make the news. But with the right investment, it could make the world a safer, healthier place to be.

That's the philosophy behind Dublin-based biotech firm Nuritas. Studying molecules and peptides in food can teach us a lot about their effects on the human body. But analysis needs to happen at scale.AI tools give companies the ability to analyse billions of the things.

And no, we're not using "billions" to mean "a surprisingly large amount". We mean billions. It's an impressive example of how AI can enhance human research to discover more about health and medicine.

4. Intercom

For as long as people have traded with one another, business messaging has been vital. From the first marketplaces to today's endless aisles, businesses need tools to effectively communicate with customers.

Multinational company Intercom provides businesses with game-changing software to enhance their business messaging. It's the world's only "AI-first customer service platform", promising efficiency, troubleshooting and good-as-human expertise.

With offices in Dublin, San Francisco, Chicago, Sydney and London, Intercom is a powerful player in an expanding market that could change how customers interact with businesses forever.

5. Google

If you've done a double-take at this one, we don't blame you. Google is North American, right?

Google isn't an Irish tech company. But it is a company that's sunk a significant investment into the country. Dublin is home to Google's European HQ and one of its data centres.

We don't need to tell you how Google has changed the world. But there's something about its Dublin data centre that's quietly influential.

Most data centres have a problem. As the servers heat up, cooling systems are needed to ensure they don't overheat. These systems are both expensive and power-hungry.

The data centre in Ireland uses an advanced air cooling system that embraces green energy. The servers run smoothly without the need for a large, power-guzzling apparatus.

Could this be the future for data centres worldwide? If so, Google is at the forefront – and Ireland is right at its side.

6. Ascend Cloud Solutions

Ascend Cloud Solutions is a firm of ex-VMware cloud experts. We've helped a huge number of clients to unlock their cloud goals, migrating to and from a wide range of cloud environments.

But are we changing the world? Well, we're not making Google money, that's for sure. But we are part of a revolution in the way we do business.

"Business" is the keyword here. Many cloud firms talk about the cloud as though it's valuable in itself. Why cloud? Because cloud.

We get it. To us as to our peers, cloud technologies are intrinsically fascinating. But our role is to align cloud solutions with business goals.

If a cloud transformation solution doesn't improve performance, productivity and cost-effectiveness, it's not a solution. That's why we work closely with our clients to address their business requirements head-on.

So yes, we are changing the world in our way: we're using our technological expertise to help businesses grow.

We're also proud to be born and based here in Cork, Ireland. It's an exciting time for tech entrepreneurs, start-ups and established firms in Ireland – and we're delighted to play our part.

Are you looking for a cloud consultant? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we've handled more than 400 migrations and counting. Get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation.

Making the most of NSX-T in a hybrid cloud environment

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 10:32:00 GMT

Want to optimise costs, management and security in a hybrid cloud environment? Learn how NSX-T can help.

Complexity breeds complexity. The more balls you're juggling, the harder you have to work. The larger the venture, the more possible points of failure there are.

But what if the above wasn't true? What if a complex system could be handled from a single console?

This is what VMware NSX-T does for cloud environments of all shapes and sizes. It takes even the most sprawling and complex network and applies micro-segmented, distributed security policies.

The need for Alcatraz-style security is nothing new. But the fact of the matter is that networks are more complex than ever. In the age of hybrid working, there are simply more links in the chain. And each link presents a new point of entry for bad actors.

This is true of all kinds of cloud environments – and hybrid clouds are no exception. By leveraging the administrative control of your private cloud and the flexibility, scalability and cost-effectiveness of the public cloud, you're unlocking all sorts of efficiencies for your company. But you're also creating new gaps in the wall for wily intruders to explore.

NSX-T is the solution. It lets you enforce networking and security policies across the different parts of your hybrid cloud and deploy and manage applications quickly and seamlessly.

It also has enterprise-grade security features built in. Micro-segmentation, distributed firewalls and more mean that your network can maintain its size and flexibility without introducing new security threats.

How can you make the most of NSX-T in a hybrid cloud environment?

NSX-T is a tool like any other. It needs to be used with care to achieve results.

First of all, you should apply consistent security policies across both your on-premises and cloud environments. Consistency is all. There's no point in using a platform like NSX-T if you don't let it work its magic over all available workloads. All these features are baked in and ready to deploy.

Microsegmentation is key. A useful analogy would be the safes in a bank. In the old days, you'd chuck all your workloads into one big vault marked "DO NOT ENTER". Today, each workload has its own safe, making it hard for intruders to move from east to west through your network.

Workloads can be isolated within applications. This drastically shrinks the attack surface, giving attackers far fewer opportunities to penetrate your defences.

The NSX-T distributed firewall implements security controls directly on the hypervisor. This gives you super-secure, granular protection for workloads, wherever they are on the network.

But security isn't the end of the story. NSX-T can also accelerate deployment time for virtual networks, security groups and load balances. By reducing manual intervention, the provisioning process is streamlined.

Using container networking? You can integrate NSX-T with your container orchestration platform to manage network connectivity consistently across your hybrid cloud environment.

NSX-T can also improve application performance and reliability through its load-balancing features. These distribute traffic across multiple instances in both your public and private cloud environments.

Finally, you can make the most of NSX-T by monitoring the health and security posture of your network across your entire hybrid environment. This enables you to proactively spot and contain threats across your whole infrastructure.

What are the benefits of using NSX-T in a hybrid cloud?

In our view, there are four key benefits to using NSX-T in a hybrid cloud.

First, it simplifies management. Like a general surveying a battlefield, NSX-T oversees your network, no matter how complex, all from a single pane of glass. But unlike the general of old, NSX-T has the eyes and reflexes of a hawk. It provides you with visibility that's both panoramic and granular.

Secondly, it can improve your security. Microsegmentation, distributed firewalls and more enforce security across your hybrid environment. This reduces the chances of a data breach, whether caused by an internal or external actor.

Thirdly, it helps you deploy and scale applications at speed. By automating network provisioning and management, the gap between idea and execution is all but eliminated.

Finally, it can help you optimise costs. Of course, NSX-T is going to cost you. But in the long run, it can save you money by dynamically allocating network resources. In other words, you pay for what you need, not what you might need on some theoretical rainy day.

What are the advantages of a hybrid cloud?

Private clouds provide businesses with full administrative control and security responsibility. Public cloud providers offer flexibility, scalability and cost-effectiveness at the click of a button.

A hybrid cloud environment can give you the best of both worlds. It's especially suitable for companies that handle workloads with dramatically different levels of sensitivity. Confidential data can be stored on-premises, while less critical workloads can be stored in the public cloud.

Of course, combining two or more clouds introduces security threats and complicates management. That's why a platform like VMware NSX-T can be so useful.

How can a cloud consultant help?

NSX-T simplifies hybrid cloud management. But that doesn't mean it can be run by anyone.

It could well be that your internal team has the niche know-how that NSX-T requires. But if not, you're faced with a choice.

You could sink money into training your team to become a dab hand at NSX-T. But there are two disadvantages to this. First, it will delay the deployment of NSX-T and all the benefits it brings. And secondly, it's going to cost you at a time when you've just splashed out on a high-end bit of software.

Your best bet is to work with a cloud consultant. By leveraging their expertise and expertise, you take the fast lane to deployment and business benefits.

So, if you're looking for a cloud consulting firm to help you make the most of NSX-T, get in touch with Ascend Cloud Solutions for an expert consultation. We'd love to help you unlock the potential of this powerful piece of software.

Cloud cost optimisation tools that are worth a look

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 07:48:00 GMT

Cloud costs spiralling out of control? Discover cloud cost optimisation tools that can help you make savings.

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we're always looking for new ways to help businesses optimise their costs. Because contrary to what you might think, the cloud isn't intrinsically cost-effective. Those cloud savings will only be felt when you use the right tools.

The alternative is stark. If you don't take the right steps to optimise your costs, you could be in for a bad dose of cloud shock .

At this point in time, cloud shock is such a common phenomenon that it really shouldn't be a shock anymore. "Cloud sad reality" describes it better.

It goes like this. A business becomes convinced that it can improve its performance and save costs by migrating to the cloud or changing up its cloud environment. IT gets to work, all guns blazing. Only a matter of time, they say, before those coffers look delightfully full.
Fast forward a year and they're reading the invoice through bitter tears. "How did we get here?" they say. "How did we end up paying this much?"

The answer is that they put migration above cost optimisation when, in an ideal world, they'd go hand in hand.

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we want to help you avoid cloud shock. Here are some handy tools that could help you keep those costs under control and give your performance a boost while you're at it.

Budget tracking

One of the great things about public cloud services is the speed at which you can scale up and down. Spike in storage demands? Simply change your subscription tier and pay accordingly. It's a far cry from the intensive labour required should you want to scale up your private data centre.

Like all things, however, this comes at a cost. It's not unknown – in fact, we'd say it's fairly well known – that authorised staff can purchase more cloud resources than strictly necessary.

This can only happen when budgets are poorly defined and inconsistently monitored. Whether you use dedicated budget tracking software or a simple spreadsheet, clearly defined budgets let you quickly spot overpayments and identify areas where savings can be made.

There are a huge number of budget trackers available – some specific to cloud costs, others for more general use. Whatever your sector and whatever your cloud infrastructure, we recommend you take the time to take a look.

Autoscaling

Paying for cloud solutions isn't just about the software itself. It's also about the time it takes IT professionals to scale your workloads.
Manual scaling has its advantages. Cost-effectiveness isn't one of them. Using a system like Kubernetes to orchestrate your containers and autoscale your resources can lead to savings that are not to be sniffed at.

Cloud pricing comparison

At the time of writing, it seems there are price comparison websites for pretty much everything. But how about cloud platforms?
Well, there's no Bonkers.ie or PowerSwitch.com for cloud providers. But time spent on Gartner's website can tell you a lot about pricing and how it relates to the services on offer.

When it comes to cloud technologies, Gartner is an invaluable resource for businesses. It's clearly written and approaches the cloud world from a business perspective. We recommend it.

AWS Cost Allocation Tags

AWS is one of the most popular public cloud providers for a reason. It's scalable, flexible and easy to use, with a manageable learning curve.
It also provides some cloud cost optimisation tools such as Cost Allocation Tags. These are worth investigating if some or all of your workloads run on AWS.

These tags are assigned to instances, S3 buckets and other resources. They let you organise your costs, associating specific resources with projects, departments and billing codes.

Essentially, it gives you greater visibility into how much you're spending and what you're spending it on. This puts you in a better position to proactively manage your costs and avoid nasty surprises.

Why is cloud cost optimisation so important?

You might think the answer to this is obvious. Cloud cost optimisation tools, um… optimise your cloud costs. It's better to spend less money on your resources. What more is there to say?

But did you know that cloud cost optimisation can help you improve efficiency, enhance your performance, tighten security, increase sustainability and give you youthful-looking skin? (OK, one of these isn't true – not yet, anyway.)

Let's take efficiency and performance first. If your cloud infrastructure is littered with unused or idle resources, it's not just costing you too much. It's also running at less than peak performance. Rightsizing and autoscaling tools don't just cut your costs – they also improve your overall performance.

Cloud cost optimisation isn't a substitute for a robust security posture – but it can help. By merging or removing underused resources, your organisation's attack surface is reduced.

Then there's the question of sustainability. Those resources aren't running themselves – they require energy that could be limited or reallocated. Taming your budget can also help tame your carbon emissions.

Cloud cost optimisation is a great example of how business sense is about more than just money. Budgets and performance go hand in hand. By taking care of the pennies, you can give other areas of your business a lift.

Why should you work with a cloud consultant?

Cloud cost optimisation can be challenging. No one tool can bring your budgets in order. It takes trial, error and a combination of different tools.

This is where a cloud consultant can make a big difference. By handing cloud cost optimisation to an external advisor, you're leveraging expertise and offloading tricky technical tasks.

An experienced cloud consultant will look under the bonnet of your cloud infrastructure and identify areas for improvement. Done well, this can lead to significant cost savings as cloud shock turns to cloud nine.

Are you looking for help with cloud cost optimisation ? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we've enabled organisations of all stripes to do more with the cloud – for less. Get in touch today to book a free discovery call.

Cloud basics: public vs private clouds

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 12:13:00 GMT

Public cloud, private cloud: what's the difference and why does it matter? Find out in our cloud basics guide.

Technology has a way of introducing terms that sound more unified than they are. Take "the internet". It's the internet. If you didn't know better, that definite article could imply a single dashboard or facility at the centre of all our online activities.

The same goes for "the cloud". Your holiday snaps may be in the cloud – but it's a different cloud from the one the government uses to store electoral data, say. "Cloud technologies" captures the diversity of the cloud far better than "the cloud", plain and simple.

Within cloud technologies, there are two main delivery models: private and public. The difference is simple, but the ramifications are not.
The basic difference between the two is that public clouds use shared infrastructure and private clouds use an organisation's own infrastructure.

If your organisation uses AWS for data storage, it's using the public cloud. The infrastructure is run and maintained by AWS and rented to you.

If, however, your organisation has a data centre of its own, it's using the private cloud. Those servers and cables are your company's responsibility and no one else's.

That's the difference – but why does it matter? It all comes down to control.

How is the cloud like electricity?

In today's digital marketplace, cloud technologies are as vital to day-to-day operations as electricity itself. But the similarity doesn't end there. Both the cloud and your electricity can be supplied in different ways.

Most of us do it the public way. We make monthly payments to an electricity provider. They maintain the infrastructure. We pay to use it. Simple.

But imagine you wanted more control over your electricity supply. For whatever reason, you want to get beneath the figurative bonnet and have a fiddle. Your best bet would be to install and use your own generator.

This is the electricity equivalent to the private cloud. Instead of relying on a public provider for your resources, you manage them yourself.

The key advantage of the private cloud is that it gives you greater administrative control. You never have to get on the phone or web chat and ask for support. The success or failure of your data centre is in your hands.

Private clouds are often used by businesses handling confidential information. After all, public clouds are, by nature, shared spaces. That doesn't mean another user can see your data. But it does mean that all that data, while separated, is resting in someone else's facility. It's understandable why government agencies, for instance, would want greater control of their data.

Still other companies want the best of both worlds. They achieve this through a delivery model known as the hybrid cloud.

Can you put private data in the public cloud?

Many enterprises still use on-prem data centres for their private data. But can you store private data in the public cloud?

The answer is "yes, but". Public clouds are a bit like banks. Each organisation's data is stored separately. Just as a bank doesn't throw all its customers' cash into one big vault, so cloud providers use a multi-tenancy model to protect data.

So, yes – you can put private data in the public cloud. Indeed, many companies do. However, it's important to understand the responsibilities that come with this.

Public cloud providers operate on the principle of shared responsibility. The cloud service provider is responsible for the physical security of the data. The customer, however, is responsible for keeping it safe with encryption, authentication, identity management and so on.

In other words, if you lose your data because your cloud provider's infrastructure goes down, it's their fault. If you lose your data because there was a hole in your security posture, it's yours.

It's also possible to run a private cloud in the public cloud. A virtual private cloud is an isolated environment within the public cloud where you can run tasks from your traditional data centre. This lets you maintain administrative control while availing yourself of the convenience of public cloud computing.

What is a hybrid cloud?

A hybrid car combines an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors. Similarly, a hybrid cloud combines both public and private cloud environments.

The point is to achieve consistency. Many companies use a hybrid model as part of a long-term migration process. Front-end applications are moved to the public cloud, while sensitive data is kept on-premises.

The hybrid cloud has many use cases. One of the most persuasive from a business point of view is its elasticity. If your company experiences seasonal spikes, a hybrid cloud deployment lets you quickly and easily spin up new instances.

How is a hybrid cloud different from a multi-cloud?

A hybrid cloud combines the best of both worlds, combining public and private environments. By contrast, multi-cloud infrastructure is exclusively public – but it combines different clouds from different vendors.

Multi-cloud environments are now the norm, and they have two key advantages. First, they help avoid vendor lock-in. Secondly, they allow businesses to switch between cloud providers to get the best deal for their purposes.

There are also polyclouds. This is a multi-cloud setup where each cloud has a specific purpose: running AI on one cloud service provider, for instance, and your CRM on another.

Which type of cloud is right for me?

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we believe your choice of infrastructure should be inseparable from your business needs. It all depends on what workloads you're running, the amount of sensitive data you hold, your existing cloud infrastructure, and more.

Your best bet is to speak to an experienced cloud consultant and talk through your options. There's no one-size-fits-all in cloud computing. Make sure you get a cloud environment that fits.

Are you looking for a consultant to help with your private or public cloud strategy ? Ascend Cloud Solutions is an Ireland-based consultancy firm staffed by former VMware employees. We know the VMware stack like few others on Earth. Get in touch today to book a no-obligation consultation.

Estate modernisation: learnings from Oracle Cloud Experience Day

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 10:34:00 GMT

Can estate modernisation help your business? Find out what we learnt at the Oracle Cloud Experience Day.

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we pride ourselves on helping businesses migrate to the cloud.

And without wishing to blow our own trumpets too loud, it's a process that involves a lot of niche understanding and lots of deep skills. IT has always been a niche – but the cloud is nicher still.

It's also an area of technology that's constantly in flux. The purpose of the cloud hasn't substantially changed but the technologies used to make it work for businesses are always developing.

That's why we were thrilled to participate in the Oracle Cloud Experience Day in September, right here in gorgeous Cork.

Members of our team spoke about Oracle Cloud VMware Solutions, while representatives from Oracle extolled the business benefits of their solutions.

One of the most illuminating talks came from Kevin Eccles, an account cloud engineer at Oracle, on the topic of "estate modernisation". This included a conversation with Donal Mine, the financial information systems manager of Trinity College Dublin.

We learnt a lot about the need for estate modernisation, how it can be approached and how Oracle can help.

Why do estates need to be modernised?

Kevin began by recapping the waves of cloud adoption since 2007. In a relatively short space of time, cloud adoption has moved from startups to front-end customers to back-end enterprises. Each wave of adoption has called for adaptation.

The future, he continued, is cloud-native, with DevOps and Kubernetes on the rise. Estates need to be modernised to fit into this changing landscape.

This is the key driver for estate modernisation. But beneath this headline are a number of valuable business benefits.

Estate modernisation can reduce costs and increase profitability. It can free up personnel and budget by automating IT processes. It provides faster time to value, creating dynamic engagements with customers and employees. It can put data to work. And it can reduce business risks by enhancing cybersecurity and resilience.

All these benefits are available to businesses making the move from on-premise to the cloud. But how can it be achieved?

Approaches to modernisation

Kevin made the bold claim that only Oracle offers a smooth path from on-premise to SaaS. But how?

First of all, Oracle knows the discussion about modernisation has to go beyond workloads. Every step of the journey has to be aligned with business goals. Internally, the conversation has to be holistic and enterprise-wide.

Externally, business and technical experts from Oracle need to be engaged. They have the experience and expertise to help identify individual needs and outline how they will be met.

From this top-down, business-oriented approach, we move to the nuts and bolts of migration itself. Oracle uses the 6-R method: rehosting, replatforming, refactoring, rearchitecting, rebuilding and replacing.

Level 0 consists of rehosting: moving applications to the cloud as-is. Level 1 involves replatforming, refactoring and rearchitecting. This three-pronged process optimises and materially alters code so it can be shifted to a new application architecture.

Finally, workloads are modernised at level 2. They're rewritten from scratch or rewritten and replaced, with new requirements and needs taken into account.

The result is the same workloads in a new, cloud-first environment.

That's the process. So, how does it work in practice? Kevin spoke to Donal Milne, the FiS manager at Trinity College Dublin, to learn more about a successful estate modernisation in his department.

Case study: Financial Services Division, Trinity College Dublin

Donal has worked in IT for 25 years – and his career has covered everything from operations to service desk to application. For 20 of those years, he's been working at a senior or leadership level.

He started by acknowledging that every transformation journey is different. This is a key principle at Ascend Cloud Solutions, too.

Nevertheless, there's much to be learnt from Donal and Trinity's successful migration process – and the road map that's taking them into the next decade.

The main focus of the conversation was why the project succeeded. This was presented as a series of questions that need to be answered before a migration is executed. In our opinion, any organisation getting ready to modernise its estate would do well to ask themselves these questions.

What are the challenges in the business?
What are you trying to change or improve?
Why are you doing it?
When do you need to deliver?
Why does it need to be done in that time frame?
What technology is needed?
What have you not thought about or can't do?
What do you need to do before you start?
Do you have a plan for after you've finished?

These questions cover all the essentials: the alignment of migration with business objectives, the time scales, the expertise and technologies required, and life after migration.

Another key takeaway from the conversation was Donal's reminder that the business should set the objectives and outcomes – never the technology solution.

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we believe this is vital. Cloud technology is a tool for unlocking potential in businesses. It's never a merely technical exercise. Get this the wrong way round and you'll probably end up overspending and underperforming.

When creating a business case, Donal says, you should establish what the project will cost, how long it will take and whether you have the team and partners necessary to deliver the project.

In other words, the devil is in the details – and in the planning. By thoroughly preparing and aligning the 6-R migration process with your business goals, you put yourself in the best possible position to unlock the business benefits of the cloud.

Conclusion

We loved hearing Kevin and Donal discuss the need for estate modernisation and then bring it into focus with a real-life example. We hope you've learned something, too.

Looking for a cloud solutions company to help you modernise your estate? Ascend Cloud Solutions is a trusted Oracle Partner staffed by former VMware employees. Don't hesitate to get in touch for a no-obligation consultation.

What do data centres do at Christmas?

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 10:04:00 GMT

Data centres and their employees have to work harder at Christmas than at other times of year. Find out why.

On an average day, an average person might send a photo to a friend on WhatsApp, access a file on Google Drive, take a call on Teams and watch a show on Disney+. None of this would be possible without data centres.

Yes, data centres are the powerhouses of our digital lives. And like any powerhouse, they sometimes have to work harder than usual.

In the same way that more gas is used in winter than in summer, so data centres are working at full steam during the festive season. Why? Because there's a huge increase in online activity in the days surrounding Christmas.

The key reason for this is online shopping. Online shopping has been a feature of modern life for a while – but since the pandemic, it's skyrocketed. And when there are gifts to be bought, both online retailers and data centres have to be poised for action.

It's not just online shopping that strains data centres at Christmas. There's also an uptick in video calls, film and TV streaming and even video gaming.

So, this Christmas, spare a thought for the data centre staff who are working hard to keep the festive season afloat…

Increased workload

All holiday seasons see a spike in online shopping. But Christmas is a consumer frenzy. This means data centres have to process more data.

To give you a sense of scale, online sales in Christmas 2023 reached a staggering $1.17 trillion. Meanwhile, Black Friday sales raked in $9.8 billion and Cyber Monday $12.4 billion.

Data centres have to work hard to ensure their servers can cope with the traffic. Meanwhile, online retailers have to ensure their data processing needs are met by multiple data centres and cloud-based services.

We kicked off this article with a reminder of just how ubiquitous the cloud is in most of our lives. Now, imagine an online customer journey.

Every step of the process is powered by data centres – from marketing to customer service, from CRMs to shipping. If there's a data centre outage, both customers and businesses stand to be unhappy. If the problem isn't quickly fixed, the customer won't receive her goodies and the business will lose out on revenue.

This is one reason why so many businesses now use multi-cloud infrastructures that spread risk across different cloud environments. It's sensible all year round, but at Christmas, it's more important than ever.

Monitoring and maintenance

The language of the internet can suggest that it runs autonomously. We use "the internet" and "the cloud". We talk of what AI can do for businesses. And we talk of "data centres", not "data centre staff".

But data centres are work environments like any other. They're monitored and maintained by staff. As well as handling customer requests, data centre employees are responsible for keeping the engine room of the cloud in good working order. That failed hard drive isn't going to replace itself, after all.

And like many work environments, data centres are busier at Christmas because there's simply more traffic to process. It's their responsibility to ensure that those rows of servers are up to the task.

Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is an essential concern for businesses and data centres alike from 1 January to 31 December. But an increase in online activity means an increase in cybersecurity threats. At Christmas, everyone involved needs to be more vigilant than ever – and data centres are no exception.

Incidentally, there's an upsurge in online scams during the Christmas period. We assume our readers are tech-savvy, but still – be careful what you click!

Workplace and industry events

Data centres are now an essential part of modern infrastructure, as critical to our daily operations as sewage plants and power stations.

And like those facilities, data centres are places of work. Why wouldn't data centre staff celebrate Christmas, too?

Data centres put on Christmas parties just like you and us. They also hold networking events and charity initiatives.

Christmas, then, is a time of year when data centres need plenty of elbow grease. But they still know how to party…

Other online activities

Think of an online service and it's probably used more around Christmas. It seems that, for many people, time at home means more time on devices.

The main reason for the increase in online activity at Christmas is eCommerce. But people across the world are also putting a strain on data centres with video calls, streaming and online gaming.

Understandably, video calls were at their height during the pandemic. But they're still a familiar part of many people's lives – and their Christmases.

A Vodafone poll , for instance, found that 90% of UK adults who celebrate Christmas use "connected devices" (smartphones, tablets, smart watches and so on) to stay in touch with friends and family.

Video calls use more data than audio calls – but it's not just your data plan and battery taking the hit. It's also the data centres that make them possible in the first place.

The same goes for streaming services like Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime. With more people spending time at home, Christmas sees an increase in streaming. Data centre staff have to work hard to ensure that demand is being met.

Finally, there's online gaming. There'll be many a PlayStation 5 under the tree this year – and those data centres need to keep the wheels turning to keep lag down and scores high.

Final thoughts

With its significant increase in online sales, video calls and streaming, Christmas wouldn't be possible without data centres running smoothly. And for them to run smoothly, staff need to work harder than ever to monitor and maintain the servers.

We salute them! Ascend Cloud Solutions is a team of Cork-based cloud experts. Discover our cloud services and solutions – or get in touch to book a free discovery call.

Is VMware NSX-T secure?

Fri, 29 Nov 2024 07:38:00 GMT

NSX-T is a dynamic network virtualisation platform. But is it secure? Discover its integrated security features.

VMware NSX-T is a powerful, versatile network virtualisation and security platform. It combines a range of features to achieve one goal: with NSX-T, enterprises can build complex software-defined networks.

Unlike its predecessor, NSX-V, NSX-T can be deployed in a wide range of environments, including virtual machines (VMs), containers and bare-metal servers. "No network too complex" could be its motto.

Once NSX-T is deployed, IT can use it to automate network policies – and avail themselves of powerful, integrated security features.

This last point is all-important. We're living at a time when networks are constantly changing shape. Gone are the days when a network was contained within the four walls of a branch office. Enterprises today run networks with multiple points of entry, multiple devices and multiple locations.

Here's Ahmed joining the call from the Seychelles. Now, here's a third-party client on a train to Basel. How can you be sure that all these moving parts are kept secure?

Complacency is not an option. That's why a platform like NSX-T needs to be super-secure.

Well, the good news is that NSX-T provides enterprise-grade security features to keep even the most sprawling network in check.

Micro-segmentation. Distributed firewalls. Network intrusion detection and prevention. All of these help IT to enforce security with versatility and ease.

But first: what is NSX-T, exactly?

What is VMware NSX-T?

NSX-T is one of the world's largest and most popular network virtualisation platforms. It can virtualise networks and data centres of all shapes, sizes and functionalities.

With NSX-T, multiple cloud networks can interact in an agile software-defined network infrastructure. This is a step up from NSX-T's predecessor, NSX-V, which couldn't be deployed in heterogeneous environments.

And no matter how complex the virtualised network, NSX-T allows you to control it all from a single pane of glass.

Is NSX-T secure?

In a word, yes. VMware has designed NSX-T so that its security features are hard-baked into the network virtualisation infrastructure. This enables IT to scan and protect all data traffic at all points of the network, be they virtual, physical, cloud-based or containerised.

Hard-baked – and easy to deploy. Configuration is as easy as pie as these features are always on and always ready to deploy.

The other key point is that the security controls have been decoupled from your workloads and placed in the hypervisor. This means no internal or external bad actor can tamper with your security features.

Distributed architecture

NSX-T uses distributed architecture. This means security enforcement controls are located at the virtual network interface of each and every workload. In other words, traffic flows can be scanned and policed at a granular level, so you enjoy total visibility over all workloads and applications.

What is NSX Distributed Firewall?

NSX Distributed Firewall (DFW) is a distributed, scaled-out firewall built to protect all east-west traffic across all workloads. It provides a firewall at every VM network interface (NIC). Administrators can write firewall rules around Security Group Tags and microsegment to the level of communication between two VMs on the same subnet.

The bottom line is that NSX-T lets you enforce security policies on all traffic that enters and exits each VM. This is managed at a scale that perimeter firewalls simply can't match. NSX-T has an astonishing ability to tame the complex.

It includes a stateful L4-L7 firewall, a network sandbox, behaviour-based network traffic analysis and an intrusion detection/prevention system (IDS/IPS). This distributed IDS/IDP can be run on traffic invisible to a perimeter box.

DFW is instantiated per gateway. It's supported at both Tier-0 and Tier-1.

NSX-T also features Gateway Firewall. This covers services that can't be distributed. These include NAT, DHCP, VPNs and load balancing.

Gateway Firewall is configured and enforced independently of DFW. However, it is possible to share objects from DFW with Gateway Firewall.

What is NSX Intelligence?

NSX Intelligence is a distributed security analytics and policy management solution. It provides deep visibility into network traffic flows and makes security policy recommendations.

It's a kind of virtual traffic cop, checking that all traffic is flowing in line with your security policies. It does this with features like real-time flow visualisation, security policy management and automated micro-segmentation.

Essentially, NSX Intelligence lets you see your whole network through a single pane of glass. In this respect, it's a handy metaphor for NSX-T at large.

Is VMware NSX-T right for my company?

NSX-T is an astonishing bit of kit – but it's not for everyone.

If your enterprise runs – or will run – a lot of VMs, it's a wise investment. But if your network is relatively small, NSX-T is too big and complex to justify the expense.

If you're unsure about its suitability, your best bet is to talk to a cloud consultant. They'll be able to scrutinise your infrastructure and let you know the best network virtualisation tools for you.

Why do you need NSX-T's security features?

If your enterprise has a complex network and handles substantial workloads, you need distributed firewalling, microsegmentation and the other features that NSX-T affords.

This is because today's enterprise networks can't be contained and protected by traditional perimeter-based security. There's simply too much traffic coming from too many devices and locations.

Instead, you need granular control over your network traffic and applications. Distributed firewalling and microsegmentation are two powerful ways of achieving this.

Distributed firewalling lets you enforce security policies at the level of an individual virtual machine. Microsegmentation, meanwhile, slices and dices your network and enforces security policies on each segment.

At the end of the day, life should be hard for a hacker, whether they're operating internally or externally. Barriers should be erected to stop them from moving east to west within the network. NSX-T creates a veritable obstacle course to prevent them from compromising any aspect of your security.

Looking for a cloud security consultant ? Ascend Cloud Solutions is a trusted cloud transformation consultancy staffed by former VMware employees. We help businesses implement and manage watertight security strategies to safeguard their future and lock down their data. Get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation.

Oracle Cloud Experience Day: Why Oracle?

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 07:08:00 GMT

Why choose Oracle Cloud over its competitors? Find out what we learnt at the Oracle Cloud Experience Day.

What's the difference between a cloud solution and the cloud full stop? In our view, a cloud solution combines cloud technologies with business aims. It's goal-oriented and tailored to an enterprise's specific needs.

Despite this, some cloud consultants and managed service providers talk as though the cloud is just about the technical details. Oracle Cloud, they might say, has purpose-built RoCEv2 networking at 3.2Tb/s. Any questions?

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we like to do things differently. We know that there's a learning curve associated with cloud technologies. Many companies are convinced of the business case for the cloud. But they don't necessarily know how to align their cloud infrastructure with their business goals.

That's why we were delighted to take part in the Oracle Cloud Experience Day here in beautiful Cork. Our team shared its thoughts on OCVS (Oracle Cloud VMware Solution) and representatives from Oracle made the case for OCI itself.

It was an illuminating day, not least because the speakers consistently spoke of the business benefits of Oracle. The question was always "Why Oracle?" Here's what we learnt.

1. It's a market leader

Oracle is a leader in 17 Gartner Magic Quadrants.For those who don't know, Gartner is a technological research firm – and its Magic Quadrants compare and contrast market competitors.

In 2023, Oracle topped the Magic Quadrants for cloud database management systems, SalesForce automation platforms, data integration tools, B2B marketing automation platforms, warehouse management systems, financial planning software... The list goes on.

This should give you some idea of how flexible Oracle is and how many areas of business life it can transform.

2. It provides the best performance at the best price

As well as being highly flexible, OCI offers both high performance and low costs. Wherever you are in the world, OCI lets you run everything faster for up to 50% less.

Compute, block storage, networking; containers, data egress, AI – all run at a world-beating speed and at a competitive price. Networking, for instance, is 80% cheaper than its competitors.

This is good news for those businesses who are looking to migrate but worried about the price tag. OCI demonstrates that peak performance doesn't have to cost the Earth.

3. It has global availability

The cloud, like the internet, is everywhere. Right? Well, yes and no. Not all cloud providers are available everywhere. OCI, however, gives you the full cloud wherever in the world you need it.

This applies to both OCI's public cloud and your on-premise data centre. Whatever your cloud infrastructure looks like, OCI lets you run it in 72 regions worldwide.

This compromise-free global availability is another persuasive argument in favour of OCI – and one which helps give it the edge over its competitors.

4. It has a powerful AI infrastructure

There's no getting around the fact: AI is fast becoming an integral part of how we do business. OCI knows this and provides customers with the most powerful AI infrastructure on the market.

Not just the best, but the best value, too – and that's true whether you're talking about a single VM or a 65,000 GPU cluster.

At the time of writing, OCI is the only hyperscaler with bare metal GPUs for AI training. It offers file storage with a hundred times the performance of standard file storage. And if your business is embracing LLMs, you can run four of the largest on OCI.

4. It provides top-secret security

No cloud provider can afford to underestimate the importance of high security. Enterprises in every sector hold substantial amounts of data. Half measures just don't cut it.

We were excited to learn that OCI's security services are designed to meet the highest available standards. That means every customer gets the kind of security that a top-secret agency would want.

How is this achieved? It's partly because the cloud control plane has been moved away from the customer hypervisor. It's partly because encryption is on by default. And it's partly because at the time of writing, OCI is the only hyperscaler with physically separate regions for US, UK and Australian governments.

Enterprises are justifiably concerned about security. With OCI, you get the peace of mind you need.

5. It enables AI innovation

We've mentioned already that OCI provides a powerful AI infrastructure. But what can you do with it? The sky, it seems, is the limit.

OCI services let you leverage all of your data with modern AppDev capabilities. And by all, we mean all, from your on-prem data centre to your workloads in the public cloud.

As well as letting you use your on-prem data inside AI applications, OCI allows you to uncover supply chain issues in real time. It lets you easily tie ERP data into internal data warehouses and third-party applications. It allows you to query your private data in natural language. And it gives you automated bug-fixing guidance.

All of these AI-driven functionalities have one thing in common: they speed up your performance with no compromise to quality – and no eye-watering price tag.

How can we help?

By this point, we hope you share our enthusiasm for Oracle Cloud. If you're looking to migrate, we can get you there. As a cloud-agnostic consultancy, we're ready to move your workloads from any source.

But if you run workloads on VMware, you should seriously consider investigating Oracle Cloud VMware Solution. This is an agile, scalable and cost-effective solution that can be deployed in a matter of hours.

We know the VMware SDDC stack like the back of our hands. We can help you migrate seamlessly, working with you to ensure disruption is kept to an absolute minimum.

Once migrated, you keep complete control over the stack – and because you're still using your VMware toolbox, there's no need to retrain.

So if you're looking for a cloud consultant to help you migrate to Oracle Cloud VMware Solutions, get in touch today. We'd love to help you meet your business goals the only way we know how.

5 cloud orchestration technologies explained

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 07:14:00 GMT

Want the cloud to work harder? Orchestration is the way. Let's start by exploring 5 types of orchestration tech.

The cloud, they say, is a paragon of efficiency. Migrate to the cloud, they say, and your business will become more productive, more profitable and a darn sight easier to manage.

"But", you may well ask yourself, "how?"

There are several answers to this question, many of which we've covered before . But to cut a long story short, the cloud has two silver linings.

The first is that it delivers operational benefits that will be felt across all areas of your business. The second manifests as tools and technologies that, while no less impactful, will be most keenly appreciated by your IT team.

Orchestration is among the most useful and versatile of these technologies. It is, like the conductor's baton, the tool that lets your systems and services play together with perfect timing.

But there's a wide variety of orchestration methodologies out there – and an even broader selection of tools to help you take advantage of them.

If you're interested in this aspect of cloud computing, it's worth getting to grips with the different types of orchestration methodologies. With a firm grasp of the facts, you'll be equipped to choose the best options for your organisation's goals and the specific needs of your IT staff.
This article will help you do just that. But first, let's break down the basics.

What is orchestration, exactly?

In a previous post, we compared cloud orchestration to managing a basketball team . The players are the individual, automated tasks that make up a workflow.

But their manager is the orchestrator: it's they who write the rules that determine how the players interact, shoot hoops and win the day.

Or, to put it another way, an orchestrated process is a flowchart. You provide an input – the press of a button, say, or an exit code – and it runs through a series of tasks and checks until it produces the desired output.

It's all quite simple. But the beauty of orchestration lies in the complex possibilities of that flowchart and the flexibility of its outcomes.

Using orchestration, for instance, you can streamline common IT tasks, automate resource scaling, deploy containerised applications, manage multi-cloud security and much more. With a little orchestrational wizardry, you can even create self-service portals for users to carry out customised tasks quickly, efficiently and without a single line of code.

By now, the benefits should be clear. Orchestration speeds things up, frees up time and reduces the possibility of human error. Use it wisely and you can expect better agility, more efficiency and improved visibility of tasks – with a raft of cost savings to boot.

How you go about achieving this is a different matter. Orchestration tools range from dazzlingly complex to "your dog could probably manage it with a bit of training". Let's explore five of them.

Types of orchestration tools

1. Infrastructure as code tools

Infrastructure as code (IaC) is a methodology for data centre resource management and DevOps management. It involves using machine-readable scripts to automate the provisioning of servers, virtual machines, configurations and so on.

One obvious downside of IaC tools is that they use, well, code. Writing scripts requires a certain amount of technical knowledge to begin with – and with code comes syntax errors and testing and debugging cycles. These hurdles only become harder to jump as your codebase grows.

But, of course, there are upsides too. Code is more or less infinitely flexible – and for an experienced programmer, preferable to GUI-driven tools. Give them a keyboard and some strong coffee and they can achieve much more, more quickly.

IaC is also very scalable and repeatable – and it comes with version control capabilities that facilitate contributions from multiple coders and allow for rollbacks if something goes awry.

Examples: Pulimi; Terraform.

2. Configuration management tools

Configuration management tools are, as the name suggests, specifically designed to manage server and software configurations.

These types of tools come in many shapes and sizes. Like the IaC approach, most demand some programming knowledge – and may implement their own scripting languages for process automation. However, they also include dashboards for easy management and visibility of deployments.

This panoramic approach makes it easy for admins to rapidly configure, troubleshoot and ensure a standardised environment across multiple server instances.

Examples: Chef; Puppet.

3. Container orchestration tools

Containers are integral to the modern cloud – but they can be slippery things. Managing hundreds of microservices across multiple instances can soon feel like juggling butter in a heatwave.

That's where container orchestration tools come in. They exist purely to make containerised software manageable, scalable and visible.

Container orchestration tools are powerful but require specialist knowledge to harness effectively. If your IT team isn't up to speed, it may be worth bringing in a cloud consultant to help get the ball rolling.

Examples: Kubernetes; Docker.

4. Workflow automation tools

Workflow automation tools are the Swiss Army Knives of the orchestration world. They don't specialise in server configuration or container management or any particular thing . They specialise in stuff – all sorts of stuff.

You might use a workflow automation tool, for instance, to move data into a database. Or manage server configurations. Or power a self-service frontend for key business processes. Or, well, whatever.

This flexibility comes at a cost. Using workflow automation tools is a bit like building a house using bricks and mortar instead of prefabricated parts. You can achieve the same result as you can with a specialised tool, but it might take you longer to get there.

To facilitate this, workflow automation tools typically integrate with dozens or hundreds of third-party applications and platforms. If you can put data in and get data out, there's a good chance you can orchestrate it.

Examples: Apache Airflow; Prefect.

5. Orchestration tools from cloud providers

You don't have to use any third-party tools if you don't want to. All major cloud platforms provide their own orchestration tools with varying levels of functionality and usability.

Google, for instance, offers three: Cloud Scheduler (for services), Workflows (for microservices) and Cloud Composer (for data-driven workflows).

AWS, meanwhile, has Step Functions. This is a visual workflow tool that helps you manage processes, microservices and data pipelines.

And Oracle provides the aptly named Oracle Orchestration. This robust scripting platform allows for bulk server configuration, automated application provisioning and rules-based error management, among other things.

Are you unsure which orchestration technology is right for you? Do you want to do more with your cloud provider's orchestration tools?

Ascend Cloud's VMware experts help organisations make the most of their infrastructure with tailored cloud management solutions . Get the ball rolling by getting in touch with our team.

Cloud basics: what does Kubernetes do?

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 08:18:00 GMT

Kubernetes is a container orchestrator. But what does that mean in practice? Get the basics in our blog post.

In the global north, some things get taken for granted – running water, say, or ready supplies of olive oil. This unprecedented level of availability is only possible thanks to an intricate infrastructure behind the scenes.

The same is true for the availability of the internet. Imagine a day without high uptime. Meetings would be cancelled. Stock markets would be put on hold. The season finale of your favourite show would simply have to wait.

Yes, high internet availability is now widely considered to be a given. But how is it possible?

There's no single answer to the question. But one cog in the global machine that makes high uptime possible is Kubernetes.

Kubernetes – pronounced "coober-netties" and sometimes shortened to "K8S" – is a way of managing containerised workloads. It's scalable, resilient and versatile.

It's also pretty darn complex. As with many areas of cloud technology, an inquisitive soul might begin reading an article on Kubernetes and within sentences find themselves lost in a labyrinth of jargon.

Well, we're here to help. In this article, we break down Kubernetes – what it is, what it does, and why it matters.

What is Kubernetes?

Google Cloud defines Kubernetes as "a portable, extensible, open-source platform for managing containerised workloads and services, that facilitates both declarative configuration and automation, letting you run distributed systems resiliently, with scaling and failover for your application".

So far, so cryptic. Let's pick out the key phrase: "managing containerised workloads and services". Kubernetes is a platform that lets app developers ensure containers are in the right place and working together.

It takes multiple virtual machines – or, on occasion, physical machines – and combines them into a unified API surface. A developer can then interact with this single surface without paying much attention to the machines below.

How is an application like an orchestra?

A symphony orchestra has somewhere between 80 and 100 players. So how do they all play together in harmony? The answer is the conductor.

That person on the podium waving a stick is crucial to the smooth running of the orchestra. She sets the tempo, brings in players and sections and manages transitions. The goal? Unity, harmony and audience applause.

A web application may not produce the lofty beauty of an orchestra. But orchestras and applications are alike in being comprised of multiple moving points – and needing an orchestrator to keep the whole operation afloat. In both cases, their success stands or falls on the end-user experience.

Kubernetes is the orchestrator that keeps an application going. The app developer is the conductor, using Kubernetes to realise her vision.

A stock trading app, for instance, fulfils millions of transactions and trades each day. Kubernetes makes this possible.

But Kubernetes can work with smaller groups of containers, too – anything from a simple web app all the way to industry-wide platforms.

It does this by auto-scaling containers across multiple machines and auto-healing when containers fail.

That's what it is and what it does. But why use Kubernetes and not some other platform?

Why Kubernetes?

Many applications are made up of "monoliths". These are single deployable modules that make up applications.

Monoliths have their downsides. They're a bit like Lego models. They take time to build – and if you want to make them bigger, you have to scale everything up piece by piece.

This is where microservices come in. Microservices split each bit of functionality into smaller artefacts. These can be managed, upgraded and scaled individually. In other words, you don't need to rebuild your app from scratch.

Microservices put paid to bottlenecks and over-provisioning. They allow you to allocate resources precisely. Instead of a Lego model made up of hundreds of interdependent pieces, microservices enable developers to swap out individual pieces with ease.

So far, so good. But if each microservice runs on a machine, you're looking at a hell of a lot of resources.

Containers – or "containerised workloads" – solve this problem by bundling up services and deploying them as one. Applications, dependencies and configurations all get delivered together – and they run the same way in any location.

The problem of downtime

So, your workloads are now made up of containers – discrete packages of microservices that replace monolithic blocks.

Want to upgrade a container? Simple! Just create a new version and swap it with the old one.

But how do you achieve this without downtime? How can the developer oversee these containerised workloads? And how do they communicate with each other?

Enter Kubernetes, the container orchestrator.

Kubernetes manages your containers on virtual machines or "nodes". Each node runs something called a "Kubelet" – a minuscule application that communicates with the control plane.

These nodes, and the containers they run, are grouped together in clusters. Each cluster contains DNS, endpoints, storage and scalability – everything a modern application needs, neatly bundled and ready to deploy.

To ensure high availability, Kubernetes provides a replica set. This replicates each container multiple times, adding nodes to the cluster in line with demand.

We compared Kubernetes to an orchestra conductor. But there's a difference. Kubernetes automates repetitive tasks. The app developer tells Kubernetes what the app cluster should look like and Kubernetes makes it happen.

It's a bit like a holographic conductor controlled remotely by a musical genius. The baton's movements are automated. But the conductor's vision for the orchestra is created and deployed elsewhere.

Who should use Kubernetes?

At this point, you might be convinced of the advantages of Kubernetes and ready to board the container train. However, microservices have unique challenges that not all enterprises are ready to face.

Deployment should always be based on the unique needs of an application – and sometimes, a monolith will do the job just fine.

Unsure whether Kubernetes is for you? Talk to a cloud advisory consultant . They'll be able to look under the bonnet and let you know whether a container orchestrator like Kubernetes will unlock efficiencies to benefit your company.

Ascend Cloud Solutions is dedicated to making the cloud simple. For more easy-to-understand explainers, follow our cloud computing blog .

How Ireland is working towards cloud sustainability

Mon, 11 Nov 2024 09:18:00 GMT

Data centres are as vital as they are power-hungry. Learn how Ireland is working towards cloud sustainability.

In 2024, it's no exaggeration to say that data centres are as vital to the business world as electricity and running water.

Imagine a dystopian scenario where all the world's data centres go down – from corporate hyper-facilities to on-premise servers. The level of disruption is unthinkable. Transport, medicine, financial transactions – all would be put on hold.

It's not hard to see why data centres are so important. But they have a dirty secret. The vast majority are power-hungry. And we mean hungry, accounting for around three percent of the world's energy consumption.

This makes data centres a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they keep the digital economy afloat. On the other, they present challenges to businesses, governments and consumers with regard to climate targets.

Sustainability has never been more important. So, how can we reconcile our need for cloud technologies with our need for a liveable planet?
It's a question that's being tackled across the world. But it's especially relevant in a country like Ireland, where data centre infrastructure is widespread and growing.

In this article, we look at how Ireland is working towards cloud sustainability. But first of all, why do data centres use so much energy?

Why are data centres power-hungry?

The simple answer is that data centres need power to run their servers. Look online for a video of an AWS or Google hyperscale data centre.

These are huge, sprawling facilities that require huge amounts of electricity.

It's not just keeping the servers humming, either. It's also the fact that servers heat up when used. Additional energy is required to cool them down and prevent them from overheating. The alternative is for the servers to slow down or stop altogether.

Data centres also consume significant quantities of water. This is because many facilities use evaporative cooling systems. Some, however, are exploring closed-loop water cooling systems and rainwater systems.

The other issue is uptime. Businesses and consumers alike now expect a high level of service availability. There's no way to achieve this without data centre usage – so if data centres are unsustainable, high uptime is unsustainable, too.

What's the situation in Ireland?

Ireland is a hotbed of data centre activity – but it hasn't all been plain sailing. Witness the moratorium on data centre construction in 2022 .

The government paused the construction of new data centres in response to concerns about the pressure these facilities could place on the national grid.

Ireland isn't the only country to have taken this step. Singapore and the Netherlands have done so, too. In all these cases, it's about balancing the needs of a growing digital economy with climate and sustainability targets.

In practice, however, construction in Ireland has pressed on. At the time of writing, 14 data centres are being built, with 40 more getting planning permission.

Billy Durie, Global Sector Head of Data Centres at Aggreko, puts it like this:

"The growth of the data centre market across Europe has been substantial, especially in Ireland. However, with this expansion comes a greater need to ensure this growth remains sustainable, something that the adoption of greener technologies will go a long way to help with."

He continues: "Increasing the already prominent use of decentralised power systems is paramount if the industry is to make itself self-sufficient. Using renewables is a part of this, but there needs to be an emphasis on using bridging solutions, as they are the key towards tackling the here-and-now for data centres."

Eamon Ryan, the Minister for the Environment, strikes a similar note. In an interview with the Financial Times, he reiterates Ireland's place in the world as a data centre hub, while insisting they must "work within the climate limits we have committed to".

"The data centres," he says, "are a really important, beneficial sector for our country. We have a huge advantage of having them here in terms of the potential industries that are based here that come with it."

The solution? Data centres, he says, must embrace low-carbon electricity, renewable energy generation and demand management.

What's next?

Until recently, data centres in Ireland have been mostly concentrated in the Greater Dublin Area. However, the infrastructure is spreading into other counties such as Galway, Mayo, Clare, Cork and Meath.

There are two sides to this. First, it reflects a desire to distribute the economic benefits of the cloud across the country. This could help bridge the "digital divide" between the capital and the rest of Ireland.

But it's also about managing the distribution of energy and balancing the capacity needs of different regions. Combined with greater use of green technologies, this could alleviate the strain on the national grid and allow Ireland to commit to data centre infrastructure and its climate targets simultaneously.

Why is Ireland an attractive location for data centres?

Ireland isn't unique in being a data centre hub. But it's long been a technology hotspot. Why?

There are a few overlapping reasons for this. A big one is its workforce. Ireland is famous for its IT literacy and skilled workforce. Cloud technologies need experts – and Ireland has them in droves.

Then there are the tax incentives. Ireland has a relatively low corporation tax rate, which encourages cloud firms to choose it as a location for new data centres.

Finally, there's the climate. Data centres in Ireland need cooling. But they need far less than countries with similar economies but hotter climates. Singapore, for instance, is on par economically but faces huge challenges with cooling infrastructure.

The intersection of data centres and climate targets isn't going anywhere. Ireland is an interesting test case of how the needs of both can be balanced, managed and improved.

Ascend Cloud Solutions is a cloud consultancy based in Cork, Ireland. Our cloud computing solutions help organisations across the globe accelerate their ambition and make the cloud work harder. Need our support? Don't hesitate to get in touch for a fact-finding consultation.

Hybrid and multi-cloud strategies: 5 key differences

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 07:51:00 GMT

Hybrid cloud, multi-cloud – what are the key differences? Get to grips with the basics in our accessible guide.

Customers, businesses and techies all love to talk of "the cloud". The cloud. That definite article suggests something solid and fixed like the Great Wall of China or the Eiffel Tower – one huge, floating repository for all the world's data, applications and workloads.

In fact, "the cloud" is an umbrella term that covers a huge range of technologies. The confusion this can cause is nowhere more obvious than in the distinction between hybrid and multi-cloud strategies.

It's easy to see why the confusion arises. "Hybrid" means two or more things joined together. "Multi" means… two or more things, probably joined together. What, then, is the difference?

There are key differences in how these cloud environments are deployed and used. But the fundamental difference is how each of them combines public and private clouds.

At the end of the day, there are only two places you can store your data and run your applications. There's an on-premise private cloud and there's a public cloud. The words "hybrid" and "multi" describe the way these public and private platforms interact.

In this article, we're going to run through five key differences between hybrid and multi-cloud solutions. But first, what's the difference between public and private?

Public and private clouds: what's the difference?

In everyday life, "public" and "private" have common-sense meanings. A park is a public place. Your bathroom is a private place. Simple.

In cloud technology, however, the difference is one of ownership. If an organisation has a private cloud, it owns the data centre and is responsible for its maintenance.

By contrast, public cloud providers own the infrastructure. A business pays for usage on a subscription basis. If there's a problem with one of the provider's data centres, they foot the bill and carry out maintenance.

Hybrid and multi-cloud strategies differ in how they combine private and public clouds.

A hybrid cloud is a connection made between a private cloud and a public cloud. A business with a hybrid cloud strategy can, in theory, seamlessly migrate workloads between those two environments.

A multi-cloud environment gets rid of the private cloud altogether. No more internal maintenance – instead, the business outsources upgrades and repairs to two or more public cloud providers.

Multi-cloud environments are sometimes referred to as "pick-and-choose" or "cherrypicking". This is slightly misleading because a hybrid cloud environment also lets businesses pick and choose. The difference is that a multi-cloud environment involves multiple public cloud providers rather than just one.

In principle, multi-cloud environments let businesses harness different services for different purposes, creating a bespoke cloud environment that meets their individual needs.

These differences are structural rather than practical. What are the key differences between the two strategies that make a tangible difference to businesses?

5 key differences between hybrid and multi-cloud solutions

1. Ownership

A hybrid cloud links an on-premise private cloud to a public cloud from a single vendor. This means a business with a hybrid strategy owns part of its cloud infrastructure. This could either be in the form of an in-house data centre or on dedicated servers in a third-party data centre.
Multi-cloud, by contrast, is a mix of public clouds from multiple vendors. You don't own the infrastructure any more than your office owns the electricity supply.

Sometimes, the question of ownership is a choice, with businesses deciding that ownership is less important than cost-effectiveness and flexibility, or vice versa. At other times, the decision is made for you.

This can be the case when one business acquires another. The acquired party may bring its own cloud environment with it.
Whatever the rationale, the choice between hybrid and multi-cloud strategies is fundamentally one of ownership.

2. Security

Before we go any further, it's crucial to say that both hybrid and multi-cloud solutions are highly secure. However, different deployments lead to different challenges.

With hybrid clouds, the question of security is simple. IT, whether internal or external, is responsible for cloud security just as it's responsible for maintaining its own data centre.

Multi-cloud strategies are a little different. Businesses end up with multiple tool sets from multiple providers. This doesn't have to be a problem. But if IT isn't on the alert, things can easily slip between the cracks.

The flip side is that public cloud providers invest huge amounts of money in their security posture. Access controls, encryption and the like are all a given. In some ways, security is less of a challenge than with a hybrid cloud environment.

3. The bottom line

Another key difference between hybrid and multi-cloud solutions is financial.

A hybrid solution can be costly, whether you're buying your on-premise data centre for the first time or keeping on top of management and maintenance.

Multi-cloud solutions are different. Businesses just pay subscriptions without outlay for equipment or maintenance.
One isn't better than the other. It all depends on your business goals – and your budget.

4. Availability

In the Age of the Cloud, uptime is king. Both hybrid and multi-cloud environments can give it to you in spades.

There's a difference, however. Public cloud providers prioritise high service levels. Hybrid cloud resources need some degree of management from the owner.

In other words, if a cloud in your multi-cloud environment goes down, the provider will ensure instant failover. If your on-premise data centre goes down, you may experience disruption.

5. Scalability

One huge difference between public and private clouds is the ability to scale.

Public cloud providers are scaling machines. Customers can increase storage simply by changing their subscriptions.

Hybrid clouds are the same insofar as they include a public cloud that can scale with ease. However, the presence of a private data centre can create obstacles to scaling.

It's another example of how the choice between hybrid and multi-cloud solutions isn't a choice between better or worse – just different. The main thing is to know what you want in detail and figure out which solution is the best for you.

Are you looking for a cloud consultant to help plan or execute a hybrid or multi-vendor cloud strategy ? Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we've spent years honing our craft and helping organisations get more from the cloud. Get in touch today to book a no-obligation consultation.

2024 in cloud security: learnings, developments and predictions

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 01:54:00 GMT

What did 2024 mean for cyber security? Explore key learnings, developments and predictions in our roundup.

These days, cyber security is tougher than ever, right? Right. This is no reason, however, for businesses to rest on their laurels.

You see, the unprecedented strength of cyber security available to businesses of all sizes as we move into 2025 can sometimes lead to complacency.

Businesses will tell you, for instance, that they've outsourced security to their cloud providers. But the prevalent model of "shared responsibility" isn't the same as outsourcing. It means that the risk is shared, not transferred.

The plain fact of the matter is that cybercriminals are always looking for new and nefarious ways to compromise IT systems and steal data. The fact you're now on the cloud doesn't mean you're automatically more secure.

This is borne out by the UK government's Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2024. Among much else, this report revealed the following:
"Half of businesses (50%) and around a third of charities (32%) report having experienced some form of cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months. This is much higher for medium businesses (70%), large businesses (74%) and high-income charities with £500,000 or more in annual income (66%)."

These figures are far from small fry. It's no wonder the government describes cyber security breaches as a "common threat".
So, what can be done about it? To answer that question, we need to look at what the cyber security world has learnt recently, along with developments in cyber security and predictions for the near future.

Learnings

The UK government report found that most businesses and charities in the UK have a wide range of "cyber hygiene" measures in place. These include such security essentials as up-to-date malware protection, cloud backups, network firewalls, admin rights restrictions and password management.

Smaller businesses, however, tend to overlook these measures. They perhaps feel the data they hold isn't substantial enough to attract a hacker. Either way, a data breach can lead to a fine under GDPR as well as unwanted reputational damage.

These findings relate to precautions businesses are taking. But what about the aftermath of a cyber attack? It seems this is an area where many businesses have room for improvement.

"While a large majority of organisations say that they will take several actions following a cyber incident," the report says, "in reality, a minority have agreed processes already in place to support this."As with cyber hygiene, the effectiveness of these processes goes up the bigger the company is.

Businesses of all sizes, however, fall behind on external reporting. Just around a third of businesses and charities report breaches to an outside body – and this body tends to be either external cyber security or IT provider.

This is something for businesses to consider going forward – especially as more and more organisations shift to hybrid or multi-cloud environments.

On top of these concerns, businesses need to be aware of changing risks. This could be achieved through internal upskilling, getting a cloud security consultant on board or a combination of the two.

Developments

Perhaps the most pressing and widespread development in the world of cloud security is the large-scale shift to complex hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

Cyber security has a tendency to get complicated, fast. But on this topic, it's easy to see why complex cloud environments present more complex security challenges. The more clouds you use, the more you need to secure.

Once upon a time, security was a case of erecting a digital perimeter to keep out unwanted traffic. In today's decentralised world, the perimeter looks more like a mad scribble. This is why businesses need to embrace zero-trust principles and micro-segmentation if they haven't already.

Another development affecting businesses is the rise of serverless computing. This lets businesses run applications and services but not the underlying server infrastructure. The cloud service provider takes over administrative roles such as scaling. This introduces novel security challenges, no matter how big or small the business in question.

Then there's the question of visibility. Businesses now hold huge amounts of data, often in multiple cloud environments. It can be hard for IT to get a good look at everything. It's not hard to see why this presents security threats – after all, you can't protect what you can't see.

The problem of visibility is related to two areas where sprawl is an increasing problem: data management and tool management.

It's hard to overstate the sheer volume of data that businesses deal with these days. It can be invaluable in driving decision-making.

However, traditional security tools just don't cut it anymore. Innovation and forward thinking are the orders of the day.

The same goes for tools. There's even a name for the proliferation of tools: "tool sprawl". Too often, IT infrastructure resembles an untidy desk, with tools scattered here and there. The difference is that the proliferation of virtual tools can lead to administrative silos, decreasing visibility and weakening a business's security posture.

None of these problems is insurmountable. But they all require a robust security posture and a willingness to invest, experiment and adapt.

Predictions

So that's what the cyber security landscape looks like in 2024. But what's next?

First of all, we predict that serverless computing will become inseparable from cloud strategy. Done well, this will speed up time to market and unlock developmental potential.

Secondly, it seems almost inevitable that AI will become increasingly integrated into cloud security – in particular, the use of large language models (LLMs) for troubleshooting and online assistance.

AI, however, will bring its own challenges. AI tools can help businesses automate threat detection and response. But cybercriminals are using those same tools to make their malware more effective. We've seen this already in AI-generated phishing emails that conventional filters can't catch.

Whatever happens, the next few years will be an interesting time for cloud security. We'll be taking notes and letting you know of any important developments.

Are you looking for help with your cloud security strategy ? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we help organisations of all sizes improve their security posture and stay safe in the cloud. Get in touch today for a free, no-obligation consultation.

How AI is changing cloud security

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 16:15:00 GMT

Cloud security threats are evolving all the time. Find out how AI can help you monitor, detect and respond.

We're living in a golden age of cloud technology. Each year, cloud infrastructures become that bit more scalable, flexible and secure. In just a few years, the business world has gone from cloud-friendly to cloud-first.

There is, however, a sting in the tail. As cloud technologies grow in complexity, so too do threats to security.

Gone are the days when you could visualise an IT security perimeter with a pencil sketch on the back of a napkin. Gone is the "ring road" model of networking, with spokes emerging from a central hub.

No, today's networks look like what you'd get if you asked a child to draw a topographical map from memory. Lines sprawl and overlap as users and devices enter and exit the network from different locations.

Security has never been more important. At the same time, security has never been more niche. Businesses want the reassurance that their data is safe – not only to protect their staff and clients but also to avoid getting a slap on the wrist from GDPR.

The thing is that the vast majority of businesses outsource at least some of their cloud computing infrastructure to an external provider.

Sure, the Amazons and Oracles of the world have plenty of resources. They certainly appear to be investing in cutting-edge cloud security.

Nevertheless, it's only reasonable to want to check, double-check and triple-check that your data and applications are secure.

How do cloud providers and cloud security solutions ensure they're covering all bases? One answer is the combined power of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). These innovative technologies can help with threat detection and response, task automation, data analytics and more.

Here, then, are some of the ways AI is changing and improving cloud security. But first, how has cloud security changed?
How has cloud security changed?

Cloud security has always been a game of cat and mouse with hackers. As they identify and attack novel weak spots, security solutions have to be proactive in their responses.

Traditional methods such as firewalls, encryption, MFA and IAM only go so far. Companies are still vulnerable to weak access controls, misconfigurations and even insider threats. Meanwhile, AI-generated phishing emails are bypassing traditional filters.

As cloud environments get more complex, these threats increase – and at a time when most businesses have gone all in on multi-cloud environments, this is a legitimate cause for concern.

That's the state of play. So, how can AI help? Here are six ways.

1. Threat detection and response

AI is a super-calculator, able to crunch mystifying amounts of data in seconds.

This makes it ideal for analysing network traffic and security logs. It can scan huge datasets that would require an insupportable amount of human monitoring. It can then identify and respond to threats quickly and effectively.

Threat response could involve blocking a malicious IP address, putting more monitoring in motion, or isolating an affected system.
With such a large attack surface to cover, AI can tighten the locks even further.

2. Automation

What are people good for? Some would say that staff should focus on tasks machines can't do. It's the same principle as getting a robot to build a car and a human to monitor the robot.

This is one of the key benefits of getting AI to automate cloud security operations. It means IT doesn't have to send out alerts or orchestrate a threat response. Instead, sysadmins can use their time more efficiently, focusing on tasks that need a human touch.

3. Behavioural analysis

What if the security threat is coming from inside? It's a real problem that can cause IT teams sleepless nights.

One powerful use of AI is to analyse internal user behaviour and spot any anomalies that might otherwise slip under the net.

Is there a deviation in day-to-day access patterns? Is a user transferring an unusually large amount of data? These behaviours can trigger alerts for IT to deal with – and learn from each instance to reduce the chance of false alarms.

But behavioural analysis isn't just about response. It's also about forecasting problems and anticipating changes in resource needs.

AI can predict new attack vectors – something that even the smartest security analyst will struggle to do. It can then recommend preventative measures.

AI, then, is proactive as well as reactive. It can predict, monitor, contain and neutralise threats.

4. Data analytics

Data is one of a business's greatest assets. But if it's not analysed and put to work, it's just, well, a load of words and numbers.

AI can enhance data analytics, furnishing IT and management with insights. These, in turn, can bring businesses closer to the Holy Grail of data-driven decision-making.

5. Threat neutralisation

Is that a threat on the horizon? Sometimes, threats march towards you with a sign that says "neutralise me". Other threats are more sly.

The fact is that it's becoming harder and harder to anticipate zero-day vulnerabilities – and harder and harder to spot phishing attempts.

AI is always ahead of the game. It can neutralise threats before they turn into costly, disruptive security breaches.

6. Adaptive access controls

Are your access permissions static? The answer is probably "yes" – unless you've deployed AI-driven cloud security.

Granular access permissions are essential to ensure the security of your cloud infrastructure. Think of your cloud environments as a hotel: not every guest and member of staff needs access to the same rooms.

AI takes this one step further by introducing dynamic, adaptive controls. These adjust user permissions in real time based on factors like user location, access time, and device type.

It's just one way that AI is bringing cloud security into the age of multi-cloud environments, hybrid working and large attack surfaces.

Will these technologies transform the cloud security landscape? We think so. Either way, we'll be sure to keep you in the loop about any exciting advances.

Are you looking for expert cloud security consulting to help with your security posture? Get in touch with Ascend Cloud Solutions today for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Is NaaS (network-as-a-service) the future?

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 14:09:00 GMT

Could NaaS change the face of IT as we know it? Discover its transformative potential in our guide.

Enterprises are running more applications in the cloud than ever before. But networking has been lagging behind. Could all this change with the advent of NaaS (network-as-a-service)?

Part of the problem is that many businesses end up paying for a fixed amount of resources rather than scaling up and down to meet demand.

NaaS is a flexible, cost-effective, single-API solution to this problem – and it looks as though adoption will ramp up in the coming years.
In this article, we take a closer look at NaaS's transformative potential.

So… is it the future?

In 2011, the American businessman Marc Andreessen famously remarked that "software is eating the world". It's astonishing to think that 13 years on, software and cloud-based software solutions are more prevalent than ever.

In the intervening years, a huge array of applications began to be run in the cloud, from servers to storage, from desktops to databases. It's no exaggeration to say that if you can think of an IT service, you can probably run it in the cloud.

Nevertheless, networking has been slow to make the move from a plain old service to networking "as a service". Networks are overwhelmingly internal affairs, with IT responsible for management and maintenance.

With NaaS, however, networking is joining vital other services in the cloud. You get to access complex infrastructure from a single API, no matter where in the world you are.

The idea has been floating around for a while. But it's only now that sectors such as finance, healthcare, government and education are exploring its use cases and benefits.

Why is network-as-a-service a new phenomenon?

In the age of "anything-as-a-service", networks have been noticeably slow to join the party.

Why are they only now available as a service? The answer is that a number of factors needed to overlap to make NaaS possible.

Put simply, the infrastructure is now ready for the job. There's more private backbone bandwidth, more commercial hardware, more colocation facilities and more cloud computing capacity. Moreover, end-to-end encryption is now a given, meaning cloud-based networking is highly secure.

All these factors mean that the days of traditional networking are numbered. Exit the monolith. Enter NaaS.

What can NaaS do that traditional networks can't?

In 2024, most enterprises have all but abandoned on-premise applications. Some institutions use them for processing especially sensitive data. But in general, public cloud solutions – or, at the very least, hybrid cloud solutions – are the norm.

You probably wouldn't run payroll on-site. So, why do so many companies approach networking in this way?

It's not just that legacy architecture is expensive, with connectivity, management, support and security all eating into your budget. It's also that they were designed to meet the network demands of a different time – a time when a network consisted of simple, stable connections between a handful of locations.

Today's networks sprawl. They expand. They change shape. With hybrid working having gone from flavour of the month to standard practice, there are more users and devices than ever to be configured and monitored.

Unlike traditional network models, NaaS is up for the job. It can handle an ever-changing landscape of cloud environments, SaaS providers, partners and locations.

What are the benefits of NaaS?

Except in rare edge cases, NaaS is likely to be more effective than your current network infrastructure. By and large, it's simpler, cheaper, more scalable, easier to maintain, more agile and more financially predictable.

Let's take those improvements one by one.

It's simpler. NaaS lets you manage a complex virtual network from a single API.

It's cheaper. Your NaaS provider handles maintenance and management so you don't have to. Your role is simply to consume the cloud service and pay for what you use.
It's more scalable. With NaaS, you never have to over-provision when anticipating demand. Instead, you can scale resources up and down with ease and pay just for what you use.
It's easier to maintain. There's no need to waste time on updates and upgrades. Your NaaS provider will automate these for you.
It's more agile. On-premise networking is monolithic – and while monoliths have their good points, they're hard to modify, mend or replace. By comparison, NaaS lets you spin up, tear down and update services at speed.
It's more financially predictable. Traditional networking requires a significant upfront investment. NaaS lets you pay as you go for what you use and not a penny more. This lets you budget more predictably.

What does the future of NaaS hold?

The high performance standards that NaaS provides might lead you to think it's been around for a while. In fact, NaaS is a newcomer to the "as-a-service" space – and we believe it's going places.

Research suggests the NaaS market will be worth $150 billion (€139 billion) by 2030. Meanwhile, AI integration is already on the agenda, stirring network automation and self-healing into the mix.

Perhaps most excitingly, there's the rise of software-defined networking (SDN) within NaaS offerings. This would create an unparalleled level of flexibility and control, meaning industry-specific NaaS platforms.

Greater diversity, better threat detection, higher performance levels – these are just some of the qualities we can expect from NaaS in the coming years.

Is NaaS the right choice for my business?

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we believe that networking-as-a-service is nothing short of revolutionary. For the first time, enterprises can run their networks on a simple, scalable, secure network on a pay-as-you-go basis.

This unlocks cost savings and levels up your performance. Technical excellence and business potential go hand in hand – just what the doctor ordered.

Deploy a solution of this kind and you'll never be paying for services you don't use or simply don't need. Instead, you get to realise your business's potential with agility, flexibility and cost-effectiveness.

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we're investing in new networking infrastructure to serve tech-forward organisations in Ireland and beyond. Follow our blog to stay up-to-date on our plans and hear the latest news about cloud computing .

Your cloud transformation strategy: where to start

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 08:24:00 GMT

Are you getting ready for a cloud transformation project? Start planning your first steps with our guide.

Cloud transformation is a big deal in two distinct yet overlapping ways.

First, it's a big deal for your business. It can boost performance, unlock cost savings and encourage hybrid working.

But it's also a big deal to execute. It's not something you can do casually. Before you press the big button marked "migrate", you need to do lots of preliminary work.

The alternative is stark. Poorly planned cloud migrations cost you money. This could be because you plumped for a suboptimal cloud environment. Or it could be because you end up getting a cloud consultant in to fix the mistakes you made.

So, where do you start with a cloud transformation strategy to maximise your chances of success? And where does a cloud consultant fit in?
Well, for our money, there are seven key steps. The first involves lifting the bonnet on your IT infrastructure and taking a look at what's inside.

1. Carry out an assessment

Cloud migration is like moving house. You need to know what's there before you start packing.

In the context of cloud computing, this means assessing your IT infrastructure, applications and data. It means identifying pain points, inefficiencies and room for improvement. And it means evaluating your readiness to migrate.

Without this preliminary process, you're increasing your chances of failure. Not every IT team, however, has the skills to carry this out.

If this sounds like your enterprise, it may be in your interest to outsource the assessment process. This could be a one-off cloud readiness assessment or form part of a multi-step migration programme.

2. Know your goals

So, why are you moving to the cloud? If you don't have a detailed answer to that question, your transformation isn't likely to deliver the goods.

You'd be surprised, for instance, how many companies migrate because, well, everyone else is doing it. The result? A suboptimal cloud solution that costs more than it saves.

In other words, the finer details of a cloud migration depend on the goals you're trying to achieve. You can't make an informed decision about a provider, for instance, without having specific objectives in mind.

And like all other business objectives, these need to be measurable, with KPIs in place to check if you're on the right track.

You could be trying to cut costs, break up data silos, improve sluggish performance, increase scalability or foster innovation. Whatever your motives, your cloud transformation strategy should reflect your overall business goals.

3. Choose the right cloud model for you

Cloud solutions aren't hair scrunchies. One size doesn't fit all.

Every enterprise needs the cloud model that will meet its specific requirements – not some vague notion of "the right cloud model". What, you need to ask yourself, is the right cloud model for you?

It could be public, private or hybrid. You could move everything to the cloud. You could leave some workloads on-premises. You could split different applications between different providers.

It all depends on your workloads and their security, compliance and data residency requirements. Oh, and like every other stage of this journey, it depends on your budget.

4. Pick the right partner

OK, so you're ready to migrate. Who's going to manage the process itself?

If you've got the skills in-house, there's no reason why you shouldn't do this yourself. But if you don't, you might want to work with a consultant.

The main reason for this is that you get to leverage expertise without committing to full-time recruitment. Rather than investing money in retraining and upskilling, you get the skills you need as and when you need them.

There's not one "right" way to do it. But it's worth bearing in mind that many companies start out with a DIY approach and end up reaching out to a consultant.

5. Bring your team with you

If you're committed to a cloud transformation strategy, you want things to change. But is your team ready for it?

Anyone who's managed a team will know that people have wildly different approaches to change. Some welcome it. Some accept it with a shrug. And some actively dislike it.

The point is that you need to bring people with you. The alternative is to invest in an expensive upheaval that no one wants to use.

This applies to both staff and stakeholders. Make sure everyone knows what will happen, when, and how it will affect them. Keep them updated and in the loop.

You could also think about making your company more cloud-friendly. Ways to do this include nominating a member of staff as a cloud mentor and holding regular webinars on cloud computing.

People want to feel that their needs and requirements are, at best, being met and, at the very least, acknowledged. A cloud transformation strategy is no different from any other internal change.

6. Migrate

Whether your internal team handles your migration or an external consultancy firm, the process needs to be handled as safely and non-disruptively as possible.

This involves working around existing deadlines and schedules. It also involves rigorous and regular testing before the migration can take place.

7. Optimise your new cloud environment

Cloud transformation doesn't end with migration, any more than moving house ends with unloading the van.

Once you've migrated, you need to stay on top of your cloud environment to ensure it's optimised and secure. You can do this yourself or get a managed service provider to handle the finer details for you.

Either way, this crucial final stage puts you in a good position to meet the ever-changing needs of the business world.

Are you looking for a consultant or cloud management solution to aid your transformation strategy? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we've handled more than 400 migrations and counting. Get in touch today for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Cloud basics: what is a mainframe?

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 10:58:00 GMT

What is a mainframe and how does it relate to cloud computing? Find out in our jargon-free guide.

If you've spent much time watching Hollywood blockbusters, you may have come across something called "the mainframe".

Its role is never quite clear, but one thing is certain – the hacker needs to break into it, fast. Lights flash, green text blinks and beads of sweat form on their forehead. Whatever it is they're trying to achieve, it's serious business.

In pop culture, then, a mainframe is a kind of supercomputer that's vital to the smooth running of planet Earth. But how about in real life? And how does it relate to cloud computing?

Before we hack into the concept of the mainframe and find out what it all means, a word about our new series of blogs: "cloud basics".
Cloud basics

It's an all too common experience. You go to buy a phone, or get your car fixed, or have the damp in your attic surveyed. You want answers to simple questions like "What does it do?", "What are the alternatives?" and "How much does it cost?"

Instead, you're inundated with jargon. You might as well be talking to a technical manual on legs. It's unhelpful and ultimately disempowering, bringing you no closer to an informed decision.

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we're well aware that this is an experience many customers have when exploring their cloud options. Too much tech speak, not enough plain talking.

Well, to this, we say, "Enough!" and "No more!" That's why we've put together this series of blog posts about essential cloud computing concepts – and why they matter to your organisation.

So. The mainframe. What is it, what does it do and how does it fit in with the ever-changing world of cloud computing?
What is a mainframe?

Put most simply, a mainframe is a high-performance computer with lots of memory and lots of data processors. It can handle billions of simple calculations and transactions as they arise. Swipe your card to pay for your shopping and a mainframe processes the transaction instantly.They're mostly used by companies that require high levels of service availability.

From the 1950s to the 1980s, a mainframe was a large cabinet that held a computer system's central processing unit (CPU). Today, mainframes – or data servers, as they're known – are smaller and more powerful.

Mainframes and supercomputers: what's the difference?

The philosopher Isaiah Berlin once said there were two types of thinkers: the hedgehog, who had one big idea, and the fox, who had lots of little ones.

A supercomputer is a hedgehog. It's much faster than a mainframe. And unlike a mainframe, it works best when tackling a single large problem – weather forecasting, say, or medical modelling.

By contrast, a mainframe is best at dealing with a high volume of inputs and outputs – not one big problem but tonnes of small, simple ones. This is why it's favoured by companies that handle large amounts of transactions around the clock.

Are mainframes a thing of the past?

These days, it's all about the cloud, right? Physical hardware is a thing of the past. Doesn't that make mainframes the tech equivalent of a woolly mammoth?

In fact, the mainframe is still an essential tool for banks, airlines, global retailers and Fortune 100 companies. According to an IBM report, mainframes handle around 70% of the world's IT workloads.

So next time you tap your card at the shops, just think – it wouldn't be possible without a mainframe.
How big is a mainframe?

In the old days, a mainframe would fill a room. As you'd expect, it was energy-intensive, requiring plenty of electricity to power it and plenty of air-con to cool it down.

Today's equivalents of these "Big Iron" machines are about the size of a large fridge and the weight of a car. They're designed to be racked with other devices, whether at an on-premises data centre or at a hyper-facility.

How does a modern mainframe work?

Yesterday's mainframes were built like tanks: their size matched their power. They had a single processor or central processing unit (CPU) that held the whole IT system together.

But as the 20th century went by, technology got smaller. And smaller. And smaller. We've gone from the age of the mainframe to the age of the system on a chip.

This means that mainframes have got smaller but more powerful. They contain system assist processors (SAPs) that move data around as quickly as possible. They also contain an astonishing number of processing cores.

Take the industry-leading IBM z13. It can have up to 160 I/O (input/output) cards, each with its own processing core. In conjunction with those SAPs, this means high performance and large workloads.

Who uses mainframes?

Mainframes are used by services that need a high level of service availability. If you run a small bakery, it's not the end of the world if your card machine goes down for an hour. But if you're a government agency, utility company, bank or even online retailer, uptime is all.

Have cloud-based environments replaced mainframes?

In recent years, cloud adoption has gone through the roof, unlocking all manner of business benefits for companies of all sizes. But many enterprises still rely on mainframes. They've just merged them with cloud-based solutions.

Sure, some companies let their mainframes tick along in the background without modernisation. But airlines, banks and other service providers that need zero downtime modernise and merge.

Take the example of airlines. A customer will check their flight details on an app. These details need to be updated immediately in the event of a delay or cancellation. These updates are handled by a mainframe.

Modernisation has never meant throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Instead, many enterprises have combined the best of both worlds – the processing power of a mainframe with the cost-effectiveness of cloud solutions.

Ascend is a team of cloud computing experts based in Cork, Ireland. Are you looking for innovative cloud solutions without the jargon? Get in touch today for a free consultation.

4 emerging cloud technologies that could shape the next decade

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 07:59:00 GMT

What will the cloud look like in 10 years? Learn about 4 emerging trends that could change the way we live.

How is the cloud like a cloud? Even when it appears stationary, it's constantly moving.

Over the last few years, the cloud has become embedded into our daily lives. At work and at home, we now treat cloud computing like running water – a necessity, not a luxury.

A casual observer of the tech landscape might think the cloud has done what the cloud's gonna do. Surely the next decade will simply see more of the same, just a bit faster?

In fact, novel cloud-based technologies are emerging all the time – and they have the potential to transform online retail, scientific research, gaming, manufacturing and more.

In this article, we look at some of the most exciting and forward-thinking developments in cloud and cloud-adjacent technologies. First up: how generative AI could make the online consumer experience more personalised than ever before.

1. Truly personalised consumer experiences

The cloud has already transformed the world of retail by making eCommerce possible. It's wild to think that only a few years ago, online shopping was a novelty rather than the norm.

In another example of innovations becoming expectations, many online retailers now offer personalised guidance based on your shopping history – from the orders you placed to the carts you abandoned.

This level of personalisation is set to become more fine-tuned as AI becomes more deeply integrated into online shopping. This is borne out by research showing that "95% of customer service executives expect AI bots to serve their customers within the next three years".

This use of AI to better understand user preferences could also positively affect targeted advertising. A common complaint is that customers get pushed towards products they've already bought or decided against buying. In a decade's time, this could potentially be as antiquated as the spinning jenny.

2. Quantum computing

Quantum computing is an extraordinary technological advance – the advent of supercomputers that make your smartphones, tablets and laptops look like school calculators.

Their immense powers of calculation depend on a seeming paradox. Your laptop runs on bits – units of computation that can either be a zero or a one. Quantum computers, by contrast, use qubits. These can be a zero and a one at the same time.

The result? Super-fast, super-complex computations that could help accelerate scientific research.

Could quantum computing enter the cloud? The answer is "yes" – but there's a problem. When you run a calculation on a cloud-based quantum computer, you have to tell the cloud provider the problem you're trying to solve.

This goes against cloud privacy and encryption methods and is one of the key reasons why quantum computing has yet to hit the mainstream.

To overcome this problem, cloud providers are exploring quantum-safe encryption and researchers are developing so-called "blind cloud computing". If deployed at scale, the next decade could see quantum computers become as familiar to us as smartphones.

3. Cloud gaming

Where is the Netflix of gaming? Surely, you might say, a tech landscape that can offer movies and shows on demand can do the same for games.

The answer is yes – but until recently, the world of cloud gaming has been littered with shuttered services, limited libraries and glitchy performance.

These false starts have left gamers wanting more. Their patience could, however, be rewarded in the coming years as NVIDIA, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and PlayStation Now all work to enhance gameplay quality and lower latency.

In 10 years' time, will you be sat on the bus next to someone playing Call of Duty? With advances in cloud computing, it's never been more likely.

4. The Internet of Things in manufacturing

The internet is one thing – but how about the Internet of Things? This is an umbrella term that refers to networks of sensors and connected devices that collect data in real time.

Sound futuristic? If you've got a smart meter, you're participating in the Internet of Things.

But it's not just smart homes that are embracing connective devices. The Internet of Things is also making waves in the manufacturing sector.

In factories, it's used more and more for predictive maintenance, supply chain management and digital twins, among other things.

Take the issue of maintenance. No matter how up-to-date your equipment is, things break and need repairing. This costs money in a couple of ways: first, the money spent on repairs, and secondly, the money lost during downtime.

But what if devices could monitor equipment in real time and predict when maintenance is needed? The Internet of Things is making this possible. Soon, it will be easier than ever for manufacturers to plan for disruption.

Then there's supply chain management. No one in the business world would deny that the last few years have been a logistical nightmare, with supply chain disruptions becoming an all-year-round phenomenon.

As with predictive maintenance, the Internet of Things would enable devices to collect and analyse real-time information – in this case, about the status, location and condition of items in the supply chain. This enables businesses to make data-driven decisions and to stay one step ahead of any disruptions on the horizon.

Finally, manufacturers are increasingly looking to digital twins to streamline operations. These are virtual copies of pieces of equipment and spare parts that engineers and managers can use to test solutions, discover bugs and generally improve operational efficiency.

Conclusion

The business benefits of cloud computing have been clear for some years now – so it's exciting to think that when it comes to cloud technologies, we've only just begun.

Predicting the future is never easy. But we're willing to bet that within a decade, these four emerging cloud solutions will be changing the way that shoppers shop, computers compute, gamers game and manufacturers manufacture. We'll keep you posted.

Ascend Cloud Solutions is a team of VMware experts based in Cork, Ireland. For more news and insights, follow our cloud computing blog .

How Ireland became a cloud computing hotspot

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 19:54:00 GMT

Today, Ireland is a hotbed of cloud computing activity. But how did it get here? Grab a chair – it's storytime.

Ireland is a country of many exports. But did you know that it's also a hotspot for cloud computing?

This is partly because of its capacious data centre infrastructure. In 2022, Ireland had 70 data centres. Around 40 more were either under construction or at the planning stage. Some of these facilities are owned by Amazon, Facebook and Google. Ireland, it seems, is no cloud slouch.

Why is Ireland such a popular spot for cloud investment?

It's partly the cool climate, which ensures that data centres won't overheat (an issue faced by many facilities in hotter parts of the world). It's partly the work climate, with its tech-savvy personnel. And it's partly the financial climate, with EU funding taps set to "on" and corporate tax incentives for tech firms.

That's the general picture. But how did Ireland get where it is today? In this article, we take a look at Ireland's cloudy past – and where it might be heading next.

The early days of the cloud

Two years before the Apollo 11 mission put humans on the moon, technology firm IBM was laying the foundations for cloud computing as we know it today.

They did so by creating virtualised versions of operating systems that could be used by more than one person. Over the decades, this gradually morphed into the cloud solutions we rely on today.

By the 2010s, the cloud was everywhere. Tech giants were centralising their infrastructure in huge data centres. Huge reservoirs of compute and storage resources were now available.

At this time, Ireland was dubbed "the home of the cloud". This built on its reputation as a centre of computing excellence. At the time, it had more than 20 data centres and was on Microsoft's radar for further investment.

Uptake was on the rise – but it went into the stratosphere during the pandemic.

Stay-at-home orders meant organisations had to be resourceful. They needed resources and applications to be available in home offices. The cloud provided the solution.

Ireland, of course, was no exception. But it was in an unusually strong position to be a front-runner as lockdown measures lifted and the cloud continued to grow.

The cloud in Ireland today

Today, Ireland is a cloud hub. Dublin alone is home to data centres run by Amazon, Microsoft, IBM SunGard and Digital Realty Trust.

Microsoft's Dublin hub is one of the biggest in the world. It's also at the forefront of sustainability in the sector, cooling its servers with fresh air rather than air conditioning.

Globally, the public cloud market seems to be snowballing without cease. The picture in Ireland reflects this, with experts saying that its public cloud sector could grow by an astonishing 97.78% between 2023 and 2027. That's somewhere in the region of $2.5 billion.

And it seems this rapid transformation has been welcomed by Ireland's businesses with open arms. A report from EY Tech Horizon asked respondents what they saw as "drivers of added value". Nearly half considered cloud technology to be at the top of the list.

The cloud sector is always evolving, with exciting developments appearing all the time. Nevertheless, 20% of respondents to the same report said they had already achieved their cloud goals – a figure that's higher than the global average. What's next for Ireland's cloud sector?

Big tech firms have long had their sights set on Ireland – and it seems this trend will continue in the near future. AWS, for instance, is opening a Direct Connection facility in Dublin. Meanwhile, Chinese firm Huawei is promising to create around 200 jobs.

The tech sector often feels undervalued by government – but it seems the Irish government understands the cloud sector's economic potential. This is the sense you get from its digital strategy "Harnessing Digital".

This paper commits the Irish government to supporting the digital transformation of business and public services alongside continued investment in digital infrastructure.

It also addresses "digital divides". As in most parts of the world, adoption has been widespread but uneven. The government pledges to bridge the divide between big businesses and SMEs by providing financial assistance to smaller businesses. Similarly, it aims to bring rural and urban cloud infrastructure closer together.

Finally, the report focuses on digital skills development. As the cloud sector embraces artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and other cutting-edge technologies, this will help Ireland remain competitive.

The importance of education

The government's focus on "digital skills development" is significant. Cloud computing is hard work. Businesses need skilled professionals to help them unlock its benefits.

Perhaps unsurprisingly for a country at the forefront of cloud computing, Ireland is home to several degrees and Master's courses in cloud computing.

At Munster Technological University, for instance, students can take an iMSc in cloud computing. This includes modules on cybersecurity, virtual environments, cloud storage infrastructures and cloud automation and orchestration.

Courses like this mean the cloud sector is populated by bright, studied professionals who know this complex technology inside out. It's an exciting time to be part of the sector.

Challenges

Perhaps the biggest challenge facing Ireland's cloud sector is the moratorium on new data centre development in and around Dublin until 2028.

EirGrid – Ireland's state-owned electricity grid – had grown concerned about the possibility of blackouts. The moratorium aims to free up capacity on the grid.

Critics say it could hinder both environmental and digital growth targets. Some are even warning of a "techxit", with foreign investors looking elsewhere.

There's no denying that this move by EirGrid presents a challenge to the sector. Nevertheless, Ireland remains a vibrant hotspot for cloud computing – and it looks like that's not going to change any time soon.

Are you looking for help with your cloud computing migration strategy ? Ireland-based Ascend Cloud Solutions has handled more than 400 migrations and counting. Get in touch today for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Cloud integration: the what, why and how

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 10:42:00 GMT

Does your enterprise handle multiple cloud environments? Discover how cloud integration can help.

These days, data exists in many forms. Even the smallest company is likely to store its data in more than one location. The bigger you get, the more data you handle – and the more sprawling your infrastructure becomes.

This can create bottlenecks both internally and externally. Is there a way to bring your cloud services together and let your data flow unimpeded with no compromise to security?

The answer is cloud integration – and it's the way that more and more enterprises are doing business.

It gives you the best of both worlds. Enterprises can pick and mix cloud solutions to ensure cost-effectiveness and high performance. But these solutions get integrated so they can communicate effectively.

Done well, cloud integration can smooth out operations, improve customer interfacing and save you time and money.

In this article, we get to grips with the transformative power of cloud integration – and how a company like Ascend Cloud Solutions can help you achieve it.

What is cloud integration?

Cloud integration is the process of connecting cloud services. Sometimes, these connections include on-premises systems. The connections are typically made via APIs. Once hooked up and integrated, data can be shared more quickly and easily.

It can be used to streamline internal processes or the data flow between you and your clients.

What are the benefits of cloud integration?

There are four key benefits to cloud integration. Taken together, they can make your business more efficient.

First, integrated cloud services save you time. Gone are the days of hopping from application to application to get the data you need. Instead, fields are populated automatically with essential information.

Secondly, it reduces the likelihood of human error – and means that your employees can spend less time on data entry and more time on brainwork.

Thirdly and finally, it breaks down the barriers between data silos, improving communication between staff members and departments.
Five use cases for cloud integration

1. Improve the customer experience

Are you a startup or mid-sized business looking to improve the products and features you offer to your customers?

Cloud integration can connect your core platform with third-party APIs. This gives you a comprehensive overview of your data. It also means customers can access your products and services in more places.

2. Enhance your analytics
Data-driven decisions are on every business's Christmas list. But did you know that cloud integration can consolidate data from your digital marketing and give you Christmas insights every day?

Cloud integration can funnel data from different APIs and cloud environments into a single dashboard, where it can be seen by you, your clients and anyone else who needs access.

3. Boost compliance

Are you struggling to maintain compliance across your cloud environments? Cloud integration can manage real-time data flows across your systems without any compromise to compliance.

4. Streamline HR

If you have clients or employees coming and going like the wind, you may find that HR struggles to keep up. Cloud integration can sync individual data to different systems to streamline on-boarding and off-boarding.

5. Simplify document access

In a zero-trust security environment, document access can create headaches. Cloud integration means you can give clients, staff and other parties the documents they need without flitting between platforms.

What are some best practices for cloud integration?

Like everything in the world of IT, a solution is only as effective as its implementation. You need to ensure you're integrating cloud services with a clear purpose in mind. To help achieve this, the following five best practices are all but essential.

1. Prioritise security

Data theft has always been a problem. But today's businesses hold more data than ever. For this reason alone, it's vital you prioritise data security when integrating your cloud services.

2. Know your systems

Before you integrate your services, you need to know what they are. Obvious, right? Perhaps – but it's not as intuitive as you might think. You may benefit from hiring a cloud consultant to take an overview of your systems.

3. Plan and plan again

Some things in life can be busked. Cloud integration isn't one of them. Make sure you plan thoroughly to increase your chances of success.

4. Pick your tools with care

Are you going to use an iPaaS solution, custom-built middleware or a third-party connector? Your choice will have a big impact on the success of your integration – so look before you leap.

5. Get ready for change

In the cloud world, the word "scalability" has the same prominence as "the", "but" and "coffee". It's about modifying services to meet demand – in other words, being ready for change. You should bake this into your integration process rather than putting it on the laterbase.
Sounds hard?

There's no reason why internal teams shouldn't be involved in digital transformation projects like cloud integration. If you've got the talent, use it! But if you don't, you may find yourself at a fork in the road.

The signpost points in two directions. One path leads you to substantial investment in upskilling your staff. The rewards are great but the path is long – and in the meantime, your cloud solutions continue to sprawl.

The other path takes you down the consultancy route.This is where a firm like ours comes in. We have decades of experience with cloud infrastructure. You get that expertise on tap with technical support and guidance that are as scaleable as your cloud solutions.

In the case of cloud integration, we can lift the bonnet and take a good look at your infrastructure. We can quickly identify where operations can be streamlined and savings can be made.

So, if you're looking for a cloud consulting firm to help integrate your services, get in touch today . We'd love to help you simplify your solutions and unlock business benefits.

Cloud automation vs orchestration: what's the difference?

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 09:55:00 GMT

In cloud computing, much is made of orchestration and automation. Learn the difference in our guide.

Today's world of cloud computing is all about diversity. Single data servers get replaced by patchworks of public and private cloud environments. Different APIs and pieces of software are integrated into a whole.

The name of the game is flexibility. No one, it seems, is tied any longer to a single piece of hardware or software.

But with this new dawn of diversity comes new challenges. How can you ensure that all the pieces of your puzzle fit together? In other words, how can you make sure those super-complicated business processes run smoothly?

There are lots of answers to this question – not all of them technical. Having a cloud-first or cloud-native work culture can certainly help. But at an operational level, two of the most significant contributing factors are automation and orchestration.

These words get bandied around a lot, often with subtly different meanings. They come as a pair – like cheese and pickle or Lennon and McCartney – but they're not joined at the hip. What, exactly, is the difference? And why does it matter to your business?

Here's one way of looking at it: automation is about single tasks, while orchestration is about workflows comprised of multiple tasks. Both can save you time and money and reduce the possibility of human error.

In this article, we break down automation and orchestration for you.

What is automation?

Automation is the process of removing humans from routine, repeatable tasks.

Let's say you have a friend who loves curry. Every time you get a promotional email that mentions a deal on curry, you forward it to her.

How many times would you perform this action before you got sick of it? Once a week? Once a day? Once an hour?

Once it becomes a burden, it's time to automate. In this case, you can do so by automating the task in your email settings.

Automation, then, is about executing simple, repeatable tasks without lifting a finger. But it's also about the opposite: executing complex, precise, irregular tasks that a computer can deal with better than you.

In the context of IT, those routine tasks could involve verifying devices, monitoring CPU, sending out email notifications, restarting services or communicating with third-party applications.

Crucially, one task equals one job. This is one of the key differences between automation and orchestration.

It's no different, really, from putting a slice of bread in a toaster rather than firing up the grill and making sure it doesn't burn. It gives you less to do. In business, it reduces the burden on your teams, saving time and reducing the possibility of human error.

At the end of the day, these benefits add up to one big benefit. Automation can save you money. And its operational cousin, orchestration, can save you even more.

What is orchestration?

Orchestration isn't as familiar a concept as automation. However, in the world of cloud computing, it's equally as important to the smooth running of complex systems.

Think of a musical orchestra. The conductor's job is to get dozens of musicians to work together as one and create a specific musical effect.
Orchestration in the cloud is similar. It's typically about getting APIs to work together, whether at the front end or the back end.

The benefits are plain to see. Let's say you run an eCommerce store and use different systems to collect product information. If you're a developer, wouldn't you rather have a procedure in place that orchestrates all of these processes rather than having to make all the calls yourself?

Orchestration can also hook up separate workflows. Let's say the system goes down. Orchestration would fire off a notification email or text message as soon as this happened – all without human intervention.

This gets to the heart of the difference between orchestration and automation. Automation handles a single task. Orchestration puts tasks together into an IT-driven process workflow. You could say that automation is shooting hoops whereas orchestration is managing a basketball team.

Newer forms of orchestration involve getting business applications, rather than APIs, to work together. As composable architectures are increasingly adopted, the ability to make multiple applications work together as a single system becomes more and more appealing.

Essentially, orchestration gives you all the benefits of composable architecture – such as creating a bespoke solution out of products from different vendors – with the benefits of monolithic architecture. Say what you like about monoliths – you know they're simple and cohesive.

This is something that can't always be said for patchwork cloud environments.

More abstractly, orchestration is about putting your investments, technology and resources to work. Like automation, it can save time and money and reduce human error. It can also boost service levels and improve your overall efficiency.

How old is automation?

In the age of AI, automation is a household topic of conversation. But for as long as people have made machines, they've been trying to automate them – whether it was the Greeks and Arabs at the start of the last millennium making water clocks or industrialists making fully automated mills and looms in the 18th century.

The word itself, however, is relatively recent. It was coined – or at least popularised – by Ford Motor Company's Vice President Delmar S. Harder, who set up an automation department in 1947. At this time, Ford was beginning to replace humans with machines on the assembly line.

Today, most objects in our world are created through automation – and the world of computers is no different.

What is composable architecture?

Composable architecture is a modular approach to software systems. It breaks them into small, independent and interchangeable components. This gives systems administrators greater freedom to pick products. Done well, it can create systems that are smoother, more comprehensive and easier to maintain than their monolithic counterparts.

Ascend is a cloud transformation consultancy based in Cork, Ireland. Are you ready to accelerate your ambition and make more of the cloud? Our cloud computing advisory service s can help you unlock cost savings and efficiencies you never knew were there. Get in touch to book a no-obligation consultation.

Oracle Cloud Experience Day: 3 things we learnt

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 08:00:00 GMT

On September 19, we joined Oracle representatives to talk all things Oracle. Discover 3 key things we learnt.

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we're passionate about deepening our understanding of the cloud. That's why we took part in the Oracle Cloud Experience Day at the Montenotte Hotel, right here in our hometown of Cork.

When we say "the cloud", we mean two things. First, there's the technical side. As ex-VMware staff, we're always keen to learn more about the technical advances that make cloud solutions possible.

But there's also the business side of things. We know our customers aren't deploying cloud environments for the sheer love of tech. They're doing it to help themselves reach their own individual goals.

That's why we were delighted to take part in the Oracle Cloud Experience Day on September 19.

The event dealt with both sides of the coin. Members of our team shared their take on Oracle Cloud VMware Solutions and representatives from Oracle made the case for its suite of powerful, goal-oriented solutions.

We believe customers should be informed about the solutions they deploy and we've zero interest in keeping valuable information and insights to ourselves. Here, then, are three key takeaways from the Oracle Cloud Experience Day.

1. There are five key benefits of Oracle Cloud

Kicking off the day was Oracle's Neil Mitchell, who gave us a clear, persuasive overview of Oracle Cloud's offering to enterprises.

We didn't need to be told that Oracle Cloud was a powerful, versatile tool. However, it was useful to see the case for OCI broken down into five key benefits.

It offers the best performance at the best price, enabling enterprises to run everything faster – from AI to apps.

It gives you the full cloud where and how you need it. This means it can be run in Oracle's global network or in a business data centre.
It has the most powerful AI infrastructure – from a single VM to a 65,000 GPU cluster.
It provides security so tight it's used by top secret agencies – but available to all.
It's a platform that lets you leverage all your data with modern AppDev capabilities.

Hearing these five key benefits laid out so clearly was a valuable reminder of how Oracle Cloud can help businesses achieve their goals and realise their ambitions.

2. How Oracle can turn data into decisions

It's commonplace to say that data is now a vital asset to businesses. But how can those reams of data be turned into actionable insights?
One answer to this is "Oracle Analytics Cloud": a platform that Oracle's Jeremy Nagel explored in depth.

Oracle Analytics Cloud is constantly growing, with more than 100 new features delivered in 2023 and 2024. Its value for decision-centric business apps, enterprise cloud ecosystems, data management and data integration has been recognised by Gartner, which placed it at the top of its Magic Quadrant for Analytics and BI Platforms.

Its overarching purpose is to provide businesses with the tools they need to turn data into informed decisions. These include:

Augmented analytics cloud platform
Data preparation, data flow and data modelling
Data visualisation, AutoML and AI
One-click forecast and auto-insights
Self-upgrading, patching and securing

Taken together, these tools put your data to work and mine it for valuable insights. It's another crystal-clear example of how Oracle Cloud's highly technical solutions put business front and centre.

3. How and why to modernise estates

Our third big takeaway from the day was about estate modernisation.

The cloud is changing all the time. Back in 2007, we were reminded, cloud adoption centred on start-ups: AWS, Netflix, Dropbox and Airbnb, to take four notable examples.

Over time, however, the paradigm has shifted: first to frontend, then to backend, and soon to cloud-native solutions and Kubernetes.

It's clear that estates need to be modernised to meet these changing demands. Doing so increases profitability by reducing costs. This is partly about simplifying and automating IT, freeing up personnel and IT budgets in the process.

It's also about a faster time to value. Modernisation unlocks dynamic engagements with both customers and employees. Data can be activated and monetised and business risks reduced.

That's the destination: but what does the journey look like? We were walked through a real-life example by Donal Milne, the FIS manager at Trinity College Dublin's Financial Services Division.

Donal began with an insight that we share here at Ascend Cloud Solutions: every transformation journey is different. It's the key reason why our five-step cloud migration process is all about meeting each business's unique goals, demands and time scales.

He then spoke about his department's move to SaaS and its embrace of machine learning and automation. This, he said, relieves staff of manual, repetitive tasks, freeing up time and energy to focus on value add and core activities.

His insights were a fine balance of technical detail and business philosophy. One comment in particular resonated with us. The business, he said, sets the objective. Technology solves it.

Too often, we see the tech sector pushing solutions rather than finding the right infrastructure for an individual business. It's only by doing it the Oracle way – and, we'll say it, the Ascend way – that these technological tools can unlock business value.

Conclusion

It was a delight to spend the day with representatives from Oracle, sharing insights and learning more about Oracle Cloud's benefits for enterprises.

At Ascend, we're cloud-agnostic. We're happy to take a client from A to B without insisting on either A or B. Even so, we're big fans of what Oracle is doing for business cloud infrastructure.

We'll be publishing some more blog posts about what we learnt, so keep your eyes peeled!

Do you need expert guidance for your Oracle Cloud migration strategy ? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we've handled more than 400 migrations and counting. Get in touch today for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Oracle and the Gartner Magic Quadrant

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 06:44:00 GMT

Gartner is widely trusted for its impartial market overviews. But how do Oracle's products fare? Let's find out.

Gartner's Magic Quadrant is to technology providers what the Michelin Guide is to restaurants. It's trusted for its rigorous and impartial approach – and for technology providers, achieving "Leader" status is akin to winning a Michelin star.

Are you scouting for a new cloud provider? Or database management system? Or real-time transportation visibility platform? Not only is there a good chance you'll find a Magic Quadrant to match, but you can also be 100% sure that that Quadrant will provide an unbiased overview of the technological landscape in question.

Countless technology providers have received the Magic Quadrant treatment. But how do Oracle and its Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) platform fare under Gartner's scrutinising lens?

We'll find out soon enough. But first, let's swot up on how Magic Quadrants work – and why they're useful.

How does the Magic Quadrant work?

As any sysadmin or VHS repair technician will tell you, technology is complicated.

It's complicated when you zoom in – on the silicon and code that make up our hardware and software. And it's complicated when you zoom out and try to quantify the costs, capabilities and other variables that must be assessed when choosing a technology provider.

In an ideal world, there would be some way to visually represent all these variables to allow for fast and informed decision-making. This ideal is perhaps impossible to achieve – but with its Magic Quadrant research methodology, Gartner comes closest.

Each Magic Quadrant consists of two axes that chart "Completeness of vision" and "Ability to execute". Technology providers are plotted onto this grid based on their competitiveness within these categories.

Taken as a whole, a Magic Quadrant provides a bird's-eye view of a technology space and the players within it. Customers can tell at a glance how a provider compares to its competitors in terms of innovation and performance.

And, to make things even clearer, each player falls under one of four categories within the Quadrant. These are (descriptions from Gartner ):

Leaders: execute well against their current vision and are well-positioned for tomorrow
Visionaries: understand where the market is going or have a vision for changing market rules but do not yet execute well
Niche players: focus successfully on a small segment or are unfocused and do not out-innovate or outperform others
Challengers: execute well today or may dominate a large segment but do not demonstrate an understanding of market direction

How does Oracle perform within Gartner's Magic Quadrants?

Gartner currently lists more than 120 Magic Quadrants on its website . These cover topics as diverse as 5G infrastructure, customer relationship management and robotics.

To say that competition is fierce would be an understatement – yet Oracle performs well, achieving "Leader" status in no less than 17 Quadrants.

If you're familiar with Oracle, this will probably come as no surprise. In 2020, Oracle Corporation was the third-largest technology company in the world by revenue – and its software and services are used by more than 70 million people worldwide . Even when set against behemoths like Google and Amazon, Oracle has the resources and momentum to put up a good fight.

Still, 17 "Leader" gongs is impressive. And the breadth of this success is partly down to Oracle's recent efforts to differentiate itself in the cloud computing space. While OCI was once mostly harnessed by users of other Oracle products, the past few years have seen the tech firm attract new customers by launching new products and services that cater to a broad range of use cases.

And, of course, Oracle's traditional strongholds in the worlds of database and enterprise resource planning are still represented. Let's take a look at the full list.

Magic Quadrants where Oracle achieves "Leader" status

Strategic Cloud Platform Services (December 2023)

Cloud Database Management Systems (December 2023)
Data Integration Tools (November 2023)
Warehouse Management Systems (April 2023)
Financial Planning Software (October 2023)
Integration Platform as a Service (January 2024)
Distributed Hybrid Infrastructure (August 2023)
Configure, Price and Quote Applications (November 2023)
CRM Customer Engagement Center (August 2023)
Sales Force Automation Platforms (March 2023)
B2B Marketing Automation Platforms (September 2023)
Financial Close and Consolidation Solutions (November 2023)
Cloud ERP for Product-Centric Enterprises (August 2023)
Cloud ERP for Service-Centric Enterprises (February 2023)
Supply Chain Planning Solutions (February 2023)
Transportation Management Systems (January 2024)
Cloud HCM Suites for 1,000+ Employee Enterprises (January 2024)

A closer look at one Magic Quadrant: Strategic Cloud Platform Services

Here at Ascend, we keep a trained eye on the tech world at large. But, broadly speaking, the most important Magic Quadrant for our customers is the one called "Strategic Cloud Platform Services".

These are your hyperscalers. The big players. Cloud behemoths with acres of data centres and servers from here to eternity.

Or, as Gartner defines it, "Standardised, automated, public cloud offerings integrating infrastructure services (e.g. computing, network and storage), platform services (e.g. managed application and data services) and transformation services (e.g. programs/resources that help customers adopt cloud-oriented IT delivery models)".

Oracle is not only an established leader but, with OCI, is also behind one of the fastest-growing cloud platforms in the space. As Gartner notes, the company has successfully expanded beyond its core base of Oracle software users thanks to its competitive pricing, solid multi-cloud support and accelerated provision of new features and technologies.

OCI's database management, data integration and Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) capabilities are singled out for praise – as is its flexible and distributed cloud, which offers particular value for organisations with strict data sovereignty requirements.

Gartner notes a handful of negatives, too, including the sense that Oracle's generative AI strategy is "less mature" than those of its peers. However, to quote the report, "Oracle continues an impressive year-over-year pace of feature introductions that has brought it into direct comparison with the market leaders in terms of hyperscale cloud capabilities".

With such a pace of innovation, we're sure a solid generative AI service is on the cards – and we can't wait to see what comes next.

Ascend is a team of cloud transformation specialists and a proud part of the Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN). Are you considering an Oracle cloud migration ? Let us guide your strategy and accelerate your ambition. Get in touch today for a free consultation.

5 uses case for Oracle Cloud VMware Solution

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 08:00:00 GMT

Getting ready to switch cloud providers? Discover 5 use cases for Oracle Cloud VMware Solution.

Cost-effectiveness is one of the key benefits of the cloud. But that doesn't mean that all cloud solutions are equally cost-effective.

This is because "cost-effectiveness" isn't just one thing. It depends on the size of your company, the resources you use and your business objectives.

Without taking these into account, it's impossible to say that one solution is objectively better than another. Each company needs to measure its needs and objectives against each solution's use cases.

This can be a time-consuming task. Many enterprises find it helps to get a cloud consultant on board to offer expert advice. Go it alone and you could end up feeling like you're choosing between 20 different white hankies. They all look pretty much the same but the manufacturers swear there are crucial differences.

On the face of it, Oracle Cloud VMware Solution may not seem radically different from other major providers' offerings. But its differentiating factors could make it the perfect platform for you.

Here, then, are five use cases for Oracle Cloud VMware Solution. We hope it helps you choose the destination for your cloud migration.

1. You want full administrative control

Are you running VMware workloads on an on-premise server? You might hesitate to migrate to the cloud for a couple of reasons. One is that, as the proverb goes, it's better the devil you know. The other is that you're used to full administrative control and don't want to give it up.

Well, with OCVS, you don't have to. Instead, you get to keep full administrative control over the cloud stack – no need to rearchitect or refactor your workloads or reskill your internal teams. But on top of those familiar processes, you get to unlock new efficiencies from OCI.

2. You want to expand your data centre on demand

Whatever the advantages of an on-premise data centre, there's one big and undeniable drawback. It's extremely difficult to increase or decrease capacity to meet demand.

This puts many businesses in the position of over-provisioning and under-using their infrastructure. It's not so different from having the heating on at the same level all year round.

OCVS lets you expand data centre capacity to meet demand. This gives you greater control over your spending, adjusting costs as you go.

3. You want to ensure business continuity

Data breaches can be disastrous. But not all businesses realise just how disastrous they can be.

It's not just that you've lost data. It's also that a data breach can give your company's reputation a significant knock.

Then there's the question of GDPR. If there's an avoidable data breach on your watch, you could end up paying a hefty fine.

Every business needs a disaster recovery solution. If you use the VMware stack, Oracle Cloud VMware Solution could be just the ticket.
Aside from anything else, you can deploy the stack within any of OCI's 49 regions, whether as a primary or secondary DR site.

Incidentally, those 49 regions are a big plus in OCVS's favour. This is a solution with impressive reach, all but guaranteeing high throughput and low latency.

Case study: Maxim's Group

Maxim's Group is a food, beverage and restaurant chain based in Hong Kong with more than 1,000 outlets in Hong Kong, mainland China, Cambodia and Vietnam.

The company decided to up its DR game and turned to OCVS for help. It now has DR workflow automation protecting around 70 VMs.

No one wants to think about disasters. But with OCVS, you can be sure that if disaster strikes, VMware can be scaled to multiple hosts to deliver business as usual in a matter of minutes.

4. You want a smaller data centre footprint

Is your company overrun by small VMs? OCVS lets you consolidate these, creating a smaller set of larger VMs. It also enables you to migrate any vSphere-based workloads without unwanted disruption.

Take food retailer Ahold Delhaize , which brought its footprint down to zero by migrating over 400 VMs to OCVS – all while staying in full administrative control.

In the words of chief technical officer Gerhard van der Bijl, this enabled them to "lift and shift our workloads without having to make impactful changes to the underlying infrastructure". In turn, this meant that they could "continue to operate while we migrated workloads overnight."

This is just one example of a business with a complex infrastructure consolidating mission-critical VMs quickly and easily.

5. You want to deploy VDIs

Virtual desktops allow employees to access their desktops from any device and any location. These desktops are managed centrally, ensuring security, flexibility and scalability.

OCVS can be used to spin up and manage VDIs in the cloud. This can be of use both to companies wishing to deploy VDIs for the first time and to existing providers who want to expand their offerings without splashing out on infrastructure.

The bottom line

If it's time to switch providers, businesses can find themselves confronted with options that are, on the face of it, hard to choose between.
As with all tech solutions, there's no one-size-fits-all solution. The solution you go for will depend on your business's specific needs, budget and time scale.

Ask yourself this: do you want to achieve one or more of the five goals listed above? Are you looking to unlock the efficiencies of the public cloud while maintaining complete administrative control over the VMware stack? Do you want to ensure business continuity while expanding your data centre and consolidating VMs? Are you interested in exploring virtual desktop infrastructure?

If this sounds like you, OCVS could be just the solution for you – one that has the agility, flexibility and cost-effectiveness that will satisfy IT, finance and management.

Interested in switching to Oracle Cloud VMware Solution? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we offer pre-packaged Oracle Cloud migration services to meet your business's requirements and budget. Speak to a cloud expert today to find out more.

NaaS vs SDN vs SASE: what's the difference?

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 06:17:00 GMT

SASE, SDN, NaaS… how do these network models differ? Get the answers in our jargon-free guide.

The world of big tech is many things: dynamic, exciting, unexpected… But it's also (whisper it) got a jargon problem.

Take the question of networking. If you're looking to simplify your network and unlock some cost savings in the process, the last thing you want is to be confronted by a swarm of acronyms. Yet this is the situation that many non-specialists find themselves in.

NaaS. SDN. SASE. They're all cloud-based networking services, right? But what, exactly, is the difference?

It's an important question for businesses because tech and finance are so tightly bound. Questions of performance, latency, bandwidth and so on aren't just technical. You don't want an agile solution just so IT can watch it run smoothly like a model train set.

No, these things matter because they contribute to the overall operational efficiency of your business. If you get a solution that doesn't quite fit, the whole of your company suffers – not just IT.

At Ascend, we see this happen all the time. There's a language barrier in the tech world that needs to be overcome if all stakeholders are going to make informed decisions.

That's why we've put together this layperson's guide to software-defined networking – in particular, the differences between NaaS, SDN and SASE. We hope it sheds some light on the issue.

What is NaaS?

Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) is a way of simplifying networks that exists to solve a problem.

Traditionally, a company would have network hardware on their premises. On the plus side, this gave companies total administrative control over their networks. But hardware has a problem. It's difficult to make any alterations without spending money.

Whether it's a repair, an upgrade or a like-for-like replacement, servers can't be quickly and easily modified. This leads to downtime and unexpected costs.

What's more, hardware isn't easily scaleable. If you sell cocktail shakers, your business will probably see an uptick in sales at the start of summer. But your network is giving you the same bandwidth as the rest of the year. In other words, you can't be flexible about the allocation of your resources.

Enter NaaS. With this model, you rent networking services from a cloud vendor and pay on a monthly basis.

As with other kinds of "aaS" – Software-as-a-Service, Platform-as-a-Service, and so on – the need for hardware is eliminated. All you need is software to run your network – and that software can be accessed from any device in any location.

IT is no longer responsible for maintenance, which is now covered by the cloud provider. As well as freeing up time, this allows businesses to redirect the money they would have spent on hardware upgrades.

But IT still plays a key role. Now that the network has been virtualised, they can reconfigure networks on demand, scaling up and down to meet real-time requirements.

During a busy season, you can effectively rent more bandwidth from a vendor. With an on-premise model, this isn't possible.

That's NaaS – so, how is it different from SASE?

NaaS vs SASE

NaaS is a service package that virtualises and outsources hardware. It's not built for security but can be integrated into security platforms such as SASE.

SASE is pronounced "sassy" and stands for "secure access service edge". Like NaaS, it's a network architecture model. But it serves different business goals.

It was introduced as the solution to a problem. In the old days, geographic spread was a problem for networking. If your company had one branch in Omaha and another in Alaska, chances are you'd have to deal with slow connections, regular drop-outs and gaps in security.

This isn't the same problem that NaaS seeks to solve. NaaS is about handing over the reins of your network to a third party. SASE is about improving network performance across wide-area networks.

With SASE, employees can access corporate workloads from a distance with improved speed, reliability and privacy.

Differences and similarities

Both NaaS and SASE are emerging network models that seek to make companies more efficient and more cost-effective. They improve the user experience for employees and let businesses refocus their energies.

However, they are built for different ends. SASE wants to optimise your network performance and data security, especially if your business network is spread across a wide geographical area. NaaS, by contrast, relieves companies of the burden of building and maintaining their own network.

What is SDN?

Another kind of virtual networking platform is SDN, which stands for software-defined network.

It functions something like a traffic cop for data, using software-based controllers to communicate with network hardware and keep data packets moving across the network.

Compared with traditional networking methods, SDN is fast and flexible. Developers no longer have to manually program chains of hardware. Instead, they can direct the traffic through a single, centralised, software-based controller.

Like SASE, it seeks to optimise the flow of data across a network. But SDN is just one component of SASE, which bundles together SDN, cloud security and edge computing.

Moreover, SDN is the technology that underpins NaaS. However, NaaS builds upon this foundation by simplifying access and management for users.

Which is best for my business?

Choosing between SASE, NaaS and a traditional SDN depends entirely on where your business is now and where you want it to be. However, NaaS is the best option if your focus is on reducing hardware costs, making your payments more predictable and allocating network resources with greater flexibility.

In short, NaaS gives you greater freedom. It's flexible. It's scalable. It's pay-as-you-go, not pay-forever. And it lets you allocate and reallocate bandwidth and other network resources flexibly, meeting demand as it arises.

Based in Ireland, Ascend Cloud Solutions provides expert cloud computing advisory services to organisations around the globe. As part of our commitment to offering end-to-end, ultra-agile cloud solutions, we're working hard to create a transformative cloud network and management infrastructure for Ireland's digital-first businesses. Watch this space to learn more.

Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) explained

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 06:26:00 GMT

Want more simplicity, flexibility and cost-effectiveness in your network? Learn why NaaS could be the answer.

Picture this. You're off to the supermarket for your weekly shop. Tonight is fajita night, and the recipe calls for a single lime. Yet when you get to the limes, there's only one option: you can buy 20 limes or nothing.

You stand there um-ing and ah-ing as shoppers around you reach for their big bags of 20 limes. Is this… normal?

No one wants to pay for more than they need. But in the networking world, that's precisely what happens.

Across the space of a year, your networking demands could change. But if you're running your network on your premises, you can't easily scale up or down to meet those demands. You're stuck, shall we say, with 20 limes when you really only need one.

This is where Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) comes in. It's a flexible, cost-effective way of managing your network according to demand, not a pre-prepared package. It frees up time, money and resources.

How does it work?

NaaS is a way for businesses to simplify their network operations. It does this by shifting the network from on-premise equipment to the cloud, where resources can be allocated when they're needed.

Those dusty old pieces of network hardware will clutter your offices no more as you move to a virtualised environment. Upgrades and upkeep are now the responsibility of the provider, not your IT team.

It's pay-as-you-go – a simple enough change with wide-ranging consequences, not least the shift of network costs from CapEx to OpEx.

This isn't just about saving money. It's also about better money management. With NaaS, you can be as flexible or as predictable as you like. Want to scale up or down? No problem. Want a consistent allocation of resources? Again, no problem.

Above all, it's about freedom. You're no longer tied to one piece of hardware or one level of resource allocation. "Agile" may be an overused word in the business world – but with NaaS, it's exactly the right description.

What are the key benefits of NaaS?

NaaS isn't just a clever way of delivering your network. It can also save you money and improve your overall performance. Here are five of the key benefits that make this possible.

1. Cost-effectiveness
With NaaS, you pay for what you use, not the total costs of your network infrastructure. This lets you allocate your budget with far greater precision and flexibility.

2. Simpler network management

It's not just your invoice trail that's simplified – it's the network itself. With NaaS, you don't need to manage your infrastructure. The time you save can be put towards research and development, branding, growth plans and all the other tasks you've been putting off.

3. Agility

Having your own on-premises infrastructure is like wearing a raincoat all year round. There are times when you just don't need it.

Market conditions change – so why shouldn't your networking resources change too? NaaS lets you scale up and down to meet demand and stay competitive.

4. Speed

If you want to upgrade your hardware, you're going to have to wait. NaaS, by contrast, can be provisioned quickly, so you can always stop on top of changing demands and new opportunities.

5. Managed services

Some things are best kept in-house. Others can be outsourced to the benefit of your company. NaaS is one of these. Reduce your administrative burden by letting a third party take care of your network.

Four use cases for NaaS

That's what it is – but when should you consider using it? Here are four situations where NaaS could come to the rescue.

1. You're ready to scale up

Your business is growing – congratulations! But it's putting a strain on your network. Should you upgrade your hardware or outsource your network to a pay-as-you-go cloud service model? By now, the answer should be clear…

2. Your business is affected by seasonal fluctuations

Some goods and services go up and down at different times of the year – sleighs and surfing lessons, to cite two examples. But even those goods and services needed all year round experience spikes – at holiday times, for instance.

Then there are those spikes in sales that can't be predicted, caused by a public issue or celebrity trend.

A spike in sales means a spike in traffic. And a spike in traffic can negatively affect your application performance.

NaaS gets around this by providing bandwidth on demand. It's another example of the cost-saving flexibility it offers. Instead of having spike levels of bandwidth all year round, use what you need and pay for what you use.

3. You feel like your costs are getting out of control

Remember when software could only be accessed when you bought it on disk? Chances are you ended up spending an amount of money on software disproportionate to the time spent actually using it.

While enterprises have more or less shifted to Software-as-a-Service, they're still largely tied to Network-as-a-Burden. NaaS knocks this on the head by providing a monthly subscription that can be budgeted for with ease.

4. You're worried about downtime

If your on-site hardware goes down, you go down with it. But with NaaS, traffic gets automatically re-routed in the event of any kind of hardware failure. This high availability and redundancy means greater peace of mind.

About Ascend Cloud Solutions

Ascend Cloud Solutions is a team of trusted cloud specialists based in Cork, Ireland.

Expertise and problem-solving are our strengths. We know the world of cloud computing like few others on earth – and we put this knowledge into action by helping organisations like yours extract more value from the cloud.

Already, we've assisted hundreds of businesses as they migrate to the cloud. And we've helped dozens more with solutions like cloud optimisation , cloud security consulting and cloud readiness assessments .

But these solutions are just the start. We're constantly investing in new infrastructure and technologies to help our clients move faster and work better.

Need a helping hand with cloud strategy? Get in touch. Want to harness cutting-edge cloud networking and management services, born and based in Ireland? Watch this space.

Busting cloud security jargon

Fri, 13 Sep 2024 14:35:00 GMT

Don't know your DevSecOps from your DLP? Get to grips with cloud security terminology in our glossary.

Businesses have always had to interact with complicated technologies. But today, the world of cloud computing and cloud security has reached new heights of specialisation.

This can lead to a situation where businesses don't fully understand the implications of the security products they're deploying.

At Ascend, we want our customers to understand our services. That's why we've put together this handy glossary of cloud security terms. We hope it sheds some light on this essential part of modern business life.

Cloud access security broker (CASB)

Back in the days when business was largely done on local area networks, the constituent parts of the network were fixed. There were 23 desktop computers in the office, say, and 23 members of staff.

Fast forward to 2024. Networks are vast, sprawling things, even if there are still only 23 employees. Why? Because the age of the cloud is the age of hybrid working and "bring your own device". Now, those staff are accessing corporate data on multiple devices in multiple locations.

Naturally, this has created novel security risks. A cloud access security broker (CASB) mediates between the cloud provider and network users to enforce security policies and ensure that the network is a members-only club.

DevSecOps

For some time now, DevOps has been a buzzword in the tech world, bringing together Dev and Ops to streamline and speed up the production and deployment of apps.

DevSecOps throws security into the mix. This is to ensure that security is as integral to the development process as oxygen is to water. It does this by including security assessments and vulnerability tests at the earliest possible opportunity.

DLP (data leak prevention)

Once upon a time, classified information was the preserve of governments, the military and international men of mystery. Today, even the kebab shop on the corner has to handle sensitive data – because if customer data gets leaked, companies have to pay under GDPR.

Data loss prevention (DLP) is an umbrella term that covers both software and business mindsets. It seeks to detect and prevent data loss to avoid a costly and disruptive breach.

Identity and access management (IAM)

"Who goes there – and what do you want?"

IT needs a way of answering these questions to prevent unwanted access. Identity and access management (IAM) does this in two ways.
First, it checks login attempts against an identity management database. This database contains an updatable list of everyone who needs access, whether directly employed by the company or a third party.

This is typically bolstered with multifactor or two-factor authorisation – a way of verifying people that should be familiar to anyone who does online banking.

The second half of IAM is access management. This monitors which resources the person is permitted to access. Not everyone needs access to everything – a simple maxim not always lived by. With IAM, a user's job title, security clearance and project role will determine what they get access to.

ISO 27001

The business world is international. Well, sure – you might as well say that ice cream is nice on a summer's day.

But while the statement is obvious, it has ramifications for security. If different countries have different compliance and security standards, how can a multinational company ensure its data is protected from pole to pole?

ISO is an organisation that creates, in its own words, "global standards for trusted goods and services". It lays out ground rules for everything from environmental management to quality control.

ISO 27001 is the international standard for information security management. If a company is compliant with ISO 27001, you can count on its commitment to cyber security.

Shared responsibility

"Who's responsible?" is a crucial question in all aspects of business life – and one which has only become harder to answer as enterprises embrace freelancers, third-party consultants and collaboration as the norm.

In the realm of the cloud, who is king? Well, it depends on your cloud service model. If you run and manage your own data centre, you're responsible. But if you use a cloud provider, you're now part of a "shared responsibility" model.

Exactly how the responsibilities are split will depend on the service model you use. Differences exist between SaaS, PaaS, serverless and containers. But in all cases, you need to know your responsibilities as well as your rights to ensure a robust security posture.

Technically enforced separation

When you work with a cloud provider, you're renting compute resources. You pay for what you need and they pay for maintenance and infrastructure.

But "renting compute resources" has the potential to be a misleading phrase. You're not getting dedicated resources. Instead, you're tapping into a pool of resources shared with other users.

Because of this proximity to other tenants, cloud providers use something called "technically enforced separation" to sequester and protect your workloads and data.

Zero trust

When networks are complicated, who do you trust? Just because that device was used for a Teams meeting yesterday it doesn't mean it's being used by the same person today. This is where the notion of "zero trust" comes in.

Zero trust assumes the worst of everyone. It's like a bouncer at a club checking everyone's bag – no exceptions. If you pop out to buy some cigs and come back to the venue, you're due another frisking.

But zero trust isn't just about inspecting every user trying to access the network. It's also about giving them the least amount of access they need to do their job.

Think of a staff access card. Finance doesn't need to get into the kitchen and vice versa. Zero trust takes this "principle of least privilege" and applies it to the world of cloud security.

Are you looking for a consultancy firm that puts your cloud security strategy front and centre? Contact Ascend today to learn how we can help you secure your data – and your reputation.

The story of Humboldt: Google's sea monster

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 16:27:00 GMT

Humboldt is Google's new subsea internet cable. Find out what it could mean for the Asia-Pacific region.

In 2021, highspeedinternet.com surveyed 1,000 Americans. The goal: to find out if non-experts could explain how the internet works.

Among other things, the survey revealed that 60% of respondents thought "the internet" and "the World Wide Web" were synonymous.

In fact, the World Wide Web is the platform we use to access websites. The internet, by contrast, is a physical network of routers, modems and devices – and cables.

It would be interesting to redo the survey and ask people if they knew where those cables were. We suspect many would be unaware that miles and miles of internet cables are laid directly onto the seabed – around 750,000 miles if you laid them end to end.

These copper-cased bundles of super-fine wires transmit packets of data day after day. They've been called "the backbone of the internet, carrying 99% of the world's data traffic". Without them, the world's economy would grind to a halt.

It's no surprise, then, that as demand for the internet – and the cloud in particular – grows, so too does the demand for these underwater transmitters, the clipper ships of the digital age.

Look at a map of the network and you'll see how these cables are distributed. Thick bunches of cables connect Western Europe to the USA and the USA to China, with thinner strips keeping Australia, India and other Southeast Asian countries connected.

You'll notice, too, that some areas of the world are thinly represented – Africa, for instance, is visibly underserved compared to the global north . But there's also nothing connecting South America to Asia-Pacific.

That, however, is about to change.

What is Humboldt?

Humboldt is a proposed subsea cable that will directly connect South America and Asia-Pacific for the first time.

This is building on two things: Google's previous investment in Latin American digital infrastructure and Chile's ambitions to improve its connectivity.

Google's previous investments in the region have included the Firmina subsea cable, connecting Argentina to North America, with stop-off points in Uruguay and Brazil.

What could this mean for the region? According to Google , it will "strengthen the reliability and resilience of digital connectivity across the Pacific by interconnecting the cables that comprise the South Pacific Connect initiative and adding geographically diverse cable investments that link Polynesia and Chile".

Meanwhile, global tech consultants Analysys Mason have estimated this investment will create somewhere in the region of 740,000 jobs by 2027.

At the very least, it will mean the Asia-Pacific region in general, and Chile in particular, will have better access to tools that are taken for granted in the global north – Google solutions such as Search, Gmail, YouTube and Google Cloud.

Why is it called Humboldt?

Google likes to name its subsea cables after notable scientists. The Curie cable, for instance, is named after Marie Curie: the first female Nobel Prize winner whose work on radioactivity shaped 20th-century science.

Humboldt is named after the German polymath and geographer Alexander von Humboldt. We don't have room to do justice to his achievements, but perhaps most relevant to Google's work in the Asia-Pacific region are his travels to the Americas at the turn of the 19th century.

His scientific perspective on this part of the world led the South American independence leader Simón Bolívar to say this: "The real discoverer of South America was Humboldt, since his work was more useful for our people than the work of all conquerors".

The name was chosen by Chilean residents via an online poll.

What's next for Google's subsea cables?

Humboldt isn't Google's only proposed investment in the Asia-Pacific region. It's also announced that it will invest one billion US dollars in two subsea cables joining the USA, Japan and various island territories in the Pacific.

As so often in the world of big tech, there's a geopolitical element here. China and the USA are vying for influence in this part of the world – and digital investment is all part of the competition.

How do Google's subsea cables fit in with their global fibre network?

Subsea cables are essential to the running of the digital economy. But they are to the internet what cables are to the electricity grid, acting as bridges between generators. In the case of the internet, these generators are data centres.

Google's global network is built around data centres. Individual machines are connected with fibre. These are connected to other facilities nearby. These, in turn, are joined to other parts of the world with long-haul cables, some spanning entire mountain ranges. Subsea cables are there to continue these connections across the oceans.

Google chooses where cables are needed by predicting capacity over five-year periods. This is a tricky task that requires a lot of data from a lot of sources.

It's not just hard at work on improving the capacity of Google Cloud worldwide, however. It also invests significant time, money and talent in increasing fibre capacity.

This is partly done by replicating subsea cables in the lab, daisy-chaining fibre optic spools that would stretch for 80 kilometres when unwound.

These are then analysed in a quest to create more efficient fibre cables. The challenge is finding out how to fit more hair-thin fibres into cables that will stretch from continent to continent.

What's next?

The subsea world has always been a place of human endeavour – from submarines to deep-sea divers to the first telegram cables. It's no wonder that it's now the backbone of the digital world, powering everything from large enterprises to local start-ups.

At Ascend, we follow tech news closely. Watch this space for updates about Humboldt, subsea cables and the cloud in all its multifaceted, multinational glory.

Based in Cork, Ireland, Ascend provides bleeding-edge cloud transformation solutions and consultancy. We're here to accelerate your ambition and take your digital transformation to the next level. Don't hesitate to get in touch for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Explore the future of the cloud at the Oracle Cloud Experience Day

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 14:10:00 GMT

Join us for a morning of tech talk and business insights at the Oracle Cloud Experience Day in Cork, Ireland.

On September 19th, we're delighted to be joining representatives from Oracle at the Montenotte Hotel right here in beautiful Cork.

It's shaping up to be a morning of fascinating talks on a range of topics that any cloud-native enterprise or institution could benefit from.

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we believe that technology and business are partners, but never sparring partners. The purpose of cloud modernisation is to help businesses grow– never tech for tech's sake.

We'll be bringing this philosophy to the Oracle Cloud Experience Day. We're delighted to have the opportunity to share with attendees the many ways that Oracle Cloud's suite of offerings can help businesses cut costs, boost performance and achieve their long-term goals.

In this blog post, we're going to give you a taste of what you can expect from the talks. We look forward to seeing you there!

Agenda
9:00 - 9:30
Coffee and welcome
9:30 - 10:00

Oracle Cloud overview (Neil Mitchell, Oracle)

Oracle Cloud is one of the major players in today's cloud market. But it has key advantages over its competitors.

In this talk, Oracle's Neil Mitchell will be giving us a whistle-stop tour of Oracle Cloud. It will cover both the platforms features and, crucially, how it's helped businesses to grow – and how it could help yours.

Perhaps you're getting ready to migrate mission-critical workloads. Perhaps you're looking for an environment finely-tuned for building cloud-native applications. Or perhaps you're looking for a cloud environment that provides better bang for your buck and a higher level of performance.

Sound like you? Then you won't want to miss this informative, engaging talk on Oracle's industry-leading cloud platform.

10:00 - 10:45 – Eoin Hardwicke and Mike Hogan, Ascend Cloud Solutions

These days, cloud solutions are ten a penny– but they'll cost you a bit more than that. In this landscape, it can be difficult to choose one solution over the other.

At Ascend, we're cloud-agnostic, meaning we'll get you from A to B regardless of where you start and where you end up. But we do think that Oracle Cloud VMware Solution is an especially agile, versatile and cost-effective solution.

In this talk, our very own Eoin Hardwicke and Mike Hogan will be introducing attendees to Oracle Cloud VMware Solutions: what it is, how it works, and why businesses should consider adopting it.

(Spoilers: it helps enterprises consolidate their data centres and scale their resources with no loss of administrative control or business continuity. Sounds pretty good, right?)

This talk promises to balance technical insights with business intelligence. We hope it sheds some light on how this platform can transform your operations.

10:45 - 11:00
Coffee break
11:00 - 11:30

Modern Data Platform including 23ai – Jeremy Nagle, Oracle

In this talk, Oracle's Jeremy Nagle gives you the lowdown on Oracle Modern Data Platform. This offering dramatically simplifies the end-to-end data lifecycle – and gives you actionable insights at speed.

If you feel as though your data is sprawling out of your grasp, Modern Data Platform provides you with a single platform that helps you collect, curate and manage all your assets, be they transactional, warehouse, analytical, or related to AI and ML.

Then there's Oracle 23ai – a database which, as its name suggests, harnesses the ever-evolving power of AI to furnish you with data-driven business insights.

For more than four decades, Oracle Database has given enterprises the ability to efficiently manage, store and retrieve huge quantities of data. But its latest offering, Oracle Database 23ai, does things a little differently.

It's as robust, scalable and secure as its predecessors. But 23ai also focuses on helping developers and DBAs to develop and run data-driven apps.

Jeremy is currently the technology lead for Oracle in Ireland. He's passionate and engaging on the subject of how organisations can leverage data analytics, ML, AI and big data to achieve their goals. Could Oracle Modern Data Platform help you achieve yours?

11:30 - 12:00

Estate Modernisation – Keith Eccles (Oracle) in discussion with Donal Milne, CIO of Trinity College

Is your business looking to unlock cost savings, reduce operational risks and open up new revenue streams? It may be time to modernise your estate.

Estate modernisation is the process of modernising the suite of applications that makes up your IT environments. It's a process that Oracle has mastered, helping businesses across the world accelerate their ambitions.

Oracle achieves this through its versatile, high-performance software, platforms, automation and other services. These can help meet your immediate needs, augment your existing capabilities and optimise your operations.

Not only that, but Oracle is the only vendor on the scene whose suite of apps, platforms and infrastructure can be used in both public and private cloud environments.

For this talk, Keith Eccles from Oracle will be joined by the CIO of Trinity College, Donal Milne. Donal will be offering insights into the ongoing estate modernisation at Trinity.

This conversation promises to be an invaluable insight into how IT environments can perform better at a lower cost, along with challenges and considerations drawn from a real-life case study.

12:00
Lunch

After the talks are done, join us for lunch. If you see us, say hello!

More about the event

The event will be held at the Montenotte Hotel, Cork, on Thursday September 19th, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. Full details, including the address and how to book, can be found on our website .

Whether you're looking to migrate to a new cloud environment, keen to learn about the latest in AI, or looking to meet representatives from Ascend and Oracle face to face, don't miss out on the Oracle Cloud Experience Day.

Come for cloud expertise and business insights. Stay for lunch. We look forward to meeting you there !

CapEx vs OpEx in cloud computing

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 07:36:00 GMT

Could shifting from a CapEx to an OpEx model of cloud computing help your business grow? Learn more.

CapEx and OpEx are two models of accounting. One looks at investment in hardware, buildings and other physical assets. The other covers usage, maintenance and subscriptions.

Every business's expenses will combine CapEx and OpEx. But in recent years, there's been a tendency to shift spending from CapEx to OpEx. This has been especially true in the world of cloud computing.

This has several dimensions. First, there's been the extraordinary wide-scale migration from on-premise servers to public or hybrid cloud environments – a trend that's been in motion over the last decade, but which got a boost during the pandemic.

Secondly, there's the sprawling family of "aas" or "as-a-service" solutions. This is where you get access to a service on a subscription basis. Just as Netflix is Entertainment-as-a-Service, so businesses now pay monthly fees for Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Networking-as-a-Service (NaaS), Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) and more.

In the business world, there's no one way to do anything. That's part of the fun, part of the challenge and part of the stress. But in our opinion, this shift from CapEx to OpEx introduces a greater degree of flexibility and cost-effectiveness into businesses of all shapes and sizes.
Before we dive into the details, let's take a look at the key differences between CapEx and OpEx models of cloud computing.

The differences between CapEx and OpEx

CapEx, or "capital expenditure", is money spent by a business on fixed assets – things like buildings, machines and equipment. Once bought, they need to be maintained and upgraded. These costs of upkeep also fall under the CapEx banner.

In the cloud computing world, on-premise data centres, software licences and networking hardware are examples of CapEx.

Typically, this kind of investment requires a large upfront payment followed by mortgage-style repayments.

Advocates for on-site, company-owned hardware argue that CapEx gives you greater administrative control and can save you money in the long run.

Critics, however, point to its inflexibility. It's not just that it can be hard to allocate resources based on demand – it's also the so-called "legacy trap". Once you've bought a piece of hardware, you're going to be stuck with it for a while, even as it gets overtaken by newer technologies.

OpEx, by contrast, refers to ongoing spending that keeps those fixed assets running. We're talking usage fees, monthly subscriptions and maintenance costs.

Unlike CapEx, OpEx lets you use equipment that's effectively beyond your price range. Instead of buying a nice but mediocre car, you get to rent the latest hybrid vehicle.

You also get predictable billing. By offloading the investment into infrastructure and maintenance onto a third party, you're washing your hands of maintenance charges.

Finally, you get to allocate resources on demand, scaling up and down as required. This flexibility is difficult, if not impossible, to achieve with fixed physical assets like servers.

It's not an either/or choice. All businesses will use a patchwork of CapEx and OpEx expenses. But when it comes to computing, OpEx is increasingly used – and it's used, we would argue, for good reasons.

Example one: data centres

An on-premise data centre is a classic case of CapEx. It gives you security and administrative control. But it costs a lot to install, a lot to maintain and a lot to replace.

If your on-premise data centre goes down, it's going to create downtime while IT drops everything to fix it.

On top of that, it's challenging to scale. Whether business is booming or you're cutting back, you should be paying for the compute, storage and networking resources you're using. Instead, businesses with physical hardware often over-provision and underuse their servers.

This is a key use case for OpEx in cloud computing. By shifting to a public cloud or hybrid cloud model, you get all of the computing power you're used to, but now with scalability, resource allocation flexibility and no emergency payments when your machine blows a gasket.

Example two: networking as a service

When future historians write about the 2020s, they're bound to mention one thing: the rise of remote and hybrid working.

This quiet revolution has changed the way we do business. It's created new possibilities and new challenges. But it's also changed the way we do networking.

Rewind to the early 2000s and most companies had fixed, contained networks that existed within a building or series of buildings. Access permissions could be granted on the basis of a username and a password. Nine times out of 10, one member of staff would get one device to use.

To say that things have changed would be an understatement. Even small businesses now have employees using multiple devices in multiple locations as a given.

This has helped businesses save money and give their workers greater flexibility. But it's also created novel challenges for networking.

Businesses now need heightened security and the ability to grant tiered access permissions. This is something that networking-as-a-service, or NaaS, can provide in spades.

But they also need the ability to scale resources up and down in response to demand. It's rare for a business to use the same level of resources all year round – but it's extremely common for them to pay for the same amount regardless of usage.

NaaS puts an end to this by letting businesses allocate resources flexibly. Busy sales period? Spike in visits to your website? You can bump up your resources with ease – something that simply isn't possible with a CapEx model of network provision.

Ascend Cloud Solutions

Based in Ireland, Ascend is a trusted cloud solutions provider that works with global organisations of all sizes. Our services include cloud migration consulting , cloud cost optimisation and IaaS management – and we're constantly expanding our offering to help you accelerate and exploit your digital transformation.

Want to find out how we can help your business grow? Contact a member of our friendly, knowledgeable team today.

The case for cloud migration in the automotive industry

Mon, 02 Sep 2024 06:34:00 GMT

The cloud has transformed many sectors and the automotive industry is no exception. See why in our article.

In some industries, products and manufacturing methods advance at different rates.

Take the flower industry. The majority of flowers you can buy now are the same, or very similar, to flowers you could have bought in Shakespeare's day. But they're now grown in ways that would make a Tudor market-goer gasp.

But in the automotive industry, both products and manufacturing methods have advanced in tandem. It's an industry that has innovation at its core – from the earliest automobiles to electric vehicles and self-driving cars. And from production lines where muscly men did all the work to robotics and AI.

So, it's no surprise that the automotive industry has been embracing cloud technologies for some time. Yet some companies still feel unsure.

Is the cloud definitely going to deliver cost savings, flexibility, scalability, sunshine, rainbows and glitter?

Like anything, it depends on how well it's executed. Done well, however, cloud migration can help the automotive industry to grow – from factories to designers, from dealerships to aftermarket providers.

1. Cost reduction

On-premise hardware has its advantages. Above all, it gives you administrative control and full responsibility. But it comes at a cost.

You see, it's rare for a factory, branch office or dealership to use the exact same resources and bandwidth day after day. Demand fluctuates and your resources need to fluctuate with it.

The cloud's scalability gives it the edge over an on-premise data centre. But migrating to the cloud unlocks another saving.

By offloading maintenance tasks to a third-party provider, you no longer have to fork out money when your data centre goes down or needs a repair job. It's like renting a house – when the pipe bursts, the landlord pays for the repair.

These cost reductions apply across the board, whether you're overseeing a car factory or selling spare parts online.

2. Security

Cloud architectures vary. Different companies with different requirements will opt for private, public, hybrid or multi-cloud infrastructure. But whatever the precise nature of the set-up, one thing is crucial: security.

For a long time, security concerns made some enterprises reluctant to move to the public cloud. But these days, security is tighter than ever.

In fact, security is another thing that can be partially or entirely offloaded onto a third-party provider. Many public clouds come with industry-standard security tools and features to keep your workloads under lock and key.

Whatever part of the automotive industry you work in, chances are you handle a lot of confidential data, be it staff details, customer details or email chains with suppliers, contractors and other third parties. By moving to the cloud, you get the flexibility of remote access at the same time as watertight security.

3. Collaboration

The automotive industry isn't famed for twiddling its thumbs and waiting for things to happen. It's always at the forefront of new technologies – something we've seen recently in the production of electric vehicles, self-driving cars, dashcams and more.

No one person or company is responsible for these advancements. They come from a pool of expertise. The beauty of the cloud is that it deepens this pool and speeds up collaboration.

It doesn't matter where in the world you are. If you've got login details and an internet connection, you can collaborate with a designer, marketer or other automotive player in real time.

As well as unclogging the design pipeline, this increases speed to market – an important advantage when the consumer market is so saturated with options.

4. Disaster recovery
What do you do when an on-premise data centre goes down? The answer will vary depending on your exact set-up, but the fact of the matter is that it will eat up time, money and productivity.

Dead time is like dead air on the radio: something to be avoided at all costs. In the automotive industry, it can lead to production stoppages, design bottlenecks and other headaches.

But by sticking to an on-premise data centre, you're increasing the chances of dead time. Business continuity becomes a case of good luck rather than a priority.

Working with a cloud provider, by contrast, gives you a host of backup and disaster recovery options. This lets you embrace remote collaboration, data analytics and more without putting your bottom line at risk.

5. Data analytics

Some historians say that we've been living in the Information Age since around 1970 – an age that can be subdivided into the Internet Age and, most recently, the Artificial Intelligence Era. But the Information Age could just as well be called the Data Age.

The amount of corporate data sloshing around is dizzying. Thinking about it can be like contemplating atomic particles or the vastness of space. From the smallest start-up to the biggest corporation, data is everywhere.

This is true whether you're selling catalytic converters in Beijing or designing airbags in Gibraltar – and whether you're overseeing automobile production or providing breakdown rescue. Whoever and wherever you are, you hold a lot of information about your customers and partners.

Naturally, this explosion of data has led to an explosion in security solutions. But it's also led to developments in data analytics.

Once upon a time, data analysis was done manually. You would look at your sales figures, say, and make decisions about the next quarter.

Today, cloud solutions can chew up and spit out vast amounts of data and give you practical, actionable insights. They can help you forecast demand, fine-tune your marketing, manage your inventory, and more. And they do so at a speed that no human mind can match.

So, if you want to make decisions that are driven by data as well as by your experience and expertise, cloud-based analytics solutions can be an investment you won't regret.

Looking for an expert partner to help you get to grips with cloud computing in the automotive industry ? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we've managed more than 400 migrations for customers across a wide range of verticals. Get in touch today for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Who built the cloud?

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 07:56:00 GMT

Cloud computing is crucial to modern life. But where did it begin? Meet the great minds behind the cloud.

These days, a world without the cloud is hard to imagine. Sure, you could find other ways to amuse yourself if Netflix goes down. But businesses, public sector organisations, charities and governments all rely on the cloud for data storage, access to software and communications.

But for something so ubiquitous, people know surprisingly little about it – not just the technical side of things, but also where it came from.

To many, the question "Who built the cloud?" sounds like a riddle of the Sphinx or a line from a poorly translated hymn.

It's a shame if only because the history of the cloud is super-interesting. And like so many things that our now dominant, it all began in the 1960s.

In this article, we take a look at the academics and developers who built the cloud that we know today.

From science fiction to science fact

The writer Hugo Gernsback has been dubbed "the father of science fiction" – and he has some claim to be the imaginative father of the cloud.

His novel Ralph 124C 41 + predicts a world full of devices that would need something like today's cloud computing to work – devices that resemble today's video conferencing software and today's smart home systems.

Gernsback, father of the cloud? Not really. But his novel is one of several examples of writers predicting a world connected by the cloud.

The 1960s

Today, the centre of the cloud world is Silicon Valley. But in the early 1960s, it first saw life in American universities.

In 1963, MIT received a two-million-dollar grant to develop technology that would allow multiple people to use a computer simultaneously.

The result ran on magnetic tape, not metal servers, and could be used by two or three people, not tens of thousands. But Project MAC, as it was called, was the beginning of the cloud as we know it.

Fast forward to 1969, and computer scientist J.C.R. Licklider helped develop an early version of the internet for the Pentagon.

No history of the cloud is complete without a mention of Licklider or "Lick". He was far from the first person to have a vision of a world connected by the cloud – but he was, arguably, the first to put it into practice by developing the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET).

The turn of the millennium

For many, 1999 is notable as the year when the Millennium Bug didn't happen. But something in the world of technology did happen – and its repercussions are felt to this day.

Yes, in 1999, CRM software company Salesforce became internet-only. This meant its software was exclusively available online – no disks necessary. Businesses could now buy the software remotely as and when required.

This was the beginning of SaaS or "Software-as-a-Service": software that can be accessed online from any device in any location. The explosion of streaming services, cloud-based admin tools and more can all be traced back to this moment.

The cloud goes commercial

Between 1999 and 2006, the cloud was private-access only. But in 2006, Amazon made history by launching Amazon Web Services. This included cloud-based storage, compute and "human intelligence" under the banner of Amazon Mechanical Turk. It also introduced EC2, the world's first commercial cloud.

Google quickly followed suit, offering free plans and low-cost services such as Google Docs. Then, in 2010, Microsoft entered the fray with Azure.

These major industry players are often portrayed as rivalrous. So, it may come as a surprise to learn that IBM, Google and several universities pooled resources in 2007 to create a server farm. This investment from big tech in the academic world saw an acceleration of cloud-based research and problem-solving.

Around the same time, Netflix ushered in the age of streaming and Dropbox began offering cloud storage to businesses and consumers alike.

Another key moment in the history of the cloud was the introduction of Oracle Cloud in 2012. Oracle became the first provider to deliver the three basic cloud computing models from a single source: IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service), PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service) and SaaS.

As well as the rise of commercial clouds and consumer services like Netflix, the first decade of the millennium saw the beginnings of open-source deployment for cloud environments. NASA was the first to roll this out with its OpenNebula open-source software.

The cloud goes mainstream

In the first decade of the new millennium, more and more businesses and consumers were using the cloud. But adoption went into first gear in 2012 – a year when cloud adoption went up by a remarkable 71%.

The next big jump occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic when many businesses and individuals were forced to rely on remote working methods in response to lockdown measures.

In many ways, today's cloud landscape is unthinkable without the pandemic. Although uptake was steadily increasing – with the occasional spike – it went into overdrive from 2020 onwards.

What next for the cloud?

Cloud adoption shows no signs of slowing down – and developments in generative AI, the Internet of Things, containers and edge computing show that there are still advancements to be made.

Nevertheless, the cloud industry faces some challenges, in particular shortages in capacity and the unavoidable fact that those data centres which keep the cloud up and running are by and large bad for the environment.

Predicting the future is a mug's game, but we suspect that the cloud will continue to be an indispensable part of our lives for many years to come – and it's all thanks to the academics and developers who have built it over the years.

Want to get more from your cloud infrastructure? Based in Cork, Ireland, Ascend is a team of expert consultants specialising in cloud transformation solutions . Work with us and we'll help you identify the financial, technical and operational efficiencies that can accelerate your ambition. Simply get in touch to get the ball rolling.

The state of the cloud in the UK [2024]

Mon, 26 Aug 2024 08:00:00 GMT

The cloud sector thrives in developed economies. How is it faring in the UK? Get the lowdown in our article.

The last few years have seen an explosion in cloud adoption across the world. An existing increase in the use of these services went into overdrive during the COVID-19 pandemic – a time when on-demand services were a necessity if businesses and other organisations were to survive.

The UK is no exception to this rule. Today, businesses, public services and governments all rely on cloud solutions. And there's no sign that things are slowing down, with a continual race to expand and fine-tune cloud technologies across these sectors.

This is in spite of the UK's economic woes, with a weak pound, sluggish growth and spiralling living costs making headlines worldwide.

But while the state of the cloud is broadly positive, challenges exist in the form of vendor lock-in and anti-competitive behaviours. These aren't a barrier to adoption, but they do create issues for businesses and governments alike.

In this article, we take the pulse of the state of the cloud in the UK in 2024.

Data centres

It's surprisingly difficult to get accurate figures for the number of data centres in the world – but it seems that in the UK, there are somewhere between 355 and 450 . Most of these are in London.

In 2024, the demand for data centres in London is going from strength to strength, with take-up set to challenge the record of 139 megawatts in 2022.

Furthermore, data centre providers are gearing up for an increase in demand from companies investing in resource-hungry artificial intelligence (AI).

Despite this healthy trend, there's a lack of available power in London and elsewhere which is putting a dampener on growth. It remains to be seen how this will affect cloud adoption in the coming years.

The cloud and the UK government

Like many governments worldwide, the UK government is spending a lot of time and money moving its departments to the cloud. At the start of 2024, for instance, it launched two cloud services tenders that could be worth billions.

However, the Cabinet Office's Central Digital and Data Office has raised concerns that the government is experiencing vendor lock-in – the phenomenon whereby a customer struggles to switch providers.

A document from the office in question warns that the "UK government's current approach to cloud adoption and management across its departments faces several challenges" and risks "concentration and vendor lock-in that inhibit UK government's negotiating power over the cloud vendors".

This could mean the UK government has a weak hand when trying to negotiate favourable terms with its vendors – in particular, Amazon Web Services (AWS).

The government has struck many large-scale deals with AWS, including the Home Office (£450 million), HMRC (£350 million) and the DWP (£20 million). AWS also provides infrastructure for the NHS, Crown Marketplace (an online platform used by government departments to buy common goods and services) and the Ministry of Justice.

Hybrid multi-cloud environments in the UK

Nutanix is an American cloud computing company that sells software for both data centres and hybrid multi-cloud environments. Its sixth annual Enterprise Cloud Index (ECI) survey tells us a lot about cloud adoption in the UK and beyond.

The first stat is unlikely to come as a surprise. Eighty-four percent of businesses in the UK are adopting a "cloud-smart" stance, meaning a focus on cloud migration and flexibility with regard to the environments used.

Hybrid multi-clouds are already on the up and are forecast to jump from 19% at the time of writing to 26% by 2027. Furthermore, the use of multiple public clouds is predicted to go up by 35% in the same time frame, exceeding the global average by 20% in the process.

In 2024, sustainability is never far from the business world's lips. This is reflected in Nutanix's findings that 92% of UK organisations consider it to be a priority and 67% say their investment is set to increase.

How are UK organisations deciding on their cloud infrastructure? It seems that performance and cost are the key drivers, with data sovereignty and privacy third.

Does the cloud have a competition problem?

Since 2012, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has been responsible for strengthening business competition and tackling anti-competitive behaviours in the UK. It has taken on cases as diverse as veterinary care and online GIFs – and in October 2023, it turned its hawk eyes to anti-competitive behaviours in the cloud market.

Its first interim paper confirms something that many in the cloud tech industry have long known – that Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure are dominating the market, with Google taking the third spot.

The report points out that egress fees play a large part in stopping businesses from migrating their workloads to smaller, independent cloud providers. However, both AWS and Google Cloud have announced that they will remove egress fees.

AWS and Azure also have a monopoly because crucial bits of cloud architecture like interfaces and authentication aren't yet interoperable. This makes it hard for many businesses to adopt multi-cloud solutions.

The report also found that switching didn't only bring in high egress fees. It also dumped a huge amount of work on IT teams who struggled to keep up with core tasks. This is one area where a third-party consultant can help.

Conclusion

Despite the country's economic troubles, the cloud in the UK is in rude health. Uptake and data centre capacity are both expected to grow as more and more essential services are moved to the cloud.

Nevertheless, some roadblocks exist in the form of energy capacity and anti-competitive behaviours from big-name providers. These aren't unique to the UK but could potentially affect the country's overall global standing in the cloud sector.

Whatever happens next, we'll let you know!

Are you looking for a cloud migration partner? Ascend Cloud Solutions is a cloud consulting company based in Cork, Ireland. Together, our team has handled more than 400 migrations – and counting. Get in touch for a free no-obligation consultation.

Oracle Cloud (OCI) vs Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 05:50:00 GMT

OCI and AWS are two big players in the cloud world. Which is right for you? Get the facts in our guide.

Whether you're looking to migrate to the cloud from an on-prem data centre or from one cloud to another, the question quickly arises: which provider shall we use?

It's not an easy one to answer. This is partly because, on the face of it, there are more commonalities than differentiating factors among providers. Whatever your company's requirements for performance, compute and storage, it's likely that each of the major providers will have an offering for you.

And from one point of view, that's not wrong. The big names are big for a reason and will get you where you want to be.

But at the same time, business needs are singular and granular. Your current infrastructure, business needs and budget will all play into the provider you choose.

Two rivals in the cloud space are Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) and Amazon Web Services (AWS). Both provide high-performance, low-latency cloud offerings. So how can you possibly choose between them?

Well, the main difference has to do with flexibility versus specialisation. AWS is famously flexible. It's used by everyone from startups to large enterprises in all manner of sectors.

In most settings, OCI performs equally well – but it's more specialised, and tends to be used by bigger enterprises with high computing demands. It also tends to be used by companies that already use Oracle software (though not always).

Beyond this, there are several key differences between the two providers.

Services

AWS has range. It offers a swathe of services, including virtualised compute, storage, networking, machine learning and analytics. Popular IaaS options include EC2, S3 storage and Virtual Private Cloud. But these are just the tip of the Amazon iceberg.

OCI, meanwhile, specialises in databases, containers and enterprise-level services. The focus is largely on PaaS (including Functions for serverless computing and Container Engine for Kubernetes) and SaaS (Database Cloud Service, Marketing Cloud and Analytics Cloud).

These offerings don't make one better than the other. It all depends on what your company needs – and what you're willing to spend.

Cost

Both OCI and AWS have pay-as-you-go pricing models – but there are differences.

AWS charges you for the resources that you consume on an hourly basis. This means that if you don't use a particular resource between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on a Tuesday, say, you can shut it down and not be charged.

By contrast, OCI's pay-as-you-go model charges you for the full list of resources. It doesn't matter how much you use the resources. You pay each month for the lot.

If you don't need the full menu, OCI might not be for you. But if you do, its billing system allows you to budget accurately and effectively.

Speed

AWS's range is partly down to its global reach. It has a globally distributed network, meaning your systems can run on a data centre near you.

In turn, this means lower latency and greater reliability than some other offerings.

OCI has less reach but lower latency. Its RDMA-based InfiniBand networking allows compute and storage to run with virtually no lag. This makes it ideal for enterprises that are chomping big data or leveraging machine learning, generative AI or supercomputers.

Compliance and security

As with speed and integration, compliance and security are integral to the success of any major cloud provider. A client's data is far too valuable to be compromised by shoddy security.

To this end, both AWS and OCI have robust, enterprise-level security features and compliance certifications.

Support

Both AWS and OCI offer 24/7 phone and online support along with partner networks. However, Oracle offers a more personalised level of support through dedicated technical account managers.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of online support communities for both services.

Integration

No major cloud provider can afford not to prioritise integration. The whole point of cloud migration is to get your workloads into a new environment. If there's too much friction along the way, the service won't survive.

That said, AWS and OCI approach integration in different ways. AWS can integrate with a multitude of third-party apps and services, with many open partnerships there to smooth the transitions.

OCI, on the other hand, integrates most smoothly with organisations that already use Oracle software. That said, it too has solutions that allow for cross-platform integration such as Oracle Cloud VMware Solution.

AWS or OCI: which should you choose?

In our view, there are three main considerations when choosing between AWS and OCI.

The first has to do with money. Is your business in a position to commit long-term to Oracle services? Or do you need the flexibility of monthly charges for just the resources you've used?

Second, you need to consider the services that you need. AWS has a bigger library of services. However, OCI may suit you better if you need sector-specific services.

Finally, there's the question of your business's size. Both AWS and OCI can be used by companies of all shapes and sizes. However, OCI tends to be used by large organisations that need lots of resources to run their workloads.

About Oracle Cloud VMware Solution (OCVS)

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we're cloud-agnostic. That means we'll get you from A to B without minding what A and B are.

However, we do encourage our customers to consider Oracle Cloud VMware Solution (OCVS): an innovative product that lets customers shift their on-premise VMware workloads to Oracle Cloud.

This means you can keep using familiar tools while enjoying the benefits of OCI's public cloud infrastructure. And once the move has been made, you still have administrative control of your workloads.

It's secure, cost-effective and fast. So, if you're looking to shift your VMware workloads, consider OCVS.

Interested in migrating to OCI or Oracle Cloud VMware Solution? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we've managed more than 400 migrations, so we have the experience and knowledge you need to nail your Oracle Cloud migration strategy . Don't hesitate to get in touch for a free, no-obligation consultation.

5 technologies that are transforming healthcare

Fri, 16 Aug 2024 07:06:00 GMT

From hospitals to clinics, healthcare organisations are embracing new technologies. Learn more in our article.

Think of the cloud and your mind might go to day-to-day tools like Gmail and Dropbox. Perhaps it will go to Netflix, Amazon Prime and other streaming services. But did you know that the cloud is also transforming the healthcare sector?

It's true – the cloud isn't just about emails, file back-ups and box sets. It's also helping healthcare organisations across the world to analyse data, improve patient outcomes and even save lives.

Don't believe us? Here are five cloud-based technologies that are changing healthcare for the better.

1. Cloud analytics

Healthcare organisations hold huge amounts of data on their patients. And we mean huge. There are patient notes of course – but there are also surgical records, pathology and radiology reports, images from scans, lab tests, patient demographics… The list goes on.

There are two challenges here. One is keeping this sensitive data safe. The other is putting it to work.

After all, healthcare data is held for a reason. It's meant to inform decision-making and improve patient outcomes. But given the sheer amount, how can healthcare organisations use it to draw concrete conclusions?

This is where cloud analytics comes in. Cloud analytics uses cloud technologies to extract actionable insights from large data sets.

It takes different forms. It can be used, for instance, to identify patients at risk of certain health conditions, enabling doctors to treat them proactively. It can give insights into the health of a population – a process that received mainstream attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. And it can be used to provide real-time monitoring of a patient's blood rate, blood pressure or oxygen levels.

Cloud analytics are already embedded in many healthcare organisations and are set to grow in the coming years.

2. Extended reality

Extended reality is a broad church. It covers everything from smart glasses to full-blown immersive worlds. But contrary to popular belief, it's not all Snapchat filters and 3D zombie shoot-em-ups. It can also be used in healthcare settings to improve patient outcomes and even save lives.

Take London's Great Ormond Street Hospital. In 2022, three-year-old conjoined twins Arthur and Bernardo Lima were due to be surgically separated.

The Lima boys were joined at the head, making the procedure especially risky. It required a huge amount of planning, some of which was carried out using virtual reality projections or "digital twins".

Surgeons in London and Rio were able to perform a digital dress rehearsal of the operation despite being separated by the Atlantic Ocean.
This is just one example of how virtual reality is being used in pre-surgery to improve outcomes and save lives – and it's all thanks to the cloud.

3. Google Cloud

HIMSS is a global health conference and exhibition that, in its own words, is "creating tomorrow's health" through technology. In 2024, Google Cloud used the event to announce several steps forward in generative AI tools that, it claims, will improve patient outcomes and address systemic problems such as staff burnout.

An existing solution called HDE (Healthcare Data Engine) is now pay-as-you-go and available worldwide. It's a managed service that helps healthcare organisations of all kinds manage data more effectively.

Google Cloud also took the opportunity to unveil Vertex AI Search. This is a super-sophisticated search engine powered by generative AI that allows healthcare practitioners to quickly get the information they need.

Rather than scrolling through reams of health records or clicking back and forth between tabs and screens, Vertex AI Search combs an organisation's patient data and clinical notes to provide the information required.

And unlike some generative AI models, it links its findings to existing data points. This means that practitioners can double-check the search engine's findings, minimising the risk of "hallucinations" – those misleading and plain wrong results that generative AI can sometimes throw up.

Together with additions to its MedLM suite, these advancements could help address the issue of burnout that affects many organisations in the healthcare sector across the world.

4. Telemedicine

Sometimes, you need to see a doctor face-to-face. But at other times, diagnosis can take place by video call. In the healthcare industry, this is known as telemedicine or telehealth.

Like many cloud technologies, it became part of our daily lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, it was used whenever possible. Today, it's used whenever appropriate.

The advantages of telemedicine are twofold. First, they put less pressure on hospitals and other healthcare settings, introducing flexibility into the diagnostic process. And secondly, they allow patients with mobility or accessibility needs to be diagnosed from a distance.

Of course, it's not always plain sailing, as anyone who's spoken to a doctor on a crackly phone line will testify. But as cloud technologies improve, we'll likely see more and more remote diagnoses across the world.

5. e-queuing services

Like many countries, Indonesia struggled with long waiting times during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its citizens get universal healthcare via the social security agency BPJS Kesehatan – an agency that's been cloud-native since 2022.

To tackle the issue of long waiting times, BPJS Kesehatan has partnered with open-source software company Red Hat to roll out e-queueing services on mobile apps.

Agung Putu Darma, the agency's Deputy Director of Strategy, Planning and Information Technology, put it like this: "Partnering with Red Hat to deploy open-source solutions has enabled us to reshape our patients' and providers' experiences and offer more innovative services through our mobile app and hospital kiosks."

It's one more example of how the cloud can improve the patient experience.

Conclusion

In many ways, it's no surprise that the cloud is being put to work in a healthcare setting. The cloud can unlock cost savings, improve performance and enhance security – all things that healthcare organisations need. Here's to future innovation!

Are you a medical organisation interested in digital transformation? Here at Ascend, our team is well-versed in cloud solutions for the healthcare industry . Don't hesitate to get in touch for a free, no-obligation consultation.

How to do DevOps: the fundamentals of continuous collaboration

Mon, 12 Aug 2024 06:23:00 GMT

What is DevOps and how can you do it well? Learn about the fundamentals of continuous collaboration.

In the business world, DevOps is one of those things that everyone's heard of but not everyone understands. It's a bit like the FTSE share index or exchange rate mechanisms. It's important – sure. But what is it and why, exactly, does it matter?

The simplest explanation is that it's an approach to software development that speeds up deployment without sacrificing quality. It does this by bringing together two IT teams that are traditionally at loggerheads: dev (development) and ops (operations).

In most companies, devs make the applications and ops implements them. But they tend to have different approaches and priorities. Devs want to make changes. Ops wants to ensure system stability and availability. These conflicting priorities mean one thing: applications take longer to get to market.

It's not unlike the traditional relationship between a government and its treasury. The government wants money for a new infrastructure project, say. The treasury goes away, does the sums and tells them it's not possible right now.

This matters because, these days, all companies are software companies. If your website or mobile app fails, you're going down with it. It's no exaggeration to say that, in today's digital economy, a business's software is more important than its gas, electricity and water supplies.
This is where DevOps comes in. It seeks to speed up the production pipeline of apps by uniting devs and ops.

It's a big change that requires new tools and resources – but above all, it requires a new mindset. This, in fact, is the biggest stumbling block for many organisations seeking to implement DevOps. The tools are in place, but the teams aren't on-side just yet. Done well, however, it can lead to tangible improvements in productivity and quality.

That's what it is – but how do you do it well? It's all about continuous collaboration.

What is continuous collaboration?

Traditionally, different departments have different specialisms – and different responsibilities. In the case of dev and ops, it's usually the case that devs make suggestions and ops tell them whether they're feasible or not.

Continuous collaboration, by contrast, seeks to spread responsibility between devs and ops. Under DevOps, no department is an island. They combine their skills to optimise the production and deployment of apps.

Automation is integral to the process. Manual deployment is a time-consuming affair. Automation takes some of the heat off both teams.
What are the benefits of DevOps?

There are two main benefits of DevOps. But as with many things in the tech world, they only work when they work together.

The first is speed. DevOps lets developers spin up, share, test and deploy products and apps at a clip. This is partly because they're no longer in opposition to ops. Instead, workflows are in place to ensure that the pipeline is free from blockages.

The second benefit is quality. By collaborating, the two teams can remove some of the obstacles to deployment.

But like we say, these two benefits need to be balanced. Speed doesn't mean rushing – and quality doesn't mean "that'll do". Instead, the product pipeline is fine-tuned for speed and quality.

What are the drawbacks of DevOps?

Done well, DevOps can make a company more efficient and speed up time to market. Done badly, it can be little more than a mess.
This is sometimes to do with costs incurred by structural changes. But more often than not, it's because companies lack realistic goals and meaningful metrics.

Like any structural change, DevOps is not a silver bullet. Organisations need to be able to articulate what they want DevOps to do for them. If they can't, they're likely to be let down.

This means concrete goals – but it also means metrics to measure whether those goals are being met. Typically, these will include deployment velocity, product quality and delivery success. Each of these will consist of mini-metrics (what does "quality" mean to you?)

At the end of the day, companies need to know what DevOps is for – and how they'll know if it's working for them. Without these goals and metrics, it's likely to be an expensive failure.

Where did DevOps come from?

DevOps as we know it first emerged in 2007, when a project manager named Patrick Debois was working on a data centre migration.
Debois was responsible for testing and found to his dismay that the project was bounced back and forth between devs and ops with no obvious way to bridge the gap.

Two years later, attendees at the O'Reilly Velocity Conference saw a presentation called "10+ Deploys per Day: Dev and Ops Cooperation at Flickr". This resonated with Debois, who took the opportunity to create DevOpsDays, an event that brought together systems administrators (ops) and developers (devs).

The rest, as they say, is history…

Who's using DevOps?

DevOps is used by many industry leaders, including Walmart, Netflix and Microsoft. Ever wondered how Netflix can push out so much content each day? The answer has to include DevOps.

But it's not just corporate titans that are implementing DevOps. The DevOps Excellence Awards 2024 handed out gongs to all manner of businesses.

DevOps vs FinOps vs DevSecOps: what are the differences?

There's no getting around the fact that the world of tech is a world of jargon. If you're exploring the topic of DevOps, you might come across casual references to FinOps and DevSecOps. How are they different from DevOps?

The main aim of DevOps is to shorten the software development cycle. FinOps, by contrast, is focused on cloud financial management. It involves managing and optimising costs to reduce cloud expenditure and ensure good ROI.

DevSecOps incorporates security (sec) into the DevOps framework. It aims to ensure that security is an integral part of the software development life cycle rather than an add-on.

Are you looking for ways to optimise your use of cloud technologies and accelerate innovation in your business? Here at Ascend, we were born in the cloud – and we've helped dozens of global businesses thrive when they get there. Get in touch to learn more about our cloud optimisation services .

What is cloud cost optimisation?

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 16:24:00 GMT

Are you getting the best ROI from your cloud infrastructure? Find out how cloud cost optimisation could help.

Ask anyone in the tech world to list the benefits of the cloud and it won't take long before "cost-effectiveness" is mentioned. The cloud isn't just about making software and data available to remote or hybrid workers – it's about bringing down your IT bills, too.

But like many things in life, the benefits only appear when executed properly. All too often, businesses migrate to the cloud and then find themselves hit with an invoice the length and complexity of War and Peace . This "cloud shock" , as it's called, is no laughing matter.

So, how do you keep cloud costs under control? The answer is cloud cost optimisation – a set of tools, approaches and techniques to make sure you're getting the right bang for your buck.

Before we take a look at some of these strategies, let's get down to brass tacks. Why does cloud cost optimisation matter, exactly?
Cloud cost optimisation: why does it matter?

In one sense, the phrase "cloud cost optimisation" beats its own drum. Suboptimal cloud costs are, well, suboptimal. Optimised cloud costs are not.

But beyond this common-sense explanation, there are a host of reasons why your business should prioritise cloud cost optimisation.

The first comes in the form of a sobering statistic. According to IBM , "organisations waste about 32% of their spending on cloud services". Thirty-two percent! If one of your departments was using a third of its budget unwisely, you'd be having some serious words.

Cloud cost optimisation, then, is about righting this wrong and making sure you're not overspending. That's the cloud-specific answer. But the broader answer is that by reducing cloud expenditure, you free up time and resources to focus on all the other things that will help your business grow.

Finally, there's the question of sustainability. Despite its name, the cloud doesn't just float in space. It's powered by data centres – and data centres use up a lot of energy.

So, at a time when green initiatives are becoming more and more important for businesses of all shapes and sizes, optimising cloud usage isn't just good for business – it's good for the planet, too.

Why is it hard to control cloud costs?

At this point, you might be wondering why it's so hard to control cloud costs, anyway. Surely it's like any other kind of resource usage – if you're using too much, use less. No?

Well, yes and no. Sometimes, it is as simple as ensuring that you're only spending money on what you need. However, the difficulty that businesses have in controlling cloud costs runs deeper than that.

For instance, many businesses don't know what their cloud environments consist of in any detail. They're not getting a good look under the bonnet to see what's being used unnecessarily. This lack of visibility means a lack of cost optimisation.

On top of this, many businesses lack the skills and resources to forecast their cloud budgets with any accuracy. It's not as simple as looking at the billing price and totting it up for the month or year. Cloud costs are notoriously unpredictable, meaning you need to be proactive in monitoring and updating your budgets and forecasts.

How is cloud cost optimisation achieved?

There's no one way to optimise cloud costs. You need to implement a range of tools and approaches to make sure you're spending your money wisely. Here are eight options for you to explore.

1. Make the most of your provider's cloud cost management tools

The big cloud hitters, including Azure, Google Cloud and AWS, all offer cloud cost management tools. These won't give you all the insights you need – but they're a great place to start.

2. Get help from a third party

You don't need to be cynical to think that a vendor's cloud cost management tools may skew a little in the vendor's favour. One way around this is to use third-party cloud cost tools – or to get in a cloud consultant.

A cloud consultant will be able to take a detailed look at your infrastructure and make suggestions for cost optimisation, aligning technical concerns with your business's goals.

3. Get your head around cloud pricing models

Are there discounts? Savings plans? Data transfer fees? All of these will feed into the amount you pay on your cloud infrastructure. Get to grips with the details of your cloud provider's pricing models so you don't receive any nasty shocks.

4. Rightsize your services

So you know what your infrastructure consists of and how it's being charged – but are your computing services rightsized? To answer this question, you need a good grasp of the performance and usage patterns of your workloads.

5. Autoscale

Manually scaling your workloads takes time and money. Autoscaling does the same job for less.

Those interested in autoscaling can explore options like Kubernetes: an open-source container orchestration system that can automatically adjust the provision of computing resources in relation to app usage.

6. Choose your storage type with care

Not all storage methods do the same thing. The two most common are block storage and object storage. Both of these come with their own strengths, weaknesses and use cases. Make sure to investigate these before picking one for your business.

7. Look out for spot instances

A spot instance is where providers let you bid for unused capacity at a knock-off price. It's important to note that spot instances can be reclaimed by your provider. Compared to on-demand instances, however, they can be a good way of saving you some money now and then.

8. Consider FinOps

FinOps is the finance version of DevOps – an approach to cloud financial management that uses automation to identify opportunities for efficiency that haven't yet been taken. Done well, this allows you to optimise your cloud costs in real time.
Are you looking for cloud optimisation solutions ? We can help. Get in touch with Ascend Cloud Solutions today for a free, no-obligation consultation.

How NOT to adopt AI cloud technologies: 8 pitfalls to avoid

Mon, 05 Aug 2024 09:26:00 GMT

Up your chances of successfully implementing AI cloud technologies with our guide to 8 common pitfalls.

AI, AI, AI – two letters that anyone in business has heard echoing down the corridors in the last few years. With ChatGTP now a household name, it seems like everyone wants a piece of the AI boom.

But AI cloud technologies are like any other cloud technology: they're only as good as how they're used. With businesses worldwide racing to integrate AI solutions, we're seeing more and more cases of people using a trawling net to catch a butterfly.

It doesn't have to be this way. There are situations where AI cloud technologies can boost performance and save money. To do this, however, you need a smart approach.

Here, then, are eight common pitfalls awaiting companies who want to integrate AI cloud solutions.

1. You know you want it, but you don't know why

Remember the dot com bubble? In a way, it never burst, with the internet now a crucial part of most people's lives. But along the way, absurd amounts of time and money were wasted. And why? Because people wanted to be part of the scene.

Yes, the shock of the new brings with it a palpable sense of peer pressure. You might think you're above it, but look – you're only human.

If you're looking to implement AI cloud technologies, you need to know how they'll help your business perform and grow. The alternative is a white elephant that keeps doing its business in the finance office.

So before you commit to anything, brainstorm possible usages and wished-for outcomes. Are you still convinced? Now it's time to get spending.

2. You don't have an adequate security posture

AI algorithms are only as good as their data sets. But too often, companies put their data to work and at risk in one fell swoop.

The security risks are real. An inadequate security posture can mean a new attack surface for hackers and new opportunities for internal error.

If you find yourself breaking into a sprint to implement AI, slow down. All you're doing is increasing the chance of data breaches, with all the reputational damage and regulatory consequences they bring.

3. You don't understand AI technology

AI is new. It's niche. It's complex. If you don't fully understand how it works or what it does, join the club.

This means you need to establish an internal knowledge base long before jumping on the AI train to nowhere. Things get complicated, fast – so make sure your team has the expertise required.

Skip this stage and you're heading for a tornado of communication breakdowns, the misallocation of resources and an AI cloud infrastructure that's far from optimised.

4. You choose the wrong provider

The cloud is now embedded in our business lives enough that most providers have similar offerings. They know what you want and they give it to you. AI cloud technologies have yet to reach this point, meaning that providers offer more or less advanced tools, frameworks and APIs.

This connects with our third point about the need for an internal knowledge base. You need to make an informed decision about your provider. Otherwise, you're storing up problems with performance, compatibility, security and resource allocation.

5. Your data is mismanaged

Show us a company whose data is decreasing and we'll show you a flying pig. Business data is always expanding and it's never been more important to organise, clean, label, format and duplicate it.

Mismanaging your data for an AI training model is like trying to cook up a feast with bad ingredients. The results will be unreliable and skewed and you'll be throwing money down the drain.

Remember: AI is only as good as the data you feed it. Manage it well and you can expect good results. Fall into this all-too-common trap and you may as well get Gary from HR to oversee your AI cloud technologies.

6. You're working for AI when AI should be working for you

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we always say that cloud technologies are there to help your business grow. They're never purely technical. The same goes for AI cloud technologies. If they're not aligned with your long-term company goals, you're on a hiding to nothing – and an expensive hiding at that.

7. You don't spend your money well

Serverless options vary wildly in cost. Some services are pay-as-you-go. Others you pay for even when they're not being used. If you want to maximise your chances of a successful AI cloud deployment, make sure you shop around and balance performance with cost-effectiveness.

8. You don't integrate AI into your system

AI isn't a big box that you can set up in the corner and leave alone to do its AI thing. It needs to be integrated with your existing systems, applications and people.

There are two sides to this.

The first is technical. Are your tools, frameworks and platforms compatible with the AI cloud technology in question?

The second side is all about people. There needs to be effective collaboration and communication between your AI team and your existing cloud team.

Similarly, you need to be sure that people are effectively overseeing AI. This is vital if you want AI to help you make better decisions. Without effective human oversight, results could be skewed – and could even have ethical and moral consequences.

Conclusion

AI cloud technologies can help you identify, catalogue, interpret and manage data – data that can drive better decision-making. But to do so, it needs to work for you. And for it to work for you, you need a smart plan of action.

Rush into the AI boom and you could well be lumbered with an over-expensive, ineffective solution. Take your time and you could be unlocking new savings and efficiencies. We hope you make the right choice!

Are you looking for a cloud advisory consultant to help you get to grips with emerging AI technologies? Get in touch with Ascend Cloud Solutions today for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Why you should have a cloud exit strategy BEFORE you migrate

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 07:31:00 GMT

Before you migrate your data to the cloud, you need a solid cloud exit strategy. Find out why in our article.

Migrating workloads to the cloud is a bit like going on holiday. It will do you good – but it's going to cost you. And to get there, you'll need to do a fair bit of planning.

Ask a cloud newbie what you need to plan and they'll probably prioritise the destination. What cloud environment you're heading to is indeed an important question to ask. But an equally important one is this: what do you do if it all goes wrong?

Yes, not every cloud migration ends well. Regardless of how efficient the migration is, life happens. Your provider might go down. Prices might go up. Essentially, you could find yourself running your software and apps on a dud system. And without a cloud exit strategy, you're not going to know where to turn.

This is the number one reason why it's so important to have a cloud exit strategy in place before you migrate your workloads. It's a form of insurance, future-proofing your business against the slings and arrows of outrageous systems failure.

In this article, we take a look at the dos and don'ts of cloud exit strategies – and how we can help. But first, what is a cloud exit strategy, exactly?

What is a cloud exit strategy?

A cloud exit strategy – also known as a "reverse migration" – is a plan to ensure that you can move from one cloud provider to another without undue disruption.

No matter how well-executed your migration, things can go wrong. If they do, you need the flexibility to switch providers. A solid cloud exit strategy helps you avoid the very real risks of vendor lock-in, business discontinuity and wasted money.

Why is it important?

These days, the tech landscape can seem fairly fixed (leaving AI to one side). Businesses tend to work with the same big companies. For some, this leads to a sense of complacency that services will stay the same.

But all sorts of things can change – to the point where your current provider might no longer be the best option. There are two sides to this: changes to your company and changes to the provider.

It may be that your traffic increases dramatically and you need more storage and compute. In this eventuality, your current provider may no longer be cost-effective. Similarly, you might need to change to ensure you're in line with compliance, legal requirements and data sovereignty. Or it could be as simple as needing a new provider to give your system's performance a shot in the arm.

In all these cases, you need to know what your options are. The alternative is for your teams to languish in disruption while you frantically concoct an exit strategy.

It could also be that your provider experiences an outage or goes out of business altogether. This is most likely if you work with a smaller provider – but it's not impossible in the case of the household names, either.

What should you consider?

So now you know why you should get your cloud exit strategy baked in before you migrate. But what should you keep in mind when writing it? Here are three questions to ask.

1. Is your current environment accounted for?

Systems are more complex than ever. Even small businesses handle huge swathes of data and the age of hybrid working has introduced as many security threats as it has possibilities for workplace agility.

Because of this, you may not have full visibility of your current cloud environment. Without full visibility, you can't say with confidence what should happen when you switch.

2. What alternative solutions are out there?

Before you migrate to the cloud, you need to have alternatives in mind should you need to switch. And that means alternatives, plural.You might have a range of alternative cloud providers in mind or a return to your on-premise data centre. Whatever the alternative solutions are, they need to be in line with your existing workloads – and your budget forecast.

3. What is the exit time frame?

This is an important factor which can get overlooked in the race to migrate. If you do have to switch providers, how long will it take? Are there terms in your current contract that could play a part? How about the terms and conditions of your new vendor? What risks need managing?
All these questions need answering to ensure that your cloud exit strategy goes smoothly if you do need to press the button marked "switch".

When should you sort out your exit strategy?

If you take away just one thing from this article, make sure it's this: your exit strategy is an integral part of your migration – not an add-on.
Whether you create it yourself or get outside help from a third-party cloud consultant, it should be in place before your workloads are moved to the cloud.

On top of this, all your company's stakeholders should be involved. This isn't a job for IT alone. It should also get input from legal, finance, management and others.

How we can help

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we offer a tried and tested five-step migration process. A crucial element of this is planning. If you want a cloud migration process that meets your business needs as well as your technical requirements, thorough planning is essential – and we have the experience and expertise to make it work for you.

So if you want to develop a cloud computing exit strategy with help from VMware experts, we've got you covered. If things go wrong for you down the line, it could be the difference between a manageable crisis and a whole lot of stress, money and disruption.

Don't hesitate to get in touch to book a no-obligation consultation.

Should you embrace shadow IT?

Mon, 22 Jul 2024 07:46:00 GMT

Shadow IT is a problem, right? Yes and no. Discover how embracing shadow IT can be good for business.

Shadow IT – sometimes known as "grey IT" – is a term that refers to devices and cloud accounts used within an organisation that aren't approved by the IT department.

In the age of "bring your own device" and hybrid working, shadow IT is bigger and shadowier than ever. Conventional wisdom tells us that it should be eliminated, first and foremost because it enlarges an organisation's attack surface and puts it at greater risk of cyber attacks.

On top of that, critics say shadow IT is a waste of money. If an employee or department unilaterally decides to buy a solution, it could be buying a duplicate. The result: a sprawling network of shadowy solutions and devices that IT struggles to control.

There is, however, another way of looking at it. When handled properly, shadow IT can be strategically useful. Is it time for your company to bring it into the light?

The benefits of shadow IT

Why do people turn to shadow IT? Answering this question tells us something about what it can do for a business when properly managed.

Staff tend to turn to shadow IT when they're in a fix. IT has set constraints on what they can achieve. Shadow IT is a way around that.

You could see this as mere disobedience. However, fighting shadow IT is time-consuming – and time is money. It might make more sense to bring these unapproved devices and applications into the light and regulate them accordingly.

That way, you get the best of both worlds. Staff can be proactive in their problem-solving without introducing any shadowy security risks.

For IT, the counter-argument to this is that officialising shadow IT would create even more work for them as they seek to ensure these new solutions are secure.

From one point of view, this is true. But from another, it empowers staff to take charge of troubleshooting, reducing the burden on IT.

One of the most common complaints in IT, after all, is that staff don't know how to help themselves. And sure, there are probably plenty of examples of staff lacking the proactive attitude to fix a problem before contacting IT.

But the very existence of shadow IT tells a different story. Staff are constantly trying to troubleshoot and come up with workarounds. Bringing these solutions into the light means that staff have the tools they need before summoning IT.

How do you embrace shadow IT?

If you do decide to bring shadow IT into the light, your first task is to know exactly what apps are being used on your networks. This includes those that have been officially deployed and those that haven't been sanctioned.

Next, you have to take control of all those apps. Each one needs to be deployed properly and securely. Access permissions and data privileges need to be up-to-date and there should be measures in place to simplify the onboarding and offboarding process.

Once these steps have been taken, you're in a position to make the most of the new data under your control. You might, for instance, find customer data that wasn't put to work when it lived in the shadows.

It should be said that this won't necessarily be a simple task. Integrating data that used to belong to shadow IT can present challenges – but in the long run, it can give you more to work with.

An easier task to execute is surveying staff about the apps they use and why they use them. Doing so can teach you a lot about how the overall system can be improved. After all, staff turn to shadow IT when they think it's too difficult or time-consuming to go through official channels.

What are the challenges of embracing shadow IT?

Perhaps the biggest challenge you can face when embracing shadow IT is the ever-present question of security.

We've mentioned that you can learn a lot about your staff's needs by looking at the shadow IT they use. But that doesn't mean every instance of shadow IT should be brought into the light. This is especially the case when an app doesn't meet your security requirements.

A network, they say, is only as strong as its weakest link. If you integrate an app with less stringent security than the rest, you could be putting the whole system at risk.

The lesson here is not purely technical. It reflects the wider question of how management should interact with staff. It can be summarised as follows: listen to your staff – but don't assume they're always right.

When done right, embracing shadow IT can improve data visibility and save money. Done badly, it can create security concerns which would put that valuable data at risk.

So how can you get the best of both worlds – the advantages of shadow IT without the security risks?

Self-service and approved software

There are two key ways you can stay on top of shadow IT once it's been embraced.

One is to provide staff with self-service tools. This means IT has strict control over data – but not the applications that use that data. In other words, staff are free to explore software options, but the data itself is under strict lock and key.

Another method is to issue a list of approved software. As long as staff needs are met, this can create an improved sense of commonality and communication between IT and the rest of the company.

Conclusion

Shadow IT doesn't have to be the enemy. Handled well, it can save you money, improve relations between IT and other departments, and furnish you with valuable data that would otherwise lurk in the shadows. It won't work for everyone – but it could just work for you. Ascend is a team of cloud migration and security experts based in Cork, Ireland. Need help creating a robust cloud security strategy ?

Don’t hesitate to get in touch for a free consultation.

What is quantum cloud computing?

Mon, 22 Jul 2024 07:22:00 GMT

Quantum computing is one of the most exciting areas of technology. Get to grips with the basics in our article.

The world of cloud computing is developing all the time. One of the most recent developments has been quantum computing in the cloud – a type of technology that combines the awesome processing power of quantum computers with the accessibility and scalability of the cloud.

Along with artificial intelligence (AI), it's one of the most exciting advances in technology – and it's just getting started. But it's fair to say that most people don't have a firm grasp on what it is.

And frankly, we don't blame you. Even Wikipedia isn't much use. Within two sentences, it's referring to "quantum superposition and entanglement", which for most of us may as well be in a foreign language.

This article isn't going to get into the weeds of gate arrays, eigenfunctions, wave packets and other super-technical details. We hope, however, that you come away from it feeling like you have a basic grasp of a branch of technology that has far-reaching possibilities for cloud computing and beyond.

What is quantum computing?

We carry portable computers around with us that can do incredible things – things that a matter of decades ago would have seemed outlandish.

Want to watch a Hollywood blockbuster on the train? Phone will do it. Want to superimpose bunny ears on a photo of a friend? Go ahead.

It's jaw-dropping stuff – but this is small fry compared to what supercomputers can deal with. We're talking big fat numbers that need a huge amount of computing power to crunch. And some of these calculations are pushing at the very limits of what traditional or "classical" computers can do.

See, there are these things called "bits". These are the basic units of information for traditional computers. But when calculations reach a certain point of complexity, the nature of bits slows the computer down.

Quantum computing can crunch numbers that are dizzyingly large – ones that even a supercomputer would glance at and say "pass". This is all thanks to the qubit (pronounced "queue-bit"): a unit of information that allows for unprecedented computing power.

What is a qubit?

In classical computing, the basic unit of information is the bit.

A bit is binary – it can either be a zero or a one, meaning "true" or "false". Each bit has one possible value. Calculations proceed linearly from one bit to the next.

Quantum computing, by comparison, runs on qubits. A qubit can be both zero and one at the same time. Their quantum state determines the probability of their being one or the other.

This means that multiple calculations can be carried out at the same time, making them significantly faster than classical computers.
How does the cloud fit in?

Quantum computers are large, beautiful, elaborate structures. IBM's model has been compared to "an upside-down gold steampunk wedding cake". Their size makes them extremely hard to move around.

Quantum computing in the cloud offers a solution to this problem. Just as Netflix lets you watch movies from any location, so quantum computing in the cloud lets you run quantum algorithms without being in the same room as the steampunk cake.

One consequence of this could be that storage becomes far more efficient. A quantum computer could one day store terabytes of data in the same amount of space that a classical computer uses to store far less.

What is blind quantum computing?

At the moment, quantum cloud computing has an in-built security risk. When carrying out a computation, the user has to tell the cloud provider what problem they're trying to solve.

Along with the price of hardware, this security risk is the key reason why quantum computing isn't going mainstream. However, something called "blind quantum computing" could be the solution.

This is where two quantum computing entities are connected – much as an employee at home or in the office might remotely connect to the cloud.

The cloud provider doesn't need to know what problem the user is trying to solve, and the user can verify the authenticity of the result with ease.

Blind quantum computing is happening on a small scale in university research teams. However, if it became scaleable, it could bring quantum computing to the mainstream.

David Lucas, a professor of physics at Oxford University, has described the breakthrough like this:

"We have shown for the first time that quantum computing in the cloud can be accessed in a scalable, practical way which will also give people complete security and privacy of data, plus the ability to verify its authenticity."

It's early days for blind quantum computing. But it's an exciting development that's bringing the mega computational power of quantum computing ever closer to the mainstream.

Cloud quantum computing in the public sector

Think of quantum computing and your mind may go straight away to the world of scientific research. But in fact, this technology is being supported by governments across the world.

In New South Wales, Australia, for instance, the government is planning to use quantum computers to manage its transportation network.
In 2021, politician Rob Stokes explained that "quantum computing can actually help us to deploy resources far more accurately" and could lead to a "self-healing" network.

"While this might sound like the stuff of science fiction," he said, "Transport for NSW is making quantum computing a reality. It has the potential to solve problems on the network in real time by instantly recalculating timetables and routes."

Meanwhile, in Japan, AI and quantum computing have been used to perform "waste collection route optimisation" in the Marunouchi area of Tokyo.

The bottom line

Quantum computing is one of the most exciting areas of technology – and while its applications are currently limited, this is likely to change in the coming years. We'll keep you posted…

Are you looking for migration or post-migration services from a cloud solutions consultant ? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we've managed more than 400 end-to-end cloud migrations and counting. Get in touch today for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Migrating to a private cloud: 5 things to keep in mind

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 05:51:00 GMT

Moving to a private cloud is a big decision. Learn 5 things to keep in mind before making the move.

Migrating to a private cloud takes different forms. You could be shifting your workloads from an on-prem server or from a public cloud. You could be moving all your workloads or going for a hybrid cloud solution.

Whatever route you take, it's a big step that will take time, money and effort. There's a lot to consider – and because it impacts your whole company, it's well worth putting aside some serious thinking time.

Here, then, are five key things to keep in mind as you prepare to move to a private cloud, whether you're keeping the migration in-house or getting a cloud consultant on board. Key considerations

1. Do you know your infrastructure?

Once upon a time, this was a relatively simple question to answer because IT systems were relatively simple. They tended to be geographically contained (an office or a small network of offices) and tended to involve a small number of devices.

Today, networks sprawl like Japanese knotweed. In the age of hybrid working, you're dealing with multiple devices in multiple locations at any one time. On top of this, you're dealing with a historic amount of data.

That's why you need to know your infrastructure inside out before turning on the green light for migration. As a basic rule of thumb, if you can't point to your software, hardware, networking, storage infrastructure and data, you're not ready to move them.

Aside from anything else, there's the question of resources. Do you have the technical capacity to transfer them to a private cloud? Does anything need modifying or replacing altogether before it's moved?

It could be that your internal team is well-equipped to answer these questions. If not, you should consider getting a third-party cloud consultant on board – an extra pair of eyes that can lift the lid on your infrastructure and tell you exactly what needs to be done.

2. Do you know your business goals?

We've said it before and we'll say it again: the cloud isn't just a technical solution. Its purpose is to help your business grow. This could be through reduced expenditure, increased data security and compliance, better scalability, improved performance or some combination of all four.

If you don't know your business goals, you won't be able to make an informed decision when choosing a private cloud solution. Again, this is something that a cloud consultant can help with.

3. Are you ready to make a plan?

Sadly, cloud migration isn't simply a case of dragging and dropping your workloads into a shiny new folder. It involves identifying which apps and services need moving – and in what order.

It also involves putting guardrails in place to ensure that disruption is kept to an absolute minimum. And looking forward, you need a disaster recovery plan and a cloud exit strategy from day one.

Do you know what needs to happen after your migration? Do members of your team need skilling up? Does your plan align with the business goals we mentioned in step two? Do you have concrete KPIs? All these questions need answering before you put the pedal to the metal.

3. Have you defined roles and responsibilities?

Because cloud migration is so much more than an exercise in drag-and-drop, it involves a lot of people within your company – people who need to know what their roles are.

To achieve this, you need a clear communication plan. This involves updating all concerned parties about the process of the migration and any problems that arise along the way.

When getting ready to move to a private cloud, you should assign roles and responsibilities. Who's going to transfer the data? Who's going to carry out a dry run? Who's responsible for problem-solving? Do new teams need to be created? Do customers and stakeholders know about any downtime on the horizon?

Keeping these things in mind minimises miscommunication and avoids frayed relationships. An informed team isn't necessarily a happy team – but it's far preferable to one that's been kept in the dark.

4. Have you classified and prioritised your workloads?

One issue with the preponderance of data in today's businesses is that it can be hard to prioritise workloads for migration. Not everything needs moving – and what does need moving shouldn't be lifted and shifted all at once.

This means you should distinguish the mission-critical, the mission-important and the mission-meh. Mission-critical data will include things like customer records and financial stats. Other types of data can wait.

Taking the time to go through your workloads with a fine-tooth comb is integral to ensuring the success of your migration to a private cloud.
5. Have you planned a dry run?

Once all of the above questions have been answered, you should test your migration in a safe, cloned environment. This gives you a chance to identify issues with compatibility, configuration and performance.

Skipping this stage increases the likelihood of things going wrong. In the context of cloud migration, this has the potential to pile work on work (and money on money).

If you're not sure how to do this, consider working with a cloud consultant. They'll use their expertise to test the migration for you and point out any room for improvement.

How we can help

Ascend Cloud Solutions was born in the cloud. Our team is made up of VMware experts who have handled over 400 migrations and counting – many of which were private cloud migrations .

Our tried and tested five-step method ensures that the migration is executed with a minimum of disruption and fully in line with your business's goals, budgets and deadlines.

So whether you want managed services or a one-off consultancy job, get in touch . We'd love to help you unlock the transformative power of the private cloud.

Cloud transformation in the public sector: 5 success stories

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 08:00:00 GMT

Cloud migration in the public sector involves unique challenges. Learn about 5 organisations that got it right.

The last few years have seen a remarkable upsurge in cloud adoption and digital transformation policies. Whether you're selling shoes online or administering life-saving medical care; whether you're in charge of a factory or a farm – the cloud is here to stay.

Each sector has its own challenges – and in the case of the public sector, there are two biggies. The first is the complexity of the systems, which are often patchworks of legacy software and hardware that don't always excel at internal communication. The second is that public sector organisations deal with swathes of confidential information that can't be put at risk.

Nevertheless, the public sector has seen some impressive transformations over the last decade. In this article, we celebrate five of them.

1. NHS England

For 75 years, NHS England has provided healthcare services free at the point of use (with some exceptions) to UK residents. It's funded by general taxation and overseen by the Department of Health and Social Care.

NHS England has a spotty history with technology, with several failed IT projects since the 1980s and a network of electronic systems that has been criticised for not being successfully joined up. On the other hand, it provides a huge amount of healthcare information to the public online. It's also invested considerable time and money in moving to the cloud.

NHS England's IT infrastructure centralises data in its Spine service. This enables services such as electronic prescriptions, summary care records, e-referrals and the Child Protection Information Sharing scheme.

It holds a lot of data, sending up to 47 million messages every day between 28,000 NHS IT systems. So it's no mean feat that, as of January 2024, Spine is now fully cloud-based. All data centres that previously hosted the Spine system have now been decommissioned.

This move is in line with NHS England's principle that "digital services should move to the public cloud unless there is a clear reason not to do so".

2. Children's Brain Tumor Network

US President Joe Biden has launched his Cancer Moonshot , which aims to "reduce the death rate from cancer by at least 50% over the next 25 years, and improve the experience of people and their families living with and surviving cancer – and, by doing this and more, end cancer as we know it today".

As part of this initiative, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is working with the Children's Brain Tumor Network (CBTN), a global organisation that is "dedicated to driving innovative discovery, pioneering new treatments and accelerating open science to improve health for all children and young adults diagnosed with a brain tumor".

CBTN has data-sharing agreements with 32 healthcare institutions worldwide. This allows anonymised clinical data on brain and spinal cord tumours to be freely accessed by scientists – an open science model that is only possible because of AWS's cloud transformation.

AWS is also working with the Pediatric Brain Tumor Atlas, the CAVATICA analytics platform, and the Gabriella Miller Kids' First Data Resource Center.

In the words of AWS's Ken Harris: "[We're] proud to continue our work with the CBTN with the shared goal of deploying technology to improve outcomes for children and young adults with brain cancer."

3. ARIA S.p.A

In 2023, cloud computing firm VMware handed out awards to the "business heroes and industry innovators" among their customers. That year's Customer Experiences Hero was ARIA: the company responsible for the digital transformation of public government in Lombardy, northern Italy.

ARIA won the award for having "quickly and consistently migrated critical workloads to the cloud from over 44 local data centres of regional hospitals". In the process, they improved sustainability, security, ROI and efficiency.

This award demonstrates a truth about cloud technology that sometimes gets lost in the technical fog. Cloud migration isn't just about improving IT performance for its own sake. It's about making customer experiences better – something that's especially, though not uniquely, important in the healthcare sector.

4. The City of Edmonton, Canada

Edmonton is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. It's known as the "Gateway to the North". Recently, it's also been a gateway to cloud transformation.

With a population of one million, the city was given the gong for Cloud Infrastructure Innovator at the 2023 VMware Explore conference.

It took, VMware said, "a smarter, forward-looking and more cost-effective path to public cloud". In practice, this means several things.

First, employees can now work from any location, at any time. In the post-pandemic age of hybrid working, this flexibility is seen by many public sector organisations as essential for both productivity and staff well-being.

Secondly, Edmonton's cloud infrastructure is public-facing. It allows residents to access important public services with minimal security risks.
These achievements will, VMware says, "unlock greater developer productivity and innovation". Three cheers for the cloud!

5. Forestry and Land Scotland

Forestry and Land Scotland is the organisation responsible for Scotland's national forest estate: around 650,000 hectares spread across the country. It's an executive agency of the Scottish government, meaning it's part of government but operates at an arm's length.

Nick Mahlitz, Senior Digital Infrastructure Manager, has been overseeing a change in direction as 25 years' worth of data and software is shifted to a public cloud environment.

Mahlitz says: "We're taking an entire data centre, you know, 300 applications, 30 terabytes of data, from on-premise to a public cloud… It's very much a trailblazing kind of use case for the public sector because, in the public sector, nobody's taking a risk."

Public sector organisations can indeed be risk-averse when it comes to cloud transformation – not least because of the complexity of the systems involved and the mammoth amounts of data at stake. But we hope this article has shown you that there are trailblazers across the world putting the public sector squarely in the 21st century.

Are you looking for a public sector cloud migration partner? Get in touch with Ascend Cloud Solutions today for a free, no-obligation consultation.

The cloud and the law: legal considerations for cloud migration

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 06:33:00 GMT

When migrating to the cloud, there are legal considerations to take into account. Discover more in our article.

When businesses migrate to the cloud, they tend to focus on two things: the cost of the process and how their system will look at the other end. But there's another crucial area that sometimes gets overlooked: the law.

Yes, when it comes to cloud migration, there are legal repercussions for poor security and non-compliance. Ignoring the law means putting your company's reputation – and budget – at risk.

Perhaps it's the relative novelty of the cloud that leads some companies to cut corners. For years, the cloud was a niche concern – but the COVID-19 pandemic sent adoption into the stratosphere.

There's a difference between speed and rushing, of course. But the mad scramble to migrate workloads to the cloud has, in some cases, led to companies neglecting compliance.

"Compliance, shmompliance", you might say (although it's admittedly a bit of a mouthful). However, you only have to imagine a similar scenario in the building sector to realise how cavalier this approach is.

Picture the scene: a construction team starts throwing up a block of flats. They haven't checked the relevant building regulations. It just wouldn't fly, would it?

Now, you might say that cloud migration isn't a matter of life and death. But it absolutely is a matter of reputation and budget.

Before we go any further, it's important to note that nothing in this article constitutes legal advice. It's up to you to be on top of legal considerations as you prepare to migrate to the cloud. This article is simply meant to flesh out some common considerations and help you ensure that your cloud migration is above board.

What is compliance, anyway?

Because of its technical nature, compliance can seem like rocket science. But while it can be initially tricky to implement, the concept is clear. Compliance is about demonstrating a robust security posture.

There are four key aspects to compliance: data transfer, data visibility, data security responsibility and data access.

Different regions have different privacy regulations. If you transfer data to a different region, you need to be sure you're abiding by the host region's rules. It's not so different from driving on the correct side of the road or registering your address when moving to a different company.

Data has to be visible to be secure – just ask any IT department that's battling with shadow IT. It's in nobody's interest to throw sensitive data in a box marked "confidential", never to be seen again. Your data needs to be visible as well as secure to meet compliance.

These things matter because of the "shared responsibility model" of cloud provision. If you're running workloads on a public cloud – whether solely or as part of a hybrid strategy – you share responsibility for compliance with the provider.

It's not unlike home insurance. If you leave your door unlocked and get robbed, you won't get a payout. With cloud computing, you need to take care of your workloads. You can't count on your provider to do that for you.

Finally, there's data access. It's not enough to stop outsiders from accessing your data. You need an internal data policy too – one that assigns access permissions to different members of staff.

To be compliant, you need to tick these four boxes. Exactly how the boxes look, however, will depend on where you are in the world.
Who makes the rules?

Compliance varies from place to place. In Ireland, the relevant legislation is the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

In Ireland, GDPR is overseen by the Data Protection Commission (DPC). This body calculates fines in the event of a data privacy breach.

A penalty notice from the DPC can be anywhere up to €20 million or four percent of the company's total worldwide turnover – whichever is bigger.
GDPR applies to any company that collects, processes or stores personal data – and that means any company, from the flower shop on the corner to a multinational franchise.

You run the risk of getting in trouble under GDPR when your company is insufficiently secure against external cybercriminals and internal threats.

This is partly a job for IT. But it's also a job for management when choosing a cloud provider. The provider you choose should be able to demonstrate robust security and compliance. If it can't, you're putting yourself at risk.

The importance of a security strategy

It's easy to think of the law as monolithic. But while upheavals are rare, the legal world is constantly tinkering. Being on top of compliance today doesn't mean you'll be compliant tomorrow.

This is why you need a security strategy rather than just a security policy. A security policy won't be reliable for long. It will need updating. A security strategy enables you to respond to these changes with flexibility and speed.

What to look for in a cloud provider

When migrating to the cloud, most businesses turn to the market leaders in cloud provision: Google, IBM, Microsoft and AWS. These are all trustworthy when it comes to compliance. But if you go with a lesser-known provider, you need to check and double-check that it's compliant.

Exactly what you're looking for will depend on where in the world you are. But wherever that may be, it's not an area in which you can cut corners. Non-compliance can spell disaster for your company, big or small.

While it's a problem that you can address internally, many companies find that external help from a cloud consultant can be invaluable. By leveraging outside expertise, you give yourself the best chance of keeping your reputation clean and your staff, customers and shareholders out of harm's way.

Are you looking for cloud migration consulting services ? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we can help you migrate your workloads with no compromise to security or compliance. Get in touch today for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Find your new cloud home in 7 days with Launchpad by Ascend

Fri, 05 Jul 2024 06:30:00 GMT

Are you ready for the cloud? Find out with Launchpad, our cloud readiness tool that's built for business.

Here's the situation. You're a business that wants to migrate workloads to the cloud. This could be from an on-prem data centre to a public cloud or from one cloud environment to another.

You're convinced that doing so will be good for business, saving you money and unlocking new operational efficiencies. It will be good for all parties involved: your staff, your stakeholders and your clients.

But something is holding you back. It's the prospect that maybe you're just not ready.

It could be that you don't have full visibility into your workloads. It could be that you're unclear about the size of the environment you need. It could be that you need to make the financial case before getting authorisation.

It could be any number of things – but in all these situations, what you're looking for is the reassurance that either you need to make some adjustments or (best case scenario) that you're good to go.

At Ascend, we know the cloud like few others on Earth. And we know that for every company we successfully move to a new cloud environment, there's another that can't bring itself to press the button and kickstart the process.

That's why we've introduced Launchpad : a service that puts your infrastructure under the microscope and tells you whether or not you're ready to make the move. You get detailed, clear recommendations in just seven days.

But before we look at how Launchpad can help you, let's clear something up. Why is cloud readiness so important in the first place?

Why is cloud readiness important?

In life, there are times when a leap of faith can pay off. But take it from us – when it comes to cloud migration, the readiness is all.

Why? Because if you move before you're ready, you're storing up problems for later on. Problems that are going to soak up time, energy and resources. Problems that, to put it crudely, are going to cost you money.

All sorts of things go wrong, but broadly speaking there are three risks that the unready run.

1. Overpaying

Overpaying is the number one complaint from businesses about the cloud. But typically, the over-spend is down to one simple reason: a lack of preparation.

It's such a common phenomenon that it has a name: cloud shock . It's the IT equivalent of booking a budget flight and then realising how many hidden extra costs you'll need to pay to make the journey work.

2. Security and compliance

We live at a time when security and compliance are more important than ever. There are three reasons for this.

The sheer amount of sensitive data that the average business handles.
The ever-increasing competence of hackers, phishing agents and other cyber criminals.
The fact that security breaches are now punishable with a fine.

A data breach is bad for everyone – your staff, your customers and your stakeholders. Rushing into a migration increases the chances of security and compliance problems down the line.

3. Suboptimal performance

The third and final risk you run if you're not cloud-ready is to consign yourself to a future of suboptimal performance. This means a sluggish user experience for all levels of the company.

So, how do you avoid these three traps? The answer is knowledge.

What do you need to know to be cloud-ready?

The more you know about your business's needs, goals and systems, the better you can plan your migration. Here's a checklist of questions to answer before signing on the dotted line.

How will this migration benefit your business?
Is your data ready?
Is your business ready for the change?
Will your new cloud environment be secure and compliant?
Are your employees ready?
Can you make the move without causing disruption?

These aren't always easy questions to answer. If you're unsure, you can get IT on the case. Or you can bring in outside help in the form of our Launchpad offering.

How does Launchpad work?

Launchpad furnishes you with the facts you need to execute a strong migration that works for your business – and it just takes seven days. The process is split up into three phases.

Phase one (day one): we get to work retrieving and collecting data, identifying the workloads that need to be migrated and those that can be scrapped.

Phase two (days two to six): we analyse the data, target environment sizing and make recommendations for your cloud transformation.

Phase three (day seven): we send you our findings and recommendations in a clear, concise report.

If, at the end of the seven days, you're good to go, we can manage the migration from start to finish, giving you peace of mind that the process is in the hands of certified VMware experts.

What can Launchpad do for you?

The main aim of Launchpad is to give you the straight dope about your cloud readiness. But it has several other benefits too.

First, the process won't interfere with your day-to-day operations. We pride ourselves on getting stuck in without getting in anyone's way. This applies to the Launchpad process itself as well as any subsequent migration.

Secondly, it will help you to unlock cost savings. No one is pretending that cloud migration is cheap. But work with us and you can be sure you're getting the best deal available.

Thirdly and finally, you can be confident that your migration is in line with up-to-the-minute security and compliance concerns.

Conclusion

Cloud readiness can make the difference between a smooth migration and a headache in the post. Our Launchpad service enables you to have full visibility of your workloads, peace of mind about compliance, and the confidence that your migration will take you to a cloud environment that's secure, optimised and cost-effective.

Are you looking for a cloud readiness assessment ? Find out what Launchpad can do for you. Get in touch today for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Compute Assessment

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 06:55:00 GMT

Next Assessment in the line is Compute Assessment, and that is one another core assessment to help with rightsizing VMs and designing target environments.

Number of Server: The first step here is to determine the number of physical servers used in the data center. And typically, these are hypervisor servers installed with VMware, ESXi. And these servers are put together within one or more clusters.

Total Physical CPU: In the next step, we look into the total physical CPU across all the servers within each cluster. Total physical CPU is measured as the overall or total CPU cores available within that cluster. Each server will have a CPU socket, and each socket will have a certain number of cores.

So, to calculate the total physical CPU, the total servers times the sockets per server times the cores per socket. And that would give us the total physical CPU. We will run this calculation for each particular CPU type that I've got the same number of sockets and same number of cores.

But if there are servers with different CPU classifications, the calculation needs to be run again each time for each CPU type in the cluster.

Total CPU = (Total Servers) * (Sockets per Server) * (Cores per Socket)

Total vCPU: Now we have to look at the total virtual CPU. It is simply the total of virtual CPUs in the cluster that is allocated across all the VMs.

Total Physical Memory: In the same way we have to look into the total physical memory. Again, if we have different memory configuration servers, we will have to run this calculation for each server type.

Total Memory = (Total Servers) * (Memory per Server)

Total Virtual Memory: For the total virtual memory, we'll have to measure the total virtual memory allocated across all the VMs.
Oversubscription: To measure the oversubscription applied, we compare both physical to virtual.

Physical CPU:vCPU,

Physical Memory:Virtual Memory

And this will tell us how much resources are oversubscribed in that clustered environment.

For example, let's say the total physical CPU is 50 cores and the total virtual CPUs are 100 vCPUs. This would mean we are oversubscribing CPU by 1:2 ratio, or we can say oversubscribing by 200%.

As we have checked the actual compute resources, now we will assess Physical Compute Resources to Virtual in allocation and utilization.
Here are some of the factors to assess:

Comparing virtual and physical compute resources: The total allocated vCPU is compared to the total physical CPU. The physical CPU is total physical cores in the cluster.

Total vCPU allocated -> Total Physical CPU (cores)

Total allocated virtual memory is compared to the total physical memory. So far, we were comparing the total allocation with the total available resources.

Total Virtual Memory -> Total Physical Memory

Then, we are going to compare the total virtual resource utilization with the total physical available resources.

Total Virtual Resource Utilization -> Total Physical Resource AvailableCPU and memory utilization for each physical server is compared against the available physical resources.

Utilization (per server) -> Resources (per server)

Same way, the vCPU allocated for each VM is also compared to the actual usage of VM. The actual usage could be measured as in peak and average usage. Virtual memory or vMemory allocated for the VM is also compared with the actual usage of each VM.

vCPU (per VM) -> Actual usage (peak and average usage)

Virtual Memory (per VM) -> Actual usage (peak and average usage)

What are some of the goals to achieve through this Compute Assessment?

To start with, it will help us to identify any over-provisioned and under-provisioned VMs. And it helps us to right-size these VMs as when we migrate it into the target Cloud environment.

It would also add a scope to improve performance for the migrated VMs or migrate apps.

The assessment is going to help us save costs with proper resource balancing and optimization.

Lastly, it will help us to do effective capacity planning for both physical and virtual infrastructure.

Disaster recovery mistakes: what can go wrong and how to fix it

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 06:55:00 GMT

When disaster strikes, will you be ready? Join us as we look at 6 common DR flubs – and how to fix them.

Cloud computing disasters can be big or small – from a brief disruption to an all-out shutdown. But whatever the size, they spell stress, time and money for your firm.

Stress, because day-to-day operations become a chore. Deadlines are missed. Tensions are frayed.
Time, because no disaster will fix itself.
And money, because the time and energy spent rescuing your workloads means a loss of productivity.

There's no two ways about it. If your system goes down, you go down with it. The question is for how long and how serious the repercussions are.

Tell this to many business leaders and they point with satisfaction to their disaster recovery plan. But more often than not, this plan may as well be written in runes and locked in the furthest reaches of the basement. No one can remember what it says or how to execute it when disaster strikes.

Then there's the question of whether your plan is up to snuff. Even if you do have a disaster recovery plan in place and you know it inside out, it could still cause you problems when you break the emergency glass.

And plan or no plan, it won't stop the disaster from happening in the first place. To minimise the risk, you need to take practical steps here and now.

That's why we've put together this guide to common disaster recovery mistakes – and how to fix them.

1. You don't have a disaster recovery plan

This is more common than you might think. Without a solid disaster recovery plan ready to go, you're creating problems for yourself down the line.

The key is to be proactive, not reactive. Know the challenges that your business could face and you're better placed to face them. The alternative is to execute a recovery operation on the hoof, with all the stress and wasted time that entails.

A disaster recovery plan can be made internally by IT (with input from other departments) or you could harness the expertise of a cloud consultancy firm. This second option brings a second pair of eyes to bear on your processes and systems.

2. You haven't tested your plan

Think of your disaster recovery plan as being like your evacuation process in the event of a fire. People will only know what to do if you drill it regularly.

We get it: time is tight. But for IT to be able to execute a disaster recovery plan, they need to be able to simulate it.

These simulations do double duty. As well as drilling the procedure, a walk-through or tabletop exercise helps you spot flaws in the plan. Better to remedy them now than clock them when you're in the midst of a rescue operation.

3. Your backups aren't joined up

No DR plan is complete without a strategy for backing up data. But you should also back up your backups.

Businesses have never had to deal with so much data. For this reason alone, your disaster recovery plan needs to thoroughly account for all your data: client data, employee data, performance data – the list goes on.

Again, this is something that a cloud consultant can help you achieve. They will have the expertise to inspect your systems and figure out what needs backing up.

4. Your disaster recovery plan is out of date

Any IT professional will tell you that software and technology are constantly shifting. And that means updates – lots of updates. But is your disaster recovery plan taking these changes into account?

Changes that might look like molehills can add up to mountains when disaster strikes. And while some of your software will update itself automatically, you need the human touch to ensure that everything is up to date.

By keeping on top of updates, you know that your disaster recovery plan will work with your system as it is today – not as it was the day that you wrote it.

It's not just software that changes, either. Your DR plan should also be revisited and revised whenever there's a significant change of personnel.

5. Your plan is all about processes, not people

Yes, your DR plan is a technical document. But that doesn't mean it should be purely technical. It needs to include people, too – their roles, responsibilities and lines of communication.

One thing's for sure: in the event of a disaster, people need to know what they're doing. If a responsibility hasn't been clearly assigned, you could slow down the recovery process (and bump a few heads, too).

That's why you need a plan that prioritises people as well as processes – because it's the people, not the processes, who are going to get your ship back on course.

6. You put all the responsibility on IT

Naturally, IT will play a substantial role in any disaster recovery scenario. They are, after all, the experts. But they're also responsible for essential day-to-day operations. When the emergency siren goes off, who's going to look after the essentials?

This has two main consequences. First, your DR plan needs to include more than just IT. It should outline the role that business leaders, finance, legal and others play in the disaster recovery process.

And second, it's a powerful argument for getting outside help in the form of a third-party cloud consultant. Their expertise can be invaluable at a time of difficulty and ensure that IT isn't overburdened.

How we can help

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we've helped more than 400 businesses migrate to the cloud – and counting. We're VMware experts with a whole lot of experience and expertise. This includes working with businesses to create cloud backup and disaster recovery plans that work when it really matters.

Whether you want a DR plan as part of a migration service or as a one-off consultancy job, we can lift the bonnet and get a good look at your systems, aligning your plan with your specific technical requirements as well as your business objectives.

Interested? Then please don't hesitate to get in touch for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Application Assessment

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 08:16:00 GMT

Discovery is the process of capturing detailed and deeper understanding about the source environment, like the on-premises. And that will help to plan and execute a successful migration. We will do the assessments on Inventory of Assets. But who will help us to understand the complexity of application.

There are application owners and specific users who needs to be involved. And they will help you to understand more about the application characteristics.

When it comes to application discovery, these are some of the infrastructure details that needs to be captured.

We will start with identifying:

Application types: Whether it is a web app, web tier, or database, and so on.

Complexity of VM: Usually each VM is categorized as simple medium complex based on its configuration.

OS and Architecture: The operating system of the VM, whether it is a Windows or Linux VM. And then also its architecture-- 32-bit or 64-bit.

Application Dependencies: It is also important to know the dependencies between these apps and the workflow. And this will help us to prioritize and group VMs that are to be migrated together.

OS Hardening and required updates: There are other OS level verifications, validations to be run like OS hardening or the latest updates that are required to the operating system.

Clustering Configuration: Clustering is a very common configuration. So, we would also need to determine if there are any clustering at the OS or the hardware level.

Disk Configuration: Then, there are disk level configurations. Determining any logical volume managers or LVMs, and disk encryptions that are applied or not.

Agent Software and versions: And then finally, any software agents installed on the VM. This could be retained or sometimes there's a need to remove these agents before we migrate into the migration target. VMware Tools is an example. And let's say when we migrate the VM into OCVS, Oracle Cloud VMware Solution, we would need to make sure VMware tools are up to date on the VM selected to be migrated. Now we are going to proceed with the operational discovery.

Operational level discovery for the application is required, much like for infrastructure details.

To start with, what is each app's recovery point objective?

Like with a scheduled migration operation, the recovery point goal, or RPO, is the greatest amount of data loss that may be tolerated after the event. Additionally, it is stated as a time frame.

Next, we investigate what the Recovery Time Objective, or RTO, is.

The maximum allowable time frame for restoring the application following a migration is known as the RTO. Every application should have a written service level agreement, or SLA.

Every virtual machine's login process should be recorded as well. It may be a domain account or a local one. and determining any licensing needs for each application as well as the operating systems that will be used in the intended environment. As an example, some apps may have certain CPU core prerequisites that needs to be highlighted before the migration task.

Why good technical support should never be overlooked

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 06:29:00 GMT

Good technical support can boost customer satisfaction and improve IT systems. Discover more in our article.

There's no two ways about it: we live in a digital world. Whatever sector you work in, your business would grind to a halt without some form of cloud system.

Yet despite its centrality, many businesses overlook technical support for the very systems that allow them to exist. The reasoning often goes something like this:

If a piece of software goes down, there's technical support available from the vendor. We don't have a gas engineer, plumber or electrician on payroll – why do we need IT support?

The simple answer – and it's no exaggeration – is that when it comes to day-to-day operations, the cloud is more important than gas, electricity or water. Power cut? Staff can work from home. No access to Google Drive? Now you're in hot water.

As with many things, however, this rationale has something else at heart: money. Having in-house technical support on hand at all times is seen as a luxury. Far better, management will tell themselves, to let the vendor's technical support teams step in when things get dicey.

The problem here is that vendors are rarely quick to respond – and they can only deal with their own products. If the problem is more complex, you're going to need holistic support from a general-purpose IT team.

Customer-facing technical support tells a similar story. If your customer has a problem with what you sold them, they're going to need help – and they're going to need it fast. If you cut corners in this department, you risk alienating or even losing customers.

One solution is to outsource technical support to a consultancy firm. The key advantage here is that you get all the benefits of a tech support team at a lower price than full-time staff and with greater operational flexibility.

Still not convinced? Here are five other reasons why good technical support shouldn't be overlooked – and why you should consider a cloud consultancy firm to provide it for you.

1. It sets you apart from your competitors

In the digital age, pretty much every field is a crowded field. How are you going to stand out? The answer is to focus on differentiating factors – the things that you do better than others.

Whisper it: many IT companies have bad technical support. If you put effort into making your technical support top-tier, you'll be a more attractive option for customers.

It can also feed into staff retention. Job-seekers may not actively be looking for a firm with good technical support – but they'll certainly feel the difference once they're part of the team.

At the end of the day, good technical support helps staff do their jobs efficiently. This is a key factor for people deciding whether to stick around or jump ship.

2. It's the face of your company

Often, technical support is the face of your company – the first port of call when users get in touch. In the event of an outage or other problem, swift, clear and friendly communication is a must. After all, it's how you act when your customers are in trouble that will leave the longest impression.

Internally, technical support is a sign of how much you want to help your staff. If someone is struggling with a technical issue for days on end, they're unlikely to blame IT specifically. Rather, they'll see it as symptomatic of the way the company is managed.

One easy way to avoid this is to outsource technical support. That way, both customers and staff get the help they need, meaning a positive impression of your company.

3. It helps resolve issues

If a customer needs help with software, time is of the essence. It's not a job that can be put on the laterbase. You need to be ready to help them get back on their feet ASAP.

The same goes for internal problems. No access to the Drive? That means rescheduled meetings, missed deadlines and more.

Relying on a vendor to fix the issue often means a whole lot of waiting. Get around this problem by working with an experienced cloud consultancy firm.

4. It improves your security posture

For businesses of all shapes and sizes, a cyber attack can be catastrophic. Not only does it dent your reputation and put staff and stakeholders at risk. It can also lead to an eye-watering fine under GDPR.

This is one of the key reasons why you need good technical support at your company. Regular testing and vigilant monitoring are essential to ensure that your workloads are as safe as they can be.

5. It ensures that your systems are up-to-date

Good technical support means that your software and hardware are updated whenever necessary. This has long been a function of traditional, in-house IT. But as cloud solutions become more niche, companies increasingly end up spending money on extra training.

Working with a cloud consultant sidesteps this problem. You get all the expertise you need, safe in the knowledge that they, not you, will take care of training.

Why work with a cloud consultancy firm for technical support?

The bottom line is that outsourcing technical support is good for your bottom line. You get to save money at all stages of the recruitment process – from hiring to training to HR. These savings can then be redirected into other areas of your business.

This is especially valuable at a time when cloud technology is constantly developing. If you want your in-house technical support to be up-to-date, you're going to have to spend money on continual training.

With a cloud consultant on hand, this simply isn't an issue. They'll be on top of developments in cloud computing, including those all-important security and compliance considerations.

So if you want to harness the benefits of good technical support without making your finance department wince, consider working with a reputable cloud consultancy firm. You'll be surprised at the positive difference it can make to your business's day-to-day life.

Are you looking for reliable cloud support services ? Here at Ascend, we know the cloud like few others on Earth. Get in touch today for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Source Discovery in Migration

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 22:34:00 GMT

What is meant by source discovery?

Discovery is the process of capturing detailed and deeper understanding about the source environment, like the on-premises. And that will help to plan and execute a successful migration.

Let's look at some of the goals to achieve using the discovery process.

Determine Resources, Sizing and Compatibility: It will help with right sizing the VMs and validating compatibility for the target environment.

Design the target environment: Depending on the source environment configuration, we can decide the target platform and it will decide architecture.

Estimating cost for resources: Migrating a VM to another environment or another platform would mean there could be a new shape to be used. And the discovery process will assist in estimating how much it is going to cost for resources to use in the target environment.

Accurate planning to Reduce Risks: Migration task will always have risk as it always involves migrating business critical applications. Prioritizing VM for migration is a major task that means sorting the VMs that are to be migrated, which VMs are to be combined and migrated together, forming as a migration wave to reduce risks. And then choosing the next set of migration waves.

What are the discovery methods and how do we capture this data?

Access to Management VMs: The first option is to get access to the management components like the vCenter. Through vCenter, you can find resource allocations and the necessary configurations in the source.

Export with 3rd party tools: In some scenarios, it is not possible to gain access to management VMs, especially if migrations are going to be led by a partnering organization. In such cases, you would use third-party products for discovering the data. RVTools is a very common tool used for exporting data from a vCenter environment.

Customer provided Discovery data: The customer themselves can capture this data and provide it to the partnering company who are going to run the entire end-to-end migration process.

Using these discovery methods, you are creating an Inventory of Assets.

This inventory will capture all the required information regarding the source. And then using this inventory data, the next step is to run some assessments. Assessments are about taking a closer look at the data and documenting the results towards the discovery goals.

There are different types of assessments that you can run on the discovered data.

1. Application Assessment,
2. Compute Assessment,
3. Storage and Data Assessment,
4. Network and Security Assessment,
5. Compliance Assessment.

The fundamentals of Cloud Migrations

Sat, 22 Jun 2024 16:01:00 GMT

Cloud migration describes the process of moving some or all of the organization’s business applications from the on-premises data center to virtual cloud infrastructure or to cloud services of some kind.

One of the most common cloud migration scenarios entails moving a portion of an organization’s on-premises applications, services, and data to a public cloud infrastructure as a service (IaaS), which is roughly analogous to the on-premises data center. Other common variations are cloud software as a service (SaaS) and platform as a service (PaaS); these are application and platform services that aim to mask much of the complexity involved in configuring, managing, and maintaining IT resources.

What are the top reasons for doing Cloud Migration? Following are top business drivers:

Data Center Exit: Customers run their applications within a data center that supplies the required Compute power, network, and storage. This data center is often called the on-premises data center. And that will have a lease agreement signed between multiple parties for a specific term.

Cloud migration would help a customer to exit his data center and migrate all his applications into a public Cloud like Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. On-premises data centers are managed and operated by the customers themselves.

Reduced Operational and Infrastructure Costs: This would involve operational costs. That means there are operational engineers who are assigned to monitor and manage the environment. And then there are infrastructure costs. A new set of hardware and software needs to be procured and installed based on requirements. The way to reduce all these costs is to migrate resources into the Cloud.

Business agility and flexibility: Cloud provides business agility and flexibility. There is always a need to deploy IT resources quickly as possible to satisfy business requirements.

Cloud environments are highly flexible. So, these resources can be provisioned on demand, or even decreased depending on business need.

Business continuity: It ensures the organization can continue to function during disruptions and even during a disaster.

Business Growth: Cloud services are designed to protect with continuous availability. And it offers fast, reliable, and disaster recovery support. One of the key business drivers for Cloud migration is to support business growth. Every organization is looking to expand their business.

Improved Security: Security has always been a top priority. With migrating into the Cloud, this provides additional layers of security to secure the entire environment, whether it be your infrastructure, databases, web-based applications. There are much improved security services to protect all of these resources.

Like business drivers, there are technical drivers that lead to Cloud migrations.

Hardware and Software End of Support: As a customer when you run an on-premises data center, you are required to run your own specific hardware and software. These resources do have a lifecycle management associated to it, meaning there will be an end of support time. And then after you are required to upgrade or purchase a new set of hardware.

By migrating into the Cloud, you are provided with Cloud services that serve the same purpose of those resources.

Scalability: It is another key factor. And in a Cloud environment, resources can be automatically provisioned or decommissioned based on demand. All resources in a Cloud are designed to be highly resilient to avoid any single point of failures.

Improved Performance: A public Cloud environment like OCI uses an architecture to provide the best performance for any IT resource.

Address Resource Limitation: With migrating to the Cloud, you could address any of the resource limitations because the Cloud services are highly efficient and provided in the form of a service accessible through a simple browser.

Modernize Application: Data centers could be running legacy applications. And with migrating into the Cloud, this would allow to modernize these applications.

Technology Integration and Innovation: Cloud Migrations opens up the door for further innovations that provides a wider scope of integrating apps with the latest and greatest technologies within the Cloud.

Now, let's check out the cloud migration strategies.

Re-host is the name of the first one. It's known as migration, or just moving applications, unaltered, from a source into a target. This might have to do with moving virtual machines (VMs) from an on-premises VMware system to an Oracle Cloud VMware solution.

The second tactic is known as "Re-platforming". This has to do with moving apps to a new target platform that has a different shape. This can involve moving a virtual machine (VM) from an on-premises VMware system to an OCI compute instance.

Re-architect is the term for the third one. It's also known as re-factoring. This entails moving application to a different target platform that has a more recent architecture. Moving virtual machines into containers in OCI Container engine for OKE or Kubernetes would be one example of this

Repurchase is the next tactic in this case. The benefit of decommissioning apps in the source is offered by this method. and buy in the intended Cloud environment as software as a service.

Re-build is the last tactic. We have to start from scratch when designing and writing applications in this case.

What makes Oracle Cloud VMware Solution different?

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 06:33:00 GMT

Why choose Oracle Cloud VMware Solution (OCVS) for your VMware migration? Learn 5 reasons in our blog.

Oracle Cloud VMware Solution (OCVS) is an innovative product that allows you to migrate your on-premises VMware workloads to Oracle Cloud's infrastructure.

The sell is simple: you can unlock the benefits of public cloud infrastructure without having to sacrifice familiar tools, processes and skills. As well as this continuity, OCVS gives you full administrative control of your workloads and zero-trust security.

So, what's your hurry? Well, there are a couple of pain points that might stop you from plumping for OCVS straight away. The first is that many enterprises find themselves experiencing delays when migrating to the cloud. And second, a surprising number of enterprises end up paying more than they bargained for.

Naturally, these factors lead to reluctance on the part of management to make the move. But on top of this, there's the simple fact that all the major service providers now offer cloud-based VMware offerings.

If you're already wary of delays and overpricing, a surfeit of options isn't going to help. What is there between Microsoft, Google, Alibaba, IBM, AWS and Oracle, exactly?

Well, at Ascend Cloud Solutions we've got the answers. Our migration and post-migration services are planned and executed around your business's needs and timescales – so you won't end up with an anxious eye on the clock or your balance sheet.

We can also tell you what makes Oracle Cloud VMware Solution so different – and why it's a wise option if you're looking to move your on-premises VMware workloads to the cloud.

So without further ado, what are the key differentiating factors that set OCVS aside from the rest?

1. Continuity of control

Let's start with a big one. If you run VMware workloads on bare metal servers, you're used to having complete administrative control. Moving to the cloud means handing over some of that control to the vendor – doesn't it?

Well, with VMware cloud offerings from AWS, Azure, Google and others, it does. But OCVS gives you exclusive access and full administrative control.

Aside from anything else, this means you can ensure continuity as you move from A to B. You're not going to have to rearchitect or refactor applications – and at the human level, you're not going to have to reskill your teams. Instead, you get your system as-is, only now with the additional benefits that public cloud infrastructure provides.

This applies to networking, too. You can run your network as you run your on-premises server, only now it's fully integrated into OCI's native services.

So, if you want to unlock the benefits of the public cloud without ripping up your system and starting again, consider OCVS. It gives you business-as-usual, only better – something that can't be said for other VMware cloud solutions, which tend to take away some of your administrative control.

2. Breadth of support

OCVS is a competitive solution in part because it supports a variety of SDDC bundles. Customers can choose between multi- and single-host SDDCs depending on their business's specific requirements.

It also supports a variety of versions, meaning greater continuity as you move your VMware workloads to Oracle's cloud infrastructure. This includes the following components:

ESXi 7.0, 6.7 or 6.5
HCX Advanced 4.0 or 3.5
HCX Enterprise
NSX-T 3.0
vCenter 7.0, 6.7 or 6.5
vSAN 7.0, 6.7 or 6.5

This breadth of support is one of the key reasons why you should consider OCVS as a new cloud environment for your enterprise.

3. Impressive reach

Global availability varies between providers. When it comes to reach, consistency and predictable pricing, OCVS takes the trophy. It's available in over 46 global regions – more than VMware Cloud on AWS, to take one key competitor.

It's also deployed across a minimum of three fault domains within a single availability domain (AD). However, you're also given the option to deploy across multiple ADs.

Where most hyperscalers only let you use two ADs and fault domains in one region, Oracle lets you distribute a minimum of three hosts in three separate ADs.

Put simply, more data centres mean a higher throughput and a lower latency. Translate that into business terms and you're looking at increased operational efficiencies, less downtime and more flexibility.

4. Flexible billing options

Let's face it – when choosing a cloud environment, money talks. It's not enough to enumerate the operational efficiencies and technical statistics. How much is it going to cost and will you get a good ROI?

In this respect, OCVS has the edge over its competitors by giving customers the option to pay monthly. Other providers will charge you on-demand (hourly), annually or triannually, with discounts increasing the longer you commit.

But OCVS is unique in throwing monthly billing into the mix. This means greater flexibility for finance, as well as IT.

5. External storage

Looking to scale your SDDC's storage layer but don't want to shell out for new compute resources? You're in luck. The OCI File Storage service can act as secondary storage for your OCVS cluster.

But this isn't the only option. OCVS customers can also connect to OCI block storage for external storage.

At the time of writing, this is something that Oracle is alone among its competitors in offering. So if you're looking for extra storage at the end of your migration journey, go for OCVS. You'll get what you're after without having to hold your nose and spend more on compute resources.

Conclusion

If you're looking to migrate your VMware workloads to the cloud, you should seriously consider moving to Oracle Cloud VMware Solution. It's the easiest way to ensure continuity as well as a service that's rich in availability, storage and flexible pricing.

Are you looking for support with an Oracle cloud migration strategy ? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we've handled over 400 migrations and counting. Get in touch today for a free, no-obligation consultation.

The cloud lives in the sea, actually

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 07:00:00 GMT

Where does the cloud live? You might be surprised to learn that most of it is under the sea, actually

In the British sitcom The IT Crowd, the head of IT is getting ready for her employee of the month speech. IT technicians Moss and Roy decide to play a prank on her.

They give her a small black plastic box with a tiny red light on top for her to present at her speech. This, they tell her, is the internet.

The joke is on Jen's naivety, of course. But it's also on the fact that "the internet" is at once ubiquitous and strangely unknowable. Even the most prolific internet user might struggle to answer the question: what is the internet, exactly?

The same goes for the cloud. Most of us interact with the cloud every day of our lives, whether we're logging into Gmail or streaming a show on Netflix. We know it lets us use services in any location at any time – all you need is login details and an internet connection.

And most of us know that the cloud is run on data centres: the multitude of servers worldwide that store and share data and applications. The internet without a data centre is like a bicycle without a wheel.

But not many people know that the cloud lives in the sea, actually.

Yes, far below the waves, in a salty kingdom of oceanic life and human junk, miles of cables are transferring packets of data from continent to continent. Laid directly on the sea bed, they're now as essential to modern life as motorways and pylons.

Jayne Stowell, who oversees the construction of Google's undersea cables, puts it like this: "People think that data is in the cloud, but it's not. It's in the ocean."

In this article, we take a deep dive into the subsea world of the cloud.

How subsea cables connect continents

In 1858, Queen Victoria sent US President James Buchanan a telegram. It was the first telegram to be sent from Britain to the United States – and it took about 17 hours to get there.

These telegraphic cables have long since been decommissioned and now lie unused on the ocean floor. They've been replaced by around 400 internet cables. Laid end to end, these would stretch almost 750,0000 miles – that's 30 laps of the Equator!

This network of cables is owned by various organisations and private investors that pool resources to maintain the infrastructure.

Or, at least, that's how it usually goes. But in January 2024, Google announced that it's building Humboldt: a subsea cable route that will directly connect South America and Asia-Pacific for the first time.

What are they made of?

Each cable is about the thickness of a garden hose. It consists of a bundle of super-fine wires sheathed in steel wires and a copper case. Materials such as plastic and tar are added for extra protection.

This protection is essential for the cables to work properly. It's not just that they're operating under tonnes of seawater. They're also buffeted by currents, rock slides, earthquakes and even fishing trawlers.

Installing a cable takes years and costs millions of dollars. They're laid directly onto the seabed in deep water – the deeper the better.

The Marea cable, for instance, is 4,000 miles long and has the weight of 34 blue whales. It took a month to load onto a ship and two years to lay in its entirety.

Once installed, a subsea cable acts as a kind of delivery chute for data. Emails, texts and other types of data get fired down these cables at great speed. And we mean great speed – nearly the speed of light!

Like much of today's digital infrastructure, these cables can boggle the mind if you think about them for too long. But in principle, they're no different from any other technology that carries information across large distances – a freight train, say, or a packet ship of old.

How strong are subsea cables?

Subsea cables are integral to the digital economy and our digital lives. But they're also vulnerable to damage. Somewhere between 100 and 150 cables across the world are cut every year.

This can be because of natural causes. In 2021, for instance, Hurricane Sandy caused $71 billion in damage. It took out, among other things, a subsea cable that linked the USA and Europe.

Then there are earthquakes and landslides. In 2006, a magnitude-7.0 earthquake severed eight cables, affecting internet connectivity in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, the Philippines and Taiwan.

However, natural causes aren't the main source of damage to subsea cables. Two-thirds are caused by human activities – predominantly fishing and other marine activity, but also hostile actions by nation-states.

Cables have long been a target in international conflicts. In the First World War, for example, Britain cut German cables. If a cable was severed today, however, the consequences could be much more severe, impacting citizens, businesses, public services and governments.

Most of the time, however, data is spread over different routes. Like failover in cloud computing, we're not reliant on a single cable. Severance can cause disruption, but this is usually short-lived as data gets redirected down another cable.

Are subsea cables affecting marine life?

Like shipwrecks and other human additions to the sea floor, subsea cables are often used as shelter by marine bottom-dwellers. Think anemones, sponges, crabs and urchins.

It's unclear, however, whether the electromagnetic fields generated by these cables are affecting these animals – especially those that rely on electric fields to hunt for food.

Subsea cables have been shown to cause habitat damage and loss – and they may have a long-lasting impact on marine environments.

Like the cloud in general, subsea cables are an indispensable part of our lives – but they bring with them environmental risks that need to be mitigated.

Based in Cork, Ireland, Ascend provides cloud-based computing solutions to a global portfolio of clients. Need help to accelerate your ambition? Get in touch with our experts to get the ball rolling.

The benefits of using a cloud MSP

Fri, 14 Jun 2024 06:11:00 GMT

What do cloud MSPs do? And how can their support benefit your business? Find out in our guide.

Some things in life – and business – are simple enough to set and forget.

A filing cabinet won't rearrange itself – someone has to get in there and jumble the papers. And, to cite a more modern example, a basic local area network (LAN) can pootle along for years with only occasional hair-tearing episodes from IT.

The cloud, however, is a different beast. It's the knot to end all knots. A tangle of virtual networks, virtual storage and virtual machines, which support an equally confusing tangle of software, users and data. Oh, and all of this sits on a very real tangle of wires, connected to very real, power-hungry hardware.

It is, in short, nothing to be sniffed at. But all too often, businesses treat the cloud like a light switch. One flick and your world is bathed in a warm, perpetual glow.

And all too often, these businesses are stung by the reality of managing the cloud. It isn't a light switch. It's more like a coal fire. It needs teams of experts to stoke it, manage it and put things right when things go wrong.

If you don't have these experts on staff, you'll need to recruit them. And even if you're lucky enough to have the world's best IT team, the day-to-day management of the cloud can be operationally challenging – and expensive.

Now, let's not lose sight of the bigger picture. It's not for nought that 98% of companies globally use the cloud. The cloud can create work, sure – but the net result should be a sleeker, leaner, more scalable future for your business.

The cloud makes the big picture even bigger. But wouldn't it be nice if somebody could deal with the operational challenges of the cloud so you could focus your efforts on reaping its benefits?

That's where cloud managed service providers (MSPs) come in.

What is a cloud MSP?

A cloud MSP is a service provider that takes over some or all of your day-to-day cloud management duties.

Cloud MSPs come in many flavours.

Some specialise in particular aspects of cloud computing, such as security, deployment or backup and disaster recovery.

Others focus on types of clouds. Private cloud MSPs, for instance, can help you procure and deploy your own on-premise hardware and software, as well as assist with security, backups and cloud management.

And then there are the end-to-end cloud MSPs, which deliver hands-off cloud management, security, backup and support as an integrated service.
Cloud computing is a rich and varied field – and this is reflected in the breadth of managed cloud services available. But they all exist to do one thing: take time-consuming management tasks out of your hands. This way, you can devote more of your day to business-critical planning, development and decision-making.

That's the headline benefit. But if we dig deeper, we'll find more cloud-shaped gold to shout about. Let's take a look.

What are the benefits of a cloud MSP?

1. Access expertise on demand

Sure, you could build an in-house team of cloud experts. But this takes time, money and – here's the catch-22 – expertise.

With a cloud MSP, meanwhile, you have access to a crack team of cloud gurus who are ready to hit the ground running. And if you need support or guidance, they're on hand to provide it.

2. Unlock cost savings

Most cloud MSPs operate on a pay-per-use model.

This is the equivalent of using an electricity meter rather than installing a diesel generator in your garden. As you use the service, the meter ticks forward. From time to time, you receive a bill based on the time and services you've used.

This might seem daunting – and potentially expensive. However, if you're smart about your finances, it can unlock several benefits.

For one, it means fewer upfront investments. Hiring and upskilling a cloud management team is expensive, after all. And you'd need to fork out for ongoing training to keep your team abreast of the latest developments.

Second, it's scalable. You'll need to keep a close eye on your budget, sure. But using a cloud MSP means you can dial up or dial down without hiring, firing or investing in new infrastructure.

3. Enjoy improved security

Cybersecurity isn't a hamster. You can't simply check in occasionally, top up its water bottle and get on with your day.

No. To keep your business secure, you need to be vigilant – and constantly alert. This would be a headache for your internal IT team but is all in a day's work for a cloud MSP.

At bottom, an MSP will ensure your systems are operational, compliant and up-to-date. It's surprisingly easy, after all, to miss an important software upgrade – but with every forgotten security patch, your data becomes easier for hackers to access.

Many MSPs also offer cloud security as a service. This goes above and beyond simple updates and takes us into the ultra-specialised fields of threat detection, monitoring and cloud access security brokers.

Again, this is all stuff that you can handle in-house if you really want to – but for the sake of simplicity and your budget, it's often better to leave it in the hands of the professionals.

4. Ensure business continuity

What if something does go wrong?

Your security posture could be as upright and sturdy as Hercules himself. But in the hyper-connected world of cloud computing, the threat of a data breach or ransomware attack remains very real.

That's why we shouldn't simply prepare for the worst – we should be prepared to expect it.

A cloud MSP can help you implement a robust backup and disaster recovery strategy. This way, you'll minimise disruption, reputational damage and potential legal costs if something goes seriously awry.

And remember: what might be a mountain for you is a mere molehill for a seasoned cloud expert. In the worst-case scenario, having a cool, clear-headed team on board to handle the technical side of things can be priceless.

Ascend is a trusted cloud consultancy and MSP based in Cork, Ireland. We help clients around the globe with expert cloud computing management services and strategic support. Need help to accelerate your ambition? Get in touch with our friendly team to book a free consultation.

Can you migrate too fast? How to find your cloud migration pace

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 08:49:00 GMT

How quickly should you migrate to the cloud? Get the answers you need in our accessible explainer article.

In the business world, time is of the essence. The tendency is to work hard and work fast.

But there's a difference between going fast and rushing – and when it comes to cloud migration, the distinction is critical.

It's easy to see why enterprises want the cloud migration process to be done and dusted in short order. Until the process is completed, your systems, data and software are in limbo. When the migration is underway, it can feel a bit like living out of boxes in your new home.

However, this doesn't mean that the migration process should be rushed. Why? Because a cloud migration involves so much more than simply dragging and dropping a huge quantity of files from one folder to another. Above all, the success or failure of a cloud migration hinges on one thing: planning.

In this article, we explore the importance of planning in executing a successful cloud migration – and show that it's worth taking that extra bit of time.

But first of all, what's wrong with migrating too fast?

Migrating at speed: what could go wrong?

Perhaps the biggest pitfall of migrating too quickly relates to security and compliance.

In 2024, the importance of security and compliance doesn't need to be hammered home. If you cut corners in these areas, you can put both data and your reputation at risk – and potentially face a fine.

But security and compliance aren't just critical to your day-to-day operations. They should also be cornerstones of your cloud migration strategy.

There's no reason why your internal team can't take care of this. But if there is a skills gap at play, it can be highly beneficial to get a cloud consultant on board. Aside from anything else, they'll be up to speed with the nuances of security and compliance in your industry.

In the world of cloud migration, slow and steady wins the race – as well as ensuring that you have a robust security posture and up-to-the-minute compliance.

Bringing your team with you

One of the biggest challenges for companies migrating to the cloud isn't the process itself – it's bringing staff with you. Resistance to change can be a real problem.

However, this resistance is most pronounced when staff feel they're being rushed into changing their way of working. And why shouldn't they be? Life is hard enough without having to change those daily digital routines that keep your day running smoothly.

This is another reason why a slower pace can be beneficial. It allows you to manage the migration in waves, involving and educating your staff each step of the way.

The importance of planning

Let's go back to the analogy of moving house.

There's no right way to move house. You can meticulously audit your possessions, decluttering ahead of time and adding colour-coding to your labels. You can throw everything in boxes on the morning of the move. Or, like most people, you can do something in between the two.

There's no right way – but each method has its own consequences. If you plan, you'll be up and running more quickly than if you don't. The same goes for cloud migration.

If the process is rushed, you're going to be spending weeks replacing broken goods and rummaging through boxes for your favourite eggcup.
Let's translate that metaphor into cloud reality.

What happens if you don't plan?

If you migrate too fast, you'll find that you have a lot of work to do at the other end. Workloads will need to be found and synced. Security issues will need to be addressed. Access permissions will need to be set.

This is especially unwelcome given that one of the cloud's biggest selling points is its capacity to save you money.

You might be thinking that this would never happen to you. And maybe it won't. But the phenomenon is so common it has its own name: cloud shock.

Cloud shock is when you overspend on cloud services. Nine times out of 10, it's because of poor planning rather than poor execution. Nine times out of 10, the migration itself was smooth and timely – but there was a to-do list the length of the Yangtze waiting for IT at the other end.

The sad thing is that it's all so avoidable. All you need to do is thoroughly plan for the migration and you can be way more confident that it will go ahead on time and within budget.

What needs to be included in a plan?

A good cloud migration plan brings together finance and IT. Leave out one and you're left with a process that's unlikely to deliver – and may end up costing you more than you budgeted for.

First, you need to thoroughly audit your workloads and systems. This allows you to identify migration challenges for each workload.

But these technical considerations won't add up to much without detailed financial planning. Cloud migration isn't just about where your data sits. It's about realising your business's potential through an increase in agility, cost-effectiveness and scalability.

If IT is up to it – great! But if there's a significant amount of upskilling involved, it may be better to get a cloud consultant on board.

Conclusion

Whether you're moving to the cloud for the first time or switching to another provider, the temptation is to do it quickly. However, this can lead to issues with security, compliance, budget and even team morale.

Your best bet is to plan thoroughly and take your time. In our opinion, this is the wisest policy – whether you're undertaking the migration internally or getting outside help from a consultant.

At Ascend, we've executed more cloud migrations than you've had hot dinners. Get in touch today to find out more about our cloud transformation solutions .

The state of the cloud in Japan [2024]

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 07:51:00 GMT

Big tech firms are investing in Japan's cloud infrastructure. What could this mean for the country's fortunes?

Think of Japan and you probably think of a highly advanced economy. And you'd be right – but you might be surprised to learn that, in spite of this, digital adoption in Japan has been slower than elsewhere.

In 2023, for instance, a survey placed Japan bang in the middle of 64 economies when it came to digital adoption – a surprising placement when you consider that Japan at the time of writing has the fourth-highest GDP in the world.

Meanwhile, Japan is facing a skills gap. There simply aren't enough digital workers to spearhead the digital transformation that an advanced economy would like to see.

However, Japan's fortunes may be on the up thanks to multi-billion dollar investments from Microsoft, Oracle, AWS and Google Cloud.

These follow a concerted game of catch-up by Japan's government and corporations to develop AI infrastructure, with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida meeting representatives of OpenAI and chipmaker Nvidia.

In this article, we take a look at how big tech is investing in Japan.

AWS to invest $15.24 billion in Japan

For AI services to flourish, advanced cloud computing infrastructure needs to be in place. A relative lack of infrastructure is one reason why Japan is lagging behind at the time of writing.

A step in the right direction has come in the form of heavy Amazon Web Services (AWS) investment in the region. Having already invested around $9.8 million between 2011 and 2022, it's ramping up its efforts with an additional investment of $15.24 billion.

AWS will be offering generative AI services to corporate customers: Asahi Group, Nomura Holdings and Marubeni, among others. To this end, it will be expanding existing facilities in Tokyo and Osaka.

AWS has also revealed that it plans to address Japan's shortage of digital workers by investing in education programmes and training. As with its increased spending on infrastructure, this builds on existing investment. Since 2017, AWS has trained more than 400,000 digital workers in Japan.

This investment in Japan's cloud backbone could make a tangible difference to the country's AI offerings.

Tadao Nagasaki, who serves as the president of AWS in Japan, has said:

"Our investment into cloud infrastructure generates a ripple effect across the Japanese industries… It will help more Japanese organisations with the ability to access and adopt new, emerging and transforming digital technologies."

He concludes: "We are committed to and excited about the future of Japan's digital economy".

Oracle's eight-billion-dollar investment

Oracle has announced it will invest eight billion dollars in Japan over the next 10 years to support the growing demand for cloud computing and AI infrastructure.

This investment will, it's expected, enable the Japanese government and enterprises to migrate mission-critical workloads onto Oracle Cloud. To support this, Oracle plans to increase local customer support for its public cloud regions in Tokyo and Osaka.

Toshimitsu Misawa, CEO of Oracle Japan, has said:

"By growing our cloud footprint and providing a team to support sovereign operations in Japan, we are giving our customers and partners the opportunity to innovate with AI and other cloud services while supporting their regulatory and sovereignty requirements."

Microsoft

Microsoft has had a cloud presence in Japan since 2014 when it opened cloud regions in Tokyo and Osaka. However, it announced in April 2024 that it will be ramping up investment in cloud computing and AI to the tune of $2.9 billion.

As well as pouring money into the country's infrastructure, Microsoft is also expanding its digital skills programmes – much as it is doing in India.
The investment is likely to give Japanese cloud computing a boost, partly by providing cutting-edge GPUs that will accelerate AI workloads.

Miki Tsusaka, President of Microsoft Japan, said: "In our collaboration with our partners, Microsoft Japan is fully committed to supporting the people and organisations of Japan to solve social problems and achieve more".

Google Cloud's subsea cables

The cloud isn't only dependent on data centres. It's also made possible by thousands of miles of subsea fibreoptic cables that are laid directly on the sea floor.

Google has announced it's investing one billion dollars in two subsea cables that will create new routes between the USA and Japan. The result is likely to be a more stable and more resilient transfer of data between the two nations.

OpenAI

You can't tell the story of the AI boom without mentioning OpenAI, the research firm that released ChatGTP in November 2022.

Now, it's expanding into Japan. The firm has made two announcements: first, that it will be opening its first Asian office in Tokyo, and secondly, that it will be releasing a GPT-4 custom model optimised for the Japanese language.

In a video message, OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman said: "This is just the first step in what I hope will be a long-term partnership with the people of Japan, government leaders, businesses and research institutions".

Chipmaking

Meanwhile, technology company Intel has announced it will collaborate with 14 Japanese companies – including Yamaha Motor and Fuji – to automate "back-end chipmaking processes".

The group is expected to invest around $65 million in an effort to strengthen US and Japan's semiconductor supply chains.

Manual assembly plays a huge role in the back-end production of chips – and it typically takes place in countries with large pools of low-wage labour. In a country like Japan, where costs are higher, automation is seen to be needed to keep up with the demand for chips.

Conclusion

Japan is at a turning point in its digital transformation. Big tech investment could make a significant difference to its digital skills gap and relatively slow pace of adoption. Whatever happens, we'll keep you posted.

Are you looking for managed, end-to-end cloud migration solutions ? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we've handled more than 400 migrations and counting. Get in touch today for expert guidance and an honest quote.

Which industries have embraced the cloud in 2024?

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 09:01:00 GMT

In 2024, the cloud is bigger than ever. Explore three case studies and find out what's next for industries.

In 2024, it would be quicker to say which industries haven't embraced the cloud. It's now so common in the business world that we barely even think of it as the cloud anymore.

No one logging into their Dropbox or Gmail account is thinking "Let's see what the cloud has to offer today". The ability to access services from any location at any time is now as basic as having a Facebook account.

Nevertheless, the cloud is developing in all sorts of exciting ways: from integrating AI solutions to edge computing; from the Internet of Things to low-code and no-code solutions.

But alongside these general trends, the cloud is developing in industry-specific ways. It stands to reason: an automotive firm, let's say, will have different requirements from an eCommerce store.

For a deeper dive into these developments, we've turned to Gartner's research . Gartner is a technological research firm that gathers data about the state of the cloud.

Its general findings are clear: cloud adoption in every industry will continue to grow. But more interestingly, it predicts that the three biggest spenders on public cloud services by 2028 will be banking, software development and telecoms.

The inclusion of banking in this list is notable. Perhaps surprisingly, banking has been among the slowest industries to adopt cloud solutions.

The same goes for cloud gaming – an industry that's experienced plenty of false starts and teething problems. Could 2024 be the year it finally gets over the hump?

In this article, we take a look at cloud adoption in the banking, telecoms and cloud gaming sectors – plus a look at what the future could hold in the form of industry-specific cloud platforms.

Banking

In 2023, only around a quarter of banks were running more than 30% of their workloads in the cloud. In 2024, it looks like that number is going up.

This has the potential to unlock several benefits for the banking sector. First, it will cut infrastructure costs – after all, those legacy systems that many banks still use are far from cheap. Secondly, it will let institutions integrate data silos.

This second benefit could be felt by consumers as well as providers. If banks have greater oversight of their data, they'll be able to target customers with personalised advice and financial product recommendations.

As with all industries that handle sensitive data – the public sector and healthcare being two other prime examples – banks in 2024 will be leveraging hybrid cloud solutions. This lets them secure customer data in the private cloud while harnessing the flexibility of the public cloud to create customer-facing applications.

Telecommunications

Another finding of Gartner's report is that the telecoms industry dominates private cloud use. In fact, it's the only industry where private cloud use dwarfs public.

It stands to reason when you consider the sheer volume of sensitive personal data handled by telecoms firms. Private clouds give companies a level of control over cloud infrastructure that ensures maximum security for their data.

Meanwhile, Juniper Research has published a report revealing that telecom operators are set to invest $26 billion in cloud services in 2024.

Looking beyond 2024, this is set to grow to $65 billion in 2028. The report also predicts that the growth of 5G networks and the arrival of cloud-native 6G will necessitate a 110% increase in cellular data between now and 2028.

Cloud gaming

When it comes to the cloud, the general picture is one of blue skies and sunshine. But cloud gaming is an interesting case study of how the cloud isn't always riding high.

So far, there has been a gap between what cloud gaming can offer and what it actually provides. Manufacturers promise the Netflixification of gaming: games on demand from any device with no loss of quality.

So far, however, gamers have been given a handful of games and a whole lot of latency. It's unlikely that this will change drastically in 2024 – but there is one development that could bring cloud gaming closer to the mainstream.

This is Microsoft Xbox's announcement that gamers will soon be allowed to play their full library of "owned games" – not just titles from the Xbox Game Pass library.

It's a small move that addresses a fundamental problem. By increasing the number of available games to stream on the cloud, Microsoft is making cloud gaming a more attractive proposition to users.

What are industry cloud platforms?

For all their benefits, most cloud platforms have one drawback. The majority are one-size-fits-all services, catering to any customer looking for a solution. They're not yet geared towards the challenges, requirements and regulatory demands of specific industries.

Industry cloud platforms (ICPs) are an answer to this problem. Also known as "vertical cloud platforms", ICPs are designed to save money and boost operational efficiencies in a more industry-specific way.

ICP is yet to be an acronym on many people's lips. Gartner, however, predicts that adoption will jump from less than 15% in 2023 to more than 70% by 2027.

The research firm also predicts that ICPs will become ecosystem clouds: large-scale cloud solutions that enterprises can use collaboratively for essential tasks such as procurement and payment processing.

In short, the question "Which industries have embraced the cloud?" may soon be an old-fashioned turn of phrase as one-size-fits-all solutions give way to industry-specific offerings.

Conclusion

The cloud is here to stay. But while the general trend has been for steady adoption across all industries, some sectors have travelled a bumpier road.

It seems, however, that 2024 could be the year when banking and gaming make cloud-based strides and telecom companies take investment up a notch.

One thing's for sure: it's too late to stop now…

Are you looking for help with your cloud transition strategy ? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, our experts have handled more than 400 migrations across a range of industries. Get in touch for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Navigating VMware Changes with Oracle Cloud VMware Solution (OCI): A Path Forward

Fri, 31 May 2024 22:25:00 GMT

If you're managing your company's VMware estate and feeling the impact of recent changes following the Broadcom acquisition , you might be missing a valuable opportunity by not considering Oracle Cloud VMware Solution (OCVS). Even if you're not currently an Oracle customer, here's why OCVS deserves your attention.

Addressing Pain Points with OCVS

Familiarity and Ease of Migration

OCVS offers the same on-premises experience, ensuring familiarity and ease of migration for customers navigating turbulent changes. The transition to OCVS feels seamless and intuitive, making it a smart choice for companies seeking stability.

Enhanced Control and Security

With OCVS, you benefit from a fully customer-managed service running on dedicated bare metal servers. This setup provides enhanced control and root-level access, offering superior security and management capabilities.

Seamless Integration

OCVS integrates effortlessly with other cloud services, providing low latency and simplified connections to services such as Load Balancer as a Service (LBaaS), Firewalls, Storage, Kubernetes, and Databases. This integration supports a cohesive and efficient cloud ecosystem.

Smooth Migration and Cost Efficiency

OCVS facilitates a smooth VMware workload lift-and-shift from on-premises to the cloud, mitigating migration risks and reducing unexpected operational costs. This is particularly beneficial during times of uncertainty and budget constraints.

Attractive Pricing Model

Broadcom's changes to VMware's commercial model make OCVS even more appealing. Offering consistent pricing across all 48 Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) regions, OCVS provides predictable costs, offering stability in an otherwise volatile market.

Empathetic Support from Ascend Cloud

At Ascend Cloud, we understand the challenges you're facing. Our team, with extensive experience in consulting, designing, and migrating VMware estates, is uniquely positioned to assist. Our staff, many of whom are ex-VMware experts, partnered with Oracle last year due to our strong belief in the OCVS offering. We are confident that our skills can make a significant difference for our customers.

How We Can Help

Right-Sizing Your Workload

We'll analyze your existing VMware workload to ensure a lean and cost-effective migration to the cloud. This minimizes waste and maximizes efficiency, making your transition smoother.

Expert Migration Support

Our team specializes in VMware HCX, OCVS's primary migration tool, with hundreds of successful HCX migrations under our belt. We'll ensure your workload transitions to the cloud with minimal disruption.

Customized Solutions

We'll work with you to design your new home in OCVS, tailored to your unique needs and requirements. Our bespoke solutions ensure that your specific challenges are met with precision.

OCVS Launchpad Service

To expedite your journey to OCVS, we've introduced the OCVS Launchpad —a 7-day turnaround service. We assess your VMware environment, provide target environment sizing, define migration approaches, and offer cost-saving guidance.

Don't let uncertainty hold you back. Let Ascend Cloud show you the way forward. Get in touch with a member of our team, and together, we can navigate these changes.

How do data centres stay cool in warm climates?

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 08:03:00 GMT

It's hard to keep data centres cool in tropical climates. Learn how a team in Singapore is making a difference.

These days, data centres are as essential to our day-to-day lives as sewers, electricity lines and gas pipes. Without them, you'd be hard-pressed to get most jobs done – and you'd soon notice there were fewer ways to keep yourself entertained in the evenings.

Data centres, however, are a double-edged sword. This is because they're prone to overheating and require expensive, complex cooling systems to cool them down. It's a bit like the fan on your laptop – only these systems have to cool thousands of servers in hyperscale facilities across the globe.

This conflicts sharply with most organisations' and governments' commitment to reducing carbon emissions. How can we square our need for speed with our need for a liveable future?

The issue gets more complex in tropical climates, where it's not just people who need cooling down. Take Singapore . It has a mean daily temperature of between 31°C and 33°C and a mean annual relative humidity of 82%. In rainy seasons, humidity frequently reaches 100%.

This intense humidity poses a threat to data centres. Left unchecked, it can corrode the electronic equipment which a data centre is built to protect. But to check it requires huge resources: conventional air cooling and mechanical ventilation systems barely cut it.

This is the problem that the National University of Singapore (NUS) is trying to solve. It's doing so with its Sustainable Data Centre Testbed. Could it be on to something?

What is the Sustainable Data Centre Testbed trying to achieve?

At the NUS Sustainable Data Centre Testbed, the aim is to figure out ways to run data centres efficiently and greenly in hot, humid climates like Singapore.

Singapore is a highly developed economy with a pro-business agenda. To this end, it's embraced the digital economy, with around 120 data centres at the time of writing (compared to 514 in the UK, 449 in China, and 5,381 in the USA).

Because of this commitment to cloud technologies, it's important for Singapore to find ways to operate more sustainably.

The NUS testbed has a noble aim: to cut the carbon emitted by a typical data centre. It primarily seeks to do this by using 40% less energy and 30% to 40% less water than usual.

A key part of the process is to compare liquid cooling systems with air cooling systems. The team has raised the temperature of the air supply going into the data hall, thereby optimising the amount of energy consumed.

As the "testbed" moniker suggests, this data centre is built for observation. The data hall is laid out symmetrically, meaning the team can carry out side-by-side comparisons of the two types of cooling.

What's so bad about liquid cooling?

In today's tropical data centres, about 40% of the energy consumed is because of liquid cooling. To operate sustainably, alternative methods need to be found.

This doesn't mean jettisoning liquid cooling entirely. It is, in fact, a more effective way of transferring heat than air. The problem is inefficiency.

The team's facilities support both direct-chip liquid cooling and immersion cooling – the two most prevalent types of liquid cooling. It's been comparing air-cooled and liquid-cooled servers to figure out the most efficient configurations available.

The testbed team has made several discoveries. First, that the air-cooled system reduces the servers' heat by up to 60%. Second, that even when the liquid cooling is turned off, the air-cooled system can still remove up to 60% of heat. And third, that liquid cooling can cut energy use by 30% and give computing performance a lift of 40%.

It's been using state-of-the-art cooling technologies, including Meta's StatePoint Liquid Cooling unit. This device is helping the team ascertain how indirect evaporative cooling techniques can perform in tropical climates like Singapore.

These techniques are "indirect" because they cut mechanical cooling and make greater use of cooler air from outside the facility. This is being combined with a desiccant-coated heat exchanger.

On top of this, the team is looking at ways to recycle waste heat from liquid cooling. It's using this waste heat to regenerate desiccant materials.

Taken together, these experiments seek to improve data centre sustainability by assessing alternative cooling technologies under real-world conditions. It aims to demonstrate these outcomes by mid-2024 before publishing a white paper on sustainable data centre design in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Lam Khin Yong, vice president of industry at Nanyang Technical University (NTU), Singapore, puts it like this:

"The Sustainable Tropical Data Centre Testbed presents a sustainable solution for the operation and maintenance of data centres. As the world's first tropical climate data centre testbed, the [facility] sets a new standard, not just for Singapore, but as a global benchmark for the intersection of cutting-edge technology, environmental responsibility and operational efficiency in data centre infrastructure."

It's this mission to establish a "global benchmark" that makes this research so exciting. Potentially, it could help usher in a world where data centres can perform just as well without guzzling quite so much energy.

What other attempts are being made to improve the sustainability of data centres?

The testbed in Singapore is just one example of efforts being made across the globe to increase the sustainability of data centres.

Microsoft's Project Natick, for example, is an underwater data centre that's cooled by the sea itself. Meanwhile, in Odense, Denmark, 10% of households are kept warm by excess heat from a hyperscale facility. Waste heat is being used in a similar way in Norway, Austria, Germany and Finland – not to mention a swimming pool in Exmouth, England.

Google, meanwhile, has publicly announced that all of its data centres will be run on carbon-free energy by 2030.

Taken together, could these attempts help keep the digital economy afloat in a more environmentally friendly way? It's hard to say – but we'll be watching the industry closely and keeping you in the loop about any more exciting developments.

Ascend is a trusted cloud solutions company based in Cork, Ireland. Are you looking for a cloud migration partner? Get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation.

Cloud migration for the supply chain and transportation sectors

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 07:41:00 GMT

Find out how cloud migration is shaking things up for the better in the supply chain and transportation sectors.

For every door that closes, another tends to open.

No one would deny that the supply chain and transportation sectors have faced huge problems over the last few years. At times, it's felt like your best bet is simply to assume that your delivery will be overdue and adjust your plans accordingly.

It's been a perfect storm of pandemic restrictions, geopolitical conflict, port congestion and labour shortages. The pipes are fit to burst. Is there any hope for the coming years?

Well, we don't claim to be the supply chain Nostradamus. We leave crystal balls to luxury designers.

We do, however, believe there's one silver lining – one that, funnily enough, goes by the name of "the cloud".

What is the cloud?

Ask someone with a casual interest in tech and they're likely to tell you that the cloud is all about backing up files.

You come back from Magaluf with your phone's camera roll at capacity. So you back them up to the cloud. Now, you can access them from any device at any time. All you need is an internet connection and your login details.

So far, so good. But the cloud goes well beyond this basic function.

The cloud refers to any software, platform or infrastructure that's been virtualised. Yes, Dropbox is the cloud – but so too are Gmail, Netflix and other everyday platforms.

This means that when we talk about the cloud in an industrial setting, we're talking about mission-critical software and platforms being put online.

Generally speaking, data and software used to run off in-house data centres. Today, they're mostly run off data centres provided by major cloud providers like Amazon, Google and IBM. Those companies provide the resources – you access your software and data.

The cost-effectiveness, scalability and flexibility of the cloud are much-vaunted – and with good reason. But how can they help the supply chain and transportation sectors in particular?

How can the cloud help the supply chain and transportation sectors?

If you work in the supply chain or transportation sector, you'll know that more than vehicles and warehouses are involved.

These sectors rely on systems. Complex, sprawling, global systems. Systems that let you manage data, monitor shipments, oversee fleets and more.

When systems and processes cover such a range, the need for clarity and integration is more important than ever. Too often, your right hand doesn't know what your left is doing – but unlike in other sectors, your right hand's in Portsmouth and your left's in Singapore.

By moving operations to the cloud, both managers and end users can oversee these systems with far greater ease.

Systems become more adaptable – and, crucially, more scalable. If your logistics firm takes on new customers, you can quickly scale up your resources to accommodate them.

This is a godsend in times of uncertainty. It's like running a pizzeria and buying just enough dough for the evening ahead – not a gram more or less.

This scalability cuts costs. But the savings don't end there.

If you have your data centre onsite, you're responsible for maintaining it. By moving to the cloud, you're letting someone else do the dirty work so you can focus on the operations themselves.

It's the difference between getting your electricity supplied by Bord Gáis and installing a generator in your garden. Hobbyists will love the latter – but for the majority of people, choosing option one is a no-brainer.

Additional benefits of cloud migration

The supply chain never sleeps – and neither does the cloud. This means that cloud migration can increase your service levels and reduce disruption to pretty much zero.

There are two main reasons for this. The first is that cloud solutions tend to be super-secure. You're running your operations off infrastructure owned by global players with vast resources. The chances of a security breach – and the resultant disruption – are slim.

The same goes for downtime in general. If you have your own data centre onsite, any problem is going to cause downtime. While the technician is busy getting things back to normal, you're just twiddling your thumbs.

This isn't the case with the cloud. Providers like AWS have enough resources to ensure that disruption is a matter of seconds, not days.

In an industry where uptime is vital, this benefit speaks for itself.

Finally, the supply chain and transportation sectors run on data. Increasingly, cloud solutions provide artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) services that carry out complex data analysis without you lifting a finger.

What you do with that data requires the human touch. But if you need quick, actionable insights, the cloud is your friend.

What should a cloud strategy include?

Before you migrate to the cloud, you need a plan. The alternative is to turn up at the airport without your passport, so to speak.

This plan takes time to put together. It needs to provide a comprehensive audit of:

Your current resources
What you're migrating
What's being left behind
What the time frame is
How the process will align with your business goals

This last point is crucial. If your cloud migration project doesn't further your goals, you're putting money in the shredder and then wondering where it's gone.

None of this is easy. That's why a reputable cloud consultant can make all the difference.

How a cloud consultant can help

Cloud computing isn't common knowledge. Even if you have an IT team bursting with bright sparks, you might not have the expertise needed to plan and execute a cloud migration plan that works for you.

By contrast, getting an experienced cloud consultant with a proven track record of success means you hand them the technical reins and get on with the rest of your to-do list. It ups your chances of getting a cloud-based solution that works for you and helps you grow.

Are you looking for a cloud migration partner? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we've managed more than 400 migrations and counting. Get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation.

Why is cloud repatriation on the rise?

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 08:00:00 GMT

More and more firms are moving to a private cloud or back to an on-prem data centre. Find out why.

Cloud technology is a field that never stands still for long. As dynamism goes, it's up there with AI and Real Madrid.

This means that for every advance, there's a setback. We're not quite in the world Bob Dylan described where "every time you stop and turn around / Something else just hit the ground". The picture, however, is indubitably mixed.

Take the increasing prevalence of cloud repatriation. This is where companies shift their cloud operations either to private clouds or back to on-prem data centres.

This might seem like a blow for the cloud. If people are changing course, does that mean the cloud hasn't delivered on its promise?

Well, the cloud isn't and never has been a silver bullet. Its advantages are many – but it needs to be implemented well if it's going to help businesses grow.

Our view is that the current move towards cloud repatriation isn't an argument against cloud adoption. It's an argument for a well-managed migration in the first place.

But before we make that case, let's find out more about cloud repatriation – what it is and why it's happening.

What is cloud repatriation?

The language of the cloud comes from the language of migration. Just as a person or group might migrate from one place to another, so businesses migrate from on-premise data centres to the cloud.

Repatriation is the same. When describing the movement of people across the world, it means someone has moved back to their country of origin, whether voluntarily or through force. In the cloud world, repatriation means upping sticks and taking your operations from the cloud back to an on-premise data centre – or to a private cloud.

Why is it happening?

Cloud repatriation is a complex issue – and there's no one reason for it to be happening.

That said, we believe there are three main drivers – drivers that reveal that the problem is more with individual cloud journeys rather than the public cloud itself.

1. Data sovereignty is an increasing priority for businesses

Many enterprises are concerned about data sovereignty – and with good reason. If you handle and share data in different territories, you need to make sure that you're compliant with the laws of each country.

This can be a logistical headache and some businesses believe it can be handled better on-site or through a purely private cloud.

But blaming this on public cloud providers is a bit like blaming the construction industry for your faulty guttering. The problem is the individual customer journey – not the cloud itself.

2. Broadcom's acquisition of VMware

At the end of 2023, global tech firm Broadcom took over VMware. Straight away, it made some big changes, removing free products, replacing perpetual licenses with subscriptions and scrapping second-party data centres.

This has led to many cloud-native firms becoming cloud-homeless. It's an unfortunate and unpredictable turn of events that is a key driver of the current move towards cloud repatriation.

3. Cloud shock

Marketing for cloud solutions tends to focus on the cloud in the abstract. The cloud can do this, do that and the other. It can unlock cost savings, scale easily and probably de-age you too.

The problem with this is that it omits a crucial part of the process: the migration itself.

You see the same issue in conversations about AI. "Friend – or foe?" the commentaries go. But the real question is: "What is it good for and how can you make sure you're using it well?"

There's no point chucking your workloads into the cloud and hoping for the best. Too often, the result is cloud shock: the equivalent of going on holiday and finding you've racked up roaming charges to make your eyes water.

In other words, you need to plan carefully before migrating. You need to know it will help you smash your business goals – not just be a decorative add-on.

The answer? In our view, it's not cloud repatriation. It's high-quality cloud consultancy . And if you want to know who can give you that – well, here's looking at you, kid.

What's the answer?

We're not denying that these are real problems that businesses face. But the move towards cloud repatriation isn't always well-advised. It's like giving up on solar panels because a cowboy builder did a bad installation job.

Still, the facts of the matter are undeniable. More and more businesses are abandoning the public cloud and either heading to a private solution or repatriating to an on-prem solution.

But is this a problem of the cloud in general or does it only reflect the failings of individual customer journeys? As Alan Flower, leader of Cloud Native & AI Labs at HCLTech, has said:

"When clients express a desire to move away from their current cloud providers, it's not so much a statement of repatriation, it's more a statement about their current journey has perhaps failed or not been as successful [as anticipated]."

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we can help businesses migrate successfully the first time around. But if they do find themselves hamstrung or disappointed, we can help them to move to a private or hybrid solution.

Don't let this wave of cloud repatriation lead you to think that the cloud hasn't delivered on its potential. In fact, it's a powerful argument for getting cloud migration right – and more often than not, that's best achieved by bringing an expert in from the outside.

A good cloud consultant will plan and execute your migration in a way that minimises disruption, unlocks cost savings and aligns with your business goals. Get it right with the help of a reputable consultant and you won't be looking back any time soon.

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we've executed more cloud migrations than you've had hot dinners. Get in touch today to find out more about our cloud consultancy services.

Open-source cloud computing: what is OpenStack?

Fri, 12 Apr 2024 07:59:00 GMT

What is OpenStack and how it can help your business? Find out in our accessible guide to this IaaS solution.

Do you need a robust, scalable infrastructure on which to create cloud services? Do you have large compute and service requirements? Then OpenStack could be the answer to your problems.

OpenStack is an open-source framework that enterprises can use to deliver cloud-based infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS). It lets you build virtual data centres on demand and massively reduces the time needed between conception and realisation.

In this article, we take a closer look at how OpenStack can help your business grow.

A beginner's guide to OpenStack

At its most basic, OpenStack is a set of software modules known as "projects". Together, these projects create and manage cloud infrastructures, providing applications with API access to cloud services.

OpenStack pools, provisions and manages crucial functions such as compute, storage and network resources. It doesn't, however, provide other cloud management functions such as monitoring, troubleshooting or governance.

It's one of many open-source technologies that IT teams can use to create and manage cloud workloads. Companies of all shapes and sizes have embraced it as an alternative to the big players.

But while there are plenty of options available free of charge, we think OpenStack is a cut above. Here's why.

What are the benefits of OpenStack?

For our money, there are three main benefits of OpenStack as an IaaS solution.

First, it's free. If you're looking to unlock cost savings, it's a simple step to take.

But this isn't a solution that will only delight your finance department. Its second main benefit is that it also provides IT with a reliable, road-tested service that's been developed over a decade.

The third and final benefit is that it's vendor-neutral. If you want to avoid vendor lock-in, OpenStack could be the way to go.

When would you use OpenStack?

If you need to run multiple OSs and applications, virtualisation is the way forward. This enables you to abstract both your computing resources and your physical hardware. You essentially get to look under the bonnet of your data centre from any device in any location.

OpenStack is the cherry on the cake. By installing it on top of a virtualised environment, you're creating a cloud OS with a broader pool of resources.

You choose from a range of software components – or "projects" – and join them together to virtualise the essential features of your cloud. This could include compute, VM images, networking, storage, identity management and resource management.

These projects can be added to or subtracted from with ease. This Lego-like scalability is one of OpenStack's biggest selling points.

And it's free. Using OpenStack, you can dodge vendor lock-in and subscription fees. Leveraging your own expertise – or that of a cloud consultant or managed service provider – you get enterprise cloud infrastructure free of charge.

One thing to consider is that OpenStack is best suited for cloud-native applications – those applications which are built for the cloud and not simply migrated into it.

Now, let's take a closer look at the benefits that OpenStack can provide to your business.

What are the drawbacks?

There's one main drawback to OpenStack which may outweigh the advantages for some companies. This is that your IT team needs to know the platform inside-out to make the most of it – and its open-source nature means that the platform is constantly changing.

However, this needn't stop you from adopting OpenStack. Getting a cloud consultant or MSP on board means leveraging open-source expertise without having to train internal staff.

How is OpenStack like a bazaar?

In 1999, American software developer Eric S. Raymond published a book called The Cathedral and the Bazaar: Musings on Linux and Open Source by an Accidental Revolutionary.

In this book, Raymond compares two models of free software development.

The cathedral model, he argues, is where the source code is available to the public when the software is released. Between versions, however, the software is ring-fenced and open only to a coterie of developers.

The bazaar model, by contrast, is where the code is developed online and is freely available to all. In this model, an ecosystem of coders work together to shape the source code. Farewell to the hallowed hush of the cathedral – we're now in a vibrant, dynamic marketplace of expertise.

OpenStack is the bazaar of cloud computing. It embodies Raymond's proposition that "given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow" – in other words, that the more widely available the source code is, the quicker bugs will be detected and eliminated.

It's this Wiki-style, open-source spirit that makes OpenStack so reliable. Any bugs can be eradicated swiftly, so you don't have to wait for the next version of the software to be issued from the cathedral of code. And at €0.00, who can argue with that?

What is VMware Integrated OpenStack?

VMware is a market leader in virtualisation software. VMware Integrated OpenStack lets you seamlessly use VMware's software-defined data centre (SDDC) with OpenStack.

This means that you get to continue working with familiar VMware tools like vSphere, NSX, vSAN and vCenter.

For many businesses, it's the best of both worlds – a production-grade OpenStack cloud atop a rock-solid, feature-rich platform.

However, VMware may not be for everyone. Since Broadcom acquired the company, prices for its Virtual Cloud Service Provider (VCSP) programme have spiked sharply. While some enterprises are in a position to stick with VMware, many SMEs no longer see it as a viable solution.

This isn't the end of the world – far from it. OpenStack works with many other cloud infrastructure providers. If you're parting ways with VMware you could, for instance, investigate Oracle OpenStack.

Conclusion
OpenStack is a scalable, affordable way of building robust infrastructures for your cloud services. Whether you manage it in-house or get a cloud consultant to help, it can help you streamline your cloud infrastructure and help your business grow.

Are you looking for a cloud consultant to help manage your cloud infrastructure? Get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation.

Is the future of gaming in the cloud?

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 08:00:00 GMT

Cloud gaming is beset by problems – but could it have a bright future? Join us as we explore the topic.

Once upon a time, the future of business, government and leisure all lay in the cloud. Today, that future is here.

From healthcare to manufacturing, from Netflix to NASA, the cloud has transformed the way we do things. The ability to access workloads from any device in any location has unlocked opportunities and cost savings with startling rapidity.

But what about gaming? In an industry that's embraced VR and handheld gaming PCs, you'd have thought that the cloud and gaming would go together like Laurel and Hardy. But in fact, the picture is mixed.

Cloud gaming is on the market – but it's not doing as well as you might expect. In this article, we analyse the reasons for this and ask whether things could change over the coming years.

What is cloud gaming?

"The cloud" is a term that covers any software that can be accessed remotely. If you're watching Netflix, you're watching content on the cloud. If you check your work emails on the train, you're accessing the cloud.

Cloud gaming, then, is any game that can be streamed to any device you own. You don't need a PC, Xbox or other chunky console cluttering up the place. With cloud gaming, you can play your favourite games on your smart TV, tablet or even phone.

The elevator pitch goes something like this: why be tied to one device? Liberate yourself from the tyranny of hardware. Let's do for gaming what Netflix and Amazon Prime have done for TV and films. Let's make gaming accessible, inclusive, flexible and affordable.

It's been rolled out by Google Stadia (now shuttered), Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Now and others. While some people swear by it, others point to limitations.

It could be that one day consoles and PCs will go the way of DVDs. In the meantime, however, cloud gaming is a mighty engine that's not quite getting started.

What are the limitations of cloud gaming?

Games are complicated things. To run smoothly, they need super-fast internet and a super-high bandwidth. Without these resources, frame rates suffer and your playing experience becomes beset with glitches.

This is related to the very nature of the cloud. The cloud is run off data centres that are, by definition, far away from your device. It takes time for the data to get from one place to another. This can lead to latency, crummy visuals and unwanted artefacts.

Another drawback is that cloud gaming platforms are limited in their offerings – especially when placed side by side with PCs and consoles. In an age where people expect limitless choice, cloud gaming can seem behind the times.

That's the state of play at present. However, it was once the case that films and TV shows were too resource-hungry to be streamed without buffering every three seconds. Today, you can watch Twilighton a mountaintop with crystal-clear quality.

If these advances can be made in film and TV, can't they be made in gaming, too?

What's the future of cloud gaming?

Despite the complaints that you'll commonly hear about cloud gaming, the market itself is set to grow substantially. One estimate forecasts a market value of $143.4 billion by 2032 – giant steps ahead of its 2023 value of $5 billion.

The same study suggests that the cloud gamer population will grow too, reaching 29.8 million users in 2024:

"This growth is distributed across major geographical reasons, with North America leading at 17.3 million users… Europe follows with 8 million users…. The Asia Pacific region, with 3.6 million users, reflects the growing penetration of cloud gaming in markets with high smartphone usage and improving internet infrastructure."

This mention of infrastructure points to a factor that could make or break cloud gaming. At present, the infrastructure is often not good enough to provide lag-free gaming. But as the tech develops, so too could the fortunes of gaming on the cloud.

How hopeful should we be? Well, one pertinent piece of information is that the gaming industry in 2023 made more money than the music and movie industries combined. With profits of these sizes splashing around, you can be sure that hefty sums will be poured into research and development.

This has the potential to benefit the world of cloud gaming in two ways. First, it can improve the backend necessary to make streaming as smooth as a PC or console.

Second, it could mean that the available library of games will increase. This is likely to entice potential gamers who are currently unimpressed by a perceived lack of variety.

Developments in Xbox Cloud Gaming

Xbox Cloud Gaming lets you stream games to your console or other devices. However, it only lets you stream titles from the Game Pass library – not the full plethora of your "owned games".

This, however, is set to change in 2024. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer was asked on Reddit: "Any word or update on being able to play my owned games on Xcloud?

Spencer replied: "Should be this year."

This hasn't been corroborated by an official statement but does suggest that one common pain point could be fixed sooner rather than later.

Netflix Games

Netflix is one of the cloud's biggest success stories in the entertainment industry – so it's perhaps no surprise that it's putting a lot of time, money and energy into video games.

The streaming platform has already explored interactive titles including Carmen Sandiego and Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. And, since 2021, subscribers have been able to play some mobile games free of charge.

Then, in 2023, it launched tests for cloud-streamed games, allowing users to play titles on their devices.

It's unclear whether it will catch on – but it does show a commitment to cloud gaming from one of the entertainment industry's biggest players.

Conclusion

Despite its teething problems, cloud gaming is likely to improve in the coming years. If all goes well, it could be another glowing advertisement for the cloud's flexibility, versatility and cost-effectiveness. We'll keep you posted…

Are you looking for a managed cloud migration service ? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we know the VMware SDDC like the backs of our hands. Get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation.

Lab hosting for VATC: what we offer

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 13:27:00 GMT

Ascend Cloud Solutions offers lab hosting services to VATC (VMware educational providers). Find out more.

Ascend is a cloud solutions company founded by ex-VMware cloud technology experts. With decades of combined experience across the entire VMware software portfolio, our team of cloud architects has the expertise to deliver exceptional results for our customers.

Alongside our migration and consultation services, we offer lab hosting services to VATC. Here's why you should consider choosing us for lab hosting.

Why choose Ascend?

At Ascend, we have a solution-oriented, highly collaborative culture that ensures we deliver at scale and identify potential issues before they start.

For the past three years, we've delivered VMware labs to students across the globe. We partnered with a local data centre provider to design and deploy a robust, reliable platform from the ground up.

We specialise in the largest and most complex labs, successfully running HCX, VCF and VMC on AWS classes at scale, with an exceptional end-user experience.

VMware has chosen us for lab hosting because of our track record in providing VMware course content creation, lab design, deployment and course delivery.

Our services have included:

VMware HCX
VMware Cloud Disaster Recovery
VMware Cloud on Dell EMC
VMC on AWS
Migrating to VCF
Tanzu Kubernetes
Quickbytes Education content

Ascend has hosted an average of 3,500 student vApps per year, with the capacity to run more. We support partners in any region with our staff located in NASA, EMEA and APAC.

Our VMware expertise allows us to provide next-level support to the VMware education team and course instructors.

We don't just look at the infrastructure when a support ticket is created. The Ascend support team can pinpoint issues such as student mistakes, misconfigurations and missed lab steps that can take up valuable time and delay student progress.

We have a deep understanding of the nested virtualisation that comprises the education lab environments, meaning speedy problem-solving, happy instructors and above all, happy students.

Student satisfaction is a priority for us. Everything we do is informed by the principle that a happy student is a returning student.

We draw on trending analysis from received support tickets to create knowledge base articles. This externally accessible site has reduced our ticket generation by 75%.

We're continually looking to provide instantly accessible articles to instructors as a way of further reducing student delays and ensuring a quality end-user experience.

Overall, Ascend delivers a reliable, robust lab hosting platform, an unrivalled level of support, and a superior student experience.

What do you need to do next?

Contact our team to start your journey. We're confident you'll be sold on our team and our platform from day one.

Still not sure?

As well as being high in quality, our offerings are low in price. Take a look at our competitive rates.

Get in touch today to learn more about our lab hosting services for VATC.

Broadcom's acquisition of VMware: the story so far

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 07:43:00 GMT

At the end of 2023, Broadcom acquired VMware. Learn what this could mean for the firm and its customers.

Since 1998, VMware has been at the forefront of the virtualisation industry. Today, it has an extensive portfolio of products that are used by businesses of all shapes and sizes – from SMEs all the way up to enterprises.

But in November 2023, its fortunes took a very different turn. It was acquired by Broadcom – a global supplier of semiconductors – for an eye-watering $69 billion.

This news has shaken the industry – and has had real-world consequences for many VMware clients .

The product portfolio has been cut down to size and rebranded as VMware by Broadcom. The new owner has also announced it will be increasing investment in VMware Cloud Foundation, its software-defined hybrid cloud platform.

As well as rejigging – or, some would say, slashing – its product portfolio, VMware is moving away from perpetual software licensing. This means IT departments the world over are having to make decisions about whether to stay with VMware or switch to another provider.

Broadcom's CEO Hock Tan has laid out a three-point plan for the company. These are:

"Radical simplification" of the portfolio, drastically reducing the number of SKUs
Pouring resources into R&D for on-premise and private cloud solutions
Enhancing the VMware ecosystem

It's all change, with products being discontinued, the payment model changing and job cuts within VMware.

First, let's take a look at the portfolio.

What does Broadcom's takeover mean for VMware's product portfolio?

Over the years, VMware's product portfolio has grown large and complex. Advocates for the takeover say it needed cutting down to size.

Broadcom is doing this by narrowing down the portfolio to a handful of the most popular products. It says it's doing this based on partner and customer feedback.

Virtual desktop infrastructure products such as VMware Horizon have got the chop, as has Carbon Black, its endpoint security solution.

The free edition of the vSphere Hypervisor is now at EOGA (end of general availability) with no equivalent replacement in sight. This is a result of Broadcom's jettisoning of perpetual licensing.

Meanwhile, global investment firm KKR is acquiring VMware's end-user computing division and setting it up as a standalone company.

For some, these changes will cause disruption and may lead to their leaving VMware altogether. For others, they're a welcome simplification to an overly complex product portfolio.

How is licensing changing?

The most significant change is that Broadcom is moving towards a subscription software licensing model across all its products.

VMware Cloud Foundation is now the company's flagship product for enterprises running hybrid clouds. In a bid to drive adoption, Broadcom has cut the annual subscription cost of VMware Cloud Foundation.

However, this move away from perpetual licences isn't the only change that Broadcom has made. It's also announced that it won't be offering support and subscription (SnS) renewals for perpetual offerings.

Finally, hybrid cloud endpoints running VMware Cloud Foundation can now take advantage of a new "bring-your-own-subscription-licence" scheme – a new kind of licence portability that will be welcome to some.

What does this mean for VMware?

Unsurprisingly, Broadcom's takeover has led to job cuts. But it's also prompted some employees to quit. This is partly in response to Broadcom's insistence on a return to office-based working, sharply contrasting with VMware's hybrid work arrangements.

There's likely to be a renewed focus on research and development, as signalled by Hock Tan. There is, for instance, a new business unit dedicated to application and network security. Another focuses specifically on Tanzu. These are potential growth areas for the company.

What does this mean for IT?

Under Broadcom's ownership, VMware is going down the Adobe route, making software solely cloud-based. This means that IT leaders running VMware infrastructure are having to transition to a subscription model. It's also impacting existing supplier relationships with VMware partners.

Another big change is that bills have shot up – despite the price cut for VMware Cloud Foundation.

This will, of course, impact businesses in different ways. Some large enterprises are in a strong position to keep using VMware's products.

For smaller businesses, however, the price hikes are proving difficult. Many are considering moving to another provider.

What are the options available to existing VMware users?

If your company uses VMware products, you're at a fork in the road. You can continue to use VMware or you can switch.

This will depend largely on your budget. It's worth noting that you can't switch for free – so while you may want to move to a more affordable provider, you'll probably have to spend a lot of money on switching.

This means that your decision needs to be fully in line with your business goals. If switching is more economically viable, go for it. If not, you can stick with VMware and adjust to the new product portfolio.

The main thing to remember is that there are many options available for running cloud infrastructure, no matter what size your business is. This is one area where a cloud consultant or MSP could help you make the right move.

How we can help

If you're struggling to keep up because of changes to VMware since its takeover by Broadcom, you may be looking to migrate to another cloud. This is something that we here at Ascend Cloud Solutions can help with.

We're VMware cloud computing experts with more than 400 successful migrations under our belt and counting. Whatever your destination, we can help you get there with a minimum of disruption.

Every step of the way, we pay close attention to your business's unique needs. This is to ensure that the migration helps your business grow in the long term.

So if you're looking for a new home in the cloud, get in touch today. We'd be more than happy to talk you through your options and get you on the road to cloud success.

The state of the cloud in Australia

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 07:33:00 GMT

What is the state of the cloud in Australia and how does it compare to other regions? Read all about it.

By definition, the cloud is a global phenomenon. It allows you to access software and data from any location on any device. The result is a cost-effective solution for today's hybrid workforces.

But while the cloud has been rolled out globally over the last few years, it hasn't been doing so at the same rate everywhere. The picture in the Middle East , to take one example, is very different from that in Western Europe.

The terrain is uneven, with some countries racing ahead and others lagging behind. So what, you might wonder, is the state of the cloud in Australia?

As one of the world's most advanced economies, Australia has been eagerly embracing the cloud. Adoption has been rising steadily and continuously, encouraged by the government as well as business leaders.

When did the shift happen?

Cloud computing has been around for years – but it was given an energetic leg-up by the pandemic. Faced with workforces dispersed by COVID-19 restrictions, companies had to adapt. Unexpectedly, the cloud became an essential part of life under lockdown.

But when the pandemic subsided, the cloud stuck around. Its cost savings, flexibility and scalability couldn't be gainsaid and adoption went through the roof.

This general trend is mirrored in Australia's cloud journey. It's been committed to a "cloud-first" strategy since 2013. Then, in 2021, its "Secure Cloud Strategy" focused on accelerating cloud adoption. In line with many other countries, it emphasised super-fast internet, scalable services and improved accessibility.

These words have been matched with actions. One article reports that Australia is expected to invest over 14 billion USD in cloud computing by 2025.

Where governments invest, big tech is quick to follow. Microsoft, Google and others are all planting flags Down Under, eager to enjoy a piece of the cloud-based pie.

What challenges does cloud computing face in Australia?

Despite this general picture of accelerating adoption, Australia faces challenges. Some are unique, while some are shared with other countries.

A key issue is the country's skills shortage. Cloud computing is constantly evolving. To effectively implement and maintain cloud infrastructures, you need skilled professionals to take care of business. Australia, however, is facing a skills shortage that has been described in some quarters as catastrophic .

Then there's the question of climate. As the climate crisis deepens, Australia is becoming more and more prone to extreme weather. One effect of this is that data centres are vulnerable to disruption. If a data centre is damaged in a storm or bushfire, it's businesses who will feel the brunt of it.

Last but not least, data centres are unevenly spread across Australia, meaning connections can be slow and unstable. The government is responding to this with a concerted effort to expand infrastructure across the country.

Despite these challenges, the overall picture is one of healthy growth. This is reflected partly in the country's expanding data centre provisions.

Data centre expansion in Australia

The cloud is only as good as its data centres. We've come a long way from on-premise monoliths. We're now talking about hyperscale facilities: huge hangars packed with rows of servers.

These don't come from nowhere and are one of the key reasons why some parts of the world are more cloud-native than others.

Investment in both Australia and New Zealand is accelerating. Amazon Web Services (AWS), for instance, has pledged a further 13.2 billion AUD to Australia's East Coast between 2023 and 2027.

On top of this, Australia is already a regional hub for data centres, with Sydney the third-largest data centre market in the APAC (Asia-Pacific) region and Melbourne the eighth.

This is partly because the overheads are lower in Australia than in neighbouring countries like Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Meanwhile, green data centres are on the up in Australia, to the point that the Australian government has declared that "the green data centre hub of the future is not in Seattle, Silicon Valley or Singapore. It's right here in Perth, Western Australia."

Take WAi1, a 96-megawatt hyperscale facility built in Perth by homegrown company GreenSquareDC. Designed for AI computing, it will be built from sustainable materials, powered by clean energy, and use far less water than other data centres.

Green solutions of this kind are important at a time when governments and organisations are more and more committed to net-zero targets. Data centres are infamously resource-hungry – and generative AI needs about five times as much power and storage as a standard data centre.

As well as WAi1, there are many green data centres in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. These are prime locations thanks to their direct subsea connections, abundance of renewables and closeness to Asian markets.

The cloud in Australia: short-term and long-term trends

It seems likely that the cloud will continue to grow in Australia – both in line with global trends and thanks to region-specific investments in data centre infrastructure.

However, there's one immediate roadblock – Australia's economy as a whole. This has, in the words of Reuters, slowed to a crawl. The news agency reports:

"Australia's economy grew at a snail's pace in the December [2023] quarter as a punishing squeeze on household incomes brought consumer spending to a standstill, reinforcing market bets that the next move in interest rates will be down."

Whether this will directly impact the cloud market is unclear. But it does suggest that a straight upward line is perhaps not to be counted on – at least not in the immediate future.

That said, demand continues to grow and a combination of government policy and external investment puts Australia in a good position to put the cloud to work.

Whatever happens next, we'll let you know.

At Ascend, we've managed over 400 migrations and counting. Looking for a cloud solutions company to help you make the most of your digital transformation? Get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation.

Cloud migration: do you need a consultant or a managed service?

Fri, 29 Mar 2024 09:00:00 GMT

External IT support can be invaluable to businesses. But should you choose a consultant or an MSP?

At Ascend Cloud Solutions , we're firm believers in flexibility. When helping businesses to migrate to the cloud, we always tailor the process to their individual needs, goals and constraints.

This means that we offer two kinds of service. Most of the time, we're cloud consultants, offering expert guidance from the outside without becoming part of the team.

But when it comes to cloud migration, we offer a managed service , too. This means that we serve as an extension to your IT department. We're on the frontline with you, making sure your cloud is performing well.

Like everything in life, there are advantages and disadvantages to both kinds of service. That's why we offer the best of both worlds – cloud consultancy services anda managed service for cloud migration.

In this article, we explore the difference between cloud consultants and managed services and ask: which one is right for you?

What are managed services?

When compared to legacy applications and on-prem data centres, cloud technology is cost-effective. But that doesn't mean it's cheap.

The thing is that you don't just buy the solution and then take the day off. You have to hire and train the right people and incorporate maintenance and support into your day-to-day operations.

It's possible to achieve this – but if you're on a limited budget, you can start to feel the strain.

A managed services provider (MSP) is a company brought in either as an extension of or a replacement for your IT department. In some situations, it can be more cost-effective than hiring and training an internal team.

What is a cloud consultant?

Managed service providers become part of your team. A cloud consultant, by contrast, remains on the outside looking in.

Cloud consultants are specific, targeted and solution-oriented. You give them a call when you have a specific project to complete or need guidance on a specific issue. Their technical expertise can be leveraged to write and execute a solid plan of action.

What do you need to consider when choosing between a consultant or managed services?

Like any business decision, choosing between a consultant and an MSP depends on a range of factors.

The first (and in some ways most important) factor is your current IT capabilities. How big is your team and what expertise do they have? Do they have the skills and resources you need to solve your problem?

In the case of cloud migration, this could be a case of deciding whether your team can take care of your cloud with the right expertise and a minimum of disruption.

The second thing to take into account is your business goals. From one point of view, the difference between consultation and managed services is the difference between a short-term solution and a long-term one. You need to know your short- and long-term objectives to know where this external help fits in.

Finally, there's the million-dollar question: how much cash do you have to spend? This will help you decide whether to get a one-off package of support and guidance from a consultant or long-term involvement from an MSP.

Why choose a cloud consultant?

Sometimes, managed services are best. That's why our cloud migration service is managed. It means we don't just dump your workloads on the cloud and then wander off whistling into the sunset. Instead, we go the whole hog, making sure your cloud is built to deliver peak performance.

In other cases, cloud consultancy can be best. Here are three reasons why.

1. Expertise

This is the big one. Cloud computing is a hyper-specific field of technology that's changing all the time. If your team has the expertise necessary to execute a project – great!

If not, ask yourself this. Is it worth pouring money into training an existing member of your team to the same level as a cloud consultant? Or is it better for your bottom line to get outside advice from an expert?

Cloud technology isn't easy. A cloud consultant can ensure the job is done well.

2. Advice

Do you know exactly how you want your project to be implemented, down to the last detail? If the answer is yes, you're probably working in cloud technology and not reading this article at all.

But if the answer is no, you're not alone. Like many businesses, you need a cloud consultant to help implement the project in line with your short- and long-term business goals.

This can be invaluable whether you're pitching a project to management or in charge of making it happen. Clarity is all: without it, you might as well chuck your existing data centre into the Liffey.

We exaggerate. But seriously, getting good advice can be the difference between levelling up and a cloud-shaped albatross around your neck.

3. Savings

There are many compelling reasons why you should move to the cloud. But the one that comes up again and again is that the cloud is more cost-effective than on-prem solutions.

But like so many things in life, it's only cost-effective if you execute it well. Cloud shock is real: so real we've written about it in detail. One of the easiest ways to avoid it is by working with an experienced cloud consultant.

Conclusion

When you have a cloud project in mind, choosing between a cloud consultant and a managed service provider depends on your goals, your budget and your existing capabilities.

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we offer managed cloud migration services to help you get the best out of your move to the cloud. But we also offer one-off guidance for cloud projects.

When deciding what you want, your best bet is to get in touch and talk about your project. That way, you can be sure you're getting the service that's best for you.

Interested? Then do get in touch – we'd love to talk you through your options.

Multi-access edge computing (MEC): the whats, whys and hows

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 09:00:00 GMT

What is multi-access edge computing and how can it improve cloud services? Get the scoop in our guide.

In traditional cloud computing, your software is many miles from the server that makes it run. The journey from device to backend can be many thousands of miles.

This might not seem that odd to you. After all, we tend not to have power supply infrastructure in our back gardens. We're used to resources travelling long distances to reach us.

But with cloud computing, the weird thing is that the user and backend are in constant dialogue. If you make a request on a cloud app, the backend has to formulate a response. That data has to go all the way around the world only to end up back where it started.

It's a data boomerang that's the equivalent of a skyscraper with no phones. Every time the receptionist wants to speak to someone on the top floor, they have to run up hundreds of stairs and back.

Edge computing is the answer to this problem. It brings compute capacity closer to the user and their device. It does this by installing devices on the network itself, whether at a base station or central office.

If this is new to you, we regret to tell you that it's already getting superseded. Edge computing is fast becoming replaced by multi-access edge computing or MEC (pronounced to rhyme with "dreck").

In this article, we take a whistle-stop tour of MEC's capabilities and benefits. But first, a note on terminology.

The ABC of MEC

The cloud computing industry is a hotbed of ingenuity. It's not, however, a hotbed of wordsmiths.

Anyone who's dipped their toes into the cloud world will have found their feet in a pool of alphabet soup. Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we're keen to make this lingo as easily accessible as your Netflix account.

MEC, then. When the term was coined, it stood for "mobile edge computing". But times have changed, and it's now (mostly) used to mean "multi-access edge computing".

This is because edge computing is no longer the preserve of mobile networks. It also applies to fixed networks, converged networks and even WiFi.

MEC solutions are associated with the European Telecoms Standard Institute (ETSI). This organisation seeks to standardise edge computing to make devices and solutions interoperable across the telecom industry.

ETSI's standards are constantly evolving as it pursues its mission of one common platform, interface and set of APIs for developers in all industries.

A simple solution to a complex problem

Networks are more complex than ever. The global network was already starting to sprawl when COVID-19 made hybrid working the new normal.

Today, a network isn't just a load of computers hooked up to an office server. You could have a Teams meeting where one participant is at central office, one is on a train and one is at a conference in Chibougamau.

Traditional networks don't cut it anymore. MEC is an intuitive, easy-to-deploy solution that brings compute capacity closer to the user, whether they're in Azerbaijan, the Azores or Aldi.

How does edge computing work?

Edge computing isn't rocket science, but it's not bottle-rocket building either. To go deep into the technical detail is beyond the scope of this article, so let's explore a relatively simple example.

In a traditional cloud model, the user makes a request on an app. This gets sent to the backend server via the core network. A response is formulated and sent back to the end user.

This is all well and good. But the distance travelled means that latency is a given – especially when using data-heavy applications such as HD video.

Today, people increasingly expect real-time responsiveness. At times, traditional cloud computing can struggle to deliver this.

Edge computing installs a server closer to the data, reducing latency and the volume of data that's being sent across the network.

So much for edge computing. What difference does "multi-access" make?

Multi-access edge computing: an example

Edge computing installs a server on the network itself, lowering latency and the volume of data transfer. MEC adds a third element: mobility.

Edge computing is built for fixed locations – image analysis software at a factory, say. But in the age of hybrid working, mobility has to be a priority. A scattered workforce needs a responsive service no matter where they are.

MEC, then, is where multiple edge servers are installed to boost accessibility and workforce mobility.

There are two major benefits to this. First, it reduces latency even more than simple edge computing.

Secondly, it reduces the load on the backend server. These savings can be repurposed into machine learning training. If an app is running video analysis, for instance, MEC takes some of the weight off the backend, freeing up capacity that can now be used to improve the quality of the analysis.

How MEC can take the sting out of downtime

The case for MEC is relatively simple: it brings capacity closer to the user, meaning a faster, more efficient and more responsive service.

But it also means outages are less critical than with traditional cloud computing models. Operations can continue even when power is down between the backend server and the app.

What are some of MEC's applications?

MEC can be used wherever there's a need for additional compute capacity. A factory, for instance, could use MEC to process confidential data on-site. This means lower costs as well as greater efficiency.

In the gaming world, MEC would mean an even faster response time. That means you can explore virtual worlds without glitches, lags or other nuisances.

Finally, MEC makes smart cities possible. If vehicles are transmitting information to each other, say, they need to be able to do so quickly and on the move.

The bottom line

MEC is all about bringing compute capacity closer to the user. And at a time when networks are more complex than ever, this is just what the cloud doctor ordered.

Ascend Cloud Solutions is a team of VMware migration specialists with decades of experience and a global client base. Need help navigating the cloud? Get in touch today for a quick, competitive quote.

The state of the cloud in the Middle East [2024]

Mon, 11 Mar 2024 08:57:00 GMT

Cloud resources are unevenly distributed globally – so how are things in the Middle East? Get all the details.

The cloud is transforming businesses across the world. But like all resources, it's not evenly distributed. Some parts of the world have seen a huge uptake. Others lag behind, dogged by issues with infrastructure and investment.

The picture in the Middle East is mixed, as you'd expect from a region that covers 2.8 million square miles and 18 countries with a total population of 371 million.

Fine-grained analysis will show that cloud adoption in Egypt, for instance, is higher than in Bahrain. Nevertheless, the overall trend is one of accelerated growth. Businesses across the Middle East are embracing the cloud and major global players are investing in the region more and more.

But before we take a closer look at the state of the cloud in the Middle East, let's define our terms. In this context, what do we mean by "the cloud"?

What kinds of clouds are being adopted?

To the layperson, "the cloud" might mean the place where you back up your photos. But it's a much bigger term that covers the virtualisation of software, infrastructure, platforms and more.

At the time of writing, single-cloud environments are on the wane. Most businesses are investing in either hybrid or multi-cloud environments. This is partly because a patchwork can be more cost-effective than a seamless tapestry. Secondly, it can have benefits for cyber security: if one provider goes down, another can leap into action without any interruption to your workflow.

On top of this, there's a global uptick in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Cloud-based AI and ML are now a key part of business intelligence and automated data analysis across the world – and the Middle East is no exception.

This is partly down to increased investment from global players like Microsoft, Amazon, IBM and Alibaba Cloud, all of which have opened data centres in the region.

Why is adoption slower than elsewhere?

In recent years, the Middle East has been shown to be a region with huge potential for cloud computing investment. McKinsey, for instance, analysed its potential for public cloud adoption and concluded that it could generate a whopping $183 billion by 2030.

However, adoption has been slower than in other parts of the world. There are, McKinsey claims, three main reasons for this.

The first has to do with infrastructure. Despite its ethereal-sounding name, the cloud depends on tonnes of racks, servers and cables in large data centres – and those in turn depend on high-quality internet.

The picture is mixed in the Middle East – but some of its constituent countries have poor connectivity and not enough (or not-big-enough) data centres. Without improvements in this area, growth is likely to lag behind other regions.

Secondly, there are issues surrounding compliance. Many businesses are unclear about where data can be stored and how to practice good data governance.

Finally, many countries in the Middle East have relatively small populations and relatively contained economies. Both of these characteristics have limited the scale of external investment.

However, the region has its success stories. Perhaps the most impressive is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The case of Saudi Arabia

In Saudi Arabia, cloud computing saw a huge spike in 2023 – a 40% year-on-year increase in the year's last quarter. The government's Ministry of Commerce reported that it issued 1,759 cloud computing permits in this period.

2023 also saw Google opening its first cloud region in Saudi Arabia. Oracle, too, has announced that it will invest $1.5 billion to kick-start the kingdom's cloud capacity.

This is all part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's "Saudi Vision 2030" programme. Its aim is to wean the Saudi economy off its dependency on oil revenue, partly through investment in technology.

Investment from international cloud service providers

International cloud service providers are investing in the Middle East more and more. As this increases, we're likely to see an increase in both businesses and public sector organisations migrating to the cloud.

In 2019, AWS entered the scene by opening up a cloud centre in Bahrain. In the same year, Microsoft weighed its anchor in the United Arab Emirates. Within three years, AWS had extended into the UAE and Microsoft had opened data centres in Qatar. And, as we've seen, Google and Oracle are both making headway in Saudi Arabia.

All of these investments in infrastructure are likely to translate into greater, and faster, adoption of cloud technologies. But it will be interesting to see precisely how the market changes over the coming years.

The case of Iran

Cloud computing in Iran is affected in part by US trade sanctions. This has led the country's government to look for investment opportunities elsewhere. Chinese company Huawei and Russia's Yandex have both shown an interest in investing in Iran's cloud technology.

The government is hopeful, with one report claiming that "the country's digital economy is projected to grow at an annual rate of 35% and reach a value of $100 billion by 2025".

What's next for cloud computing in the Middle East?

The future is always shrouded in mist, and we're no Nostradamus. But given the recent increase in cloud adoption and the interventions of major global players, it seems likely that the Middle East will continue to expand its cloud provisions.

One analyst reports that "68% of Middle East companies [are] planning to migrate a majority of their operations to the cloud by 2025". This could well usher in a period of accelerated growth.

Whatever happens, we'll make sure to keep you in the loop every step of the way.

Are you looking for help to move to the cloud? Look no further. At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we've managed more than 400 migrations and counting. Whatever the nature of your migration project, get in touch today for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Can FinOps help make your cloud budget go further?

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 09:00:00 GMT

Finding it hard to manage your cloud budget wisely? FinOps could be the answer. Find out more in our article.

Hang around the water cooler in any cloud tech company and you might hear people murmuring "FinOps… FinOps… FinOps".

Yes, FinOps is the talk of the cloud world, beguiling everyone from CIOs and business leaders to tech journalists. Leading technology research firm Gartner included it on its Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies report 2023: an annual list of technologies that are likely to impact businesses in the near future.

On this list, FinOps rubbed shoulders with Web 3.0, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. But whereas AI is now a household name, FinOps is… not. Most people haven't heard of it – and many of those who have couldn't tell you exactly what it is.

No sweat. In this article, we break down what FinOps is and how it can help make your cloud budget go that bit further.

What is FinOps?

Look FinOps up in the dictionary and you'll find… nothing. You'll have as much luck finding a plain definition for "frabjous" or "kakakakakaka".

Google defines it as "an operational framework and cultural shift that brings technology, finance and business together to drive financial accountability and accelerate business value realisation through cloud transformation".

Despite its inclusion on Gartner's list, then, it's not a technology. Rather, it's an approach to financial management that seeks to increase spend visibility and cross-department collaboration. This collaborative spirit is there in the term itself: a portmanteau of "Finance" and "DevOps".

FinOps was conceptualised to fill a hole left by pre-cloud, traditional IT. In those hazy days, IT costs were the responsibility of either the IT finance team or the procurement team.

Back then, the department responsible could easily track, predict and manage spend. Budgets set each cycle weren't quite clockwork – financial management never is – but they were pretty regular, all told.

Then the cloud arrived, casting a grey pall over these sheer blue skies. Why? Because cloud solutions can now be spun up and deployed without the knowledge of IT finance or procurement.

A proactive cloud engineer can do this before she's brushed her teeth – a situation that was inconceivable before the cloud existed. And overall, it's a net boon, meaning dynamism, creativity and flexibility.

But it also makes financial management much trickier. Managing cloud costs has become something of a gamble. The purpose of FinOps is to create a model of financial management where everyone is accountable for their role in cloud usage.

Yes, FinOps is about cost-effectiveness – but it's so much more than that. Don't be fooled by people who use it as a synonym for "cloud cost management" or "cloud cost optimisation". You might as well say that cloud computing is about backing up your holiday photos.

The five pillars of FinOps

Depending on who you ask, there are five, six or 72 core building blocks that make up FinOps – but as far as we're concerned, there are five aspects that sum up what it offers.

1. Accountability

FinOps is about establishing a team that crosses departments to manage the whole organisation's cloud costs. We're no longer in the world of The IT Crowd with the people responsible holed up in the basement. FinOps promotes collaboration across departments for spend visibility.

2. Measurement

Every business owner loves a good metric. FinOps gives you KPIs that help you precisely track your cloud progress.

3. Savings

If you can't see who's using what, you can't budget effectively. The greater visibility that FinOps brings puts you in a great position to optimise costs – because, as the saying goes, better data makes for better decisions.

4. Forecasting

No one leaves the house with snow boots, an umbrella and sunscreen just to be on the safe side. But too often, enterprise finance teams are unable to make informed forecasts and don't know how to allocate cloud costs. FinOps has the potential to make this a thing of the past.

5. Tools

While FinOps is a philosophy, not a piece of software, it needs the right cloud cost tools to allow for the wise allocation, tracking and management of cloud spend.

Is FinOps the best way to manage your cloud budget?

The world of cloud technology is constantly shifting. Solutions pop up and burst like bubbles on a breeze.

But FinOps is different for one main reason: it's not a solution that locks you into software, hardware or a specific vendor. It's more about changing your mindset and governance practice for the better.

The thing about the cloud is that its benefits can be huge – but they're not guaranteed. It's perfectly possible for you to roll out a cloud solution and then find that it's wasteful, chaotic and user-unfriendly. All you've done is take your millstone to the pawn shop, then go straight out and buy another one.

FinOps is a way to ensure that the right hand knows what the left hand is doing. It's a way of keeping on top of your cloud budget so you can save money and make better decisions. It's a way of increasing usage visibility, as well as cross-departmental collaboration.

But just as cloud migration isn't a silver bullet unless fired correctly, so FinOps needs to be implemented with care. When done well, it can accelerate digital transformation and provide much-needed clarity at a time of financial uncertainty.

So… can it help make your cloud budget go further?

The simple answer is "yes". Do it properly, and FinOps can bring cost visibility, optimisation and control to your enterprise by letting you accurately predict, track and manage your cloud spend.

This means better decisions that are driven by data. It means cross-departmental accountability and collaboration. And it means better financial management across the board.

The cloud is here to stay – and so is FinOps. Together, they can make the much-vaunted benefits of digital transformation felt in the very bones of your organisation.

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we've managed over 400 cloud migrations and counting. If you're looking for a trusted cloud consultancy firm, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

The cloud and water management: challenges and solutions

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 08:50:00 GMT

What role do data centres play in the water crisis and what can be done about it? Learn about it in our article.

Once upon a time, "the cloud" was the preserve of big tech, big data and big organisations. Today, it's woven into the fabric of our lives – as indispensable to many of us as electricity or water.

If you think that's hyperbole, imagine your day without cloud technology. Sure, you could adapt. But in the short term, you'd be deprived of emails, file sharing, GPS and streaming services. All chill, no Netflix… it doesn't bear thinking about.

The cloud, however, comes at a cost. For both businesses and consumers, cloud services cost money. But there are other costs, too. One of the biggest is water.

You see, the cloud runs on data centres – and data centres are thirsty. To take just one striking statistic, Google's data centres guzzled 21.1 billion litres of water in 2022. That's about the same as 37 golf courses.

This wouldn't be a problem if water was in plentiful supply. But among the many environmental crises facing mankind, one is a global water shortage.

In this article, we take a look at how cloud technologies are contributing to the water crisis – and what can be done about it.

Why is water management a challenge?

The idea of a water crisis or water shortage may seem counterintuitive. Look at the nearest world map and you'll see that around three-quarters of the globe is covered in water. Surely there's more than enough to go around?

Well, yes and no. Less than one percent of the world's water can be used to drink or to water crops. The rest is inaccessible, whether in glaciers, lakes, rivers, swamps or underground.

This means water supplies need to be managed effectively if humanity isn't going to face shortages in the coming decades.

How is cloud computing a contributing factor?

Walk into any data centre and you'll see row upon row of servers. Just like your laptop, these servers get hot with use. For them to function, they need to be cooled.

Data centre providers have a choice. To cool down their servers, they can use air conditioning or something called "evaporative cooling".

Evaporative cooling – also known as "swamp cooling" – is where hot air is drawn into the data centre and evaporated. This cools the air temperature inside the facility.

The problem with this method is that it creates dead water. Once evaporated, the water can't be renewed.

This might not be a problem if the amount of water used by data centres wasn't so huge. In the USA, a mid-sized data centre uses as much water as 100,000 homes.

And it's not as though water demand is decreasing. In fact, it's expected to double by 2030.

Add to this the fact that a significant amount of Microsoft and Google's freshwater is withdrawn from areas of water stress and you can see why the issue needs addressing.

What can be done?

As with many things, technology can be both the problem and the solution.

If water has to be used to cool down data centres, companies need to be more efficient in their usage. They also need to work more closely with local communities to ensure that they're not hijacking resources.

There are also various out-of-the-box solutions that have been trialled or proposed.

One of these is not so much a blue-sky as a blue-sea solution. Microsoft's Project Natick is a subsea data centre that's cooled by the sea itself . This means it can run as normal without freshwater cooling or electricity.

This steel cylinder, about the size of a shipping container, is no silver bullet. But if more of its kind were deployed, we could see an increase in efficiency.

Microsoft has also made moves to harvest rainwater and cool data centres with nothing but outside air. This is the case in its data centres in Sweden.

Colder climates like Sweden are attractive to data centre builders for this reason. Meta, for instance, has started building facilities in places like Oregon, USA, and Lulea, a city in north Sweden.

Another issue with the cloud and water management is that the needs of the cloud provider can clash with those of local communities. This is especially the case in areas of water stress, where demand outstrips or threatens to outstrip supply.

This is a complex issue with no easy solution. However, it's worth noting that Microsoft has announced it will be making its Arizona data centres more water-efficient as a direct response to concerns from the local communities.

The cloud's troubled relationship with water is symbolic of the water crisis in general. The problem isn't the amount of water – it's management.

This is true at the level of consumption, in data centres and elsewhere – but also at the level of ageing infrastructure. Each year, huge amounts of water are lost because of leaking pipes and decaying gear.

Data centre providers have a responsibility to manage water efficiently. But it's not true to say that they are entirely responsible. Like all of us, they're working within a system that's not optimally efficient and which needs global investment.

Final thoughts

Cloud technologies are vital to our day-to-day lives. But the data centres that power them use a huge amount of water – and at a time when global water shortages are a very real possibility, solutions need to be found.

These solutions need to come from all directions – from cloud providers, water suppliers, corporations, governments and consumers. The alternative is a world where water shortages increase the chances of conflict and ramping inequality.

We don't claim to have a crystal ball but it seems clear that solutions are being worked on and deployed, albeit unevenly. As things progress, we'll make sure to keep you posted.

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we're dyed-in-the-wool cloud computing experts with more than 400 successful cloud migrations under our belts. Get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation.

Cloud migration for financial organisations: key considerations

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 15:38:00 GMT

Over the years, the financial sector has struggled with cloud migration. Find out why and how to address it.

In the world of cloud migration, it's become a cliche to say that no sector has been left unchanged. But there's one sector which has proven a little more stubborn than others: the world of financial services.

It's not all doom and gloom. While research from Accenture on cloud outcomes revealed that "40% of banks and less than half of insurers fully achieved their expected outcomes from migrating to cloud", it's worth remembering that 40% is still a significant figure. This is especially the case when you consider just how recent these cloud-based solutions are.

Nevertheless, the financial sector faces challenges that others don't. This is partly because of a historic trepidation about the cloud.

Cloud services are, most would agree, efficient, flexible and agile. But when it comes to the workloads of financial organisations, does it really make sense to shift operations onto third-party servers? Aside from anything else, won't business-as-usual suffer during the migration?

This has meant that, in the words of a writer for Forbes, "the easier, less risky projects were tackled first… and on their own… the migration of workloads seldom happened within a coordinated, enterprise-wide initiative.

"Where we are today," she goes on, "is that the low-hanging fruit have been harvested and, for any financial services executives, the yield has been disappointing."

It doesn't have to be this way. In this article, we take a closer look at some key considerations that financial organisations should keep in mind when migrating to the cloud. Taken together, they can help any organisation work towards better cloud outcomes.

1. Security and compliance

All sectors are regulated – these days, even cowboys have rules to follow. Regulation in the financial sector has become a hot topic since the global financial crash of 2008 – and while progress still remains to be made, most financial organisations want to be on the right side of regulations.

Moving to the cloud means spreading risk and responsibility. This raises security issues when hefty tranches of financial data are in play.

This is a key driver behind the increased adoption of hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Indeed, "multi-cloud" is fast becoming a tautology. If your organisation handles sensitive data, it can be wise to keep it locked down in an on-prem server. Less critical data can then be stored on the public cloud.

This many-headed approach is the best way to unlock the cloud's cost savings while also keeping business-critical and sensitive data under lock and key.

But solutions themselves aren't enough. You also need to adopt a rigorous cloud security policy to ensure effective governance. Rules, processes and policies lack the glamour of digital transformation itself – but without them, you're in for a rocky ride.

2. The pace of change

Everyone in the upper echelons of the business world will be familiar with the injunction to do things fast. Indeed, so-called industry disrupters like to "move fast and break things": the tech world's equivalent of James Dean's "Live fast, die young, and leave a good-looking corpse".

Some industries thrive on novelty. It's where they get their competitive edge. Financial services is not one of them. There, caution is the order of the day.

Some of the financial sector's problems with cloud solutions have stemmed from a piecemeal approach – but that doesn't mean a piecemeal approach is in itself problematic. In fact, proceeding slowly but surely can be advisable, so long as it's in pursuit of a long-term, large-scale aim.

3. Cloud shock

We've all ordered a meal at a restaurant and gone pale when we saw how much it came to. The same thing can happen with cloud migration. In fact, it's such a common experience that it's got a name: cloud shock.

One of the main reasons to migrate to the cloud is to cut costs. But all too often, organisations dive headlong into a multi-cloud approach and watch in mute horror as costs begin to spiral unexpectedly.

Cloud shock isn't inevitable. The chances of it happening can be drastically reduced by thorough planning – something that a cloud consultant can help you to achieve.

4. Knowing your strategy

Migrating to the cloud without a business plan is like hiking in the Amazon without a map. Having a strategy that's in line with your business goals is paramount if you want to get to your destination.

It's obvious, right? Well, apparently not. Technology research firm Gartner has estimated that "less than one-third of enterprises have a documented cloud strategy". Imagine writing a similar sentence about health and safety, inclusion and diversity or the recruitment process.

Before any kind of migration takes place, you need to do a thorough audit and analysis of your systems, apps and processes. Otherwise, you'll end up Cloud Creek with an overpriced paddle.

Do some applications need to be retired, replaced or re-hosted? That's a question you should be able to answer long before you get to work.

What's more, you need a clear timeline – one that lays out the upcoming waves of migration as well as measures to mitigate any disruption they cause.

5. Keep the customer satisfied

As technology changes, so too do customer expectations. As well as prioritising data governance, compliance and budgetary constraints, financial organisations should always keep in mind that the customer is also part of the transformation.

This could mean, for instance, coordinating internal teams and external partners to deliver the products and services that customers have come to expect – a consideration that can, in turn, affect the nature and cost of the cloud migration.

Conclusion

Moving to the cloud is a complex endeavour, especially in the financial services sector. Keeping these key considerations in mind, however, will help you to hit on the right course of action. We hope you get the cloud outcomes you deserve.

Are you looking for a cloud computing specialist to help you conquer your migration? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we've managed more than 400 migrations and counting. Get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation.

Cloud computing jobs in Ireland: we're hiring!

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 13:09:00 GMT

Ascend Cloud Solutions is looking for a Principal Network Infrastructure Architect. Could it be you?

Are you a cloud infrastructure architect looking for a job? Then look no further. Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we're on the lookout for a new specialist to join our team.

The job title is Principal Cloud Network Infrastructure Architect. That means you'll be building scalable, repeatable and service-agnostic network infrastructure. In doing so, you'll play a vital role in a team of experts with an international client base.

Who are we?

We're a cloud migration and consultancy firm based in Cork, Ireland. Our team consists of VMware cloud services experts, many of whom cut their teeth working at VMware itself.

We offer a range of migration and consultancy services in a wide variety of sectors and geographical locations. And though we say so ourselves, our company is a great place to work.

Who are we looking for?

Naturally, we're looking for someone with technical expertise and a background in cloud computing. You can get the nitty-gritty in our job spec here . But we're also looking for someone with the right personal characteristics.

We believe that expertise alone isn't enough. You should be able to create solutions by testing, playing with and figuring out new technologies. And we need you to persist with seemingly intractable problems, take responsibility and ask for help when needed.

Why? Because these qualities are as important as your technical expertise when it comes to getting results.

If you're not a Corkonian, that's not a problem. The role is mostly remote – though we do ask that you attend meetings two to four times a month at our Cork HQ.

That's what we want from you. But what can you expect to get from us?

Why should you apply?

Look, no one likes a show-off. But Ascend Cloud Solutions is a team of experts. Don't just take our word for it – we've got the accreditations to prove it.

Our expertise centres on the VMware SDDC stack from top to bottom. We've managed more than 400 migrations and counting – and we offer external support to a range of clients. We see these services as an extension of our clients' internal teams. We're there to help clients get the results they're after.

Working with us, you can expect to be a valued member of the team. We want someone who will contribute ideas and share our positive, can-do attitude. Someone who will go the extra mile when confronted with a challenge. Someone who shares our passion for a puzzle and our taste for new technologies.

Ascend Cloud Solutions is a place where you can learn and grow, not to mention a place where you can benefit from our existing relationships with global partners. And it's a place where we prize mutual respect and camaraderie as much as technical wizardry.

So, if you want to be engaged, stretched and valued, you should seriously consider checking out this role in more detail .

Next steps

Are you the one we're looking for? Check out the finer details here and don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions about the role. We look forward to hearing from you!

Cloud migration jokes and memes to help you find your silver lining

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 09:00:00 GMT

Is IT looking for a bit of light relief? Need a joke for the cloud consultant in your life? Look no further than our compendium of cloud jokes and memes.

Did you hear the one about the curious kid who asked her Mum what clouds were made of? Unfortunately for her, Mum was a cloud consultant. The answer: "Linux servers, mostly."

This is just one of the jokes that made AT&T's 2018 list of "Best Cloud Tech Jokes and Memes". And hats off to whoever came up with it: it certainly made us smile.

But here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we take our humour very seriously. This joke illustrates one of the pitfalls of jokes and memes about cloud technology. Essentially, it's this. Does every cloud joke need to be about, well, clouds?

In that spirit, we hope this list of some of our favourite cloud jokes and memes does double duty. First, it gives you some material for your next team meeting or conference. And second, it goes to show that there are as many varieties of cloud jokes as there are software offerings from VMware (sorry).

First up: a joke at our own expense.

1. Is cloud computing the answer to everything?

Look, we're as guilty of it as the next cloud consultant. Not only, we enthuse, will cloud migration unlock cost savings and efficiencies in your business, but it will also make you funnier, more beautiful, kinder…

This tendency to hype up the cloud is reflected in our first meme. In it, a schoolboy shows the answers to his test.

Do you know somebody like this boy's dad? If you work in IT, the answer's probably "yes".

2. What are the limits of the cloud?

In Shakespeare's Macbeth, our hero is having a hard time. He asks his doctor if he can cure "a mind diseased" and his doctor replies: "Therein must the patient / Minister to himself". In other words: ball's in your court, Macbeth.

The same is true of human behaviour when using the cloud. The cloud can do many things. But it can't make you more organised. That's your responsibility. But as this meme suggests, that could work in your favour.

3. What will aliens make of the cloud?

It's a scene familiar from sci-fi. Two aliens stand in the wreckage of human civilisation – but they're having trouble interpreting the history books.

"According to this," one says, "the planet Earth was once populated by humans, then in 2012… they all moved to the cloud."

So close, alien overlord, yet so far.

4. Everyone was a beginner once

When you know something, it's easy to laugh at people who don't. But let's be real: there was a time when even you didn't know your private from your public cloud.

Even so, we couldn't help but laugh at this poor guy's attempts to move his workloads to the cloud. That catapult must have set him back, for starters.

5. Dad jokes for cloud dads

TD Synnex decided to do the dads of the world a favour with its list of tech jokes for dads. "Particularly when life gets difficult," its correspondent said, "that right amount of dad humour at the right time can be exactly what you need in those challenging moments."

First up, there's a variation on a classic:

Person A:"I'm in need of a hybrid cloud migration and cybersecurity assessment amid our digital transformation efforts."

Person B:"Hi, 'In Need of a Hybrid Cloud Migration and Cybersecurity Assessment Amid Our Digital Transformation Efforts'. I'm Dad!"

And secondly, a joke worthy of any cracker:

Question: why couldn't the restaurant owners open a new data centre?
Answer: they didn't have enough servers.

And, if you'll let us build on the joke, it wasn't just the lack of servers that was a problem. They just didn't have the backbone to go ahead with it.

6. Cloud jargon gets a ribbing

AWS and Azure: who would win in a fight?

Both services are powerful offerings. But if this fight involved a round of "user-friendly naming", the gong would have to go to Azure.

One Twitter user came up with this Simpsons-based meme to poke fun at AWS's tendency to come up with flashy but obscure names for its services. But let's face it: it's not just AWS who are guilty of this in the cloud world.

7. Is cloud computing a cure for hypertension?

Open The Penguin Book of Stating the Obviousand you'll see on page one: "Running a business can be stressful".

Reducing stress in the workplace is an industry in itself, full of communication strategies, team lunches and wellness spaces. But could cloud migration do the job? The creator of this meme certainly thinks so.

8. Everyone was a beginner once (part two)

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we know a lot about cloud computing. And it's no exaggeration to say that cloud computing is niche with a capital "N". The sheer range of products is enough to put most heads in a spin – but we've got it covered.

We know, though, that our customers aren't always cloud-proficient. Some of them know a bit but not much. Others know very little. We always take this into account and prioritise clear communication above all else.

So if you feel like the reader in this cartoon, don't worry: we'll talk to you in a language you can understand.

Final thoughts

Ask someone in the street if they think the world of cloud computing is ripe for humour and they'll probably say "no" – if they understand what on Earth you're talking about. But every sector has its jokes and memes, and cloud computing is no different. We hope we've raised a smile!

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we know that cloud migration is no joke. It can take your business to the next level – but it needs to be done properly. So if you're looking for an experienced cloud computing consultancy with over 400 successful migrations under its belt, let's talk . We'd love to help you make the move.

VMware Aria explained (simply)

Fri, 23 Feb 2024 08:52:00 GMT

VMware has a product range as sprawling as it's powerful. Not sure what VMware Aria offers that the other products don't? Get the lowdown in our article.

Anyone can use the cloud, right? After all, if you're reading this blog post then chances are you've done one of the following in the last couple of days: checked your email, shared or saved a file using cloud storage, watched something on a streaming service.

The cloud is now a part of our daily lives, for sure – but the more complex the solutions, the less intuitive they are to manage. IT departments across the world are faced with highly elaborate networks that are increasingly composed of more than one cloud environment.

Multi-cloud is now the norm. At the time of writing, around three-quarters of large organisations buy cloud services from multiple providers – and this has been predicted to rise to 85% in the coming year.

Multi-cloud may be the norm, but it's not yet just a part of the digital furniture. As well as providing enterprises with a cost-effective and flexible cloud solution, it also introduces new problems.

It stands to reason. Owning a car is different from managing a taxi fleet. The more elements there are to manage, the greater the challenges.

Software has to reflect this spiralling complexity. This is one of VMware's specialities: creating platforms that simplify the management of complex environments. VMware Aria is one such offering.

What does VMware Aria do?

VMware Aria is a digital hamper full of features and functions. These centre on three broad areas: multi-cloud management, cross-cloud migration and the autonomous creation of actionable business insights.

There's always more to a product than its marketing hype, but here's what VMware has to say about it: "an intelligent multi-cloud management solution that enables you to consistently deploy and operate your apps, infrastructure and platform services across private, hybrid, and multiple clouds from a single platform with a common data model".

This may sound like any number of its competitors. But leaving the nuances aside for now, users have pointed to one key advantage: it's faster than your average multi-cloud management solution.

To understand its scope, let's break it down into its three key components: VMware Aria Cost, VMware Aria Operations and VMware Aria Automation.

VMware Aria Cost

This is a platform powered by CloudHealth – an engine you might have come across in VMware's Tanzu product line. It enables administrators to more effectively manage costs, optimise their resources and implement automated governance.

VMware Aria Operations

VMware Aria Operations (vROps) is all about monitoring. A large enterprise is like a busy city. You can't just stand at the top of the tallest building and take in all the flows of traffic. Instead, you study it through complex data sets provided by traffic cameras, real-time bus timetables and more.

The same principle applies here. vROps gives you granular visibility into the flow of traffic in your network, from applications to infrastructure.

On top of this, the platform furnishes you with predictive analytics. Need to know how to identify and fine-tune your performance, capacity or configurations? vROps will do that in the background, ready to be raided for actionable business insights.

VMware Aria Automation

Finally, VMware Aria Automation is about, well, automation. It's a secure, multi-tenant portal through which you can automate the delivery and management of applications and infrastructure.

What is Aria Hub?

At the centre of Aria is Aria Hub. This is the control console where you get an overview of your multi-cloud environment's apps, resources, roles and accounts. All of these are presented through VMware's Aria Graph.

It also features VMware Aria Guardrails, VMware Migration and VMware Aria Business Insights.

Guardrails (or security controls) need to be always-on – and the best way to achieve this is through automation. VMware Aria Guardrails lets you do this, meaning that you can scale your multi-cloud environments without fear of security issues.

VMware Aria Migration, meanwhile, is all about making multi-cloud migration easier to execute. It streamlines the process, from assessment to planning to execution. This part of Aria Hub is paired with VMware HCX.

Finally, Aria Hub can turn lumps of unusable data into solid-gold business insights. But the real beauty of it is that this analysis is going on in the background while you make a cup of tea, read the tech news digest or think about the weekend. It uses AI and ML to give you insights into network performance that can be translated into cost savings and performance tips.

What are the benefits of VMware Aria?

Perhaps the biggest plus you get from VMware Aria is its speed and ease of use. But let's drill down into the details. With VMware Aria, you get:

The ability to speedily deploy and manage multi-cloud environments (including the deployment of security controls)
Full visibility of all the flows of traffic within your network (these can be isolated and studied in granular detail)
Native compliance management
An intuitive interface
A product that integrates well with other products (including non-VMware products)
Automated vulnerability remediation
Actionable business insights
A guaranteed availability of 99.9%

How do you buy it?

There are two main ways to buy VMware Aria: directly from VMware – individually or as a suite – or from any of VMware's channel partners, MSP partners or public cloud service providers.

Conclusion

In this article, we've dived into the details. But at the end of the day, every product, no matter how niche, needs an elevator pitch.

VMware Aria, then, can simplify and streamline the management of multi-cloud environments with an integrated, comprehensive suite of services. It gives you security, flexibility, visibility and business insights. And at £213.22 a unit per year, it's cost-effective, too.

So if you're struggling to manage a complex multi-cloud environment, VMware Aria could be the solution your enterprise needs.

Ascend is a specialist VMware cloud solutions provider based in Cork, Ireland. We help global clients migrate to the cloud and make the most of their cloud infrastructure. To book a meeting, get in touch with our friendly experts.

Can cloud storage be corrupted? Tips for safeguarding cloud data

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 09:00:00 GMT

Data is a valuable asset – so it's important to do all you can to ensure it's not corrupted in cloud storage. Find out what steps you can take in our article.

Once upon a time, businesses had to ensure the safety of one thing: their premises. Whether you ran an office, a warehouse or a store, your priority was to make sure that your goods and documents were under lock and key.

Today, security is fought on two fronts: your premises and your cloud. You could argue that, nowadays, security is more important than ever. After all, a crim who wants to get into your filing cabinets either gets into the building or they don't. But with cloud technology, the possible points of entry are multitudinous – it's a sprawling network of devices, apps and storage.

It's no wonder, then, that businesses of all shapes and sizes prioritise safety when migrating to the cloud. We're still operating in the long shadow of high-profile security breaches of iCloud and Yahoo! The question "Can cloud storage be corrupted?" is as important as "Should I trust the bank with my money?" or "Will this shelf take the weight of my newest trophy?"

That's why we've put together this article: a quick guide to the ways that cloud storage can be corrupted – and some tips for safeguarding your data to keep it as secure as can be.

How is data storage like your diary?

Today, most of us use online calendars. Some of us would be lost without them. But what would happen if your online calendar went down?

It's not likely to happen – but no cloud service is too big to fail. Data loss occurs. If your online calendar goes down, do you have a backup?

The same is true of cloud storage. No drive is indestructible.

First, there's the possibility of hackers getting into your storage. Then there's the chance of basic human error in accidentally deleting single-copy files.

It's less likely that a major public cloud provider will oversee file corruption – but it's not impossible. This is because the cloud is physical as well as ethereal.

Cloud storage runs on data centres: physical facilities that are just as vulnerable to flood and fire as any other kind of building. Big-name cloud providers are rich in resources – but that doesn't mean their disks are incorruptible. As with many things in life, you have to plan for the worst-case scenario.

That's why you want more than one copy. If your primary fails, you can restore from backup. If your backup fails, you've got your backup backed up. This belt-and-braces-and-another-belt-for-luck approach to data storage means that you're not at the mercy of your cloud provider's disks and data centres.

The case of Megaupload

Today, Megaupload is just a bad memory. But at its peak, it was the 13th most visited website on the internet – a filesharing website with 150 million registered users.

But Megaupload came to a sticky end. Its founder and executives were found to violate copyright laws and the site was shut down.

The result? Millions of users lost access to their files. If they hadn't backed up, they were up Data-Loss Creek without a paddle.

The moral of the story isn't that Google, IBM, Dropbox and the rest are nefarious in the way that Megaupload was. It's simply to show that you can take a system for granted – and when it fails, there's no remedy.

That's why backups are so important. It's not for nothing that those household names replicate data across multiple data centres. Every business needs to take steps to safeguard its cloud data – so if that cloud storage corruption occurs, you're not dragged down by downtime.

How can you safeguard cloud data?

Security is a many-headed beast. There's no one step to take to ensure your data is secure. But if you follow these ten steps, you're going to make a difference.

Use multi-factor authentication and strong passwords. Most cloud providers will offer these as standard.
Stay abreast of developments in cloud technology. This could take the form of in-work webinars and knowledge-sharing sessions.
Implement and review access permissions. No member of staff needs access to everything. Restrict who can access what for greater peace of mind.
Have a policy in place for what to do in the event of a security incident. This could take the form of a policy document or, better still, an easy-to-read-and-remember flowchart.
Review your security policy regularly.
Go with a reputable cloud service provider. The big names are big for a reason – they have huge amounts of resources. Smaller services can be trusted, too, so long as they prioritise encryption, backup and industry compliance.
Are you storing sensitive data in a compliant way? If the answer is "no" or "not sure", you need to take steps to fix it or find out.
Watch out for suspicious activity. A reputable cloud provider will alert you to any potential threats but your own detective work is also important.
Back up, back up and back up again. Have you identified data as mission-critical? Then make sure you have multiple copies. The alternative is downtime, which carries a financial cost as well as unleashing logistical hell.
Ensure that your cloud provider encrypts your workloads when transferred and when in storage.

Conclusion

Data in cloud storage can be corrupted, whether through human error, cybercrime or a failure of the cloud storage provider. To mitigate against this eventuality, it's essential to take steps to safeguard your data. The alternative is a data breach that could damage your profits and even lead to a fine.

Take care of your data and you'll have a deeper understanding of your customers and clients. In turn, this can boost your profits. It's an asset worth guarding with care.

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we've helped over 400 businesses move to the cloud . To find out more, get in touch today.

What does "landing zone" mean in cloud computing?

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 08:42:00 GMT

Landing zones are consoles that IT can use to manage multi-account environments. Learn more about their advantages and how to get started with them.

In the world of tech, one sign of technological advancement is when a phrase becomes redundant.

Just think of "smartphones". For most people, a phone isa smartphone. Today, you don't specify that your phone is hooked up to the internet – you specify the opposite by talking about a "brick phone" or "dumb phone". These usages reflect the ubiquity of smartphones in our daily lives.

Something similar is happening in the world of cloud computing. Once upon a time, "multi-cloud" computing was the boutique option. Today, the vast majority of companies use multi-cloud environments. It would be more noteworthy if all their workloads were running on a single cloud service.

This trend towards the multi has all sorts of benefits. But nothing in life is single-edged and for every silver lining, there's a splash of dark grey.

With multi-cloud environments, these take the form of security issues, a lack of scalability, a lack of flexibility and a lack of central management.

Enter the "landing zone". This is a multi-account environment that allows you to onboard workloads and teams with ease. It's a centralised framework for executing cloud migration successfully and painlessly.

In this article, we break down what exactly a landing zone is and does – and when you should consider creating one.

What is a landing zone?

At its most basic, a landing zone is a secure multi-account environment where you onboard workloads and teams. While you're there, you can secure and isolate workloads, meaning an improved security posture.

Without a landing zone, you can find yourself suffering from a data-induced headache. You may have users with the wrong access permissions. You may have stacks of untagged resources with no clear sense of who's using what when. What's more, you're showing off a large and tempting attack surface to hackers.

In short, it's about improved management of a multi-cloud environment – and while it's not a prerequisite of a successful infrastructure, it can provide tangible benefits.

What are the benefits of a landing zone?

In our book, there are five main advantages to creating a landing zone for multi-account management.

1. Better security

We're living at a time when security prioritises simplicity above all else: the Age of Zero Trust, you could call it. But that doesn't mean that a single security policy can cover the whole of an enterprise's network.

Different workloads need different security policies. A landing zone allows you to administer these with ease.

2. Everything in one place

Let's say that today's the day you need to onboard a new team to your cloud environments. With a landing zone, you can do this from a single console. It's the enterprise equivalent of controlling your thermostat, lights and CCTV all from your phone.

This makes it easier than ever to onboard new teams and administer security policies at the level of the team, sub-team or individual.

3. Let there be light

Every IT technician knows what it's like to be confronted with reams of data that are poorly tagged or not tagged at all. A landing zone gives you a single spot where you can tag resources, making it clear who builds what and when it's used.

4. Provision just the right amount

Cloud sprawl is bad for your budget and your blood pressure. One reason for this is that it can often lead to siloed services that use too much (read: cost too much). From your landing zone, you can ensure that environments are getting the resources they need – and no more.

5. Better security

"Everything in one place" applies to your management tools – not the data itself. With a landing zone, you can separate accounts. This means that if the day comes when you're hit by a data breach, it will be limited to isolated accounts, not the whole shebang.

Landing zones are also places where you can limit access to cloud accounts – an important step towards becoming GDPR-compliant.

When should you create a landing zone?

In cloud tech, there's no one-size-fits-all solution. It's one reason why cloud consultants can be so helpful – like an expert tailor, they create or fine-tune an infrastructure that's in line with your unique business requirements.

Landing zones aren't for everyone. But if any of the following five scenarios ring a bell, a landing zone could be for you.

Your infrastructure is multi-cloud, with workloads split between public, private and hybrid clouds or some combination of the three.
You need your data to be isolated, be it for more efficient auditing or recovery.
Your colleagues access workloads via more than one user account.
You don't have a clear understanding of what's being spent on different cloud environments.
You have a security policy that means you need to segment access and resources.

How do you create a landing zone?

DIY landing zones are possible. But they require plenty of time and expertise. Many enterprises choose instead to turn to one of the big cloud providers or to a cloud consultant for outside help.

All the major cloud providers offer landing zones. That includes Google Cloud, AWS Control Tower, Azure and IBM's VPC landing zone.

Another option is to work with a cloud consultant. This is the cloud equivalent of having a personal shopper. They'll look at your business goals and requirements and match you up with a solution that works for you.

Conclusion

Landing zones can simplify the migration, management and administration of workloads and apps. It can lead to better security, more accurate provisioning, better access management and greater visibility. Above all, it can make life easier for you as you manage a complex multi-cloud environment.

Are you looking for a cloud migration company ? Our experts are ready to help. Get in touch today to book an introductory chat.

Google's new UK data centre: everything we know so far

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 08:58:00 GMT

Google has announced it's investing $1 billion in a data centre in England. Get the scoop in our article.

The cloud is now an integral part of the fabric of our personal and business lives. Without it, pretty much any sector you can think of would experience disruption and decline.

And our collective move to the cloud shows no sign of showing down – year on year, more and more businesses migrate their workflows to cloud-based solutions.

But just like any resource, the cloud runs on complex infrastructure. Despite its ethereal-sounding name, it's powered by the hum of thousands of data centres scattered across the world. The more powerful the data centres, the better the connectivity and the more the cloud's benefits can be felt.

So it's no surprise that some analysts in the tech world are excited by the news that Google has started constructing a $1 billion data centre in the UK.

This project was announced in January 2024 at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt was there, drumming up support for British tech.

The new facility is being built at Waltham Cross, a small town 12 miles north of London. Google bought a 33-acre site there in October 2020 and is aiming to complete the project by 2025.

As you'd expect, the government's take on the new data centre was glowing, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak claiming that "investments this will help to drive growth in the decade ahead". Hunt, meanwhile, called it "a huge vote of confidence in Britain as the largest tech economy in Europe".

In this article, we aim to look beyond the hype and fill you in on the details of this project.

Why is the data centre being built?

According to Google, this new data centre is all about meeting demand. There are two sides to this: first, there's the demand for existing, bedded-in Google services like Cloud, Gmail, Docs and Sheets.

Then there's the demand for the brave new world of artificial intelligence. Google's work in this department was emphasised in a statement from Ruth Porat, Google's president, chief investment officer and chief financial officer:

"This new data centre will help meet growing demand for our AI and cloud services… [it will] play a critical role in supporting the company's AI innovations and will provide the UK with much-needed compute capacity."

There are also claims that the project will create jobs. However, this has been questioned in some quarters.

What is Google's presence in the UK?

This project builds on some other investments that Google has made in the UK. This includes the $1 billion purchase of a central London office building in 2022 and another site in Kings Cross that houses Google's AI R&D laboratory.

There are around 7,000 Google staff in Kings Cross, Central Saint Giles and Victoria in London and Manchester. Google has also brought the Grace Hopper subsea cable to Bude in Cornwall. This cable connects the UK with the USA and Spain.

Finally, Google has a multi-year research collaboration agreement with Cambridge University, again with a focus on AI research. This agreement spans disciplines from climate and sustainability to AI ethics and safety.
Will it create jobs?

Google has said that the new data centre will create construction jobs but has held back from saying if it will create jobs in the long run. The centre will need catering and security personnel, for instance, but it's unclear how many or where they'll be recruited from.

In 2023, Google announced it would cut 12,000 jobs worldwide – six percent of its total workforce. Meanwhile, in 2024, an internal memo warned staff to expect further job cuts.

This has led technology analyst Ben Barringer to remark that "it is unlikely that post-construction many jobs will be created". The reason? "Data centres," he explains, "do not require scores of employees to run them, and given Google is a very lean business, it will be looking to make its operation as efficient as possible."

So while some jobs may be created for this construction project, it's unlikely to be a significant recruiter of local talent.

Will it be environmentally friendly?

Data centres are notoriously energy-guzzling and aren't, as a rule, environmentally friendly. However, all the big tech providers are publicly committed to reducing their emissions.

This investment, Google says, reflects its commitment to running all of its data centres on carbon-free energy by 2030. To this end, it signed a power purchase agreement with ENGIE for offshore wind energy. This energy is generated on Scotland's Moray West wind farm, adding 100 MW of energy to the grid.

If the press releases are to be believed, Google is on track to be 90% carbon-free in 2025.

Data centres generate a lot of heat. This is a big reason for their substantial carbon emissions as they need to be cooled down with complex, resource-hungry equipment. Google says the new site will capture excess heat and use off-site heat recovery to heat local homes and businesses.

Will it benefit the local community?

It's unclear whether the new data centre will benefit the local community as well as Google service users. Google has said the facility's waste heat will be used to benefit the local community but hasn't gone into detail.

How many data centres does Google own?

Google has 27 data centres across 11 countries. The majority (13) is in the USA. The new Waltham Cross facility will be the 28th.

The bottom line

The data centre at Waltham Cross is promising to be an impressive contribution to Google's infrastructure, providing more compute power to its UK services. We'll keep you posted with any more details as they surface. Stay tuned!

Are you looking for support with a cloud migration project? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we've managed more than 400 – and counting. Get in touch today to learn how our experts can help you.

5 of the best cloud computing podcasts and YouTube channels

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 08:59:00 GMT

Want to keep on top of the latest trends in cloud computing? There's a plethora of podcasts and YouTube channels to choose from. Discover 5 of the best.

One of the most exciting things about working in cloud tech is that it's constantly changing. With new software and hardware continually being deployed and fine-tuned, it feels like the possibilities are endless.

The flip side of that is that even the experts can feel a little lost at times. There's just so much new information to get your head around and so little time to do it in.

One great way to keep on top of it all is via podcasts and YouTube channels. But even picking a podcast to listen to can lead to analysis paralysis or just, well, listening to a bad podcast.

That's why we've put together this list of podcasts and channels for you to explore. It's by no means exhaustive (life's too short) but we hope it will point you in the right direction.

But first – why bother with podcasts and YouTubers at all?

Podcasts and YouTube channels – part of a "cloud-first culture"?

The business case for cloud computing is easy to make. But getting staff to embrace it with open arms is another thing.

This is why many business analysts push the importance of a "cloud-first culture". This is a workplace culture where information about cloud technologies is shared – and sharing is encouraged.

It could take the form of webinars, or knowledge-sharing sessions, or having a member of staff who's the first port of call for cloud questions.

Wherever you are in your hierarchy, learning more about the cloud via podcasts and YouTube channels can help to build this culture – and contribute, even in a small way, to a business that rallies around its technologies rather than resists them.

Here, then, are five of the best.

1. This is My Architecture

AWS is one of the biggest players in the cloud game today. In 2023, it was estimated to have a market share of 34% in the world's cloud infrastructure. So, if you want to learn something new about how cloud infrastructures work, you could do worse than ask someone at AWS.

Its YouTube video series This is My Architecture is the closest you'll get to sitting in with the experts without flying out to a conference. Each bite-size episode spotlights an AWS customer and partner, focusing on how they've built their cloud architecture.

There are more than 400 videos to sink your teeth (and ears) into, covering everything from Taco Bell's use of middleware to Airbnb's multi-tenant Kubernetes clusters. The channel even posted a cute blooper reel.

If you want to find out how large companies use the building blocks of cloud technology to create powerful infrastructures, this could be the YouTube channel for you.

2. NetworkChuck

If there are two criticisms you could level against a lot of cloud computing podcasts, articles and videos, the first would be that they're jungles of jargon. The second would be that they're dry.

Not so NetworkChuck, whose enthusiasm shines in every video he makes. His enthusiasm isn't just about sharing a private passion but also about educating the viewer to become an IT expert. Take, for instance, his 30-day certification challenge.

Whether he's sharing cybersecurity tools, building his own browser, or exploring the ins and outs of subnetting, his videos are engaging, clear, and – above all – enthusiastic. And with 3.67 million subscribers, he must be doing something right.

Oh, and he also has his own coffee brand. Given the critical role that caffeine plays in IT, it seems like a sensible move.

3. Google Cloud Tech

Today, Google Cloud Tech has an emphasis on AI for cloud engineers. But it's also a rich archive of how-to videos, product news, developer tools and demos. Some of these are gathered into handy playlists.

If you want to find out more about migrating workflows to Google Cloud, you can get a head start with Get Cooking in Cloud and This Week in Cloud .

At the more expert end of things is Cloud Minute , which focuses on programming languages, cloud tools and APIs.

Google is, of course, one of the biggest players in the cloud game, so its resources are always worth investigating if you want to know what's new – and there are hours of content to choose from.

4. Software Defined Talk

This weekly podcast covers topics relating to enterprise software and cloud computing in a lighthearted, accessible way.

If you want a dose of off-topic banter with your deep dives, Software Defined Talk is the podcast for you. It covers Kubernetes, DevOps, serverless, security and coding along with industry news from AWS, Azure, GCP and CNCF.

5. Screaming in the Cloud

With a prolificity to rival Software Defined Talk, Screaming in the Cloud with Corey Quinn focuses on interviews with cloud experts. It takes in the major cloud players, circling back to the question, "What can the cloud do for businesses?"

To take topics almost at random, Screaming in the Cloud has looked at company culture, the "open-source mindset" and how to teach tech.

So, if you're a business owner looking for case studies of how the cloud gets put to work, this could be the podcast for you.

How we can help

Here at Ascend, we're passionate about sharing our knowledge of the cloud with our customers. We're not interested in trying to blind you with science. We want you to understand your options and at least a bit about the technology behind them.

That's why we've built up a bank of free resources covering all manner of cloud topics – and it's why we want to share some of the best cloud computing podcasts and YouTube channels out there.

Cloud computing is an endlessly shifting and dynamic place to be. We hope that these recommendations teach you something new and keep you abreast of the latest industry news.

Ascend is an Ireland-based cloud solutions provider that specialises in managed migration and VMware cloud consultancy. Want to find out more? Get in touch today for an informal chat.

The state of the cloud in China (2024)

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 09:00:00 GMT

China is one of the world's biggest economies – so how is its cloud market faring? Learn about its home and overseas markets in our 5-minute read.

Back in 2006, Amazon launched AWS as the first public cloud service. It was a time when "cloud computing" still had a futuristic air. Today, it's the engine room of the internet and a ubiquitous feature of our lives at work, at home and on the move.

"The internet" is no longer something that can be tidily separated from our lives. Where once we logged on and off, now the majority of us are permanently online, whether we're checking our devices or not.

Global business is unthinkable without cloud computing. It's as fundamental to the running of systems, software and devices as water, gas and electricity.

Is it any surprise, then, that the world's biggest nations are investing heavily in the cloud?

China is one of the biggest global players in the cloud market. But despite its overall growth, the picture for 2024 is mixed. The domestic market is sluggish and cloud providers are looking overseas to boost profits. Meanwhile, the ongoing trade war with the USA is limiting growth.

The big picture

So far, China's adoption of cloud technologies is inextricably tied up with its consumer market. Like elsewhere, online retail is a big deal in China. Retailers need to know that they have the computing resources to respond to spikes in customer demand.

Take Singles' Day. Each November 11, single people are encouraged to treat themselves to gifts. On this day, online traffic can go into overdrive. The growth of data centres in China has partly been in response to this trend.

It's not certain, however, that retailers will continue to lead the way in the expansion of China's cloud market. Some say the next wave of cloud migration could occur in China's industrial and manufacturing sectors.

Key statistics

There are two sides to the cloud coin. One is physical infrastructure. The other is investment in cloud services.

In 2023, China had 448 data centres. This ranked them behind the UK (517), Germany (522) and global leaders the USA (5,375). It's important to note, however, that these statistics don't take into account the sizeof the data centres in each country.

In the third quarter of 2023, China spent $9.2 billion (€8.48 billion) on cloud infrastructure. That's over a tenth of the world's spending on the cloud. Seventy-three percent of the market is occupied by three cloud vendors: Alibaba (known outside China mainly as a low-cost eCommerce store), Huawei and Tencent.

Alibaba Cloud has 39% of the market share, Huawei Cloud has 19% and Tencent Cloud, 15%.

But what do these statistics mean for the future of the cloud in China? The picture isn't all rosy.

Is the future of the cloud in China overseas?

Despite China's growth spurts, domestic margins are dwindling . A combination of a saturated home market, sluggish growth and the US-China trade war are all contributing to this droopy state of affairs.

In response to this, the three main cloud vendors are looking for investment opportunities overseas. In particular, they've set their sights on Southeast Asia and the Middle East – areas where US giants Microsoft and Amazon are less prevalent.

In 2022, for instance, four data centres were built in Singapore. Two contracts were awarded to Chinese-backed companies, while two were given to US-backed companies. This shows both China's desire to expand overseas and its uneasy balancing act with the USA.

To see this overseas investment in action, let's turn our gaze to Saudi Arabia.

The Chinese cloud in Saudi Arabia

In September 2023, Huawei opened up a new cloud service centre in Saudi Arabia. The company's president of marketing and sales described it as "our focus in serving the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa". In the same year, Tencent Cloud partnered with Saudi Arabia's telecoms service Mobily.

Conflict with the USA

When talking about China's cloud market, it's impossible not to consider the effect of the ongoing US-China trade war. This began in early 2018 when Donald Trump began setting tariffs and other trade barriers on China. Biden inherited these measures and has so far left them in place.

One example of this would be the restrictions placed on China getting US microchips. Similarly, Biden floated the idea in the summer of 2023 of getting US cloud service providers to seek government approval before providing Chinese companies with AI cloud services.

Taken globally, cloud provision is political . In the words of Trey Herr, director of the Atlantic Council's Cyber Statecraft Initiative under the Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab):

"Cloud computing was political from the beginning… and it will be political at the end."

This is largely because of the physical nature of cloud resources. He goes on: "It requires a tremendous amount of physical infrastructure and all of that infrastructure has to sit somewhere. So there are the local politics of the jurisdiction it lives in."

Despite this ongoing conflict, China remains ambitious in its cloud market aims.

What's next for China?

These factors notwithstanding, 2023 saw a boosted global presence for Chinese cloud providers thanks to the frantic hype around generative AI – and in October of that year, the government announced it would double its cloud computing market by 2025 .

An announcement isn't a prediction, of course – and governments worldwide are prone to declaring that growth will happen come what may. But given China's rapid economic expansion, this 100% increase may not be too wide of the mark.

Conclusion

China is a global player in the cloud market. However, its prospects are mixed thanks to a combination of slow growth at home and restrictions on trade abroad. Whatever else happens, it seems likely that providers will continue to look overseas, as well as at home, to invest and expand.

Are you looking for an end-to-end cloud migration service? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we've handled more than 400 migrations and counting. Get in touch today for a free, no-obligation consultation.

What is autonomous analytics and how does it fit into the cloud?

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 08:42:00 GMT

Autonomous analytics is an AI solution that puts data to work. Learn how it can help with business intelligence, effective resource provisioning and more.

Unless you've been spending the last decade on your own private exoplanet, you'll have noticed that artificial intelligence (AI) is absorbing a lot of capital, time and energy.

No sector is untouched. AI is being deployed everywhere from the automotive industry to online dating apps.

"Autonomous analytics" is one branch of the supposedly magic AI tree. It moves us one step further away from human decision-making. And in the process, it's changing the ways that cloud technology operates.

In this article, we take a look at the fascinating world of autonomous analytics and how it's increasingly being applied in cloud computing. But first up, let's get our terms straight.

What is autonomous analytics?

To get a sense of what autonomous analytics is, we need to distinguish between human, automated and autonomous activities.

We could make this distinction through the ever-evolving relationship between a driver and their car. But things would quickly get technical. Instead, let's consider the mundane task of diarising.

If you have a paper diary, you're entirely in control of what goes in. You make a date to go for sushi with your barber. In it goes: Tuesday, 8 p.m.

In this scenario, there's no external involvement in the recording of this information.

Now compare that to Google Calendar or another piece of time-keeping software. You and your barber have such a great time over dinner that you decide to make it every Tuesday. You tell your calendar software to repeat this date every Tuesday until the world ends or you die (whichever comes first).

In this scenario, you've automated your time-keeping. You're still in charge of what's going on the calendar, but you're not manually entering the information for every Tuesday.

In the world of analytics, this second example corresponds to automation. Your cloud engineers put systems in place to identify inefficiencies, say. These are automated: they run on schedule without humans getting involved at the deployment stage.

The next step is to move from automation to autonomy.

Back to our calendar. Your Google Calendar can now scrape your emails for events to include. Book a flight? Google will, with your permission, add it to your calendar. The next step could be a calendar that predicts what you'll do on certain days, based on your data, and suggests a schedule for you.

This is how autonomous analytics works. It makes decisions based on what you feed it. And the more you feed it, the theory goes, the more it learns and the more optimal its decision-making process becomes.

Autonomous analytics, business intelligence and the cloud

Business intelligence (BI) is as old as business. But the cloud has made it easier than ever to store, share and analyse data. Now, AI can run that insight-rich data through predictive analytics models.

It's no longer your job to set thresholds and KPIs and keep a close eye on them around the clock. Autonomous analytics does that for you and presents its forecasts in an easy-to-grasp form.

The more data a company has to deal with, the more tempting this sounds. Data alone is next to worthless. You may as well fill your servers with pictures of dogs playing table tennis. But when put to work, it can lead to better decision-making, which in turn can mean better profits.

AI-as-a-service

Autonomous analytics software takes different forms. One is AI-as-a-service (AIaaS): a third-party solution that gives you an oven-ready platform for analytics.

As with all "as-a-service" solutions, the principle of AIaaS is that you're leveraging expertise from outside your enterprise rather than having an in-house team. It's not all that different from getting a Netflix account rather than buying DVDs from CeX.

Like BI platforms, AIaaS takes a set of data, makes inferences and builds a machine learning model. It can help companies deepen their understanding of customer behaviours and identify aspects of production and delivery that can be automated.

AIaaS shares several benefits with cloud computing in general. It lets you harness extremely complex (and expensive) infrastructure at a fraction of the cost. It's flexible. It's ready to go. And it's scalable – so as you grow, the solution can grow with you.

Autonomous cloud cost optimisation

How much does a cloud infrastructure cost? It's an answer that could fill 20 TED talks. It depends first on your business's size and goals, then on the products and services you decide to deploy.

Figuring out the best deal can be a headache. However, autonomous cloud cost optimisation software can help you to identify savings to be made, purchasing options and services to be optimised at the click of a button.

Self-healing systems

Cloud computing is like human health. Sometimes, a problem is bad enough that you need to go to the cloud doctor. Other times, it's a case of letting it heal and coming back in a week if it's still not better.

This second scenario is possible thanks to "self-healing systems". These aren't services that furnish you with analytics – but they're only possible because they use autonomous analytics to gather data, make predictions and execute decisions.

It's a big subject, so let's take a simple example. You run a napkin business and always see an upswing in sales around Christmas. A self-healing system will identify this pattern and provision extra resources at that time to ensure there's no profit-pinching downtime.

Conclusion

AI and cloud computing are rapidly becoming the Lennon and McCartney of the tech world. Together, they've led to autonomous analytics, furnishing you with indispensable insights and self-healing systems. As the technology develops, we'll be sure to keep you in the loop.

Are you looking for a cloud consulting firm to help you migrate or manage your services? Get in touch with Ascend Cloud Solutions today for a no-obligation consultation.

The state of the cloud in Latin America

Fri, 26 Jan 2024 09:00:00 GMT

When it comes to the cloud, Latin America is a mixed bag. On the one hand, it faces unique problems. On the other, investment is on the rise. Learn more.

In the cloud world, we like to talk about digital transformation as though it's universal. It's certainly global – there's no corner of the earth that's not undergone some kind of cloud migration.

That's different, however, from saying that cloud services are distributed equally across the world. Some regions are cloud hubs: centres of innovation and deployment. Others are lagging behind. And others still are in the process of transformation but at a slower rate.

The picture in Latin America is mixed. On the one hand, there's been an uptick in cloud adoption since the pandemic – and signs that further investment is on the cards. But it's also the case that the region (in all its diversity) is beset by obstacles that are currently stopping it from being a contender with, say, Western Europe or China.

In this article, we review the recent history of the cloud in Latin America, before taking a look at the available forecasts to see where things might be heading.

What are the challenges?

Overall, the trend in Latin America is in line with the rest of the world – an increase in migration from legacy systems to the cloud in both the private and public sectors.

But there's a catch – one that threatens to undermine one of the cloud's biggest selling points.

When you read about the glories of the cloud, you'll often hear people (ourselves included!) come back to the fact that these services are available anywhere, any time, from any device. Universal availability – all you need is an internet connection and login details and you're good to go.

That's all well and good – but what if you live in an area with limited access to high-speed internet?

Yes, Latin America has a connectivity problem. Many users experience latency as a result of the large distances that internet traffic has to traverse – from public cloud services (mostly in North America) all the way down to Latin America.

This means that the UX for Latin Americans often just isn't as good as elsewhere in the world. Similarly, there's a lack of data centres in the region. Brazil and Mexico aside, most businesses rely on servers in North America.

The upshot of this isn't just the latency that we mentioned. It also creates additional costs when transferring large amounts of data across borders.

What all of this means is that, on the whole, Latin America is paying more for less.

However, things have been changing. First, the pandemic gave the region a much-needed shot in the arm – and since then, investment has been on the rise.

Seeds of change

The pandemic saw a huge adoption of the cloud across the world in response to global lockdown measures. Latin America was no exception. Research in 2021 revealed that "39% of organisations in the region [planned] to invest in cloud computing".

This came after a year of intense cloud adoption, with cloud-based storage across all sectors jumping from 25% to 38%.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, big-name cloud providers put more money into Latin America, with Brazil, Mexico and Chile benefitting especially. These new "cloud regions" are, some believe , a forecast of more future investment.

Cloud adoption, says Alexandre Magnani, is "becoming increasingly mainstream in Brazil's financial services and fintech industry, as companies are looking to reduce costs, improve scalability, and access new technologies".

It's also leading to a rapid rise in eCommerce as well as an increased – and related – rise in APMs (alternative payment methods that don't involve cash or card).

The continual growth of the cloud isn't inevitable, but all signs are pointing in that direction. Barring a major economic disaster, it seems likely that the cloud will be adopted at an accelerating rate in Latin America over the coming years.

What's next?

Predicting the future with confidence is a mug's game. However, there are signs that cloud investment will continue to grow in Latin America.

Take Vultr – the world's largest privately-held cloud computing provider. In 2023, it announced that it was expanding its cloud footprint in Latin America.

In practice, this means a threefold increase in capacity in São Paulo, Brazil's most populous city .

The company is also launching a VIP Digital Startup Program with the aim of promoting innovation across Latin America. It's also bringing Vultr Cloud Alliance to the table – a privately-held alternative to the biggest of big tech offerings.

Some people raise concerns about "cloud colonialism". Big tech investment in the region can be seen as altruistic, but some see it as an attempt to stifle home competition, with one commentator going so far as to call investments in the region "pox-laden blankets".

It remains to be seen just how this investment will play out. It seems highly likely, however, that there will continue to be growth in the cloud sector as more and more public and private organisations adopt cloud solutions.

In Chile, the market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 22.5% from 2020 to 2025. Similarly, Mexico is expected to grow at a rate of 22.2% in the same period.

The region as a whole is forecast to grow by $18.7 billion between 2022 and 2027 at a CAGR of 16.32%.

Conclusion

The picture in Latin America is mixed. On the one hand, the region is dogged by a lack of infrastructure, limited access to high-speed internet and a dearth of home competition.

On the other, the pandemic saw a huge increase in cloud adoption – and since then, major cloud providers have ratcheted up their investment in the region.

Will Latin America become a player to rival North America, Western Europe and China? Or will it continue to fall behind in spite of growth? We can't be sure – but we'll definitely keep you updated.

Are you looking for a managed cloud migration partner? Get in touch with Ascend Cloud Solutions for a no-obligation consultation.

Can you build an empire on SaaS alone?

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 09:00:00 GMT

Today, most companies use SaaS, regardless of their size. But can a company thrive on SaaS alone? Join us as we compare SaaS and IaaS solutions.

Do you use SaaS? If you're reading this blog, the answer is probably "yes", even if you're not consciously aware of it.

Nowadays, pretty much every company uses SaaS or "software-as-a-service" of some kind. This holds true for high street brands as well as the local cafe or hardware store. Cloud-based software is increasingly the norm, be it Gmail, a cloud-based payment processor or online payroll software.

At its most basic, SaaS refers to any piece of software that can be accessed remotely online, from any device in any location. It covers everything from Dropbox to Adobe Express, from niche design programs to mainstream games.

But if you're building your business empire, can you do it on SaaS alone? Or do you need to fill out your cloud solution with IaaS, or "infrastructure-as-a-service?" To answer that question, let's first look at what SaaS is good for.

What's so good about SaaS?

SaaS is a middle-man – or, to use a more homely metaphor, it's the filling that holds two pieces of bread together. On the bottom is the data centre that runs the software and on top is the end user.

If you're using SaaS, that software is most likely being run on a data centre that's owned and maintained by one of the big dogs of the cloud provider world – AWS, say, or Google Cloud.

You're probably not thinking about that data centre when you log into your Netflix account or Salesforce app – no more than you're thinking about gas pipelines when you turn on your hob.

Nevertheless, these cloud-based solutions in all their variety can exist only because of an infrastructure – one which, crucially, you don't run. You subscribe to the software, but the software itself is run by digital elves in a data centre far, far away.

Why, though, is this such an attractive offering for consumers and businesses alike? There are a couple of reasons. The first is that you don't have to run and maintain your own servers.

From a consumer point of view, you just want to play your favourite songs on Spotify. You don't want to lift the hood and examine the backend.

The same can apply to businesses – you get the software without the responsibility of maintaining and upgrading it.

The other reason – one that applies only to the business world – is that it simplifies the roles and responsibilities of your IT department. Using SaaS means you don't need staff to download and install apps on every employee's computer. Any technical issues are resolved by the vendor, not your in-house technicians.

These benefits make SaaS ideal for startups and small companies that want to make their mark quickly and don't have the mental bandwidth to install servers just yet. It's also ideal for apps that get used only now and then.

But as companies grow, a SaaS-only way of working can become limiting. It's at this point of expansion that many businesses investigate IaaS.

What is IaaS?

Where SaaS delivers software, IaaS delivers cloud computing infrastructure. That means all the stuff that's hidden from us when we use SaaS – things like servers, networks, operating systems and storage.

With IaaS, these functions are under your control again. They're "virtualised", meaning that they're presented to you in digital form – imagine a dashboard where you can see all the innards of your infrastructure and you're not far off.

The main selling point of IaaS is that you get the functionality of an old-school data centre, but you don't have to faff about uncoiling cables and fixing servers when they go on the blink.

With SaaS, the IT technician is sidelined. But with IaaS, a company needs a skilled employee on hand to ensure the smooth running of its workloads in the cloud.

When should you use IaaS?

Just as a market stall holder may not need SaaS, so some businesses can probably do without IaaS. It tends to be rolled out in specific situations.

For instance, if you're a startup or small company on a budget, you might want a virtualised infrastructure rather than shelling out on hardware and software.

Or you could be a bigger company that wants to retake control of its apps and infrastructure but doesn't want a bulky server taking up time and energy in the backroom. With IaaS, you can pay only for what you use. It's the difference between filling up the tank at a petrol station and drilling your own oil well.

IaaS can also be a promising solution for companies that are rapidly scaling up and need flexibility. IaaS lets you swap out hardware and software as your needs and priorities change. It's super easy to roll out different networks, storage solutions and servers – and it's highly scalable, too.

What are the limitations of IaaS?

Nothing is perfect, alas, and IaaS shares with SaaS (and PaaS) some limitations which you should be aware of before committing to deployment.

First, there's the "cloud-native" problem. An app that's in development at the time of writing will be cloud-native, built in and for the cloud. But your apps may have been developed before the cloud even existed, in which case you're trying to fit an antique clutch into a modern vehicle. This means you have to spend time, money and energy on making your apps cloud-friendly before migrating them.

Secondly, there's the "vendor lock-in" problem. It can be challenging to switch from one IaaS provider to another – and while you have more control over your infrastructure in theory, you also have to deal with any changes that the provider makes.

Finally, there's the problem of integration. It's not always easy to integrate your existing workflows with a new IaaS solution. However, in many situations, it's worth the effort.

Final thoughts

One of the best things about cloud solutions is that they're flexible. There's no one-size-fits-all solution. Some companies can thrive on SaaS alone – but others will need to investigate IaaS.

On a bad day, this flexibility can lead to analysis paralysis. If that's something you're experiencing, get in touch – we'd love to talk you through your options.

Based in Cork, Ireland, Ascend provides a range of cloud solutions – including VMware consultancy and managed cloud migration.

How to brief a cloud consultant

Fri, 19 Jan 2024 08:34:00 GMT

When migrating to the cloud, you need to brief your cloud consultant in detail to ensure the best outcome for your enterprise. Discover more in our article.

Let us paint you a picture. You've decided that you're going to migrate to the cloud. This could either be from an on-premise data centre to a new cloud environment or from one cloud to another.

What's more, you've decided to outsource the job to a cloud consultant. As cloud consultants ourselves, we approve. You're leveraging external expertise so you can focus on the rest of your bulging to-do list. You probably wouldn't dig the foundations for an office extension yourself – so why put yourself in charge of something as niche and complex as cloud migration?

You've chosen your cloud consultant and are in initial talks. If they're doing a good job – one with your enterprise in mind – then they'll be asking you questions. Lots of questions.

These will include practical questions to do with budgets, existing infrastructure and scheduling. They'll also focus more broadly on your expectations for the project: what, when it comes to down to it, do you want this migration to achieve?

Now it's your turn to brief the cloud consultant. And it might come as a surprise to learn that this is a crunch moment. This is the stage of proceedings that can make or break a project.

Why? Because getting a third party to lift the bonnet on your business and make big changes is like any other kind of outsourcing. It's not really that much different from getting your windows replaced. If you don't provide the right detail, the job won't be done properly – and you'll only have yourself to blame.

For starters, there's the very real risk of cloud shock . This isn't getting struck by lighting – although that is undeniably a setback – but rather the all-too-common moment when a cloud client finds themselves spending more than they expected on the migration project.

There are all sorts of reasons why this could happen ( miscalculating TCO is a big one) but they all boil down to one thing: a lack of clear communication. If you share the right details clearly and in a timely fashion, you're way more likely to get the outcome you desire than if you skimp on details.

The alternative is to pay more for less and to be lumbered with a cloud solution that doesn't meet your business goals. And when you find yourself in this position, there's really only one thing to do – call up another cloud consultant and pay them to plug the gaps.

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we value customer satisfaction above all else. We pride ourselves on asking the questions that lead to great results and great ROI. But you might not be so lucky if you choose another consultancy firm.

That's why we've put together this list of five things you should always cover when briefing a cloud consultant.

1. Infrastructure

All cloud migrations are different because every existing infrastructure is subtly different. This is true whether you're migrating from an on-prem data centre to the cloud, or from an existing cloud environment to a new one.

In either scenario, you need to tell your cloud consultant exactly what your current set-up is and exactly what workloads are involved. Think of it like moving house – your removal men need to know how long it's going to take them to load the van.

2. Expectations

When it comes to cloud migration, some expectations are a given: cost savings, for example. Without the need to keep IT staff on board to maintain, upgrade and replace your servers, you stand to make some substantial savings.

But that's just a broad-brush reason. Your expectations and desired outcomes will be unique to you. Whatever business goals made it into your final pitch to management need to be communicated in some form to your cloud consultant.

3. Finances

It's time to talk money. To avoid overspending, you have to be upfront right from the start. If you're not, you risk committing yourself to a project that's more expensive than you think. We don't mean that you'll end up paying the consultant more than you expect, mind – just that the long-term running costs could be higher than you think.

If your migration project has been approved, you should have a very clear budget. Make sure to communicate this to your cloud consultant.

4. Dates

A reputable cloud consultant will make sure that the migration process doesn't disrupt your day-to-day operations as much as physically possible. But a small amount of trouble is inevitable.

Make sure to keep your consultant in the loop as to any deadlines or other commitments you have in the diary. That way, the migration can be planned in waves that work around, not against, your agenda.

5. Questions

Finally, a broader point about how to talk to a consultant. Cloud computing is, by pretty much any metric, a highly complex and niche subject area. Most of us have some understanding of how these things look out front, but we don't have much by way of insight into the backstage area.

That's fine – it is, after all, why you're getting outside help to begin with. But make sure you ask lots of questions. Don't know what your consultant is talking about? Ask. Feel blinded by science? Ask. It's another small thing you can do to maximise your chances of success.

Final thoughts

Working with a cloud consultant when migrating to the cloud can be a sensible choice – one that unlocks cost savings, minimises disruption to your business and gives you on-demand access to expertise that's hard to come by internally.

When done wrong, however, the consequences can be disastrous, especially when you end up with a larger bill than you anticipated. That's why it's so important to brief your cloud consultant in detail – to ensure not just that the process runs smoothly, but that it does so in the interests of your business's goals.

Are you looking for a VMware cloud consultant to help you migrate to the cloud? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we've managed over 400 migrations and counting. Get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation.

Cloud migration and data sovereignty: no laughing matter

Mon, 15 Jan 2024 08:56:00 GMT

What is data sovereignty, how does it relate to cloud migration, and why does it matter? Learn all about it in our handy 5-minute read.

When you picture "the cloud", what do you see? Is it a hyperscale data facility, your Dropbox account or just some giant, glowing filing cabinet in the sky?

Whatever you envision, one thing is clear: the cloud is a worldwide phenomenon. It allows the large-scale sharing of data and apps between providers, enterprises and consumers over vast distances. The digital economy is a global economy: there's no two ways about it.

Despite this, we don't have a global framework for data protection. Different countries apply different legal rights to "data subjects" (a data subject being anyone whose personal information is being handled by an organisation).

In practice, this means some countries stop you from transmitting data from their country. Others still have privacy laws that stop you from disclosing personal data to third parties. In fact , more than 100 countries have their own data sovereignty laws – and they're all different.

"That's OK," you might be thinking. "My company based in Finland will simply follow the data laws of the Finnish state." A startup in Helsinki isn't going to be following Malaysian contract law – so why do you need to concern yourself with other countries' legislative frameworks?

The simple answer is that data stored in the cloud may fall under more than one country's laws, depending on where it's hosted and who's got control of it.

This could be the case if, say, you're using a public cloud provider and a local data centre – the so-called "hybrid cloud". Those two storage spaces could be subject to distinct local legal requirements.

This can present company-wide challenges. IT, legal and other departments need to be proactively involved in deciding where to store data and stay on top of the laws that apply to it.

Before we look at some key considerations with regard to data sovereignty, let's clear up some terms. What's the difference between data sovereignty, data localisation and data residency?

A pocket dictionary of data sovereignty

If you store personal data in Australia, you have to follow its 13 "privacy principles" (APP). This is an example of data sovereignty – a law governing the handling of personal data. Laws like these will set out how data should be processed.

Data localisation, by contrast, is a law stating that data about a nation's citizens and residents has to be processed within the country's borders. It's a way of controlling the flow of residents' data. Different nations have different motivations for doing so.

Data residency is sometimes used interchangeably with data localisation – but it refers more specifically to a business's decision to store its data in a specific location. This will typically be because their location of choice has favourable regulations or tax structures.

In practice, people muddle these three terms all the time. However, there are differences.

All of them can affect your usage of the cloud, either by limiting where data can be processed, stored, accessed and shared, or by hiking up prices for storage in foreign countries.

What do you need to do to ensure data sovereignty in the cloud?

The best thing you can to do ensure data sovereignty is to partner with a cloud provider that's across the issue. This is the easiest way to minimise the risk of data sovereignty issues further down the line.

All the major cloud providers now have data sovereignty tools and policies in place. AWS has its Digital Sovereignty Pledge , for example, and Google Cloud has its Digital Sovereignty Explorer: "a guided series of questions about [an] organisations' digital sovereignty requirements" designed to simplify the process.

The difficulties tend to arise when you're storing data in different countries, each beholden to its own regulations and laws. It's a complex issue. One way to simplify it is by applying the principle that "too much is better than not enough".

In practice, this means applying the toughest of your host countries' regulations across all the others. That way, you've got a super-strong data sovereignty posture and you don't have to follow unique guidelines in each location.

(But remember, you need to check that there's no conflict between them – that will only come back to haunt you.)

Finally, you need to stay on top of your backups. These, too, fall under data sovereignty laws.

Does your company have good visibility into its backup processes? Do you know what's happening on-prem, in your dedicated cloud service or in the public cloud? Are you sure that everything meets the relevant data sovereignty requirements?

If the answer is "no" – or even "maybe" – then you should take another look, perhaps with the help of a reputable cloud consultant.

What is indigenous data sovereignty?

Data sovereignty has a political dimension, too. In North America, for instance, efforts are being made to reflect tribal rights in data collection. Researchers at the University of Arizona are "addressing the need for tribes to drive their data agendas through practising Indigenous data sovereignty and governing their information".

Similar efforts are underway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the Sámi people of Northern and Eastern Europe, as well as other Indigenous peoples.

Conclusion

The flow of data across the world is a defining feature of our digital age. But it comes with restrictions, regulations and compliance frameworks.

Making sure your enterprise is in line with data sovereignty isn't something to be taken lightly. The main thing is to consider it and implement it proactively. You may find, however, that you need some external help from a cloud consultant . If so, get in touch – we'd be happy to answer any questions you might have.

Ascend Cloud Solutions is an Ireland-based cloud consultancy staffed by ex-VMware experts. We specialise in cloud migration, vSphere optimisation, HCX consulting and NSX-V to NSX-T migration.

Is there a limit to public cloud scalability?

Fri, 12 Jan 2024 07:01:00 GMT

Public cloud scalability has been increasing since its inception. But can this go on forever? Or is there a limit to be reached? Discover more in our article.

One of the many remarkable things about cloud computing is that as the infrastructure gets bigger and the coding more complex, the solutions only get faster. Somehow, advances in computing have meant that your cloud provider combines the speed of a cheetah with the size of a blue whale.

It's an exciting time for the digital world, whether as a consumer, front-row observer, salesperson or developer. We're as guilty as the next firm of sounding breathlessly excited about its potential to transform business – and we make no apologies for it.

But is there a limit to how far we can scale up public cloud provision? As corporate data grows exponentially, year-on-year, are we going to reach a point where there's just no room left to store it?

Physical constraints

What we know as the cloud today was brought to life in the early 2000s by the Amazon Web Services (AWS) public cloud. At this point, AWS stood alone in an empty field, brandishing a powerful new tool.

Between 2005 and 2011, infrastructure began to be centralised in data centres. These became the powerhouses of scalability – facilities that hosted increasingly large amounts of compute and storage.

The rest of the decade saw the development of cloud-based software stacks, cloud storage as a service (think Dropbox), multi-region availability and service level agreements (SLAs).

What made this decade of progress possible? Lots of things, of course – but one that doesn't always get a shout-out is physical land.

Yes, the cloud's ethereal nature can lead us to forget that it's possibly only because of data centres – huge bits of engineering that the average person rarely interacts with. Corporate hyperscale facilities tend to be built outside of urban areas, hidden from view like the factories that provide consumer goods to the West.

Sure, we can keep on building – that's what we're doing, in fact. 2023 saw new data centres being built worldwide. But one thing is getting in the way: power availability.

You see, data centres are greedy guzzlers. They need to be constantly pumped with electricity. Eco-friendly versions exist or are in development but these aren't yet scalable. The reality is that most data centres need lots and lots of power – and there's a worldwide shortage .

It's always too soon to predict the future. But for now, it seems unlikely that data centres will continue to be built at the same breakneck speed as the last couple of decades. This could, in theory, put the brakes on public cloud scalability.

Can Moore's Law guide us?

It's not just security and compliance laws that enterprises follow. There's also Moore's Law – the formulation of Intel co-founder Gordon Moore.

Forty years ago, Moore predicted that transistor manufacturers could double computing speed every two years – forever.

And his calculation works, pretty much. In 2009 , the fastest processor on the market outperformed its turn-of-the-century equivalent by a factor of about 30.

But if Moore's Law kept delivering, we'd be looking at pretty much infinite computing power in the next 60 years. Is that possible? Two physicists at Boston University think not.

"No system," says Lev Levitin, "can overcome that limit [of infinite computing]. It doesn't depend on the physical nature of the system or how it's implemented, what algorithm you use for computation… This bound poses an absolute law of nature, just like the speed of light."

So even if, as we suspect, computing power will continue to increase in the next decades, that doesn't mean that it will go on forever. A consequence of this is that public cloud scalability – which has so far been following a clean upward trajectory – could start to waver.

What's next?

The cloud isn't going anywhere – and the amount of data it stores continues to increase at a mind-boggling rate.

In 2024, says Deloitte , "the world is forecast to generate 149 zettabytes of data."

"A zettabyte," they go on, "is a thousand, thousand, thousand, thousand gigabytes. If each byte were a grain of sand, there would be enough to fill every beach on earth almost 20,000 times."

We're not yet at the upper limit of scalability. It seems highly likely that the coming years will see a continuing spike in storage capacity and data centre infrastructure.

The coming years are also likely to see the growth of emerging technologies that are, as yet, not nearly as scalable as SaaS and IaaS solutions. These include blockchain, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and green computing.

Data centres are now essential for the smooth running of many businesses. But no one would deny that they're environmentally unfriendly – not least because of the amount of power they consume.

Advances towards a greener way of working have already been made. Take Microsoft's Project Natick – a subsea data centre that doesn't need energy-hungry cooling equipment, cooled as it is by the sea itself.

It's unclear how scalable these green solutions will be in the short term. If, for example, climate legislation becomes stricter across the world, we could see a limit to data centre construction – and a consequent slowdown in scalability.

Whatever happens, we're likely to see even more powerful computers and a spread of technologies that will make today's offerings look like baby steps. However things pan out, it's going to be interesting.

Final thoughts

It seems highly likely that the upward trajectory in public cloud scalability will continue as computers get even faster and data centres continue to be built.

However, there are technological and social factors that could slow this progress down. And even if they don't, there's still, so far as we know, an upper limit to computing power. Infinity isn't within our grasp and probably never will be.

Are you looking for help with a cloud migration ? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we've managed over 400 migrations and counting. Let's talk about your requirements. Get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation.

Cloud solutions for developers: the PaaS, present and future

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 09:00:00 GMT

PaaS is platform-as-a-service – a way for developers to create apps without having to worry about the underlying infrastructure. Learn more in our article.

Do you keep hearing about PaaS (or "platform-as-a-service") and feel unclear about what it is? Then this article is for you. It's a quick run through the basics of PaaS that steers well clear of jargon.

However, we have to admit that it's nearly impossible to talk about PaaS without also mentioning IaaS and SaaS. So let's get some definitions out of the way before we get stuck into PaaS proper.

IaaS is infrastructure-as-the-service. It's when vendors virtualise the compute, networking and storage resources of a data centre. The user – usually a sysadmin – can then access and configure them in a way that suits their business's goals, resources and budget.

Then there's SaaS. This is software that you don't have to install on your machine. If you use Netflix or Gmail then you're using SaaS. These pieces of cloud-based software are typically available on subscription rather than through a single license fee.

If IaaS and SaaS are the slices of bread in a digital sandwich, PaaS is the filling. It uses the virtualised resources that reside in IaaS to create a platform for app development (among other things, as we shall see).

It's often said that PaaS is like car rental. You don't have to pay for the vehicle or its repairs and you're not going to get the hubcaps replaced or change the upholstery. You are, however, paying at the pump – and you're the one behind the wheel.

What is PaaS used for?

PaaS is most often used to develop and customise cloud-based mobile apps, websites and APIs. It can, however, be used for other things.

It can be an alternative to Kubernetes as a way of automating software lifecycles and creating agile development workflows.

It often comes with tools that can be used for data analysis and business intelligence.

It also supports a host of programming languages, tools and app environments that allow for the development of IoT (internet of things) applications and data processing for IoT devices.

Finally, it can be used to simplify app migration to the cloud through re-platforming or refactoring (two of the main ways that migration takes place).

Who provides what?

With PaaS, the vendor provides virtualisations of servers, storage, networking, operating systems and runtime. The dev using PaaS provides data and apps.

What are the advantages of PaaS for developers?

Perhaps the biggest advantage of PaaS is the speed and ease with which you can get an app up and running. At bottom, it's convenient for developers. It decreases (or eliminates) the need to manage infrastructure, carry out maintenance tasks and look after dependent services.

PaaS is the 3D printer of the digital world. Just as a 3D printer can create a proof-of-concept much faster than traditional moulds, so PaaS lets you spin up (and destroy) proof-of-concept apps with ease. It takes the brakes off your imagination and lets it cruise.

PaaS is an area of the cloud that's rich in tools, apps and APIs. It's remarkably easy to plug those services into your development process – partly because you don't have to worry about runtime, servers and other infrastructural complexities.

And last but not least, it can save you money. Your app doesn't have to be overseen by a full-time sysadmin. Devs have greater freedom to play with ideas without breaking the bank.

What are the disadvantages of PaaS?

The main one is that a dev using PaaS has a lack of control over infrastructure. They can't fine-tune the OS or other functions that have been virtualised. Similarly, they can't prevent the provider from experiencing an outage – and if the vendor changes the product in a way you don't like, you're stuck with it.

Of course, from another perspective, this is an advantage. Many devs prefer these functions to be outsourced, either from convenience or because they don't have the skills to juggle both.

Another issue is vendor lock-in. Once you've developed your app, it can be hard to move it from one cloud to another unless you're using an open-source framework. This means you need to be sure that you've chosen the right cloud provider.

Related to this is a compatibility issue that can dog devs. It can be tricky to use PaaS offerings in conjunction with existing dev platforms.

Finally, PaaS isn't always good for rolling out an app at scale. Nine times out of 10, a proof-of-concept app will perform better on a dedicated server than on a PaaS offering.

Where can PaaS be deployed?

PaaS can be deployed in private, public or hybrid cloud environments. Not sure what the difference is? Check out our explainer article .

What are some examples of PaaS?

Every leading cloud service provider has a PaaS offering. That means AWS, Google Cloud, IBM Cloud and Microsoft Azure.

Then there are smaller software vendors with offerings like Red Hat OpenShift and Salesforce Heroku.

Finally, there's the world of open-source PaaS, two notable examples being Apache Stratos and Cloud Foundry.

What's next for PaaS?

The big names in cloud provision are beginning to offer AI-platform-as-a-service (AIPaaS) which, as you'd expect, is a platform for developing and deploying AI applications.

As well as this, it's likely that PaaS offerings will expand their list of first- and third-party integrations in the coming years. This should reduce the compatibility issues that we mentioned above.

Conclusion

PaaS gives devs a whole host of benefits. It cuts out the need to look after infrastructure, enabling them to spin up new app ideas almost in real time. From management's perspective, it can unlock cost savings and encourage creativity.

It's a key part of the digital transformation that so many enterprises are embracing. Are you going to join them?

Are you looking for a managed cloud migration service ? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we've handled more than 400 cloud migrations and counting. Get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation.

How to argue the case for cloud migration

Fri, 05 Jan 2024 06:54:00 GMT

Most business leaders agree on the value of cloud migration – they just need to be persuaded of the details. Learn how to argue the case effectively.

In many areas of business life, the barrier to change isn't disagreement about values but disagreement about practicalities. We see it all the time in news stories about the climate crisis. It's not that (most) governments disagree with the risks we face – it's that they can't agree on how best to address them.

Some would say this is human nature and shake off change with a shrug. But others get to work mounting a case that will persuade their superiors to get to work.

This is a scenario we see played out in enterprises all the time. By now, the valueof cloud migration is clear. In an increasingly cloud-based world, asking "Why should we migrate to the cloud?" is like querying the importance of hot running water.

No, the sticking point isn't "why" – it's "how".

That's why a business case needs to be made for cloud migration that addresses key practical concerns. From a leadership point of view, these concerns will always centre on profitability. If this large-scale change to your day-to-day business means burning money in a cloud-based bonfire, leadership will almost inevitably pass.

So, to help you smash your digital transformation goals, here are some key things to include in your case for cloud migration.

1. It will meet your overall business goals

One of cloud migration's biggest selling points is that it will save you money in the long term. Right from the get-go, you need to demonstrate that this is the case.

This involves calculating the total cost of ownership (TCO). We've written in detail elsewhere about how to do this effectively. The main thing is to dive into the details.

Data talks. Demonstrate that cost savings will be unlocked and efficiency improved through data, metrics and charts. Show that scaling up, when necessary, is cost-effective and simple. Clarity is your best friend when it comes to mounting a business case.

Above all, you need to be sure that your business plan is in line with your business's overall goals – and that cloud migration will help, not hinder, those long-term targets.

2. There won't be a skills gap

According to one survey , "lack of staff resources or expertise" is one of the biggest barriers holding back cloud adoption in organisations.

To go back to our earlier point – most of the time, it's not the value of cloud migration that's in question. It's the practicalities.

That's why a solid business case needs to address the million-dollar question of skills. Are you going to upskill existing staff? Are you going to hire new cloud-savvy technicians? Are you going to work with a cloud consultant? Or will it be a mix of all three?

Answering this question clearly – and with lots of juicy data in your quiver – will help you make a persuasive case for cloud migration.

3. It will be secure

Here's a little scene from a play called How Not To Make a Business Case.

Lou [ excitedly]: The new offices are going to be beautiful! I saw the designs and there's a water fountain, an on-site gym, a break-out room… ping-pong… there's even a beautiful bronze statue of the CEO in the lobby…

Lewis [ intrigued but sceptical]: Great! And will the security be improved?

Lou [ long pause]: Well, no, but I'm sure we'll get round to it eventually…

The point is that security is never an afterthought in physical spaces, so why digital ones? It's essential that a robust security policy is built into the business plan.

There are several reasons for this. One is that your business probably handles sensitive or mission-critical data which you want to keep safe from hackers, phishers and other digital rogues. Another is that a data breach can lead to a fine under GDPR – no matter how big or small your company is.

4. It will work in the long term

Migrating to the cloud is like getting an extension on your house. You're going to have to pay a lot upfront (although if you partner with a good cloud consultant, the disruption will be considerably less irksome). But it's worth it, right?

This is the case you need to make for cloud migration – long-term gain over short-term pain, a healthy ROI and a project that will streamline operations, not complicate them.

5. There won't be significant downtime

Did you know that your calendar is an important part of a cloud migration? This is because migrations tend to happen in waves, not all in one go.

Most businesses have a calendar full to bursting with deadlines, meetings and other commitments. Management needs to know that the cloud migration won't send any of these up the swanny.

6. It will fit into your existing IT infrastructure

Going back to our extension analogy, you're probably going to have second thoughts about the project if it means digging up the house's foundations and replacing them with a newly discovered material called, let's say, cloudium. You want this project to fit into your existing infrastructure.

The same goes for cloud migration. Transformation should be smooth, not juddery. This is largely a practical question. Employees at all levels of your organisation will have their own way of working – the login screens and familiar keystrokes that get the working day going. They need to be sure that they can carry on like this once the migration is complete.

Final thoughts

Where there's a will, there's a way – but a strong business case can help. Most business leaders know that cloud migration is the way forward. However, they need a map to reassure them that they'll get there on time and on budget.

So when you're making the case for cloud migration, make sure you cover all these bases – whether internally or in partnership with a reputable cloud consultancy firm.

Do you need help making the case for cloud migration? Get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation about your aims, needs and pain points.

Application access management (in Plain English)

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 22:00:00 GMT

AAM (application access management) should be a key part of any company's cybersecurity policy. Discover more in our handy jargon-free guide.

These days, businesses of all shapes and sizes run multiple pieces of software – from CRMs to online payment processors, from payroll to marketing automation to video conferencing… The list goes on and on.

This isn't new per se. What's different is that now these pieces of software are mostly hosted on the cloud. This means they can be accessed from any device in any location. In turn, this means the attack surface is far bigger than in the days of office intranet and CD-ROMs.

Data breaches are a real threat – and even small firms can be adversely affected. They cause downtime, threaten customer trust and can result in fines under GDPR.

The question is how to enjoy the manifold benefits of today's software without putting sensitive data at risk. And part of the answer is application access management (AAM).

This term covers the processes and tools that IT deploys to manage and secure user access to applications. It keeps hackers and unwanted third parties out and makes life easy for those who need access.

What does application access management involve?

AAM is all about managing user authentication and access permissions based on the rights and roles within an organisation.

Imagine your company is a hospital. The operating theatre needs to be secure, so to get in you need an access card. Some members of staff will need to enter and exit freely. Other members of staff will need access but only under certain circumstances. And other members of staff will have no reason to go in at all.

In a complex organisation, this can get hard to manage. Translate that into a company with a hybrid workforce, a bring-your-own-device policy and third parties needing access to video meetings and documents. Now you've got a recipe for stress-related alopecia.

Every business needs a solid AAM strategy to ensure that people who need access have it and that the people who don't, don't. The alternative is to put sensitive data up for grabs, allow unauthorised access and fall out of line with security and compliance.

What are the key components of AAM?

Broadly speaking, AAM can be split into two big processes: authentication and authorisation.

Authentication is the IT equivalent of a sentry at a castle saying, "Who goes there?" Not just anybody can enter the castle – so you need to verify this person's identity.

Authentication can include a password, the user's location, a fingerprint or the device that's being used. Typically, it will be a combination of these checks – what's known as "multi-factor authentication".

Most of us are familiar with multi-factor authentication via banking apps and websites. You can't just put your password in – you also have to complete a CAPTCHA, approve a text message or even match your fingerprint to the one they have on record.

It's a belt-and-braces approach to app security that's pretty much essential in today's cloud-based world.

Authorisation is the next step. It makes a decision based on the outcome of the authentication process. This traveller on horseback is, it seems, the Archduke of Fitzmoravia. But does that mean you should let him in? What if he runs amok and steals some valuables?

Authorisation, then, is about giving or denying permission. If the user has the requisite permission, they can use the app. If not, they can't. It is that simple – at least, it is ifyour company has a clear policy on application access management.

All of this can be automated through software. You don't need a digital doorman checking everyone's ID. Instead, you can deploy an access management solution that does the dirty work for you.

What is single sign-on (SSO)?

Single sign-on (SSO) is a way to let users access all the apps and resources they have permissions for with just one set of login credentials. This is something that's supported by most cloud-based AAM solutions.

An example of this that many of us will have seen or used is the ability to log in to social media sites with a Google username and password.

SSO is convenient. It means you don't have to manage multiple passwords. On paper, this might seem less secure than having lots of unique passwords (surely two locks are better than one?)

In fact, it can improve password security – something that many IT departments will embrace with open arms. It means that a user has one strong password rather than lots of weak ones (or worse still, a weak one used again and again).
How does AAM fit into ZTNA?

ZTNA (zero-trust network access) is a way of doing cybersecurity that assumes bad intentions of all users, no matter whether they've been working for you for 10 years or 10 minutes.

It's like a bouncer at a nightclub – but instead of doing spot checks, everyoneis suspect and needs to be patted down and have their bag searched.

AAM fits snugly into a ZTNA solution. Both insist on granular access permissions and multi-factor authentication. They ensure that verification has to take place on every access request – not just once and then you're in.

ZTNA will also include things like threat detection and data security tools. But AAM can form a key part of it.

What are the benefits of a robust AAM solution?

The benefits of an AAM solution all boil down to security. But we can split this into a range of benefits:

It provides secure access to cloud services, keeping sensitive data safe.
It improves the UX for staff at all levels of the company.
It allows safe and speedy access for third parties, as and when required.
It centralises app access management.
It's easy to deploy and scale as your business grows.
It creates an automatic audit of application access.
It can detect and respond to suspicious activity.

All in all, application access management is a must for any company that uses a range of cloud-based software solutions.

Are you looking for a VMware cloud consultant to help you nail cloud security? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we're VMware-certified experts with years of combined industry experience. Get in touch today to get the ball rolling.

Did this 1911 novel predict cloud computing?

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 07:05:00 GMT

Did early-20th-century sci-fi writer Hugo Gernsback predict cloud computing and VR headsets? Join us as we weigh the evidence.

Sci-fi has always been about predicting the future and imagining technologies that may or may not become a reality. There's even a word for its literary form: " technovelgy " (that's "tech-novel-gy", which as a play on words is almosta success.)

A classic example is Snow Crash , Neal Stephenson's 1992 novel that coined the term "the Metaverse" – a virtual reality-based internet that players of Fortniteand visitors to Decentraland will recognise.

As well as predicting the future, fiction can inspire reality. Just think of Hewlett-Packard deciding to delve into cloud computing after watchingMinority Report.

Snow Crash was ahead of its time – but a lot of the ingredients needed to make its Metaverse were already available.

That's nothing compared to Ralph 124C 41 +, an early sci-fi novel by Hugo Gernsback serialised in 1911 and published in 1925. It predicted many technologies – and you might be surprised to learn that cloud computing could be one of them.

But before we look at Gernsback's prediction, let's meet the man himself.

About Hugo Gernsback

Hugo Gernsback was born in Luxembourg in 1884 and moved to the USA in 1904. He's sometimes known as "The Father of Science Fiction" – although fellow writers Jules Verne and H.G. Wells tussle for that crown. Was he also the father of cloud computing?

His passion for science began when his uncle gave him a battery and a light bulb. After moving to North America, he invented a battery powerful enough to be used by the Packard motor company in its new horseless carriage.

Gernsback used his earnings to explore the burgeoning world of "the wireless". He started to import radio parts from Europe – a key moment in the amateur wireless craze.

In 1908, he started the world's first magazine about electronics and the radio. A year later, he founded the Wireless Association of America and, in 1913, a magazine called The Electrical Experimenter . This combined sci-fi stories – or in Gernsback's phrase, "scientifiction" – with science journalism. Later, he founded the first sci-fi magazine, Amazing Stories.

Despite the pivotal role he played in early sci-fi publishing, Gernsback didn't always get a good rap. Not only was his writing slammed as clumsy, but he was also notorious for paying his writers badly – or nothing at all.

What did he predict?

Gernsback's novel, Ralph 124C 41 +, includes many predictions about technology. A Life magazine profile lists them as "fluorescent lighting, sky writing, plastics, automatic packaging machines, tape recorders, liquid fertilizer, stainless steel, loudspeakers, night baseball, microfilm, synthetic fabrics and even flying saucers".

Perhaps most convincingly, the book included a description of a working radar complete with diagrams.

But did he also predict cloud computing? The novel is full of devices that would require the cloud in practice – from machine translation to transmitted newspapers , from a device for sending signatures to a primitive Alexa .

There's even what appears to be an early imagining of a Zoom-style piece of video conferencing hardware – a device that crosses a 20th-century telephone with a 21st-century "faceplate". He called it the " Telephot " – used in the novel by Ralph, the novel's central character who Gernsback introduces as a magnificent specimen:

"His physical superiority, however, was as nothing compared to his gigantic mind. He was Ralph 124C 41+, one of the greatest living scientists and one of 10 men on the whole planet Earth permitted to use the Plus sign after his name.

“Stepping to the Telephot on the side of the wall, he pressed a group of buttons and in a few minutes the faceplate of the Telephot became luminous, revealing the face of a clean-shaven man about 30, a pleasant but serious face."

Gernsback doesn't group these devices together under a cloud-like umbrella technology. He came tantalisingly close to predicting cloud computing – but he didn't quite nail the concept that ties them all together.

Though prescient, the book was critically trashed. Sci-fi author Brian Aldiss set the tone, calling it a "tawdry illiterate tale" and a "sorry concoction". Mathematician and pop science writer Martin Gardner went so far as to call it "surely the worst SF novel ever written".

Did Gernsback predict VR?

Gernsback may have predicted video conferencing – but he was also passionate about "television eyeglasses", which today we would call "VR headsets".

In 1963, Life magazine did a profile on him, dubbing him "The Amazing Hugo Gernsback, Prophet of Science". The piece describes him as "a man of remarkable energy, who raps out forecasts of future scientific wonders with the rapidity of a disintegrator gun."

It features a remarkable picture of Gernsback wearing a primitive-looking headset. "He believes," the writer says, "that millions will eventually wear television eyeglasses – and has begun work on a model to speed the day."

"It is now perfectly possible to make thin, inch-square cathode tubes," Gernsback tells the reporter, "and to run them with low-voltage current from very small batteries with no danger at all of electrocuting the wearer. Sound can be carried to the ear just as a hearing aid.

"Television eyeglasses should weigh only about five ounces. Since there will be a picture for each eye, the glasses will make a stereoptical view possible and since they will be masked – like goggles – they can be used in bright sunlight. The user can take them out of his pocket anywhere, slip them on, flip a switch and turn to his favourite station."

Whether Gernsback ever got past the mock-up stage is unclear. But as VR headsets continue to grow in popularity – and effectiveness – we have to salute him as a visionary in the field.

About Ascend Cloud Solutions

While some of Gernsback's predictions came true, the cloud today is a very different beast – and can be just as befuddling to newcomers as Gernsback's Hypnobioscope .

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we make the cloud simple. We're here to offer tailored cloud support that helps you unlock cost savings, eliminate downtime and achieve more with less effort.

Need a VMware cloud consultant ? Don't hesitate to get in touch .

VMware's vSAN explained: what do I need to know?

Tue, 26 Dec 2023 09:00:00 GMT

vSAN is an important part of VMware's SDDC stack. It's a distributed storage solution that creates a single shared data store. Discover more in our article.

For 25 years, VMware has been the market leader in software-defined cloud solutions. Its software suite keeps servers humming in enterprises across the world and is used in sectors as varied as healthcare, aerospace and manufacturing.

VMware's flagship product is a bundle of software that "virtualises" metal servers. We've written elsewhere about the basics of virtualisation – but just to quickly recap, it consists of creating software versions of physical, metal servers.

If an enterprise rents a server from a cloud provider, VMware's virtualisation software gives them a virtual version to manage.

VMware's software-defined data centre (SDDC) is in three parts that harmonise like Peter, Paul and Mary. NSX virtualises network and security, while vSphere is in charge of CPU and RAM. Then there's vSAN.

vSAN is a virtual storage area network – a distributed storage solution that allows IT to aggregate storage devices and create a single shared data store. These devices can then provide storage to virtual machines (VMs).

At the end of the day, vSAN's main strength is the same as VMware's software suite in general. By virtualising storage, it eliminates points of failure and reduces the amount of equipment that needs to be maintained and upgraded.

How does it work?

Picture the scene. You've racked and stacked your equipment. Traditionally, you would now allocate resources to make it hum: floor space, storage, power, cooling and networking.

vSAN offers an alternative. It provides an answer to the question: how can I maximise my existing resources?

It does this by populating ESXi hosts with local drives. Together, they form a single vSAN data store.

The placement of this storage is controlled through unique policies. These are tagged to each VM or virtual disk and they determine how the data is placed underneath.

Any deviation from these policies is automatically flagged. You get an alert describing the deviation so you're able to mitigate it straight away.

Easy scaling

vSAN isn't just failsafe – it's also scale-safe. Once you've aggregated your storage devices into a single data store, you can grow them with ease.

That means you can easily add a host. You can add more storage devices within each host. You can add more compute. And you can add more slots for extra capacity.

This makes vSAN flexible and easy to scale. This is important if new and perhaps unexpected workloads are coming into the data centre.

It's important to note that vSAN doesn't create any new data islands. No matter how much you scale up, it's always a single data store that's expanding to accommodate the new workloads.

Where does vSAN run?

vSAN is built right into the hypervisor – so vCenter's server is the management plane that you use to interact with it. This means you're leveraging software you already know how to use.

You can use the vCenter server to monitor the performance and availability of VMs and make changes to storage policies. It's an integrated solution, right there in the hypervisor.

Terms and definitions

Our cloud-first workplace culture has many things in its favour, but let's face it – the amount of jargon isn't one of them.

There's a reason for it, of course. Technicians and developers are deep in the detail. But as a manager – or even a member of the IT department – you may find yourself staring despondently into a bowl of alphabet soup.

Here, then, are some key terms and definitions to get to grips with before cracking on with vSAN deployment.

Disk group: a bunch of physical devices that provide performance and capacity to vSAN. The local devices on an ESXi host contributing to a vSAN cluster will be organised into disk groups. Each disk group has to have one flash cache device and one or more capacity devices.
Consumed capacity : this refers to the amount of physicalcapacity consumed by one or more VMs.
Objects: vSAN's flexible containers for storing and managing data.
Component: each object is made up of components.
Compliance status: a "non-complaint" VM is one whose objects don't meet its storage policy's requirements.
Witness: this is a component that contains nothing but metadata. It serves as a "tiebreaker" in the event of a failure.
Storage policy-based management (SPBM): this is a way of defining VM storage requirements as policies.
vSphere PowerCLI: this is vSAN's command-line scripting support. It's an elegant way of automating configuration and management tasks.

What are its limitations?

Before we explore its limitations, we should make clear that we're not criticising vSAN. These are limitations that VMware itself is happy to publicise .

Although it's a powerful tool for virtualising ESXi storage, vSAN doesn't support any of the following:

Hosts participating in multiple vSAN clusters
vSphere DPM and Storage I/O Control
SE Sparse disks
RDM, VMFS, diagnostic partition and other device access features

Not sure whether any of these apply to you? Talk to IT – or get in touch with our cloud consultants for a free consultation.

Key takeaways

vSAN is part of VMware's SDDC (software-defined data centre). It virtualises the storage resources of ESXi hosts and turns them into a single shared data store.
vSAN runs directly in the ESXi hypervisor.
It doesn't work quite like a traditional storage array – for instance, it can support only one cluster.
There are different configuration solutions to choose from.
vSAN is integrated with the rest of the VMware SDDC.

The bottom line

vSAN is a key part of VMware's SDDC stack. It aggregates your ESXi hosts and virtualises them to create a single shared data store. Your VMs can then draw on this data store for storage capacity.

Need help deploying vSAN or another VMware product? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we're VMware experts . For help navigating the cloud, feel free to get in touch .

Making sense of VMware's product portfolio: which is right for you?

Fri, 22 Dec 2023 07:50:00 GMT

The VMware product range isn't easy to navigate – but it should contain the software that your enterprise needs. Delve into the catalogue with our guide.

VMware is a tried, tested and trusted brand for virtualisation software. It's a firm that combines reliable, always-on cloud solutions with bleeding-edge innovation: delivering, as its motto has it, "the trusted foundation to accelerate innovation".

As other enterprise software vendors have sprouted up and fallen like so many mushrooms, VMware has stayed in the virtual vanguard – the plucky upstart that once managed to outflank Microsoft.

There's a problem, though. Let's say you're new to the world of virtualisation software. You've been persuaded of VMware's benefits – whether that's its basic cloud solution or something more niche, like its cloud-native app development software.

So you put aside some time to flick through its product portfolio – and you're met by more products than you'd find at eBay's closing down sale. Horizon? Tanzu? Your eyes scan the page, looking for illumination. NSX and NSX+? vSAN and vSphere?

Say what you like about VMware – if you're looking for virtualisation software, they've probably got what you need. But you might feel like you're exploring the Amazon with a map sketched onto a napkin.

That's why we've put together this guide to VMware's product portfolio to help you choose the product that's right for you . We've done this by dividing their product range into functions– essentially, what each piece of software does.

But before we go any further, it's important to note that we've just chosen one bit of software to illustrate each function. This isn't a guide to the complete catalogue. You'll need to do your own research – but we hope this article will help you get started.

1. You want to securely access apps on any device

Do you have a mobile workforce? Welcome to the 2020s. You're probably scratching your head, wondering how to provide your newly nomadic workforce with the apps they need but with no compromise to security.

VMware Horizon answers this call by allowing you to manage multiple stateless VDIs (virtual desktop environments) from a single pane of glass.

The statelessness is key. This is a low-cost, low-maintenance, super-secure solution. At the end of each desktop session, the VDI is destroyed – so no hacker can get their claws in.

Horizon enables you to have a workforce on the move with secure, flexible access to all the data and apps they need – whether they're wintering in Biarritz, sipping a coffee in business class or sitting on the sofa with a cat on their lap.

2. You want to develop cloud-native apps

VMware has always been a forward-facing organisation. Its company story is inextricably linked to the story of the cloud – from early hypervisors to today's bewildering array of containers, micro-segmentation and Kubernetes.

It's even looking past these present offerings into the wild, hazy frontiers of quantum computing and GAI.

Despite its sprawling product portfolio, VMware's promise has always been constant – to allow you to run any app on any cloud. But as clouds proliferate like bubbles in beer, that promise requires new solutions.

Tanzu (pronounced tarn-zoo) is a portfolio within a portfolio. It's built to help customers develop modern applications that can be run across any cloud. What's more, it enables you to manage that footprint from a single point of control.

So if development is your priority, consider Tanzu for your enterprise.

3. You want to manage your apps in a local sandbox

Do you want the virtual equivalent of a full PC, from which you can manage all your enterprise apps? VMware Workstation could be for you.

This software – which exists in two forms, Workstation Pro and Workstation Player – lets you run VMs, containers and Kubernetes clusters. Each VM is allocated its own CPU, memory, disks and I/O devices.

Workstation Player is the free, personal-use version of the software that allows you to run one VM at a time. If you want to use it commercially – and run multiple VMs simultaneously – you need to fork out for a Workstation Pro license. This version lets you create and manage encrypted VMs and full operating system clones.

Workstation Player doesn't work with Mac. But VMware's Fusion can be used to enable macOS-powered PCs to run Windows or Linux VMs.

4. You want to connect and secure apps and clouds

If your primary aim is to virtualise your network, VMware's NSX-V could be the product for you.

Its basic function is to link VMs with your on-prem devices – but that barely scratches the surface. It gives you round-the-clock access to multiple clouds, extremely detailed micro-segmentation and support for cloud-native apps. It truly is a virtual network built for today.

So if you're looking to modernise your IaaS, consider NSX-V.

5. You want to run enterprise apps, anywhere

Cloud Foundation is VMware's hybrid cloud platform. It's designed to modernise data centres and roll out modern apps. With it, you can easily deploy both private and hybrid clouds.

It's built on VMware's SDDC (software-defined data centre) stack. This includes vSphere, vSAN, NSX and Aria. We've looked at some of these offerings elsewhere – but the bottom line is that they give you a comprehensive set of virtualised services, covering storage, compute, networking, security and cloud management.

So if you want software that will enable you to run enterprise apps on any cloud, the Cloud Foundation family of products could be for you.

Final thoughts

We hope this has helped you to unpick VMware's vast and versatile product range. Whatever your cloud ambitions, VMware should have the software you need to optimise your cloud performance.

Still confused? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we eat, sleep and breathe VMware. Some of our team, in fact, cut their teeth at the virtualisation giant. So if you've got a problem that needs answering, get in touch – our VMware consultants will be happy to talk it over and get you on your way.

Virtualisation for (total, utter, complete) beginners

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 07:52:00 GMT

Cloud technology is possible only because of virtualisation. Are you new to the term or need a refresher? Join us for a handy, jargon-free explanation.

There's a paradox at the heart of today's technological revolution. As online services become more user-friendly than ever, the tech behind them becomes ever more complex.

This creates a situation where the average, non-techy person reaps the rewards of technological solutions they just aboutunderstand. But if your Macbook goes down, chances are you'll be heading into the Apple store – not getting out the toolbox or firing up the terminal.

Well, at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we think this is a problem. Our mission is to migrate businesses to the cloud – and the last thing we want is for customers simply to throw themselves at our mercy like a driver paying £800 for a new catalyser and not knowing if they're being ripped off.

We want our customers to understand their options and to have some idea of what we're up to behind the scenes. That doesn't mean you need to take a degree in computer science. It just means having a grasp of the basics.

In this spirit, we present to you a total, utter, complete beginner's guide to virtualisation: the engine room of today's cloud-based business world.

What is virtualisation?

Imagine a Kafkaesque scenario where you wake up one morning and find that you've been put in charge of Ireland's electricity grid. You need to monitor and improve its infrastructure and delivery, fast.

Now imagine that your boss leads you into a small control room. There's a wall-length screen that shows the grid in all its twisting, complex glory. There are buttons – lots of buttons. Each one corresponds to a function of the grid. Click one and you get to see usage levels. Click another and you can see any bottlenecks in the system. Click another and – well, you get the idea.

Then you discover that you can carry out repairs from this control room. You don't need to go out into the field. This virtual machine can be maintained just like the grid itself.

This is an analogy for virtualisation in the computing world – a giant, virtual replica of an existing system. Computing resources like servers, desktops and storage are replicated using virtualisation software. Each function has a corresponding virtual machine (VM). Using this VM is just like working on a normal computer.

Why? First and foremost, it's cheaper. You don't need to have a big warehouse on-site that's bulging with servers, cables and power supplies. Secondly, it's easier to manage. It's like playing FIFAon your PlayStation rather than getting your boots muddy in the park. IT can manage the network from the comfort of a single management console.

What's more, you can run multiple VM instances on a single server. You don't need to have a device for each function. The software that achieves this is called a "hypervisor" (new piece of jargon – tick. Don't worry, there are not many more.)

You can virtualise pretty much any aspect of computing: servers, desktops, storage, network and applications.

What is the relationship between virtualisation and cloud computing?

If you can access an online service from any device, anywhere, then you're using the cloud. This is true whether you're using industry-specific software, an entertainment platform like Netflix or Amazon Prime or an online backup service like Dropbox.

Cloud computing couldn't exist without virtualisation software. Users are essentially logging into a virtual server. The same is true of complex enterprise infrastructures – mobile apps, say, or payment brokers, or shared online databases, to take just a few examples.

What are its benefits for business?

Virtualisation has five main benefits for business that add up to one big benefit: they help you save money and time with no sacrifice to security.

First, let's look at those cost savings. A Tamagotchi (remember those?) is cheaper to care for than a rabbit. Similarly, virtual machines are cheaper to run than physical ones.

Second, VMs are flexible. You can spin them up and discard them as needed. Multiple VMs can be run on a single hypervisor. It simplifies management, meaning fewer headaches and greater flexibility.

Third, they improve uptime. If you have an on-premise data centre – a big box in the corner with flashing lights – there's always the possibility that it will fail. And if it fails, you're going to have to get a technician out. It's going to cost you time and money to fix.

With a virtual server, maintenance is a doddle. If it goes down, you can recreate it almost immediately. This is one of the key offerings of public cloud providers.

Fourth, virtualisation gives you freedom of movement. Once you've virtualised your computing and migrated your workloads to the cloud, you can pass data and apps around with just a few clicks. Compared to moving data from one physical server to the next, it's as easy as teleportation.

Finally, virtualisation gives you a digital sandbox with a secure perimeter fence. You can fiddle with code to your heart's content, knowing that it won't affect any other part of the network.

All in all, virtualisation simplifies management, reduces costs and gives you unprecedented uptime.

Who are the main providers?

All the big tech players offer cloud solutions and virtualisation software. This includes Amazon, IBM, Google and Microsoft. Other market contenders include Red Hat, Oracle and Citrix.

Then there's VMware, one of the brave pioneers in the virtualisation world. VMware is to virtualisation what Heinz is to baked beans. It offers an almost bewildering array of enterprise-grade virtualisation tools and platforms.

How can Ascend Cloud Solutions help?

At Ascend, we know virtualisation like the back of our hands. We've helped over 400 companies move to the cloud and provide tailored VMware consulting services across the world.

We hope this article has helped demystify the world of virtualisation a little. But understanding is one thing – planning and implementation is another. Come to us with your business requirements and we'll help you get there.

Best practices for curbing shadow IT in a VMware cloud

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 09:00:00 GMT

Shadow IT – the use of unauthorised tools and resources – is a security risk for enterprises. Learn how to control it in a VMware cloud.

There's a paradox at the heart of today's cloud-first workplace culture.

The vision is one of unification. All workloads, processes, data and apps are migrated safely to the cloud, where they sit in safe, accessible harmony.

Then there's the reality. The age of the cloud is also the age of hybrid working. Of bring-your-own-device policies. Of unauthorised accounts and cloud-based software.

And, as T.S. Eliot said, between the vision and the reality falls the shadow: the mysterious and frustrating presence of "shadow IT".

Shadow IT is a ghost in the machine. The phrase refers to any unknown or unapproved IT in your organisation.

It's rarely the product of malice. Most employees bear the IT department no ill will. It's usually an innocent attempt to make life that bit simpler – but because it's unapproved and unvetted, it can pose security risks not just for the employee but for the whole organisation.

In this article, we explore the twilight world of shadow IT – and some best practices for curbing it in a VMware cloud. But first: why does it matter?

Why is it important to curb shadow IT?

There are several reasons why it's important to curb shadow IT in a VMware cloud (or, indeed, any cloud). But they all combine to make one big reason: cyber security.

Security, we all know, should never be an afterthought. In a cloud-first world, skimping on security is like having a door without a lock. You might as well invite hackers to sit in on your meetings.

It's not just that you might experience a data breach, however. It's also that you could feel the chill in both your reputation and your finances.

Data leaks are bad for business. They suggest a rudderless ship. Working with a company after a serious data breach is like hiring a removal van from a company that's just been done for joyriding.

So much for your reputation. There's also the financial penalties that come with GDPR and other regulatory frameworks. These aren't anything to be sniffed at.

Cyber security is so much more than just curbing shadow IT – but those unauthorised tools and resources need taming. Otherwise, you're building yourself a coffin and climbing inside to see how it fits.

The bottom line is that shadow resources haven't been vetted by IT. There's no way of knowing if they meet your company's security standards – heck, there's often no way of knowing that they're even there.

And in either case, there's no way for management to hold shadow users accountable. It's a digital Wild West that's growing right under your nose – a spreading but odourless haze.

The big risk is a data breach caused by a distended attack surface. But shadow IT can also create non-compliance with some software vendors and even inter-departmental friction

What can you do about it?

Perhaps the most useful thing that a company can do to curb shadow IT – and bolster cyber security in general – is to create a "cloud-first culture".

This means that employees are kept up to speed with the technological side of things. There's not much use in you muttering behind closed doors about the dangers of shadow IT if your staff have no idea that it's an issue.

Do you have a first port of call for all things cloud? Do you have webinars and knowledge-sharing sessions to promote cloud awareness? If the answer is "no", you might find yourself regretting it down the line.

Related to this is the importance of opening up lines of communication between IT and employees. This is a two-way street. Employees need to know how to raise concerns and IT needs to respond to them in a timely fashion. The alternative is for disgruntled employees to go rogue and set up shop in the shadows.

Finally, you can deploy software to continuously monitor the network, ensuring visibility and control of all devices, tools, resources, applications and systems.

If you're using a VMware Cloud, CASB is the answer.

How can VMware's CASB help?

CASB (cloud access security broker) is a key part of VMware's Cloud Web Security and SASE portfolio. It offers complete visibility into all SaaS applications – and enables IT to have complete control over user access.

This puts you in the position to curb shadow IT without slowing down productivity. In fact, it shortens IT's to-do list and makes it easier than ever to enforce security policies.

CASB is kind of like a traffic cop. It checks all the traffic flowing between an enterprise and its cloud providers. Whether on-prem or in the cloud, the CASB has hawkish eyes and an even more hawkish grip on rogue traffic.

This could be the difference between a leak of confidential data and a watertight network.

How does it work?

VMware's CASB gives you full visibility into all the SaaS applications in your network – and allocates a "risk score" to each one. IT is then able to accurately monitor the risk levels and fine-tune access permissions and activity controls.

Let's say that one app is low-risk. You can set it so that users can log in, upload and download files without putting security at risk.

But another app is high-risk. For this one, you can configure things so that users can upload files but not download them.

All in all, this visibility is good for everyone – senior management, employees and IT. It streamlines asset management, cybersecurity risk management, security log management and compliance.

Conclusion

Shadow IT isn't going anywhere. We live in an age of increasingly complicated networks, brimful of devices, apps and users. There will always be network activity that's difficult to detect and hard to curb.

However, you can take steps to bring it under control – whether that's a case of improving your employees' knowledge or deploying VMware's CASB.

Are you looking for a VMware consulting service ? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we're VMware experts and have helped over 400 enterprises migrate to the cloud. Get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation.

Why Ireland is the perfect place to harness cloud computing tech

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 09:00:00 GMT

Ireland is one of the world's most advanced digital economies – so it's no wonder that it's a great place to harness cloud technology. Find out more.

Over the last few years, cloud computing has gone from a relatively niche concern to an essential part of our daily lives. Whether it's cloud-based streaming services like Spotify and Netflix or critical software for daily business operations, the cloud is here to stay.

The transformation was already underway when lockdown measures sent it into overdrive. Many enterprises chose to turn the necessity of remote working into a hybrid form that's flexible, cost-effective and, some would argue, good for staff morale and well-being.

The change has been global – so it will come as no surprise that Ireland is a country with its head in the cloud. But what you may not realise is that it's the perfect place to harness cloud computing tech – whether as an SME getting ready to migrate or as a cloud consultancy firm making it happen.

The figures speak for themselves. The public cloud market is expected to grow by 97.78% over the next few years. In monetary terms, that's $2.4 billion.

In this article, we take a look at how cloud solutions have evolved in Ireland and why it's an ideal location to harness cloud computing.

Progress so far

According to the European Commission's DESI Index, Ireland was the fifth most advanced digital economy in 2021 and 2022. It's no surprise that Dublin is an epicentre of colocation for businesses across Europe.

Global cloud players have seen the potential and got involved, with AWS opening a Direct Connection location in Dublin and Huawei set to create up to 200 jobs.

This reflects the mood of businesses across the country. An EY Tech Horizon report revealed that half of respondents in Ireland saw cloud technology to be the "number one driver of added value for their businesses".

The same study found that a fifth of respondents had achieved their digital transformation objectives. In this respect, Ireland is beating the global average.

So what next for Ireland and the cloud? The answer seems to be "more and better".

The next frontier: Harnessing Digital

In 2022, the Irish government launched a digital strategy called " Harnessing Digital – The Digital Ireland Framework".

This strategy emphasised four things: the digital transformation of business, digital skills development, the digitalisation of public services and investment in digital infrastructure. More particularly, it focused on a range of industries including construction, agriculture, financial services, healthcare, transportation and manufacturing.

Part of the government's stated intention is to bridge digital gaps – between small and larger businesses as well as between rural and urban areas.

When it comes to SMEs, for instance, the government will provide financial assistance, with the aim of getting 90% of SMEs in the cloud by 2030.

The digital divide between urban and rural areas is an issue across the world. The European Network for Rural Development , for instance, has warned of a "double digital divide":

"On the supply side, [rural areas] are still lagging behind in terms of the provision of Next generation access (NGA) infrastructure – so closing this gap has to be a continued investment priority.

"On the demand side, many rural areas lack the basic skills and knowledge of the potential of digital technology so that even if the 'digital highways' are in place, they may remain under-exploited in terms of service provision, business use or customer take up."

The Irish government's report seeks to address this by implementing nationwide connectivity. They aim to cover all Irish households and businesses with the Gigabit network by 2028 – and introduce 5G coverage to the whole country by 2030.

They've also shared a target for digital skills development, with 80% of adults to have basic digital skills by 2030. This is to help implement the digitalisation of public sector services.

If all goes to plan, this programme of change could reap big economic rewards. One report claims that just ten percent more cloud adoption in the public sector could unlock €473 million a year.

What challenges are there?

The challenges facing cloud adoption in Ireland will be familiar to tech leaders and management teams across the world. Any rapid change in the way we work necessitates a dramatic learning curve – and often teams struggle to bridge this skills gap.

Businesses need cloud-literate workforces to help navigate the changes in motion. Existing IT departments need to be augmented, retrained or even replaced. This is perhaps why over half of the respondents in the survey we mentioned cited "job retention" as a challenge of digital transformation.

As so often in the world of enterprise, this is tied up with the question of leadership. Eoin O'Reilly, head of data and analytics at EY Ireland, puts it like this:

"Given data is central to digital transformation plans in meeting changing customer demands and reducing costs, leadership from the top down [needs] to back data initiatives.

"Organisations seeking to reap the rewards of data centricity must develop a vision and strategy that aligns with the [business's] overall strategic goals and which everyone in the organisation from the board and C-suite down can buy into. Being a data-led organisation that embraces digital transformation may also help attract and retain existing talent which we know is so important."

Finally, there are security and privacy concerns that can become a roadblock to change. Robust cyber security is needed to keep people and data safe – and to ensure that the newly cloud-based organisation is compliant with data protection rules and regulations.

About us

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we work with people all across the world – but we have deep roots here in Ireland. It's an exciting place to be when it comes to cloud technology and we can't wait to see what the future holds.

Are you looking for a managed cloud migration service ? Feel free to get in touch for a no-obligation consultation.

How to set up a hyperscale data centre

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 09:00:00 GMT

Want to build your own data centre? It's a big project with lots of moving parts. Join us as we explore the land, power and equipment you would need.

Data centres are the backbone of the internet. Without them, our cloud-based way of working would simply not be possible. They're as essential to business life in the 2020s as typewriters were in the early 20th century.

The difference is that data centres are big. To operate successfully and keep the digital world turning, they need space, equipment and lots of money behind them.

Hyperscale facilities are our century's equivalent of farms, silos and sewage facilities. They take up a lot of room. From above, they look like miniature cities. Up close, you see that they're built out of row upon row of servers.

As well as taking up space, they guzzle power like nobody's business – so much so that the carbon footprint of data centres is one of the main criticisms levelled against them and one of the main areas that providers are looking to improve.

The servers need to be powered, of course – but many also require a large-scale cooling apparatus to stop them from overheating.

At this point, you might have realised that "How to set up a hyperscale data centre" is a little tongue-in-cheek. An actual tutorial would be as complex as "How to set up a nuclear power plant" or "Hydroelectric dams for beginners".

But let's say you were going to put aside a bank holiday weekend to investigate setting up your own data centre. What would you have to take into account?

1. The essentials

The essentials are space, power, cooling, security and management.

Obviously, you'll need ample space for your servers and other infrastructure. It will need to be somewhere secure, accessible and affordable.

Then you need power. A mains supply isn't going to cut it. You need enough juice to keep your infrastructure running – and it needs to be constant. A dodgy connection means disruption and disruption means downtime.

Your servers are going to get hot, fast, so you need to invest in a cooling apparatus. This could be an HVAC system or something less conventional.

You need to make sure that the site is as secure as any other business premises. That means electronic badge access and CCTV monitoring as a bare minimum.

A more nuanced security posture could include tiered (physical) access permissions for specific pieces of equipment. It could involve escorts for visitors or permanent on-site security personnel.

Whatever the details, it's essential that your data centre is your castle with a protective moat around it.

Finally, you need your data centre to be overseen and maintained when necessary. Many data centres achieve this via a building management system (BMS), which provides real-time measurements of temperature, humidity, power, cooling and employee access.

2. Getting the gear

Your next consideration is the equipment that makes up your data centre. Here's a basic shopping list:

Servers
Storage subsystems
Switches, routers and firewalls
Miles of cables
Server racks
Backup power in case of an outage
A data centre infrastructure management (DCIM) platform

Once you've got all this gear together, it's time for assembly. But you need to make sure that you proceed in line with industry standards.

Industry standards

In the age of compliance, your hyperscale data centre must be in line with industry standards. These are the big four:

ANSI/TIA 942-B: this is the Telecommunications Industry Association's standard for data centre infrastructure. It covers network architecture, electrical design, mechanical systems, system redundancy, fire safety, physical security and efficiency.
ASHRAE: these guidelines aren't specific to data centres but cover the design, installation and testing of AC and refrigeration technology.
EN 50600 series : this is the European standard for data centres. It "offers a holistic approach to [their] planning, construction and operation".
Uptime Institute Tier Standard: this is the global standard for data centre availability (uptime) and performance.

There are other relevant regulations covering, for instance, payment card security and data handling. But these are the four biggies that you need to check out before putting spades in the ground.

What scale are you working on?

"Scalability" is a word that gets bandied around a lot in the cloud world. Heck, it's one of the biggest selling points of cloud technologies. Compared to an on-prem data centre, colocation facilities allow you to scale up and down as easily as you'd amend your Netflix subscription.

However, the same can't be said for data centres themselves. This is physical hardware – and physical hardware is notoriously tricky to rightsize.

This is partly because rightsizing is constantly in flux as cloud solutions continue to proliferate. The capacity you need nowmay not be the capacity you'll need in a year.

This puts you in a bind. Do you go small and risk running out of capacity? Or do you go big and pay for unused space on the assumption that you'll need it someday?

Rightsizing isn't simply about the amount of land used. It also covers lighting, cooling and even the sturdiness of the floor. After all, the more servers you've got, the more weight the floor will need to take.

Cybersecurity

It's not just physical access that needs to be policed. Data centres are vulnerable to cyber attacks – that means malware and viruses, DDoS attacks, intrusion detection systems (IDS) and others.

That's why it's imperative to invest in a robust security solution. The alternative is for your system to be compromised, data to be lost and downtime to be endured.

Final thoughts

Data centres are crucial to the smooth running of businesses across the world. Like other types of power infrastructure, they're extremely complex and require space, equipment and considerable power. That's why so many businesses choose to rent servers in hyperscale facilities rather than manage or build their own.

Ascend is a cloud computing consultancy staffed by some of the world's leading VMware experts. For more industry news and guides, follow our blog .

Beyond migration: estimating total cost of ownership for the cloud

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 08:48:00 GMT

Total cost of ownership (TCO) is often overlooked when people migrate to the cloud. Discover why this is a risky move – and how to calculate it correctly.

One of the biggest selling points of cloud computing is that it lowers your overheads and unlocks savings. By eliminating the need to install, maintain, update and replace hardware, it can dramatically reduce your operating expenses.

What's more, most public cloud services work on a subscription basis with a predictable monthly fee – so you know what you're paying, right?

Well, we're sorry to be the bearer of bad news. While it's 100% true that cloud migration can save you money in the long run, the overall cost isn't as transparent as it might seem. Too often, management looks at the bill a month or two after migration and turns the air blue.

This is a phenomenon common enough to have its own name – cloud shock. And while there are all sorts of reasons for it, there's one recurring factor: total cost of ownership (TCO).

TCO, as the name suggests, is the overall cost of the cloud solution – and all too often, companies miscalculate it. That's why we've put together this handy guide to estimating TCO for the cloud.

What is TCO?

TCO refers to the total cost of ownership of equipment and cloud services across their life cycles. A cloud solution will naturally have a different TCO from an on-premise solution, a hybrid solution yet another.

Lots of businesses use a TCO calculator. There are plenty available online, some from major cloud providers. But like any tool, a calculator is only as good as the figures you punch into it. And IT doesn't always factor in all the necessary numbers.

It's a bit like going on a city break. You get yourself a good deal on accommodation and budget accordingly. Then you arrive and realise you're going to have to take the bus every day to get into the city centre – and the kitchen isn't up to snuff so you'll have to eat out most nights.

All of this is a pain in the neck – but at least it only lasts as long as your holiday. With cloud migration, you can lumber yourself with an infrastructure that's far more expensive than you realised.

This is the main reason why it's so important to calculate TCO correctly. The alternative is to watch your budget circling slowly down the drain.

What do you need to include in a TCO calculation?

Here's where people go wrong. They open up a TCO calculator online. They punch in hardware costs, software costs and life cycles. They jot down the resulting figure and take it to management.

If you want to make an accurate TCO calculation, you're going to need a lot more information. Like your holiday with its bus fares, tips and unexpected entrance fees, TCO covers all sorts of things that aren't immediately obvious. Here's a by no means exhaustive list:

Labour costs: how much are you spending on on-site staff and external maintenance?
Consultation costs: are you getting outside help with migration? If so, it needs to go on the ledger.
Power costs: hardware and software don't run themselves. While a cloud solution will be less power-hungry than its on-prem equivalent, you still need to include it in your TCO.
Licensing and subscription costs: most cloud providers work on a pay-as-you-go subscription basis. This monthly expense should be part of your calculations.
Scaling: are you planning on scaling up in the future? It's going to cost you – get it on the list.
Bandwidth requirements.
Method of migration: there's more than one way to peel a banana. Lift-and-shift migration will have a different price tag to refactoring, to take two common examples. Make sure you know what method you or your cloud consultant is using so you can accurately calculate the cost.

All of these are pieces of the puzzle that lead you to an overall TCO. Just calculating hardware, software and life cycle costs will give you an inaccurate picture, meaning you can't plan accordingly.

On-premise vs IaaS cloud solutions: comparing TCOs

As we mentioned, the TCO of an on-premise server will be different from an infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) cloud solution – and simply looking at the costs that have to be factored in gives some sense of the cost savings.

To keep an on-premise solution up and running, you need to pay for hardware maintenance, server refreshes, power, cooling, rack space and IT support for backups.

An IaaS cloud solution, by contrast, requires a monthly subscription fee, the cost of migration, software licensing and (reduced) power and labour costs. All in all, it's significantly cheaper than an on-premise solution. It's easy to see why it's an attractive prospect for many enterprises.

Of course, if your business handles unusually sensitive data, you might want to invest in a hybrid solution – maintaining your on-prem server or a private cloud while exploring public cloud options.

Either way, your TCO will be reduced. But it's essential that you calculate it correctly so you don't end up with a bill that makes you wince.

How we can help

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we provide managed cloud migration services . We specialise in "lift-and-shift" migration because we believe it's best to move now and optimise later.

We work with companies to plan their migration, following a five-point programme that makes sure everything is aligned with their commitments, deadlines and long-term business goals. This can involve estimating TCO – looking at your current situation and coming up with an accurate figure.

So if you want to reap the rewards of cloud technology without any nasty financial shocks, make sure you figure out the TCO properly. And if you find yourself needing any help, just let us know – we'd be happy to talk through your options in a no-obligation consultation.

Why do (most) servers run Linux?

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 09:00:00 GMT

Most physical and virtual servers run the free, open-source operating system Linux. But why? Learn all about it in our accessible guide.

If you work for a company, chances are that at least some of your operations take place on the cloud. Those operations are running on servers. Some are physical and some are virtual – but a large majority of both kinds runs on the Linux operating system. Why?

The tech-savvy among you will be well aware of what Linux is – but for the casual reader, let's get a working definition before answering the question: what is it about Linux that makes it so good for servers?

Linux may sound like a knock-off deodorant, but in fact it's a free, open-source operating system that's a popular alternative to Microsoft and Apple.

Its "open-source" nature is the key to a lot of its uses. Users can modify it with ease and customise the OS to meet specific needs. That's partly why it's used in everything from smartphones to thermostats, from fridges to TVs – all the way to fiendishly complex systems like the Stock Exchange.

Linux, then, is the OS that underpins our new, cloud-based working lives. But why? Here are nine reasons.

1. It's flexible

Microsoft and Apple aren't easy to tweak, still less to customise in detail. But because Linux is open-source, developers can access and modify code to meet their specific requirements.

This isn't a byproduct of Linux's infrastructure – it's an integral part of the way it works. If you want to tweak settings, make changes to the kernel or create custom scripts, Linux is the way to go.

2. It's versatile

Linux users have a world of free apps, tools and features to choose from. That's partly why it gets used in so many diverse contexts.

In the case of servers, its versatility means you don't need to fork out for commercial, proprietary software. You're not locked into a vendor's in-house products and protocols.

3. It's built for networking

Back in the 60s and 70s, universities and other tech-savvy institutions ran multi-user operating systems on their mainframes. These allowed different users to log in and use a chunk of the mainframe's computing power for their own programs.

Linux is a direct descendent of these ancient operating systems – and this means networking is in its blood. Users, permissions and other networking mainstays are woven into the fabric of the OS.

4. It's secure

Linux distributions tend to offer good security, right out of the box.

This is, again, partly thanks to the operating system's multi-user heritage. Linux is governed by permissions. Every operation requires permission – and the OS automatically assigns low-level user permissions to keep meddling hands out of system tasks.

There's another reason for its strong security posture. Because it's open-source, any user can find, report or fix a vulnerability. You don't have to sit around waiting for the vendor to read your error report and sort it out.

Linux is to proprietary operating systems what Wikipedia is to Encyclopaedia Brittanica. If you want to make an edit, it's easy to do so – and there's a community of users to ensure that the change you make is vetted and valuable.

This leads us to Linux's next advantage – its abundance of community support and resources.

5. Users aren't alone

There's a plethora of resources online for Linux users, centring on a large and active community of engineers and developers.

Whether you're just getting started or have a super-specialist question, there's likely to be someone out there who can help. They might grumble, but you'll get an answer eventually.

6. It's reliable

If a server is running a mission-critical task, reliability is of the essence. Bugs need to be caught and sorted as quickly as possible.

No operating system markets itself as unreliable, of course – but a not insignificant number of users have found that a Windows server will run for a long period before crashing without warning.

This isn't the case with Linux – and at a time when high uptime is now expected rather than desired, this makes it ideal for servers.

Downtime is bad for a business of any size but SMEs can be especially badly affected. Having a highly stable OS – that's stable even when running multiple processes – is good news all around.

Related to this is the question of upgrades and housekeeping. Linux users never turn on a device one day to find that they have to sit through hours of updates. Linux stays up and running even when internal housekeeping is in progress.

7. It's cost-effective

There's no such thing as a free lunch – but weirdly, there issuch thing as a free operating system. Whereas Windows users need to shell out for licenses, Linux users get it for free. Even an "enterprise version" has a lower TCO than its proprietary counterpart.

One of the cloud's biggest selling points is that it cuts costs in the long run – so it makes sense for servers to be cost-efficient too.

8. It's scalable

Linux is what you make it. If you want a simple shell interface for blazing-fast bare-metal performance, you can make it happen. If you want a graphical user interface with all the bells and whistles, there are hundreds of distributions available that will give you just that.

This is why Linux runs on everything from calculators, to cars, to souped-up laptops. It can scale to suit different needs and its leading-edge networking features make it robust and reliable, even in vast enterprise deployments.

However you use it, you can expect high availability and uptime – something of a must in today's always-on culture.

9. It's compatible

Linux can be deployed in pretty much any environment and it works in tandem with boatloads of hardware and software, as well as plenty of programming languages. This makes it an ideal solution for server use.

Conclusion

Servers are the engines that keep the cloud whirring away – and which make possible all its innovations, from video conferencing to extended reality.

Linux is an operating system which keeps many of these servers running in a flexible, customisable, cost-effective, secure and scalable way. From thermostats to supercomputers, it's the open-source secret sauce that keeps the lights on – 24/7/365.

Are you looking for a cloud consultant to assist with a cloud migration project? Ascend Cloud Solutions is made up of ex-VMware cloud experts who have handled more than 400 enterprise migrations. Whatever your requirements, don't hesitate to get in touch and run them past us – we'd love to help you realise your vision.

VMware Private AI: the safe route to an AI-driven future?

Fri, 24 Nov 2023 07:54:00 GMT

Artificial intelligence is the future of enterprise computing but it brings with it a range of legal questions. Learn how VMware Private AI could be the solution.

These days, the cloud world is abuzz with three hot topics: computing at the edge, multi-cloud environments and artificial intelligence (AI).

AI has gone from being the stuff of sci-fi to deployable software to a household name in what feels like the blink of an eyelid. Generative language models like ChatGTP are capturing the conversation with the advantages and risks they bring.

In the world of enterprise, generative AI has huge appeal. It promises to bring accuracy and cost efficiencies to a huge array of activities, as well as actionable insights into customer behaviour.

The most commonly voiced concern is that it's another wave of automation taking away human jobs – but even if you're fully behind the AI revolution, there's another problem. How can you deploy AI without creating legal issues for yourself and others?

One answer to this question is VMware Private AI. But before we take a look at this new offering from virtualisation veterans VMware, let's quickly recap the sometimes uneasy relationship between AI and the law.

AI and the law

There are three main legal problems posed by AI in its current incarnations – and as AI develops, so too will the legal challenges.

First, there's the question of intellectual property and copyright concerns. Say you use AI to help write marketing copy. In the process, it incorporates a chunk of copyright-protected text.

No one wants their blurb to incite a legal challenge – but in the age of AI, it could be out of your hands.

Second, there's the security of personal data. Any AI system handling personal data is at risk of causing data leaks and privacy breaches. These aren't only bad because they cause downtime and compromise customer trust – they can also lead to a fine under data protection regulations.

Third (and relatedly), AI runs the risk of violating contracts if it uses customer data.

Finally, it risks violating trust. Customers want to know if the chatbot they're talking to is human or not. Transparency is needed to avoid consumer law challenges.

Surely, you might think, the law has got a grip on all of this? Well, yes and no.

AI is evolving at such a clip that legal frameworks are lagging behind. This means companies can't realistically wait for 100% clarity before adopting AI models.

What's the answer? This is a question that corporate lawyers in every industry are grappling with – and which is stopping AI from being used at its full potential.

VMware has long been on the cutting edge – so it's no surprise that it's come up with a solution to this thorny issue in the form of Private AI.

This is an architectural approach that balances the business case for AI with practical questions relating to privacy and compliance. It does this by bringing compute capacity and AI models to where the data is – and keeps them all away from the public eye.

For this reason, it could be said that Private AI is paving the way for a secure AI-driven future.

What is Private AI?

Private AI was unveiled by VMware at the 2023 Explore event in Las Vegas – the first of several conferences where VMware experts and clients mingle and learn the latest.

Its big sell is this. Private AI enables businesses to create generative AI in their data centres without relying on the cloud. This makes the process private in a way that's hitherto not been possible.

Private AI brings those language learning models to where the data is being generated, processed and put to work.

In this way, VMware is seeking to strike a balance between innovation and security – one that has been crucial to the fourth industrial revolution from the cloud to the Internet of Things.

Given that AI is likely to become an integral part of the way enterprises work, it can't be the case that CEOs have to choose between innovation and security. Both need to be readily available and deployable. That's where Private AI comes in.

VMware has also announced a new partnership with Nvidia, which is a world leader in AI computing.

The fruit of their teamwork is the VMware Private AI Foundation with Nvidia, set to drop at the start of 2024. Where Private AI is all about bringing AI to private data centres, the collaboration with Nvidia is a set of AI tools that enables you to run models trained on your private data. These models can be deployed in a public cloud, private data centre or at the edge.

All of this serves a wider purpose – of protecting corporate data and intellectual property when using generative AI. This way, enterprises won't have to sacrifice security for the sake of innovation.

What are the underlying principles of Private AI?

According to VMware, there are three core principles underlying Private AI.

It's highly distributed. Disparate data locales can all be governed from a single central point.
It prioritises data privacy and control. An organisation's data can only be used to train commercial models with its consent.
It harnesses access controls and audit logs to ensure compliance.

Conclusion

Generative AI promises a lot – and many enterprises are hurrying to get on board, sold on the cost savings, generative text and actionable insights it can provide.

But while this is happening, legal teams across the world are biting their nails. The challenge is to find a way of utilising AI in an enterprise setting without putting data at risk and having to deal with legal challenges, regulatory fines or other compliance issues.

VMware's Private AI – and Private AI Foundation with Nvidia – is attempting to square this circle and remove the need for compromise. With Private AI, the question is no longer "AI or security?" but rather "When do we start?"

Based in Cork, Ascend provides expert cloud solutions in Ireland and worldwide. Are you looking for a cloud consultant? Contact Ascend today for a no-obligation consultation.

The five Rs of rationalisation

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 09:00:00 GMT

When you're migrating workloads to the cloud, you need to decide which of the five Rs to follow. Confused? Get the lowdown in our five-minute read.

What are "the five Rs of rationalisation"? Reading, writing, 'rithmetic and, erm, two other Rs? A philosophical treatise? Some sort of sequel to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

If you're drawing a blank, don't worry. They're never going to be an answer on Who Wants To Be a Millionaire. But in the world of cloud computing, they're a big deal.

Let's say you're migrating your workloads – the software and data that together keep your business running – from an on-premise data centre to a public or private cloud. You've read all about it and are convinced it's a more cost-effective way of running the joint.

You're now faced with a big decision. But it's a big decision that's made up of a thousand smaller ones. What's the best way to migrate each of your assets?

Still not with us? Have an analogy. You're moving house. Your living room is now just a dumping ground for piles of stuff. You circle them warily, trying to decide: take, chuck or recycle? Is that ladle coming with you or going to the charity shop? How about that broken tricycle?

The five Rs of rationalisation are the "take, chuck, recycle" of cloud migration. Each workload can be migrated in different ways – and someone's got to sift through these operational piles and figure out what's best.

It's hard work, and many businesses find that they need outside help – a cloud expert who can answer critical questions for a huge range of workloads. Questions like "Is it in use?", "Is it optimised?" and "Does it need to be?"

In a nutshell, this is the process that's known in the business as rationalisation. It's the approach recommended by cloud giant Microsoft if you're switching from an on-prem data centre to Microsoft Azure – but it applies to any public or private cloud provider.

So, what are the five Rs exactly – and why should you care?

What are the five Rs of rationalisation?

1. Rehost

This is the technical name for "lift-and-shift" migrations. This is our speciality at Ascend Cloud Solutions – we've completed more than 400 of the things.

With a lift-and-shift, you're moving workloads to your new cloud environment without any changes to the architecture. To go back to our moving home analogy, you're packing everythingup in boxes and taking them to your new place.

The big advantage here is that you can move now and optimise later. You're virtualising servers as they are – and as your staff know them. It's quicker and usually cheaper than the alternatives, so you can look forward to a rapid ROI.

2. Refactor

If you opt for PaaS solutions, you sometimes need to refactor apps so that they fit into the new cloud environment. It's a bit like when you download a piece of software – you need to know that it's compatible with your operating system. Refactoring ensures that apps work smoothly in their new environment.

3. Rearchitect

Some apps, however, are getting on a bit. They're often called "legacy apps". These are the vintage cars of the software world – often a pleasure to use, but a nightmare to repair. If the odometer goes, you're not getting a replacement in a hurry.

Legacy apps weren't built for the cloud, so they can be tricky to migrate. In this case, you might need to "rearchitect" an app.

Rearchitecting can also be necessary when you have an app that's compatible with the cloud but not "cloud-native". As time goes on, "cloud-native" software is becoming the norm – applications that are built in the cloud, for the cloud.

Migrating a non-cloud-native app can be like shoving a square peg into a round hole. Rearchitecting helps you smooth out the sides to make a snugger fit.

4. Rebuild

Let's say you have an application that's used daily by your teams but is no longer supported.

In some cases, it's simply too expensive to move to the new cloud environment. It can be a better idea, as Microsoft puts it, to "create a new code base to align with a cloud-native approach".

5. Replace

Finally, there's the most intuitive but also the most extreme option. This is where you abandon a workload and, instead, use a SaaS application.

What are the challenges of rationalisation?

Rationalisation is time-consuming and requires an in-depth understanding of apps old and new.

We're not making any assumptions about your IT team. It may be that they're well-equipped and trained to get you ready for a cloud migration. But if not, it's no surprise. Relatively speaking, these solutions are still in their infancy – and as well as being new, they're super-complicated.

One option is to train existing staff in the ways of the cloud. But this will necessarily delay the migration itself. You may find that the best solution is to work with a cloud migration partner.

Your software and data are an integral part of every aspect of your business. They influence everything from policy to research and development. It's just not worth taking a shortcut and giving the job to a team – whether internal or external – that's simply not up to scratch.

What are the advantages of lift-and-shift?

At Ascend, we specialise in lift-and-shift migrations because we know that for most customers the priority is getting to the cloud. Rearchitecting, refactoring and so on have their advantages – but they soak up a lot of time and energy.

Lift-and-shift keeps disruption to a minimum – as well as the price tag. It's fast, inexpensive and unobtrusive. You benefit from the security and scalability of today's cloud solutions without the faff of refactoring.

So if your priority is to make the move quickly, cheaply and without disruption, we recommend lift-and-shift. You can always optimise apps for cloud performance at your leisure once the main mission has been accomplished.

Ascend Cloud Solutions is a trusted team of VMware and cloud computing experts . We've handled more than 400 cloud migrations – and counting. Need help migrating to the cloud? Speak to one of our specialists today.

What ROI can you expect from cloud migration?

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 09:00:00 GMT

Before you green-light a cloud migration project, it's important to feel confident that it will deliver a good ROI. Find out how to plan for success in our article.

These days, cloud migration is so ubiquitous that some people no longer make a case for it. Surely the benefits are obvious to all? Extolling the cloud, it seems, would be like making the case for cups and saucers.

However, there's one area where the argument still needs to be made succinctly, and that's ROI.

Whether you're the person pitching a cloud migration project or the manager being pitched to, you need to be confident that you're going to get a decent return.

It makes sense to want to be sure of this before flicking the light from red to green. While the benefits are increasingly taken for granted, there's no denying that the upfront costs can be high and that you'll experience some unavoidable disruption.

Sure, a cloud migration project will mean you're no longer pouring money into resource-heavy tasks like hardware refreshes, data centre upgrades and infrastructure maintenance. But how does that balance against the initial outlay? Can you be sure you're getting your money's worth?

We believe the answer is yes – especially if you work alongside an experienced cloud consultant who can draw up a migration plan with your specific business goals and needs in mind.

But before we take a closer look at cloud migration, let's quickly recap what ROI is and how it works in practice.

What is ROI and how does it work?

Return on investment (ROI) is a term that describes how much profit could be or has been generated from an investment.

We say "could be or has been" because there are two types of ROI – anticipated ROI and actual ROI.

Anticipated ROI is like a weather forecast. It's evidence-based and usually reliable but never a guarantee. It's calculated before the project is green-lighted and forms part of the project pitch. It seeks to answer one simple but essential question: is it worth pursuing from a financial point of view?

Actual ROI is, as the name suggests, the ROI that you end up with. It's not always going to match precisely the sum you anticipated. Profits can be knocked off course by a wide range of factors, not all of which can be predicted and prepared for. Even so, you can take steps to ensure that your prediction isn't wildly off.

Labour markets change size and shape. New regulations are introduced. Supply chains get disrupted. Your ROI can fall victim to these vicissitudes. That's why your anticipated ROI is never a single line on a graph. It's a calculation that takes into account different eventualities.

It's not rocket science – but it does take time and attention to increase the likelihood of a positive ROI. It's not for nothing that many enterprises choose to partner with a cloud consultant to give them a leg-up.

How do you measure ROI when migrating to the cloud?

There are various costs to factor in when anticipating your ROI and pitching a project to management.

First, there's initial investment. Your company may be cloud-ready – but is your IT team? Do you need to hire new talent or train existing staff? Do your staff need support adjusting to the new cloud-based environment?

Second, there's the implementation cost. This covers the basic costs of migration and modernisation along with hardware costs, rightsizing and licensing.

Finally, there's the option to seek external help to maximise your chances of success. This is another kind of investment. Outsourcing is recruitment's flip side – what they have in common is the intention to spend money to make more in the long run.

An experienced cloud consultant can help you tot up all these figures and establish what kind of ROI you can expect. They can make suggestions for the type, scale and tempo of the migration in line with your budget, goals and resources – and to avoid overspending and "cloud shock".

How does cloud migration guarantee a good ROI?

Each cloud migration is different because each company has different staff, workloads, budgets and deadlines to work around. However, there are some ways in which cloud-based solutions clearly deliver a healthy ROI.

Take cloud-based email services. Remember the days when you had a mail server sitting in a corner of the office? Do you remember what had to happen when the thing broke down or your inbox ran out of space? You had to get a Microsoft Exchange specialist in to get things back up and running.

Clearly, outsourcing your mailboxes to Google, Microsoft or another provider is going to save you money and contribute to a positive ROI.

Or how about video conferencing software like Teams? It makes it so much easier to hold conference calls, presentations and other meetings.

Any initial cloud migration pitch should include these quick wins – not only because of their benefits but also because they exemplify the broad appeal of the cloud.

Things to watch out for

We've written elsewhere about "cloud shock" – the all-too-common sight of your manager's jaw hitting the floor as they see what they've spent on cloud migration.

This pretty much only ever happens because of poor planning, insufficient knowledge of existing infrastructure and hurried decision-making.

These can, of course, be avoided by anyone who has the time, energy and resources. But many find that the best way to sidestep these pitfalls is by handing the reins over to an experienced, knowledgeable cloud consultant.

They have the expertise to thoroughly audit your existing solutions and propose a migration process that works for you. They can identify dead wood that can be thrown out before the move. And they can create a schedule that guarantees the bare minimum of downtime.

The result is a move to the cloud that pays back your investment with profits on top.

Getting a good ROI on your cloud migration doesn't have to be a mystery. Work with Ascend Cloud Solutions to ensure that you make back what you spend and then some. Get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation.

How many people does it take to handle a cloud migration?

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 09:00:00 GMT

If you're embarking on a cloud migration, you need the right personnel on your team. Discover which roles you need to fill to ensure a smooth process.

How many people does it take to handle a cloud migration? This isn't a variation on the old lightbulb joke – and it's no laughing matter. (The answer is "many" – it's a clouded field. We'll get our coats.)

The thing is that cloud migration is a bigger deal than simply dragging and dropping a huge folder of data into a new cloud environment. It's like moving house – you're going to need help sorting, decluttering, packing, loading and driving.

And like moving house, it's a lack of preparation that causes the most headaches. In the cloud world, a huge part of planning is about allocating roles. Who's in charge of what? Where does the buck stop? Who's got the vision and who's putting it into practice? Who needs skilling up?

Skip this stage and you might end up with a bad case of "cloud shock" – that sinking feeling you get when you realise you've miscalculated and overspent.

Part of the problem is that cloud migration is a one-off procedure that requires huge reservoirs of specialist skills. It's one of the paradoxes of modern life that as things become more flexible and accessible, the technology behind them becomes more and more elaborate.

A cloud solution should be easy to use – but it isn't half difficult to implement.

Hopefully, you already have your dream team on your payroll – and if there's a skills gap, you can recruit someone new or lay on some training for an existing staff member.

Broadly speaking, there are six main roles to fill. Take a look at the list and see if your team can provide them all. If not, you may want to consider getting a cloud consultant on board.

Whichever you choose, the priority should be a smooth migration that's been carefully planned and implemented. Cloud migration is all about unlocking new efficiencies – so if you can't do it smoothly, you need to try another tack.

1. Executive manager

At bottom, this is the executive who carries the responsibility for the migration's success or failure. The buck stops with them.

This crucial role could be filled by a CTO or CIO. The main thing is that they combine a track record of effective decision-making with knowledge of the cloud's benefits and challenges – and have time to spare.

It's the last two that can be hard to find. A promising candidate may have to take some additional training to ensure that the migration strategy is working in the company's best interests.

2. Programme manager

This person will build the team and keep it motivated. They're both cloud experts and skilled project managers.

In terms of seniority, the programme manager is a director-level role. Because of this, it's sometimes the case that several programme managers work together on directing a project.

3. Solution lead

The executive manager and programme manager need to understand the options available to them and what cloud migration can do for the enterprise. But they don't need to know the ins and outs of the technology itself.

This falls to the solution lead: the in-house cloud engineer who's in charge of planning and implementing the new cloud architecture.

As well as possessing deep knowledge of testing, infrastructure and implementation, the solution lead needs to be a strong team player – not least because they'll be working alongside the systems administrator and security and compliance officer.

4. Systems administrator

Moving from on-prem hardware to the cloud is a big undertaking. That's why you need a systems administrator who knows all about VMs, cloud networking, IaaS, PaaS and other specialist subjects.

There's always the option of training an existing member of IT – but you may find that the investment needed dwarfs the cost benefits. This is where an external cloud consultant can help make a positive difference.

5. Cloud security manager

This one is pretty self-explanatory. This person is in charge of access permissions and cyber security solutions – and as a manager, they need to communicate the enterprise's security posture to the rest of the team.

Crucially, they need to be up to date – someone who knows their ZTNA from their POLP. Like cloud technology itself, security is moving fast, so you need someone who's in the loop.

6. Compliance specialist

Number six is number five's number two. They work closely with the cloud security manager to ensure compliance with regulatory frameworks like GDPR.

This person is a quiet hero, taking steps to make sure that the cloud migration is in line with compliance – and by doing so avoid downtime, fines and reputational damage down the line.

Conclusion

So, you're going to migrate to the cloud. Here's the ideal situation: your team is already bursting with talent – and availability. You can allocate all these roles without additional training and without overstretching your staff.

Sadly, life doesn't always work like this. Getting the right personnel for the job is one of the biggest and most frequent challenges for enterprises as they embark on their cloud journey.

One solution is to get a cloud consultant on board who can take on all these roles. They can work with you to ensure that the migration works around your existing deadlines and commitments. They can reduce the risks of overrunning and overspending.

This means that your existing staff won't be spread thinly and can continue to play to their strengths.

Cloud migration isn't a walk in the park. It involves lots of moving parts as well as goodwill, patience and coordination. Keeping the process as smooth as possible is a must – and you might find that a cloud consultant is the person to get you there.

Are you looking for cloud migration or VMware consulting services ? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we've managed over 400 migrations and counting.

Get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation.

Data silos: why they suck (and how to avoid them)

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 09:00:00 GMT

Data silos are a problem for businesses of all shapes and sizes. Find out how to break them down and unlock new efficiencies in our handy 5-minute read.

It's a truism that businesses need "joined-up thinking" to thrive. Teams and departments need to communicate and share a clear sense of purpose and identity. The alternative is a wilderness of crossed signals and disappointing profit margins.

In the world of cloud technology, this need for joined-up thinking is reflected in the phenomenon of data silos – repositories of data that are controlled by single departments and kept separate from everyone else.

What's wrong, you might be wondering, with silos? They're just the thing you need if you want to store grain or missiles, so why not data?

The thing is that in a business environment, you want data that can be put to work. Silos do the basic job of keeping the data safe, sure – but they make collaboration harder and data-driven insights thinner on the ground.

Data silos are a bit like mildew. They tend to creep up on you when you're not looking – and before you know it, you're reaching for the rubber gloves with a frown.

The issue is this. As companies grow, departments tend to develop their own identities, priorities, goals and budgets. Before you know it, the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing.

That means the issue applies to companies of all shapes and sizes. While well-established enterprises need to break down these silos, SMEs and start-ups need to stop them from forming in the first place.

So how can you oversee a business that's delightfully silo-free? The answer, our friends, is in the cloud.

Why do data silos matter?

Data silos matter because data matters. We all know this – but many firms don't put their data to work as much as they could. Data isn't just about record-keeping, you know. It's about making evidence-based decisions that can generate more profits.

If data is locked away in different departments, it's not accessible. And if it's not accessible, you're not in a position to learn from it.

Data silos mean your data sets are incomplete – and what's the point of all that juicy data if it's not comprehensive? You'll just end up making half-baked decisions.

Data silos mean that your data is inconsistent. HR, say, has updated its data but finance doesn't get to see it – a recipe for miscommunication, poor data quality and integrity issues.

Data silos mean unnecessary duplicates. These are a drain on IT's purse. Siloed data is inefficient data.

Data silos mean sub-optimal collaboration between teams. You need everyone to be singing from the same hymn sheet – but it turns out that the hymn sheets have typos. This is inefficient as well as frustrating.

And last but not least, data silos mean compliance issues. Now more than ever this is something to be avoided like the plague as regulators crack down on poor compliance with not-to-be-sniffed-at fines.

In the banking sector, for instance, data silos are making compliance hard. Don't let the same thing happen to you. It's time to break down those silos and make the data work for you.

How do you break down data silos?

Data silos, then, lead to inconsistent data that's not as accessible as it should be. Eliminating them means you can use your data to make better decisions – and spend less money on IT.

Cloud migration is one way to break down data silos. If different departments are using different legacy software solutions, data integration will be a struggle. Old software simply isn't built for easy data sharing.

The cloud, by contrast, is built for accessibility and centralisation – everything in one place, with strict access permissions to ensure safety.

But a technological solution alone won't stop data silos from forming. You also need a proactive data management and governance policy – one whose mission is to nip inefficient data management in the bud.

This policy would answer fundamental but far-reaching questions like "Who has access to what?" and "Where is the data kept?"

Technology, then, needs to go hand in hand with policy – and both need to be put to work in a data-friendly work culture.

There's a reason that the phrase "silo mentality" exists. The siloing of data by department means that departments don't communicate and collaborate effectively. They tend to focus on theirproblems, not the problems of the company as a whole.

Unifying data can play a valuable part in joining up departmental thinking and giving collaboration a shot in the arm.

Working with a cloud consultant to break down data silos

If your company is still using legacy software to manage data, you might want to consider migrating to the cloud.

At its most basic, this means that your data is all in one place. You can implement thorough access permissions to keep it safe – but you know that teams are on the same page about everything from sales to payroll, from KPIs to recruitment.

Cloud migration has other benefits too. It's cost-effective – after all, you're outsourcing the maintenance of your software to a third-party provider.

And at a time when hybrid working is the new normal, cloud solutions are the best way to make sure everyone can get the data they need – whether they're on-site, at home or even on the train.

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we specialise in lift-and-shift migration. This is where we move everythingto the cloud – because we believe that this is the most efficient way to work.

Once your data is on the cloud, you have unparalleled access and control. You can hack, prune and empty out those silos to your heart's content. But the first port of call is getting there – and we can help.

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we've managed hundreds of lift-and-shift cloud migrations . Want a thorough, efficient service? Please don't hesitate to getin touch for a no-obligation consultation.

6 ways a VMware consultant can help your business

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 08:53:00 GMT

Are you embarking on a project that involves the VMware software stack? Join us as we run through 6 ways that a VMware consultant could help.

VMware has been the market leader in virtualisation software for a while now. But do you get the feeling that you could do with some outside help when configuring and managing its software suite?

We're casting no aspersions here. IT is an increasingly specialised sector – and one that's changing all the time. It can be hard to train staff at a speed that matches the cloud industry. On a bad day, it can feel like you've missed one lesson and are now sitting the exam in a whole other language.

Luckily, help is at hand in the form of VMware consultants. Full disclosure: that's our job. Ascend Cloud Solutions is made up of ex-VMware employees with a deep knowledge of the software suite and what it can do.

So why should you work with us? Take a look at these six reasons and see what you think.

1. Align your business goals with your cloud migration plan

It won't surprise you to discover that we're mad about the cloud and what it can do for your workloads, productivity and bottom line. But we're also not starry-eyed. We know that cloud migration projects can fail.

In this context, failure could be overspending. It could be a lack of staff engagement. It could be a poor ROI. But whatever the nature of the failure, what underlines all of these disappointments is usually one thing: a lack of alignment with the company's business goals.

New technologies should always serve your profit margin – so if they negatively impact it, you're in trouble.

Working with a cloud consultant can help you to establish two interrelated things. The first is what you need the cloud to do for you. The second is how to implement it.

Is lift-and-shift the right method for you? Do you need to migrate in waves? Are there deadlines to work around?

An internal team can answer these questions – but often a fresh pair of eyes can help. The result? A higher chance of success and a technological answer to your business problems.

2. Managed VMware cloud migration

Are you moving to a VMware-based cloud? Then you want someone on your side who knows the VMware SDDC (software-defined data centre) inside out and back to front. Someone who can choose vSphere as their Mastermind specialist subject and come up smiling.

This is the case whether you're migrating to a private, public or hybrid SDDC and whether you're going from an on-premise data centre or between clouds.

Your priority is success – and an experienced VMware consultant can help ensure it.

3. NSX-V to NSX-T migration

Do you use NSX-V for network virtualisation? You've probably noticed that technical support from VMware has been shuttered. Experiencing a glitch? You're on your own.

It's not the end of the world – but it is a headache for IT which, frankly, has better things to do.

That's why VMware recommends switching to NSX-T ASAP. Thankfully, this isn't just a slog – it's an upgrade.

NSX-T is more secure, more agile and built for our age of hybrid working, multi-cloud environments and containerisation. It boasts improved network automation and support for cloud-native apps. NSX-T is very now, shall we say.

Again, this is something that you can do on your own. But you might find yourself in the hot seat wanting to phone a friend – preferably one with exhaustive knowledge of NSX-T architecture.

Are you in that hot seat, starting to sweat beneath the studio lights? Then a VMware consultant could be the lifeline you need.

4. VMware cloud consultancy

Are you doing the groundwork for an out-of-the-box project involving VMware? Are you tearing your hair out because of a technical challenge? Have you hit a wall trying to use HCX, NSX or vSphere?

The temptation is always to invest in recruitment or lay on a spread of training. That's fine, as far as it goes – but if you're just trying to complete one project, you could end up cracking a nut with a sledgehammer.

In all of these situations, you might find yourself longing for someone to bounce ideas off. A tried, tested and – above all – trusted VMware consultant could be that person.

5. Reduce risk

Ah, risk – the eternal presence that slows down and even paralyses decision-making.

Cloud migration is a risk. Despite its manifold benefits, it could always go wrong and leave you sobbing into your invoice.

This is especially the case when you're trying to integrate new tech into old ways of working. Without the right plan, you could end up bashing a square peg into a round hole.

Having expert help from outside is a surefire way of reducing risk – not least because a VMware consultant will bring deep, granular knowledge to the table. They'll be able to lend a helping hand at both the planning and implementation stages.

6. Keep disruption to the bare minimum

Disruption isn't just a pain in the neck. It can also delay delivery, dent productivity and lead to strained relationships with clients.

There's no two ways about it: if your IT team is suddenly faced with a VMware-related problem, they're going to be stretched. But having a VMware expert at hand means that your internal team can focus on everything else that needs doing.

Moreover, a consultant can help you plan the migration or deployment so that it works around your deadlines and commitments. This is essential for keeping operations running smoothly as you make the big switch.

Conclusion

Whether you've got big ideas for a VMware project or are right in the midst of one, a consultant can help you align your project with your business goals – and, in the process, make the transition as smooth as possible.

Are you looking for support with the VMware SDDC, managed migration or NSX-T? Ascend Cloud Solutions is made up of cloud computing experts with a deep understanding of the VMware software suite. Get in touch today with your requirements for a no-obligation consultation.

Are bare metal clouds the future?

Fri, 03 Nov 2023 07:12:00 GMT

Bare metal servers are yesterday's news, right? In fact, they could be on the rise. Learn about how bare metal could be replacing virtual machines.

If you're a keen or even casual follower of the world of cloud, you might be of the opinion that the days of bare metal are behind us.

After all, large chunks of the cloud industry operate on the assumption that virtual machines (VMs) provide a scalability, manageability and cost-effectiveness that bare metal simply can't.

And anyway, isn't "bare metal cloud" an oxymoron or, at the very least, a dog's breakfast? Isn't the elevator pitch for the cloud that you don't needyour own physical servers anymore?

Confused? Don't be. We're here to lead you through this issue as clearly as we can – because as a company, we have no interest in blinding you with science. We want you to understand the issues so that you can make an informed choice.

So why, then, could bare metal be the future of cloud computing?

BM vs VM: what's at stake?

Before we go any further, it's worth recapping the difference between bare metal and virtual machines – just so we've got all our ducks in a rowbeforewe dig into the details.

A bare metal server is a physical server that's the sole preserve of one user. The OS is installed directly onto it without any hypervisor layer. This could be your own piece of kit or a server rented from a cloud provider.

When rented from a cloud provider, it's distinct from "on-premise" servers which, as the name suggests, are based on your business premises and which you – not the provider – maintain.

In either case, you have complete control over the server's infrastructure. You can choose your own OS and fine-tune hardware and software to meet precisely your workload demands.

Virtual machines, by contrast, are run on a physical server which you share with other tenants and which you access and manage from a virtualised console.

It's important to note that virtual servers aren't the onlyalternative to bare metal – there are also containers, platform-as-a-service and serverless computing. But the bare metal/virtual server distinction is the one most commonly made because of the prevalence of virtual servers.

Why, then, would a company go for bare metal over virtual machines?

1. Cybersecurity

This is, of course, one of the most important issues facing companies of all shapes and sizes. It's a question that feels age-old: how do you leverage the advantages of the cloud without putting your data at risk?

Cloud computing and cybercrime are like the police and the mob. As one improves its security methods, the other finds novel ways to get around it.

Bare metal servers can still be attacked – there's no such thing as a 100% secure cloud solution any more than there's a 100% secure house. But bare metal servers have a much smaller attack surface than virtual servers.

On top of this, a bare metal user isn't at risk of being compromised by fellow tenants. The server is yours, all yours.

2. Troubleshooting

The lack of a hypervisor layer doesn't just give cyber criminals one less thing to attack – it also means that troubleshooting can be expedited.

If something is glitching or dragging, a bare metal manager will usually be able to find it more quickly than a VM administrator.

3. Control

Running workloads on cloud-based VMs is like renting a car on the condition that you can't look under the bonnet – or like renting a house and not being able to bang a nail into the wall.

Colocation facilities don't belong to you – that's the point. But while the tenant/colocator relationship can make maintenance and repairs much easier to handle, it also restricts your visibility. With bare metal, you have full access to access logs, metrics and more.

Similarly, bare metal servers can be customised to meet your needs exactly. Want to take charge of CPU cores, RAM amounts or storage types? With bare metal, you can.

You could, of course, regain this control by moving your workloads back on-premise. But it's going to cost you. Migrating to a bare-metal cloud server will probably be more cost-effective than repatriation.

4. Raw power

Do you develop AI apps? Then you know how much processing power they require. Bare metal can give this to you more amply than VMs.

5. Cost

Whatever your cloud solution, you need to be on top of your sums. Both bare metal servers and VM machines provide different kinds of savings – so you need to figure out which is best for you.

Licensing multiple VMs can dwarf the running costs of bare metal. On the other hand, bare metal has high upfront costs. You need to weigh up the short-term and long-term costs before making a decision – something that a cloud consultant can help you to do.

6. Workload performance

Are you old enough to remember using a smartphone in the early noughties? Remember how different your expectations were about your device's performance and service availability?

Something similar has happened in the world of cloud. Nowadays, we expect exceptionally high uptime as a given – and every frozen cursor and system reboot is like nails running down a blackboard.

If there's one thing you can say about bare metal servers, it's that they deliver an extremely high level of workload performance. It's like having your own place versus living with friends or family – you're never going to open the virtual fridge door and find that your milk's been taken.

Is the future bare metal?

We don't have a crystal ball – but we're fairly confident that bare metal servers are on the rise and that they could be adopted more and more by enterprises and SMEs alike in the coming years.

No one cloud solution is a clear winner. Your job and ours is to figure out which works best for you. And if you need a high level of performance, customisation and security, the answer might be bare metal.

Do you need help navigating the cloud? Ascend is a trusted provider of managed cloud migration services and VMware consultancy. Get in touch today for an informal, no-obligation chat.

Representing the Irish cloud community at VMware Explore 2023

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 12:46:00 GMT

VMware Explore 2023 is going to Barcelona – and the Ascend Cloud Solutions team is going too. Find out what we're bringing to the table this November.

Autumn is upon us, and here at Ascend Cloud Solutions we're packing our bags for a trip to Barcelona. But we're not embarking on an out-of-season break – instead, we're heading to VMware Explore 2023 to rep for the Irish cloud community.

Explore is VMware's flagship event – a conference bringing together industry experts and clients to discuss and learn about "all things multi-cloud".

We'll be there from the 6th to the 9th of November, exchanging ideas with our industry peers and thinking through the challenges and opportunities the cloud will bring in the coming years.

Are you attending? Then come and find us. We'd love to pick your brains about the ever-changing world of cloud computing – and tell you in more detail about our service offerings.

What you need to know

VMware Explore is a four-day event for multi-cloud experts and VMware clients running from the 6th to the 9th of November 2023. In its own words, it "aims to facilitate new relationships, inspire learning, and provide hands-on training and access to thought leadership in the multi-cloud space."

For us, it's a key date in the calendar. Ascend grew out of VMware – from stints working there to our four years working to design, construct and support VMware-based cloud deployments for customers at home and abroad.

We're excited to join in the festival of ideas and deepen our knowledge of multi-cloud environments and infrastructure.

A bit more about us

If you don't know us already, we're a close-knit team based in Ireland with the skill set to deliver a wide range of cloud consultancy services – starting with the more than 400 successful migrations we've delivered.

We also deal with data centre evacuation and consolidation, virtual networking, cloud adoption and workload repatriation or de-platforming – and we bring our deep, niche knowledge to bear on our clients' unique business needs.

While we started here in Ireland, we now have three international offices to ensure 24/7 coverage and support – and we've partnered up with several global enterprise cloud providers. This allows us to design and optimise private clouds as well as offer enterprise-grade technical support across the world.

What's next for VMware and the cloud?

We've been watching the earliest stages of VMware Explore like hawks – and we're more than a bit excited about its focus on multi-cloud and edge computing, product lifecycle management and cloud-native app performance and management.

At a time when around 70% of CIOs are developing cloud-native apps and "multi-cloud" is increasingly just another word for cloud, we're familiar with this terrain and psyched to learn more about it from industry peers and clients alike.

So if you're at VMware Barcelona, come and say hi. We'd love to share ideas about the changing face of the cloud across the world. Just keep your eyes peeled for these three faces…

From left to right: Eoin, Ian, Michael

Are you making the most out of VMware vCenter?

Mon, 23 Oct 2023 08:00:00 GMT

Happy with VMware vCenter but unhappy with its performance? It might need a tune-up. Find out how a reputable cloud consultant can help.

VMware vCenter is some of the best virtualisation software around. It creates a workable network for your business by digitising physical servers – an online replica of your data centre that can be managed from the cloud.

vCenter is built for today's hybrid cloud environments. It consists of three core pieces: vSphere (which virtualises CPU and RAM), vSAN (storage) and NSX (network and security).

We're living at a time when virtualisation is now the norm – and when its business advantages are clear. Multi- and hybrid cloud environments help you to spread risk – after all, if you only have one cloud environment (or, sketchier still, one on-premise data centre) you're vulnerable to downtime.

vCenter helps you to manage these complex environments from a single pane of glass.

VMware's solution is powerful and versatile – but some customers report frustrations with its performance.

This matters. Performance drag adds up. Not only is it frustrating but it also soaks up valuable time. Virtualisation software is like the connecting cable that runs between physical servers and the cloud. If it's starting to fray, your business will suffer to some degree.

The thing is that the problem doesn't have much to do with the software itself. The issue is that steps aren't being taken to optimise the software and make the most out of it.

What are some issues that vCenter users experience?

Virtual machines are complicated and they use a lot of CPU and RAM. If you've got multiple VMs running at once, you could well run into issues with speed.

This is especially frustrating if it's your mission-critical apps that are taking their sweet time. Having to wait a second every time you click your mouse is like watching the finale of your favourite TV show with poor signal – the difference being that this latter experience won't negatively affect your profitability.

This issue with speed tends to stem from multiple factors that are located on different hosts. Troubleshooting has to be comprehensive – otherwise, you may fail to diagnose the issue. But to do this, you need to monitor your VMs continuously.

This is often not a cost-effective or practical solution – a key reason why many enterprises turn to external consultants for help.

A cloud consultancy firm with a proven track record of success will have the time, resources and expertise to monitor and manage your complex cloud environment and figure out what needs tweaking and where.

How can you optimise vCenter's performance?

There are several things you can do to optimise vCenter's performance – but you need to be sure that it's the right approach. Before you open the bonnet and start tinkering, you need to have given the car a thorough service.

That said, here are five steps that can help to improve vCenter's performance.

1. Don't scan VMs for viruses

This might sound counterintuitive – why on Earth wouldn't you check your VMs for viruses? The reason is that antivirus tools can't inspect VMs, so making them check anyway could cause performance drag.

2. Assign extra RAM to your VMs

VMs are resource-heavy and greedy for memory. If they're lagging, you might need to assign RAM through the VM's settings.

3. Pick the right disk

VMs default to dynamically allocated disks on launch. But you can choose to switch to fixed-size disks. Again, this might seem counterintuitive because fixed-size disks take up more space. But they also make it quicker and easier to add files to the hard disk and reduce fragmentation.

4. Defragment

Every IT technician knows the value of defragmenting physical drives – but what about VMs? If data is fragmented, the disk has to gather it together again from different physical drive areas, which can lead to lag. Defragment your host operating system disk to pep things up.

5. Add CPU

CPU is VM fuel. The more in the tank, the faster the performance. It may be that you need to assign more CPU to your VM to optimise its performance.

As we say, there's no guarantee that these are the right steps to take in your particular pickle – but hopefully, it will give you an idea of the kinds of issues that vCenter faces.

What else can you do?

Slow vCenter performance driving you up the wall? You've got choices.

It may be that you have a technician on your team who can deal with performance issues and optimise your vCenter.

If not, you're faced with a choice. You can either splash the cash on training – or you can get outside help from a reputable cloud consultant.

Getting a good cloud partner is like getting a good accountant or a good solicitor. It's about leveraging expertise without throwing money into a big ditch marked "training".

Moreover, a good partner will be attentive to where your business is right now and where it wants to go. It will work around your deadlines to make sure your productivity doesn't take a beating.

Troubleshooting won't take care of itself – so if you find yourself in a position where you want to stick with vCenter but can't bear the drag and lag, a cloud consultant could help.

About our vCenter optimisation service

To optimise your vCenter solution, you need expertise in several overlapping areas: networking, virtualisation, cloud computing and security.

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we have these skills on tap. We're proud partners of VMware and our consultants all have a background in VMware support and infrastructure.

We can help you to analyse your current virtual environments and figure out how performance can be improved. We're solution-oriented and ready to optimise – all within the budget that you provide. Our aim is to help you get your business where it wants to be.

Interested in a VMware consultancy project? Then please don't hesitate to get in touch for a chat.

Join us at The Entrepreneur Experience 2023

Fri, 20 Oct 2023 13:00:00 GMT

This October, the Ascend Cloud Solutions team is taking part in the Entrepreneur Experience 2023 in Ballymaloe, Co. Cork. Find out more in our article.

Mum, Dad, look – we're in the news!

Yes, we were pleased as punch to see our name up in lights over at business news site The Currency .

Why? Because on October 20th and 21st, we're taking a trip to Ballymaloe, Co. Cork, to take part in The Entrepreneur Experience 2023.

This is a conference for Irish entrepreneurs with a twist. It's not just a meet-and-greet for established businesses – instead, 24 start-ups and SMEs have been invited to come along, and we're delighted to be one of those lucky 24.

Previous participants in a whole host of sectors have gone on to collectively raise over €100 million. This year features attendees from health tech, education, pharmaceuticals, clothing and more. We're proud to be there flying the flag for cloud innovation.

What we hope to learn from the Experience

The two-day conference is a chance for us to soak up the experience in more ways than one. We can't wait to trade ideas and glean advice and mentoring from some of Ireland's most successful entrepreneurs.

We're an international firm with roots in Ireland – and we want to deepen our national presence. Our founder, Ian O'Connor, puts it like this:

"While most of our business currently operates internationally, we recognise the importance of establishing a stronger presence in our home country. This event provides an excellent opportunity to connect with like-minded industry professionals and potential local partners."

He goes on: "We're not just tech wizards; we're people who understand that business is more than just numbers. It's about creating a well-rounded strategy that's as robust as our cloud solutions."

That strategy is all about growing our business expertise so that we can make our technical know-how as marketable as possible.

We're hoping that our participation in the Entrepreneur Experience 2023 will help us to secure financing for future growth through networking with potential investors.

But it's not just investment we're after – it's also knowledge. We're looking forward to 48 hours of feedback gathering, concept refining and idea generating.

See you there?

We've got a vision for innovation in the cloud hosting space – and we're always on the lookout for investment opportunities.

The cloud is a dynamic and ever-growing industry that's transforming all manner of industries – including most of those represented at this year's event.

Want to find out more? Then make sure to catch up with us in Ballymaloe.

Can't make it but looking for a cloud migration partner or want to find out more about what we do? Then don't hesitate to get in touch today – we'd love to help you make your vision a reality.

The 2023 Entrepreneur Experience takes place on Friday and Saturday, October 20-21, 2023 in Ballymaloe, Co. Cork. It's led by CorkBIC and supported by Cork City Council, Cork County Council, Grant Thornton, William Fry LLP, Broadlake and The Currency.

The future of the VMware SDDC: where will it go next?

Fri, 20 Oct 2023 06:00:00 GMT

VMware has always been a company rooted in innovation. Where will it take its industry-leading SDDC stack next? Join us as we dust off our crystal ball.

2023 marks the 25th birthday of virtualisation and cloud computing firm VMware.

VMware is a quiet hero. Outside of the cloud world, you won't hear much about it – but its software-defined cloud solutions underpin a huge range of enterprises across the world.

Since its inception, VMware has had the same motto: "Deliver the trusted foundation to accelerate innovation."

Perhaps it's the simplicity of this mission statement that has helped it to stay at the top of its game for so long. The field of enterprise software is littered with casualties and drop-outs but VMware has outlived them all – even surviving Microsoft's attempt to undercut its vSphere solution.

It's an industry staple with a market value of around $12 billion – not least because all cloud providers have embraced it as a partner.

The first half of its mission statement is indisputable. VMware delivers the trusted foundation for enterprises working in healthcare, manufacturing, aerospace and many more industries.

And in terms of innovation, VMware has always been in the vanguard. It's moved with the times – from the early days of hypervisors to today's landscape of Kubernetes, containers and micro-segmentation. And it continues to look forward, exploring the new frontiers of quantum computing and generative AI.

So: what's next for VMware's software-defined data centre (SDDC)? To answer that question, we need to take a closer look at its current offerings.

What does VMware offer?

Part of the reason for VMware's runaway success is that it provides software that's vendor-agnostic and which can run on the majority of servers.

This software's primary aim is to virtualise data centres. The VMware SDDC is a bundle of software that virtualises different parts of those physical metal servers that enterprises rent from cloud providers.

It consists of three main building blocks: vSphere, vSAN and NSX. Each covers a different function of a physical data centre.

vSphere takes care of "compute", meaning CPU and RAM. vSAN looks after storage. And NSX is in charge of network and security. Together, they cover all the basic functionalities of a data centre.

Overseeing these three amigos is vCenter. This is the command centre where systems administrators automate, manage and troubleshoot. And the whole lot is presented as VCF – VMware Cloud Foundation.

When VMware started, single-cloud environments were the best you could hope for. Today, an enterprise with just one cloud is like a needle in a haystack. Multi-cloud infrastructure is the norm – and VMware has responded accordingly with its vRealize suite.

vRealize allows IT to manage multiple data centres from a single console. To take a real-world analogy, it's the difference between inviting your friends to a party one by one and setting up a group chat.

As cloud tech has advanced, so too has VMware. Its software is designed to work with Kubernetes clusters and container-as-a-service (CaaS) products in public, private and hybrid clouds.

We don't know exactly what the future holds for the SDDC. But we do know that VMware has innovation at its heart. As well as keeping abreast of the security and networking requirements of enterprises, VMware is also getting its teeth into the latest in tech – new technologies like quantum computing and generative AI.

VMware and innovation

VMware's Richard Munro characterises VMware like this: "The innovation process is basically built into the culture… It's in the fabric of everything we do as an organisation, and it starts with very simple things."

These simple things include empowering staff to critically probe the organisation's projects as they unfold: "Everyone's entitled to ask the question 'why'… Anyone from the business can ask those questions and has the agency to challenge the way we are thinking about things."

This critical mindset informs both VMware's research and its development – a mindset that is always asking, "What next?" and "How can we do this better?"

Quantum computing

Quantum computing is a rapidly growing field – but it's relatively new. That means that its security posture is still being smoothed out.

"Quantum-safety" is likely to be a term that gets used more and more over the coming years. VMware is ahead of the game, having already modified an existing app with crypto agility solutions to make it quantum-safe.

Generative AI

VMware has spotted an obvious but under-exposed truth about technology: it's often new platforms that lead to major advances. In recent years, PCs, the web and iPhones have all been a catalyst for innovation.

Generative AI language models like ChatGTP are now the talk of tech town – and VMware sees the potential for generative AI to be a platform for innovation.

We don't know the details yet – but it's clear that VMware is closely following AI to see how it can improve its software solutions.

NSX-T

NSX is the networking block in the SDDC stack – and it's recently had an upgrade.

NSX-T has replaced its predecessor, NSX-V – and it's a smoother, speedier and more agile solution.

Again, NSX-T shows how VMware is committed to innovating in response to the changing cloud landscape. Nowadays, you can safely assume that an enterprise's cloud environment will be a multi-cloud environment. Companies want the flexibility and security of multiple cloud solutions.

NSX-V wasn't incompatible with these. But if a company had multiple vCenters, each one had to have its own NSX manager. This quickly became an issue for IT technicians.

VMware saw the problem and responded with a new version of NSX that lets you manage multiple vCenters from a single pane of glass.

Oh, and it's also smoother, faster, more scalable and provides improved automation support. You can micro-segment until the cows come home and apply a full-stack firewall across all your workloads, no matter how complex your network.

Conclusion

VMware has innovation running through it like a stick of rock. Its SDDC is a road sign, not a weather vane – it leads the way in a changing cloudscape. Whatever happens next, we'll keep you posted…

Ascend Cloud Solutions is a global provider of cloud consultancy services and managed migrations. Our cloud computing experts know the VMware SDDC like few others on Earth. Need help making the most of your cloud? Don't hesitate to drop us a message .

Stateful or stateless VDIs: which is best for you?

Mon, 16 Oct 2023 08:00:00 GMT

Looking to make the move to a VDI but unsure whether to go for a stateful or stateless solution? Join us as we run through the pros and cons of each.

Are you moving to a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI)? Then you may find yourself at a fork in the road. There's a sign ahead of you: turn left for "stateful" or right for "stateless". Which turn do you take?

The difference is relatively easy to grasp – it's certainly not the most arcane aspect of present-day cloud technologies. With a stateful VDI, user information gets saved between sessions. With stateless, any changes made to the desktop are wiped clean.

The first VDIs were all stateful. Traditional PCs were shifted into data centres, creating one-to-one virtual machine (VM) copies. If a user customised the desktop, they could rest assured that the changes would persist, session after session.

In some contexts, this remains the most common form of VDIs. But it comes with a problem: it can be a nightmare to manage.

Stateless VDIs, by contrast, are born anew with every session. They're not unlike the virtual desktop equivalent of "incognito mode" on your browser: at the end of each session, the environment resets to its factory default.

With stateless VDI, engineers use something called a "golden image". This is the factory-default, off-the-hook virtual desktop. It includes the operating system and configuration settings. Rather than each user having a personalised desktop, stateless VDIs group or pool together VMs.

When you log in, a clone is "spun up" (as they say in the VDI world). This means that a VM gets pulled from the pool and assigned to a user. When the user is done, the VM is returned to the pool.

Before we look at the pros and cons of each, a word on terminology. Stateful and stateless VDIs are sometimes known as "persistent" and "non-persistent", respectively. For the purposes of this article, we'll just be using "stateful" and "stateless".

What are the advantages of stateful VDIs?

A key advantage of stateful VDIs is that they don't rock the boat. Your employees are used to stateful desktop environments.

Before businesses moved en masse to the cloud, desktops were local and tied to hardware. A staff member would log in each day, arrange their icons as they pleased and choose their own screensaver. Customisation is part of the comfort of using your own device.

And even today, when so much corporate data and software resides in the cloud, people are used to statefulness. Cookies, history, remembered passwords – all of these are possible because of stateful browsers.

This way of working is convenient. It means you don't have to keep re-entering passwords, addresses and payment details. It also allows for algorithmic recommendations, which are now such a familiar part of online shopping.

For this reason, a stateful VDI is familiar, even homely, to workers in all industries. Your teams are more likely to be on board with a stateful VDI than with its stateless equivalent.

The main downside relates to administration. Customised VMs require more storage capacity and more management. It's far more complex than working with just a single golden image, as is the case with stateless solutions.

What are the advantages of stateless VDIs?

There are two main things that stateless offers and stateful doesn't.

The first is that it's cheaper and easier to maintain. Because stateless VDIs are built from golden images, they're easier to provision. IT can quickly spin up a desktop for any user who needs one.

The second is that they're highly secure. Cyber security is, of course, high up on every business's agenda – not least because of GDPR and other regulatory frameworks which mean that data breaches can be punished with fines.

Most data breaches and denial-of-service attacks are possible only because of a stateful design. For a cyber criminal to succeed in wreaking havoc, they need a stable, persistent environment. To take an offline analogy, you can't case the joint if it keeps changing address.

So by wiping the slate clean after every session, you're ensuring that your desktop environments are super-secure. Devices are accessing storage only when in use – which is far more economical than all devices using it all the time. This slashes costs for shared storage.

What's better, stateful or stateless VDIs?

As with many things in the cloud world, it all depends on who you are and what you need it for.

Let's say you have full-time staff who need to access their desktop on the reg. This could apply to software developers, healthcare staff, engineers, architects, lawyers or students. For these types of workers, stateful is your safest bet.

But there are other contexts in which users need access to simple applications and not much else. They don't need to personalise their work environment or have a persistent user history. This applies to call centres, data entry and customer self-service.

In these use cases, stateless is best.

What is VMware Horizon?

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we're experts in VMware's suite of cloud-based virtualisation software. One of VMware's most exciting offerings is called Horizon. It allows technicians to administer stateless VDIs at lightning speed from a single console.

This has several advantages. First, you hand responsibility for infrastructure over to VMware.

Second, it provides a familiar and painless desktop UX, regardless of whether you're working from an on-premise server or a cloud environment.

On top of that, it's cheap, easy to maintain and highly secure – a far cry from the days when your IT technician would have to spend their working day helping individual users configure their devices.

The bottom line is that VMware Horizon provides your hybrid teams with secure, fast access to corporate data and software.

Each enterprise has its own requirements – and you may find that yours are best met by a stateful VDI. But if your priorities are simple provision and low costs, VMware Horizon could be the solution for you.

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we provide managed cloud migrations , cloud consultancy services and more. We're VMware experts with a proven track record of success. Interested in our services? Then get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation.

Deploying VMware SASE

Fri, 13 Oct 2023 08:00:00 GMT

VMware SASE is a networking and security solution that can change the way you do business for the better. Discover more in our handy 5-minute guide.

In the world of business, a lot has changed over the last few years. More and more software is being moved to the cloud and edge – in part as a response to the change in working habits.

Cross-border teams are now the norm for many enterprises. These scattered workforces need access to software wherever they are – and cloud solutions are providing the solution.

But firms don't just need their applications to be accessible anywhere. They also need to be satisfied that their networks are armoured against cybercrime – because the more complex a network, the more windows open for hackers to climb through.

VMware SASE (pronounced "sassy") is a groundbreaking solution in this area. It's "convergent", meaning that it combines cutting-edge wide-area networking with security and edge services.

These services are all managed in the cloud. Users, applications and resources can be added and removed from any device, in any location. Everything is managed from a single console or "pane of glass". And all of this is possible in a highly secure environment loaded with advanced threat protection features.

VMware SASE leverages over 150 PoPs (points of presence) dotted around the world. This means that a global service is delivered locally, with network traffic being routed to the nearest cloud or data centre.

The result? Fast access to apps with seriously high uptime. A service that gives users an intuitive UX and system admins a high level of visibility and control over a complex network.

On top of all this, it can be easily integrated into your existing solutions – so there's no need to tear down the walls before you put up your new wallpaper.

What are the main advantages of VMware SASE?

VMware SASE has four main benefits. Together, they make it an industry-leading solution.

1. Increase agility

If you're running an enterprise comprised of multinational teams, you need your network to be flexible. Software has to be available on a multitude of devices in a range of locations with no compromise to security. VMware SASE gives you this in spades.

2. Bolster your security

Even without the spectre of a fine, a data breach is going to spoil your day, week or month. VMware SASE helps you to ward them off by introducing a strict hierarchy of access, sealing up any chinks in your armour.

3. Save time and money

VMware SASE can save you up to 50% of the time you'd normally take managing network and security.

4. Improve your network's UX

Mission-critical software shouldn't be a drag to use. VMware SASE ensures a positive user experience regardless of where your software is being accessed from.

All of this is made possible by a single management console – the VMware Edge Cloud Orchestrator.

What is VMware Edge Cloud Orchestrator

VMware Edge Cloud Orchestrator is a web portal that allows you to manage monitoring, configuration, troubleshooting and the administration of all VMware SASE services. It's designed to protect against data loss and help keep your network traffic secure.

Once logged in, you can conduct the full orchestra of solutions – from Edge Network Intelligence to SD-WAN to edges; from secure access to cloud security services.

It's a far cry from the days of multiple point solutions, each with its own glitches and lifecycle. With VMware SASE, you can take charge of everything from a single pane of glass.

The platform is built for the cloud. It supports multi-tenant architecture and allows administrators to give different access controls to users based on their roles. Operators, for instance, have a different level of access from managed service partners and enterprise customer users.

How do you deploy it?

VMware SASE was designed to be rolled out quickly and easily with minimal disruption to your day-to-day operations. You can keep using your existing infrastructure as you deploy the new solution.

This allows you to migrate incrementally and integrate new users and applications at a pace that suits you. This schedule is something that a cloud partner can help you to plan.

There are four steps to deployment:

1. Plan

Before you implement SASE, you need to answer some important questions. You need, for instance, to identify your existing operational challenges and security risks.

2. Design

If you're interested in deploying SASE then you're currently overseeing a complex network. All your workloads need to be identified and inventoried. Apps need to be categorised according to their criticality and physical requirements. User types and authorisation levels need to be set and your security policy needs to be defined.

When all of this groundwork has been done, you're ready to start testing.

3. Test

Deploying SASE is a big deal. For all its benefits, it's going to involve a change to the way you work and a new learning curve to get on top of.

For this reason, it's best to test carefully and incrementally. Start off with a small proof-of-concept that covers a single data centre and gradually work up towards a full-scale test.

Testing is where you find out what challenges remain. It's essential to do this before you deploy rather than in flight. Trust us – in some ways, this is the most important step of all.

4. Implement

It's now time to roll out VMware SASE. Again, this consists of a few different stages:

Establish network connectivity.
Allocate user identities.
Apply your security policy.

Once all this is done, you're ready to roll – and unlock the cost savings and new efficiencies that VMware SASE provides.

Conclusion

VMware SASE is a great way to consolidate your network and security functions into a unified solution. While it can be accomplished in-house, you might find that you need external help.

A cloud consultant can make the difference between a botched job and a smooth deployment. Interested? Contact Ascend Cloud Solutions today and we can start talking.

SaaS vs hosted: which is best for your software?

Mon, 09 Oct 2023 08:00:00 GMT

Cloud-based software is the new normal – but there's more than one way to get there. Learn the difference between SaaS and hosted in our quick read.

The world of tech can sometimes get lost in a blizzard of jargon. The simplicity and beauty of the solutions on offer become impenetrable to outsiders.

People outside the tent looking in can still be heard saying that "the cloud" essentially refers to data storage. A corporation with a cloud solution has a big online repository of files that they can access anywhere.

But most corporations now run some or all of their software on the cloud, too – be it comms software like Slack and Teams, the company's CRM or its finance solution.

Just as there are different options for cloud storage – private, public and hybrid being the most common – so there are different ways to run your software on the cloud.

One of the big distinctions made in the cloud world is between SaaS (software-as-a-service) and hosted software.

Both are ways of installing and running software within a business. Both are cloud solutions, meaning staff members can use them from any location and any device (so long as they have access permission).

So what's the difference? The terminology doesn't help – surely all software is "hosted"?

While they're run in different ways and require different things from your IT teams, the key difference is monetary.

SaaS is a subscription model. You rent access to the software from a provider. Hosted, by contrast, is a product that you buy and own outright. With SaaS, you're renting. With hosted, you're the owner.

The distinction is important because the software you choose is bound up with your budget and your business goals. Choosing between SaaS and hosted is like deciding whether to rent or buy a company car. Each option has its advantages and disadvantages – so, which is right for you?

What is SaaS?

These days, you see the suffix "aaS" everywhere – SaaS, PaaS and IaaS, to name just a few. They fall under the catch-all term XaaS, which stands for "anything-as-a-service".

-aaS solutions are on-demand. The software is run by the provider on its own systems. You subscribe and get access to the software when you want it.

To take an example from outside the business world, Netflix could be called TVaaS. Your subscription gets you access on any device from any location – and if you want to add or remove a user, it's a piece of cake to do so.

This is what's meant by "scalability" – the option to make your subscription bigger or smaller. This makes it ideal for businesses of all shapes and sizes.

What are the advantages of SaaS?

It's affordable.
It's easy to set up and deploy.
It's accessible from any device and any location.
It's scalable.
It's sturdy. The infrastructure is run by companies with vast resources, so the prospect of system failure or a DoS attack is unlikely.
It's easy to use.
It's automated. Updates are installed without you having to lift a finger.
It's easy to ditch and switch if you're unhappy with the service.

What are the disadvantages of SaaS?

You're not fully in charge of upgrades and changes to the software.
Not all software is available as a service.
It can be slower than hosted software.
You need a robust internet connection to avoid being locked out of your software.

What is hosted software?

If SaaS is a rental car, then hosted software is your own set of wheels.

You purchase and own the software. This will require a large upfront payment – but as with all outright purchases, it tends to be cheaper in the long run.

At this point, you might be wondering how hosted is different from "on-premise". The difference is that hosted software is run on servers that are located – and maintained – elsewhere. On-premise (or on-prem) is your responsibility. If someone spills a cup of coffee on the racks, you're the one who has to fix it.

What are the advantages of hosted software?

It's more customisable than SaaS.
It offers greater control over upgrades and changes to software.
It backs up regularly.
It's good for companies and institutions that handle sensitive data and want a high level of oversight, maintenance and security.
It tends to cost less in the long run than SaaS.

What are the disadvantages of hosted software?

It typically requires a large upfront payment.
It depends on a reliable internet connection.
It can be tricky (or at least time-consuming) to integrate with other software.
It requires continuous maintenance and management.
You pay for power, cooling and hosting (with SaaS, these are outsourced to the third-party provider).
It's less intuitive and user-friendly than SaaS. You may need to invest in training and personnel as well as the software.

Conclusion

The choice between SaaS and hosted is very similar to that between renting a property and buying one. It's all about convenience versus control – with a big financial consideration often making the choice for you.

If you want to be in charge of your software and have the capital to purchase it, hosted software could be for you. If, on the other hand, you want the convenience and utility of SaaS and are more comfortable paying from month to month, SaaS is the way to go.

As with all cloud solutions, there's no one way to achieve your goals. But it can be difficult to penetrate the fog of technical details and figure out the best path for you.

That's why working with a cloud partner can be so beneficial. You get expertise on tap, explained in jargon-free English. A reputable partner will always work with you to align your cloud solutions with your business goals. What's not to like?

Ascend is a trusted provider of cloud solutions in Ireland and beyond. Are you looking for a cloud consultant? Feel free to get in touch for a no-obligation chat.

VMware case studies: 10 real-life enterprise success stories

Fri, 06 Oct 2023 08:00:00 GMT

VMware's products are used in a whole host of sectors, from education to banking. Explore some real-life VMware success stories in our case study guide.

In a dramatically short space of time, the world of enterprise has undergone a transformation. In fact, it's kind of like a friend you haven't seen in years. It's got a new haircut and a new attitude.

Legacy apps are rapidly taking a back seat as software and data are moved en masse to the cloud.

No matter what industry you work in, the cloud is where it's at – and VMware has been leading the way with its powerful suite of virtualisation and cloud computing software.

From banking to education, from healthcare to networking – more and more enterprises are taking the plunge. In this article, we look at ten case studies that owe their success not only to their forward-thinking team leaders but also to VMware.

We begin with a household name: Lloyd's Banking Group.

Lloyd's Banking Group

Given the ubiquity of cloud solutions, you might be surprised to learn that the banking sector is trailing behind – comparatively speaking, at least.

At the time of writing, just a quarter of banks run more than 30% of their software on the cloud.

However, there are powerful arguments to be made for cloud banking, from its capacity to reduce infrastructure costs to its consolidation of data silos.

Lloyd's Banking Group has heard the good news and acted accordingly. It's the UK's biggest retail bank – and the bank of choice for many household high-street names.

Speaking in 2022, Sarah Lucas, Head of Migration Services, told an interviewer all about the cloud transformation journey that Lloyd's has been on.

To begin with, small teams were spun up to test the waters. But private and public teams were using different solutions – and this didn't always make for clear communication.

Over time, these teams were unified, "making", as Lucas says, "a clearer path to the cloud".

Massachusetts Consortium for Innovative Education Assessment

How do you know what a school's strengths are? In Massachusetts, MCIEA realised there were a couple of obstacles in the way – and it turned to VMware to help remove them.

First, data from schools isn't always of a high quality. Second, it's often delivered long after the fact. Both of these things can make it difficult for parents to decide whether a school is right for their kids.

MCIEA tackled this problem by building a web portal in partnership with VMware Tanzu. This interface gives parents useful data about the areas of strength and areas of improvement in Massachusetts schools.

In MCIEA's own words , VMware has helped them to be a "lighthouse" and show what can be accomplished in the world of education assessment.

Sentara Brock Cancer Center

Sentara is a North American healthcare system with 14 hospitals across Virginia and North Carolina. It's used VMware on Azure to move its operations to the cloud.

IT, says Matt Douglas, Chief Enterprise Architect at Sentara, is a critical part of healthcare with the capacity to save lives. Sentara's clinical research, which contributed to the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, depends on mammoth data sets. This data can be analysed with greater speed and precision when run on the cloud.

There's another problem that the cloud helps solve. Healthcare records are vulnerable to hacking and identity theft. Sentara wanted to ensure its patient data was as safe as its clinical data.

It leveraged VMware on Azure to move its mission-critical software to the cloud, weeding out legacy apps that were reaching the end of their lifecycles or were compromised by compliance issues. It also used VMware HCX to automate and schedule the migration of workloads.

In its own words, Sentara, in partnership with VMware, is part of a "healthcare revolution".

Lumen

Lumen is a networking firm that operates around 400,000 route miles of fibre and 160,000 on-net fibre locations.

It worked with VMware to converge compute, storage, network and security functions and enable customers to build firewalls, VPNs and more in minutes rather than days.

It's also partnered with VMware to create joint solutions: Lumen Private Cloud on VMware Cloud Foundation, Lumen Edge Private Cloud with VMware Tanzu, Lumen SD-Wan with VMware and Lumen Managed VMware Cloud on AWS.

American Tire Distributors (ATD)

ATD is a success story in more ways than one. It's an independent supplier of tyres with more than 100 distribution centres and 80,000 customers in the USA.

In recent years, ATD has undergone a dramatic digital transformation in partnership with VMware, making the most of both VMware's products and its services.

In the words of Chris Green, Enterprise Infrastructure Management at ATD, VMware helps the company to "analyse where we want to get to in a software-defined data centre and what our gaps are now".

And the winner is…

In August 2023, VMware's "Explore" convention was held in Las Vegas – and it handed out gongs for customer achievement to business leaders from a range of sectors.

These companies were singled out both for their "transformational journeys" and for making the move from on-prem to cloud with innovation in mind.

The winners were:

Putnam Investments, Weathering the Change Hero
ADT (not to be confused with ATD!), Customer Experiences Hero
OSDE, Modern Apps Innovator
City of Edmonton, Cloud Infrastructure Innovator
The Boeing Company, Hybrid Workforce Innovator

This should give you a sense of the breadth of VMware's versatility. From smart homes to investment management, from aeroplanes to an entire city – name an enterprise that can't benefit from cloud migration and we'll show you a flying pig.

Are you looking for cloud consultancy services to help you on your digital transformation journey? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we know the VMware software suite like few others – and we're old hands at cloud migration. Get in touch to book a no-obligation consultation.

Can you really predict cloud migration costs?

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 17:11:00 GMT

Too often, businesses migrate to the cloud and then receive a bill that's higher than they expected. Find out how you can avoid this in our blog post.

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we believe that cloud migration unlocks opportunities for businesses of all shapes and sizes. It can make you leaner, more competitive and more agile.

But all too often, businesses migrate to the cloud with unrealistic expectations – not about the benefits of cloud-based solutions, but of just how much they'll cost.

It's such a common pain point that it has a name: cloud shock. This is the technological equivalent of booking a budget holiday to Malaga and then having to fork out €50 to get your bag on the plane.

We don't want any of our customers to experience cloud shock – or, to use its more general term, buyer's remorse. That's why we make sure to work closely with our partners pre-migration so they know that what they've bargained for is what they're going to get.

Overspending happens for all sorts of reasons. But the big one is a lack of planning.

We specialise in lift-and-shift migrations, which is where workloads are moved wholesale to the cloud. It has an attractive simplicity to it – but businesses sometimes act as though this means they don't have to do any planning.

This is the cloud equivalent of packing your boxes on the day you move house. It's only going to lead to more money being spent down the line.

Cloud migration is a big deal. It can transform the way you do business. So you need to treat it with the seriousness – and planning – it deserves.

That's why it can be so beneficial to work with cloud consultants like ourselves. We'll help you figure out your costs down to the decimal point – and we'll help you pen a migration plan of lapidary beauty and majestic detail.

So yes, you can predict your cloud costs ifyou work with the right people – people who'll ensure you avoid six common pitfalls.

Why do businesses end up overspending on cloud migration?

1. They take cloud cost calculators as gospel

Major public cloud providers like AWS and Google offer pricing calculators. These are far from useless – but they give you ballpark figures when you need detail.

And you need a level of detail that is, to put it bluntly, boring. The kind of detail that cloud experts like us love but you could do without.

That's why your best bet is to work with a cloud migration partner that will give your infrastructure and workloads a thorough inspection before you make the move.

2. They don't factor in downtime

It's not just the migration itself that can snowball in cost through shoddy planning. Your budget can also suffer thanks to the loss of productivity caused by downtime.

A cloud migration needs to fit in with your deadlines and commitments. Otherwise, it's like getting the painter and decorator in while you're trying to host a birthday party – someone's going to drop a glass.

A cloud migration partner will work alongside you to plan a migration that will cause the absolute bare minimum of disruption. This could involve, for instance, moving your workloads in manageable waves.

That way you won't be frittering away money through lost work hours.

3. They don't plan enough

Proverbially, "you can't manage what you can't measure" – and while it's not always true, in this case, it's spot on.

Like moving house, cloud migration creates opportunities for a spot of spring cleaning. Even if you're signing up for a lift-and-shift migration – our speciality – you still want to assess your workloads and make sure you're not taking any dead wood with you.

Duplicate files, dead apps, zombie data – these all need clearing out so you're not paying more than you need.

4. They decide against lift-and-shift

There's more than one way to peel a potato – but in our book, lift-and-shift is the best approach. It gets you where you want to be quickly and efficiently. And once there, you've got plenty of time to optimise.

Refactoring, by contrast, involves making significant changes to workloads. It's complicated, time-consuming, and above all, expensive.

5. They don't plan for post-migration

OK, so you've migrated to the cloud. Congratulations! Now what?

Once you've made the move, the job's not done. You need to regularly check in to make sure that everything's working. If you don't, you could be creating expensive problems for yourself.

It's the same principle as crisis management. If you check in regularly, you stop problems from snowballing. It's a simple way of managing affairs – but it takes a little bit more planning.

Again, this is an area where a cloud migration partner can make a big difference. They can help you plan for the post-migration days.

That way, you'll avoid unnecessary disruption and will have small problems to deal with, not mammoth ones that block your way into the office.

6. They work with the wrong people

They say that if you buy cheap, you buy twice – something that anyone who's bought a pair of budget headphones will attest to.

The same is true of cloud migration. However, the costs this can create down the line are far more serious.

We get why people do it. Cutting costs isn't about being miserly. It's about staying competitive and growing as a business. But in the case of cloud migration, cost-cutting is a recipe for disaster.

Whether you give the job to an inexperienced partner or to an internal team that doesn't have the cloud chops, you're facing the same direction – a lot of spending further down the line.

Conclusion

Big changes don't come cheap. Cloud migration is going to cost you – but the benefits it will bring to your business are indisputable.

When getting ready for the big move, guesstimates won't cut it. You need a partner who can dig into the figures and give you a clear idea of how much it's going to cost.

Ascend Cloud Solutions is a global provider of managed cloud migration services . Are you looking for a migration partner? Get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation.

VMware Explore: key announcements and highlights

Fri, 29 Sep 2023 08:00:00 GMT

VMware Explore is a yearly gathering of experts and clients. It kicked off its 2023 season with a raft of announcements and upgrades. Learn more.

VMware is on tour! Its series of VMware Explore regional conferences kicked off last month in Las Vegas, with future events planned in Barcelona, Singapore, Sao Paolo and Tokyo.

VMware Explore is an annual gathering of industry experts and VMware clients – and this year, the industry-leading virtualisation firm unveiled several exciting upgrades and service announcements.

The focus is on multi-cloud and edge computing, along with a sharpened spotlight on product lifecycle management.

The flagship announcement was a new suite of offerings that aim to optimise cloud-native app performance and management across multi-cloud environments.

These environments are now an essential part of digital transformation. VMware research shows that 70% of CIOs are now developing cloud-native apps. These have all but replaced traditional apps for many enterprises worldwide.

Similarly, "multi-cloud environment" isn't quite a tautology – but it's getting there.

Today's forward-thinking businesses are hell-bent on modernising their apps – and to this end are embracing artificial intelligence, machine learning, open-source solutions, multi-cloud environments and Kubernetes.

As VMware's Purnima Padmanabhan puts it:

"Applications are a driving force behind the most innovative businesses and best-in-class customer experiences. Delivering apps at scale can be an immense undertaking and it is becoming increasingly complex. Our goal is to increase our customers' business agility by accelerating application development, delivery and management."

Let's take a deeper dive into how VMware is realising this goal.

Tanzu Application Platform

VMware's Tanzu is a platform engineering environment that helps developers customise and streamline app delivery.

Its Application Platform takes its rolled-out Kubernetes capabilities and folds them into cutting-edge innovations in platform engineering and operations.

VMware's latest offering includes – among much else – VMware Tanzu Application Engine (beta), enhanced multi-cloud Kubernetes operations and a portal for developers.

VMware Private AI Foundation with Nvidia

This new service allows enterprises to use private data with the latest in generative AI. It's a single-stack solution that hooks up software and hardware with generative AI large language models.

This has the versatility that today's businesses take as read. It can be run on-premises, in the data centre, in the cloud or at the edge.

Networking

NSX is one of VMware's flagship products. We've written elsewhere about how it can help enterprises with both their cloud security posture and overall agility.

As the name suggests, NSX+ is not an entirely new offering, but rather a much-anticipated upgrade. It's now a cloud-managed solution for network and security operations, bringing security policy management closer to a central point of command.

It also deepens NSX's existing network and application visibility offering, spreading its network detection and response capabilities across today's multi-cloud environments.

NSX+ will be available to existing NSX customers as an upgrade. New members of the VMware family will be able to sign up for a free trial or full paid service.

What does this mean in practice? VMware believes that NSX+ will make IT technicians breathe a sigh of relief as its existing capabilities become manageable with a single click.

It also has positive security implications, bringing zero-trust principles into hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

Zero-trust is the principle that every user and device is suspect. It's like a digital bouncer at the door of a nightclub called "The Cloud" who checks everyone's ID – no exceptions.

This means network managers can stay abreast of access permissions at all times. There's less and less wiggle room for bad actors to get in through the back door.

In another bid to simplify network and security operations, NSX+ is operable across AWS, Azure and other big-name public cloud platforms.

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we're hot on NSX – so we'll keep you posted as we learn more.

Another network announcement relates to VPCs (virtual private clouds). These allow developers to automate the selection of cloud resources for applications on a case-by-case basis – a blessing for innovation, performance and the end-user experience.

Finally, VMware has announced its Private Mobile Network Service, bringing it squarely into the game with industry players like Cisco and Cradlepoint.

This network service will be a managed private mobile connectivity service for enterprises. As with the Private AI Foundation, it will be used in both on-premise and cloud environments.

VMware will provide the orchestration layer and, together with Federated Wireless, will build and run the necessary 4G and 5G network infrastructure.

Security

As well as the pivot towards zero-trust, VMware also announced improvements to its ransomware-recovery-as-a-service solution which launched last year.

When it comes to recovering from a ransomware attack, speed is of the essence. VMware is laser-focused on narrowing the gap between attack and recovery.

It does this by enabling workflow automation to isolate recovery environments. It's a form of digital hygiene – quarantining infected zones to keep them safe from reinfection.

VMware's Mark Chuang describes the journey that the company has been on to help customers deal with ransomware attacks, especially those that use so-called "file-less" techniques:

"[H]ere at Explore Vegas, we announced additional innovations on top of our existing ransomware-as-a-recovery service in order to continue to shorten the amount of downtime by accelerating the recovery rates."

One of the cloud's biggest advantages is its ability to minimise downtime – and VMware's ransomware recovery service forms an important part of this broader mission.

These "additional innovations" include support for concurrent multi-VM recovery operations – like having your leg and neck operated on at once. The result? Improved efficiency and a faster bounce-back from ransomware attacks.

Progress has also been made in VMware's XDR (extended detection and response) offering – the enigmatically titled "Carbon Black".

This solution is now applicable to cloud-native apps. Environments rich in containers and micro-services have a number of benefits – but they can be vulnerable to hackers.

This enhanced XDR service, then, will be a breath of fresh air for enterprises on the cutting edge of cloud-managed services.

What's next?

VMware Explore 2023 underlines the company's commitment to meeting the demands of digital transformation in the multi-cloud era. As these solutions are rolled out, we'll let you know all the juicy details.

Are you looking for a cloud migration partner? At Ascend, we're VMware cloud experts who have managed over 400 successful migrations and counting. Get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation.

Empowering hybrid workers with VMware Horizon

Mon, 25 Sep 2023 08:00:00 GMT

What's VMware Horizon – and how can it help you provision virtual desktops for your hybrid workers? Learn more about this solution in our 5-minute read.

What will future historians have to say about the early 2020s? The COVID-19 pandemic will, of course, loom large – but so too will the rise of hybrid working.

Yes, hybrid working is one of the most dramatic social shifts to have taken place in many a long year. Like it or lump it, we live in the age of the deskless worker and the mobile workforce. The age of the employee splitting her time between HQ and home office and answering work emails on the train.

We say "Like it or lump it", but there are plenty of benefits to enjoy – from improved staff well-being to a wider pool of talent for recruiters; from lower overheads to a lower carbon footprint.

All this has been made possible by advances in cloud technology – and these advances have arrived at a blink-and-you'll-miss-it speed.

But every cloud (sorry) has a silver lining – and many IT managers face a challenge.

It's now IT's job to ensure that all members of staff – including temporary and contract workers – have access to corporate data, apps and online resources on any device in any location.

Whether an employee is using a tablet, laptop, phone or XR headset; whether they're in New York City or the Arctic Circle, IT has to keep them connected.

But what about desktop environments? How can you make sure your teams have the access they need while on the move?

The answer is virtual desktops: virtual environments delivered from a single server to members of staff.

"Great!" you say. "Where do I sign?" But there's a problem.

The problem is that it's going to cost you an arm, a leg and a couple of essential organs. You probably don't want to take the money they've saved through having a hybrid workforce and blow it all on new, expensive hardware.

That's where DaaS or desktop-as-a-service comes in. It's a way of providing a virtual desktop infrastructure to your mobile workforce without breaking the bank.

VMware Horizon is a prime example of this kind of centralised desktop management.

How does VMware Horizon work?

VMware Horizon enables IT to manage virtual desktop environments from a single console. You don't have to sink any time or money into building infrastructure – it's all provided for you by VMware.

Horizon provides your team with a high-quality desktop experience whether they're consuming desktops from an on-premise server or from the cloud. And it gives them the ability to seamlessly move between the two.

These desktops are "stateless". This is a way of configuring desktops that's distinct from their "stateful" counterparts.

Put simply, stateful desktops save information between sessions. Stateless desktops get destroyed at the end of each session – but a clone can be "spun up" for the next session.

Horizon is creator, protector and destroyer. This has several advantages for IT.

First, stateless VDIs are cheaper and easier to maintain than stateful ones. And they're also highly secure – essentially, if a desktop environment has been destroyed at the end of a session, it can't be hacked.

When we talk about spinning up or destroying a desktop environment, we're talking about a matter of seconds. It's lightning-fast – something that many IT technicians would welcome.

In the old but not-so-distant days, IT would go from desk to desk or cubicle to cubicle, helping staff to configure their software and desktops. Now, they can manage everything from a single dashboard.

Horizon's Dynamic Environment Manager allows admins to personalise user and application settings and configure their desktop environment based on location, device and user group. Its App Volumes function attaches applications to the virtual desktop on login.

It's fast, efficient and painless – but with no sacrifice to the end user experience. Their customisations and user-installed apps are born anew with every session.

The result? Your mobile workforce can securely access corporate data and applications – all they need is login details and access permission. They're then free to work as usual from any device anywhere in the world.

Why is VMware Horizon better than physical hardware?

Physical hardware has one big drawback – it's vulnerable. You can bash into a server and do it some serious damage. You can leave a dongle on the Megabus. You can watch a laptop die on you without so much as a by-your-leave.

When this happens, a big black hole opens up in your diary. You need to restore from backup – and you can't be sure that the most recent versions of your work have been saved.

With VMware Horizon, recovery is expedited. You're back up and running in no time – ready to continue flexible working practices. Need to leave the office early and polish a document off on the train? With virtual desktop environments, it's as easy as pie.

Is VMware Horizon for you?

If you have a mobile workforce and want to provide them with high-quality virtual desktops, VMware Horizon could be the solution for you.

The more complex our networks become – and the more dispersed our workforces – the more important it is to have IT solutions that are centralised and easy to manage.

This is what Horizon is built for. It simplifies IT management, making it easier than ever to administer a large number of desktop environments. It provides a high-performing workspace to anyone with a username, password and access permission.

It also saves you money. You get to leverage high-end virtual desktop infrastructure without building it yourself. It's the difference between having a gas supplier and building your own pipeline.

So if you're looking for a solution that's easy to manage and easy on the budget, check out VMware Horizon – it could be just what your enterprise needs.

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we specialise in VMware consultancy and managed cloud migration services . With more than 400 successful migrations and counting, you can rely on us for a tailored service that will get you to the cloud in no time.

Interested? Please don't hesitate to get in touch for a no-obligation consultation.

What is Azure VMware Solution?

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 08:00:00 GMT

Do you want to move your VMware workloads to an Azure environment? Azure VMware Solution (AVS) could be for you. Learn more in our quick guide.

Has your company invested in VMware software – and are you now looking to move some or all of your workloads to an Azure cloud environment?

Azure VMware Solution could be you. It enables customers to shift data and software over to Azure without having to go through the pain of refactoring.

That means you can keep the tools you've already paid for while enjoying the additional benefits of Microsoft's solution. In some scenarios, it's the most cost-effective and non-disruptive way of getting from A to B.

In this article, we take a closer look at what it is, how it works – and how it can help you to meet your cloud migration goals.

What is Azure VMware Solution?

Azure VMware Solution (or AVS) is a solution that allows clients to move VMware workloads to Azure environments without refactoring.

It's a version of "lift-and-shift" migration, where software and data are moved wholesale without any changes being made. The principle behind lift-and-shift is that it's better to reach your destination and then optimise performance, rather than the other way around.

If this is your direction of travel, then AVS is unbeatably fast. Put simply, it creates a pipeline from an Azure cloud environment to your data centre. VMware's vMotion technology is then used to pump those workloads to your new cloud environment.

This makes it ideal for enterprises who want to get to the cloud fast. It's no exaggeration to say that it can save you months of work.

AVS is a first-party Microsoft product. That means every euro you spend on AVS counts the same as if it was another Azure product. This is one reason why it can be a cost-effective method.

But there's a side benefit, too. If you have Windows servers in use on-prem, you should be able to shift those licenses to any Azure environment – including AVS.

You also get to enjoy ROI on your existing VMware software. It's a case of lift and shift, not switch and ditch – so your IT technicians won't need to be retrained (or replaced!)

If your long-term goal is solely to use Azure-native services, AVS can help you get there – it's not a case of either/or. You can use your existing VMware software to get you to the cloud and thendecide which applications are to be moved to Azure-native.

If you have workloads that are reaching the end of their support, then AVS extends that support for up to three years. Windows 12, for instance, would get support until 2026 – three years that would otherwise be spent firefighting unsupported software.

The bottom line is that you get a smooth journey from A to B without lengthy refactoring, along with some Azure-specific perks.

It's an express route from Microsoft Enterprise Edge to the AVS environment (via NSX). All you have to do is connect to the Enterprise Edge – the rest is taken care of.

What are AVS's use cases?

There are four main use cases for AVS.

First, there's a lift and shift from on-prem hardware to the cloud. This could be because your co-lo agreement is up for renewal, because compliance issues force you to evacuate, or because your hardware is starting to creak a little.

In the lift-and-shift scenario, AVS takes your workloads in their current state and swiftly shifts them to Azure. It can be used in the same way for individual workload migrations.

The second scenario relates to disaster recovery. Whether you're looking to create a new DR or replace or complement an existing DR, AVS can get you there.

The third use case is about Microsoft support. When support ends for pieces of software, it can create new outgoings for an enterprise. Using AVS extends support, meaning you're not paying through the nose to keep your ducks in a row.

Finally, there's virtual desktop infrastructure. VMware Horizon can be run on AVS, providing virtual desktops for your hybrid workers – something we looked at in another blog post.

Other benefits

AVS has global availability. This is always subject to change. However, at the moment, there are clusters of supported regions in North America and Western Europe – and individual regions can be found in East Asia, Brazil, South Africa and Southwest Australia.

Because AVS is a first-party Microsoft product, you get a single point of contact. You won't get passed back and forth between VMware and Microsoft

Microsoft Azure is one of the best platforms for compliance. These vary from region to region, but using AVS guarantees that you'll inherit many essential compliance certifications.

How is it consumed?

There are three consumption models for AVS – hourly, one-year reserved instance and three-year reserved instance.

Hourly is the most expensive – but also the most flexible. It can be your best bet in some situations – for bursting environments, to take one example.

Monthly plans, however, can be best if you're replacing your hardware with an Azure cloud environment or moving your disaster recovery site.

The bottom line

Azure VMware Solution is a first-party Microsoft product that provides dedicated hosting of your existing VMware environment in Azure.

It's simple and keeps disruption to a bare minimum thanks to its refactoring-free lift-and-shift approach. It allows you to ditch your hardware and reap the rewards of the cloud while still making the most of your business's existing tools.

Or as Jennifer Chronis, Vice President for Public Sector at VMware has said:

"As public sector customers accelerate their modernisation efforts, they need the flexibility and choice to select the right cloud for each application… Together with Microsoft, we are delivering a modern, more consistent cloud service that will provide US government customers and partners with new options to migrate or extend their on-premises VMware environments to the cloud."

Looking for support with VMware software or cloud migration ? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we're dyed-in-the-wool VMware experts. Whatever your requirements, get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation.

The future of cloud migration: how will we use the cloud in 2040?

Mon, 18 Sep 2023 08:00:00 GMT

Cloud technologies have evolved dramatically over the last 20 years. But what will they look like in 2040? Check out our predictions.

It's not easy making predictions about the future of tech.

Not all of them are as clangingly wrong as Robert Metcalfe's 1995 prognosis that "the internet will soon go spectacularly supernova and in 1996 catastrophically collapse".

In fairness to Metcalfe, he publicly ate his words by blending up a print-out of his column and drinking it at the 1999 International World Wide Web Conference.

Perhaps in 2040, we'll be passing round shots made from a print-out of this very blog post – assuming that printers still exist.

Nevertheless, it's worth making predictions for two reasons. One, it's fun. Even Nostradamus must have had a wry chuckle as he predicted the calamitous centuries to come.

And two, it's something that developers and investors do all the time.

If cloud architects and engineers believed that cloud technologies were a passing fancy, they'd be signing up to the job centre. And if investors thought the same, they'd be buying stocks and shares in something else – Barbie dolls, perhaps.

The predictions we make here are based on the assumption that the astonishing growth we've seen over the last few decades will continue to grow exponentially.

It's not a ludicrous assumption. Moore's Law – the principle, based on the development of electronics, that complexity grows exponentially – still holds, so far as we know. You only have to look at the advances made by AI in the early 2020s to see this.

So what will the cloud look like in 2040? Let's rub the dust from our crystal ball and take a look...

1. The Metaverse goes big

Some people will tell you that the Metaverse is already here. Phenomena like Fortnitefit the bill – large, multi-player online spaces inhabited by digital avatars.

But as the word "Metaverse" suggests, the concept goes far beyond discrete online spaces. It's a vision of interlocking virtual worlds that can be entered and exited at the touch of a button.

We predict that by 2040, the Metaverse will be part of the daily fabric of our lives. Need a change of clothes? You'll be able to do so with a single voice command – "I need a denim overshirt that matches these maroon chinos", say, or "Make me look like Kate Winslet".

Appointments and meetings of all kinds will take place in holographic offices – from business meetings to doctors' checkups.

And this virtual universe will be portable. You might be sitting next to someone on the bus who's immersed in a digital world – chatting to their lifelike virtual assistant, perhaps.

Seem far-fetched? Wind back to the turn of the new millennium. Would you have guessed that you'd be video-calling a friend or watching the new season of Celebrity Storage Hunterson your phone?

2. Cyber security strengthened by AI

Despite what you may have heard, the cloud is secure. But as with real-life security, you can never be too secure. That's because new threats are appearing all the time.

You know those gangster movies that portray games of cat-and-mouse between crims and law enforcers? Looks exhausting, doesn't it? That's pretty much what's happening in the world of cybercrime.

Every time a cyber lock is fitted, a hacker figures out how to pick it. That means cyber security is an industry that only ever sleeps with one eye open.

We already use AI and machine learning to predict and ward off threats. But as AI continues to develop, this will only become more sophisticated.

The big sell of AI is that it's smarter than us. We hate to say it, but your online chess game is smarter than you. It's letting you win. And machines are often better at containing threats than we are.

AI has the potential to see all the possible vulnerabilities to a cloud-based app or workflow – like Deep Blue anticipating all of Kasparov's possible moves.

As more and more businesses become cloud-first and more and more software becomes cloud-native, this is welcome news. We want to live in a world where all the benefits of the cloud can be enjoyed without any sleep lost to concerns about security.

3. The Internet of Things

Do you control your TV with an app on your mobile phone? Or ask Alexa for traffic updates? Or let your smartwatch tell you when it's time to go for a walk?

If any of these apply, then you're participating in the Internet of Things – an ever-expanding network of devices fitted with internet connectivity.

Think of a "smart home". Everything from the thermostat to the smoothie maker can be activated by voice control. Your Hoover follows a route that's stored in the cloud. You watch a video feed of your porch while on holiday in Cancun.

Go up a level and you've got smart cities. Barcelona set the trend, installing extensive networks of sensors that fed data to the government about all sorts of citywide issues – from transport to energy usage, from noise levels to water demand.

Could 2040 be the era of the smart world? A world in which every object we interact with is collecting and transmitting data?

Chances are that it won't be evenly distributed. There's a "digital divide" between the global north and global south which will take time to be bridged, if it's bridged at all.

It's a question of investment. Many developing countries lack the digital infrastructure required to enjoy the benefits of cloud tech. But things are, slowly, changing.

Conclusion

These are prophecies, not promises. But we believe that by 2040 the Internet of Things, the Metaverse, and AI-enhanced cyber security will have transformed the way we live our lives – just as cloud migration has transformed the way we do business.

Ascend is a cloud solutions provider that specialises in VMware cloud migration and consultancy. For more industry tips and analysis, follow our blog .

The state of the cloud in Ireland [2023]

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 08:00:00 GMT

Ireland is one of Europe's most important digital hubs. But what is the state of our cloud industry? Join us as we dig through the key stats.

Back in 2011, Ireland was dubbed "the home of the cloud".

Even then, it was a global centre of computing skills and resources, home to more than 20 legacy data centres and the site of new developments by Microsoft and European firm Interxion.

But how about today? How has the state of the cloud in Ireland changed?

Well, the intervening decade has seen a huge spike in demand for cloud technologies. This has been in the offing for many years – but it was given a massive shot in the arm by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The enforced lockdowns brought about by COVID led to spiralling demand for cloud technologies. Newly scattered workforces needed remote access to corporate software and data – and cloud solutions filled that gap.

Today, data and analytics are at the top of the to-do list for many Irish businesses – and Dublin is a colocation hub for many cloud platforms that provide resources for European businesses.

The public cloud market itself has been increasing exponentially. In Ireland, it's expected to grow by a staggering 97.78% between 2023 and 2027 – a transformation worth 2.4 billion USD.

The 2022 EY Tech Horizon report digs into the digital transformation goals of Irish businesses – and the results speak for themselves. Ireland remains on the vanguard of European cloud investment.

Facts and figures

EY found that 50% of Irish respondents consider cloud technology to be the number one driver of added value for their businesses – followed closely by data and analytics at 46%.

This added value comes in a number of forms. First, it's a way of changing customer behaviour by creating new ways of branding, marketing and interacting with customers.

Second, it can help businesses to quickly identify supply chain issues. This has been an issue for businesses in Ireland and elsewhere at least since the pandemic. Being able to forecast disruptions to the supply chain means that businesses can be forewarned and forearmed.

Third, cloud technologies provide rich, actionable seams of data – data that can drive better decision-making. To take one example, this data could help inform a business's market entry strategies.

Finally, the continued adoption of cloud tech is seen as a way to enhance product development.

EY's Ireland Partner John Ward reflects on these findings as follows:

"The fact that Irish companies have recognised cloud, together with data and analytics, as those technologies most likely to deliver value is really interesting… The ability to aggregate broad datasets and to run models effectively demands a cloud platform."

He goes on: "We see cloud, together with data and analytics, as having a symbiotic relationship and Irish companies need to consider both as they strive to keep pace with their global peers."

Other findings

The study also found that 20% of respondents in Ireland have completed their digital transformation objectives. This is ahead of the global average of 13%.

When asked what they believe to be mission-critical with regard to digital transformation, Irish businesses flag "supportive leadership culture", "seamless integration of data across processes and systems" and "bridging the talent gap".

Thirty-six percent of Irish respondents believe that connecting and integrating diverse systems is the number one obstacle to digital transformation. Thirty-four percent say that it's the establishment and management of corporate partnerships and ecosystems.

For all its benefits, innovation tends to create talent gaps. Existing IT technicians need to be retrained or even replaced. Reflecting this, 54% of respondents see job retention as a challenge when undergoing digital transformation.

How the cloud fits in with other emerging technologies

The cloud is widely seen as a necessary destination for software and apps – but it's part of a broader ecosystem of new digital solutions.

Businesses in Ireland are also looking to the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and machine learning as critical to their digital transformation. This reflects Ireland's position as a global leader in new technologies.

What are the constraints to digital transformation in Ireland?

In 2022, Ireland experienced a "capacity crunch". Its electricity grid struggled to keep up with the demands of its data centres.

In practice, this meant that several important data centre markets faced power constraints.

Could this slow down the growth of internet resources? It's too soon to say – but it's a question that Ireland, as one of the key European players in the global cloud market, will have to face.

This capacity crunch led the Irish utility company EirGrid to place a moratorium on data centre construction. About 30 projects were suspended as a result – but since then, Ireland's former Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said that existing projects will move forward.

Dublin isn't the only city that is having to balance the availability of power with the need for data centre facilities. It's an issue seen everywhere from Amsterdam to Singapore.

Despite these challenges, investment in Ireland's cloud infrastructure remains healthy. Chinese giant Huawei has announced that it will create up to 200 jobs in Ireland – part of a €150 million investment in establishing a European cloud services hub here.

The bottom line

Cloud computing is big business – and it's made huge strides over the past decade. These strides were already being taken when the COVID-19 pandemic made them break into a sprint.

This rapid progress creates opportunities and challenges. While cloud investment in Ireland remains healthy – and businesses remain committed to digital transformation – Ireland's grid faces constraints due to the huge amounts of electricity that data centres demand.

Going forward, we're likely to see more of these tensions and constraints – but investment shows no sign of slowing down. Whatever happens, Ireland is a major hub for cloud investment, resources and skills.

Are you looking for a VMware consultancy or an experienced cloud migration partner? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we've managed over 400 successful migrations – and counting. Get in touch today to learn more about our services through a free, no-obligation consultation.

Cloud data backup and recovery: insights and best practices

Mon, 11 Sep 2023 08:00:00 GMT

A cloud backup and recovery policy is key to protecting your corporate data. Discover some insights and best practices for staying safe in the cloud.

Once a niche concern, cloud computing is now as ubiquitous as WhatsApp and people having private conversations on speakerphone.

Its praises are sung regularly and loudly – and here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we stand by them all. Migrating to the cloud allows a business of any size to unlock cost savings and take advantage of high levels of availability, accessibility and scalability.

But like all novel tech, it presents its own unique challenges and risks. The cloud sector is engaged in an arms race with cyber criminals, who sleep with one eye open, wanting nothing more than to find new and innovative ways to make your life a misery.

As a consequence, tech departments up and down the land are having to adjust to the new normal. A big part of that has involved learning how to troubleshoot common cloud issues. Companies need to be able to resolve problems quickly and painlessly – because a problem for your cloud solution is a problem for your productivity and profits.

But all is not lost. There are a number of simple steps you can take to keep these risks to a minimum.

Before we take a deep dive into the best practices for cloud data backup and recovery, let's clear up a few terms. What do we mean by cloud backup, anyway?

What is cloud backup?

Long before broadband, two-factor authentication and other staples of modern life, physical records of data had to be copied out. Duplicates and triplicates were essential to ensuring that data was safe from flood, fire and shady characters with bags marked "swag".

Today, your software and data will most likely be stored on the cloud. But even there, it's vulnerable to several threats – from accidental deletion and file corruption to cybercrime and natural disasters.

Cloud backup is essential to minimise these risks. Running a business without cloud backup is like having just one copy of grandma's recipe for tiramisu – once it's gone, it's gone.

So far, so simple. Your cloud provider will offer backup as part of their package. Simply sign on the dotted line and kick back with a good book – right?

Sadly, it's not quite that simple. The precise nature of your cloud backup solution will depend on several factors.

It depends on the size of your company and how much software and data it handles. It depends on the speed and reliability of your internet connection. And it depends on how secure and reliable your cloud provider is.

That's cloud backup – but what about recovery?

What is cloud recovery?

Without cloud backup, what's lost is lost. But with a sturdy backup solution, you can recover data from your cloud backup to your on-prem data centre or other cloud solution.

As with cloud backup, this takes different forms depending on the nature of your business. There are three main flavours:

Full recovery. This is where you restore all your data – for instance, if you've suffered total system failure.
Incremental recovery. This is where you restore only data that's changed since your last backup. It's faster than full recovery – but its success depends on a well-maintained backup history.
Selective recovery. This is where you restore only the specific files and folders that you need.

To achieve any of these three types of recovery, you need an on-site copy – but a copy of that copy in the cloud is just as important.

This ethos is sometimes known as the 3-2-1 rule. It may sound like a dietary fad, but in fact, it refers to having two copies of your data stored in separate formats and one stored off-site in the cloud.

By following the 3-2-1 rule, you make cloud recovery easier to manage – so you're less likely to be brought to your knees by the accidental deletion of data or its intentional hijacking by cyber crims.

What are some best practices for cloud data backup and recovery?

When you migrate to the cloud, you need first to establish how it's going to meet your business goals. The same is true of cloud backup and recovery.

You need to find the solution that best serves your business size, requirements, procedures and goals. Otherwise, you're forking outfor a thousand spoons when all you need is a knife.

Relatedly, you should shop around for the right cloud provider. The major public cloud providers all offer good services but one may meet your requirements more precisely than another.

Once you've got your solution, testing is critical. You should test your backup and recovery procedures regularly – at least once a month. Only this way can you stay on top of any pesky issues.

There are two main kinds of test: a full system restore (including your OS) and a partial file restore.

Your cloud backup also needs to be exhaustive. To get technical for a moment, that means data and metadata need to be backed up – because without metadata, your files can be harder to recover.

All data should be encrypted – and if it's sensitive, you might want to consider getting immutable storage. This is where data is stored in such a way that it can't be tinkered with, so you know you won't fall foul of any compliance or regulatory standards.

Who's responsible for backup and recovery? It's not just the person who executes the recovery. Like health and safety, it needs to be a whole company concern.

In practice, this means that strong passwords and authentication methods should be standard – and staff should be primed to report any suspicious events in the cloud.

Finally, there's the question of when to back up. Just as your WhatsApp messages tend to back up overnight, so it makes sense to schedule backup and recovery for out-of-office hours when network traffic is low. That way, it won't soak up internet resources and slow down your staff's work.

Do you need help creating a robust cloud backup policy? Here at Ascend, we're cloud computing experts with extensive experience in migration, backup and security. Get in touch for a no-obligation consultation.

How cloud migration can help you meet sustainability targets

Fri, 08 Sep 2023 08:00:00 GMT

Looking for ways to reduce your company's carbon footprint? Find out how cloud migration can be an invaluable part of your green agenda.

In today's world, sustainability is a hot potato – perhaps the hottest of them all. It's an issue that's commanding the attention and resources of everyone from national governments to city mayors, from public service providers to private enterprises.

Back in 2020, 80% of companies had SDGs (sustainable development goals). Environmental issues aren't going anywhere – so that number will only increase as the years go by.

If you run or work for an enterprise, you've probably got several policies in place already. Perhaps you're hot on recycling and carpooling. Or maybe you're committed to cutting paper waste by digitising the majority of your internal comms.

But how about cloud migration?

Ask someone to list the advantages of cloud migration, and you'll probably hear about its cost-effectiveness and its ability to streamline and centralise business operations.

But can shifting more apps and data to the cloud make your company greener, too?

If it seems counter-intuitive, that's because cloud technologies are only possible because of data centres – and these remain, indisputably, big energy-guzzlers.

But in terms of managing your own carbon footprint, cloud migration can be a key plank in your green agenda – and certainly a greener way of doing business than relying on an on-premise data centre.

Harness renewable energy

If you have an on-premise data centre, we're going to guess that you're not fully reliant on renewable energy. In the context of sustainability, that means room for improvement.

Cloud providers don't have spotless green records. Their hyper-facilities are big consumers of electricity and water. But on the other hand, the biggest of the bunch are "some of the largest purchasers of renewable energy".

That's according to David Mytton, Environmental Technology MSc student at Imperial College London. He goes on :

"Although it does not guarantee that all energy going into a data centre is renewable, due to the power mix of the local grid, [large cloud providers] can at least match their electricity usage with purchases of renewables elsewhere.

"Google has been doing this since 2017 and both Microsoft and Amazon will do it by 2025. In the meantime, Google and Microsoft are already carbon neutral through purchasing offsets."

On top of that, there are initiatives like Microsoft's Project Natick, which has successfully deployed subsea data centres. These don't need cooling – that job is done by the sea itself.

Then there's Amazon's use of recycled water for cooling and Google's use of AI to reduce cooling costs by 40%.

The other thing to remember is that these huge data centre facilities are being used by an equally huge number of individuals and companies.

If every business in Belgium (let's say) had its own on-premise data centre, that would be far less sustainable than if they all used a cloud provider.

It's the same principle as using an electricity grid rather than having your own private generator. The resources are shared among multiple users, which increases efficiency.

Cut down on paper

It would be a sad world without paper – the stuff of journals, birthday cards and love letters.

But will a finance officer really miss paper payslips? Will anyoneworking for a company miss box files, filing cabinets and lever arch folders?

It's not just that those mountains of paper need to be kept somewhere – and that the more you have, the harder it is to navigate.

It's also that paper production is pretty bad for the environment.

Using cloud-based tools for documentation allows you to go fully paperless – slashing your carbon emissions as well as creating space in your branch or home office.

Cut down on "e-waste"

Paper isn't the only waste that companies produce. There's also the phenomenon of "e-waste" or electronic waste.

This is anything with a plug or battery – and it's filling up landfill all the time.

The UN has reported that the world will produce 74 tonnes of e-waste each year – and less than 40% of e-waste produced by the EU gets recycled at all.

Your on-premise data centre is a breeding ground for e-waste. Shifting your data and apps off-premises and onto the cloud means you can give your facilities a spring clean – and stay on track with your sustainability targets.

Remote working

The COVID-19 pandemic didn't invent cloud migration – but it certainly gave it a massive push.

Global lockdowns meant that remote working was a necessity, not – in most cases – a choice. The FT reported how office space in England shrank by millions of square feet – and it was the same story pretty much everywhere.

Emerging from the pandemic, remote or hybrid working has become the norm. It's one of the few pandemic-induced innovations that we've held on to as a positive change.

Cloud computing allows your teams to access what they need from any location – whether that's a home office, an armchair or the backseat of a rickshaw.

All you need is a secure internet connection and access permission. Other than that, the world's your oyster and the sky's the limit.

Cloud computing is the foundation of remote working. Without it, your national post service would collapse under the strain.

Remote working can have a positive impact on productivity and employee well-being. But it's also better for the planet.

Travel is a huge contributor to a company's carbon footprint – whether it's the emissions produced by commuting or through getting everyone in the same place for a meeting.

Embracing hybrid working means you can slash your travel costs – a move that could help you meet your sustainability targets.

Root out obsolete workloads

Do you have a drawer at home that's filled with rusty batteries, snapped pencils and electronic cables of uncertain origin?

Most companies have a digital equivalent – data and software that once served a purpose but is now just taking up space and CPU.

In practice, that means carbon. By rooting out your obsolete workloads, you can make your company greener than ever before.

Based in Cork, Ireland, Ascend specialises in VMware cloud solutions and consultancy. To find out more, please don't hesitate to get in touch .

Cloud computing in eCommerce: a coffee-break guide

Mon, 04 Sep 2023 08:00:00 GMT

Online shopping is the new normal. How can cloud computing help you stay competitive in this new retail landscape? Find out in our guide.

The 2020s have barely begun – but they've already been a period of intense and rapid technological change. You have to take notes pretty fast if you want to keep up with the process that tech bods call "digital transformation".

One area that's seen dramatic change is the world of retail. For many of us, online shopping has superseded trips to the high street. The convenience and sheer range that online shopping has to offer means that brick-and-mortar retailers are having to change tack.

This shift in consumer habits has created opportunities for many retailers to build, grow or cement their online presence. Window displays are being replaced by web stores. And the tone of your marketing emails is now at least as important as your tone of voice when speaking to a customer in store or on the phone.

Underpinning this shift is the internet, of course. But it's more specific than that. These changes have been made possible by cloud computing technology.

What is cloud computing?

Cloud computing is an umbrella term for platforms or services that are accessible from any device in any location.
Let's rewind 20 years. You're working late in the office on a sales report. You want desperately to get home before the kids go to bed.

Unfortunately, all your data and software are tied to your office environment. Those documents belong in the store cupboard or on the intranet.

Or let's say you want to collaborate on a document with a colleague. It's not impossible – but it's a logistical headache that you could really do without.

Cloud computing has made all this a distant, painful memory. Now, you can keep working on your laptop as the train trundles home. You can make edits and suggestions to a colleague's document from anywhere that has an internet connection.

Cloud computing is the new normal – but not all retailers have migrated their workloads to the cloud yet.

When things go mainstream, it's easy to assume that their benefits are obvious to everyone. However, that's not always the case.
So how, exactly, can cloud computing help a retailer to grow its brand?

The basic benefits of cloud computing

As well as providing accessibility to corporate data, cloud computing enables companies to leverage powerful existing infrastructure.

Public cloud providers like Amazon and Google have hundreds of data centres. Each data centre consists of hundreds of servers. These are mammoth facilities that provide storage for companies all across the globe.

Now compare your on-prem data centre. It does the job – but if it breaks down or just gets old, you're going to need to fork out for maintenance. You can't rely on your public cloud provider to do that for you.

It's the difference between having a butt in your garden to collect rainwater and paying a water company to supply your home. You might well grumble about the cost of the bills and the shareholders' profits, but it's still saving you a huge amount of time, money and effort.
But when it comes to the benefits of cloud computing to eCommerce, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Scalability

Nobody gets into business to stay the same size forever. Even if you're not solely motivated by profits, you're still going to want to grow.

In a traditional office environment, that means more shelving, more folders, more box files. With an on-prem data centre, it means days of productivity lost to maintenance.

But cloud computing allows you to scale up your online storage as and when you need it. It's as simple as changing your subscription tier – not a hammer or nail in sight.

Stability

In the age of eCommerce, you can't let your website go down, even briefly. Server outages mean lost profits – and when there's so much competition, people are more than likely to shop elsewhere the minute they see that "site not reached" message.

If a public cloud provider hosts your IT infrastructure, you get to enjoy unmatchable levels of availability.

This is covered in something called an SLA or "service level agreement". Most of the big providers promise "five nines" – that's 99.999% uptime.
This gives you peace of mind that no matter how much traffic your site gets, you'll stay up and running – and selling.

Speed

Let's go back to our water butt. You're off-grid – a latter-day Henry David Thoreau. Free from the rat race, you're happy to wait until that water butt is full before you run a bath.

Now try running a business with the same model. You'll soon find yourself running back into the arms of corporate water suppliers.

The same is true of cloud computing. Public cloud providers have infrastructure that has high speed in its favour as well as high availability.

It's like replacing a nest of wires with an extension lead – simple, efficient and fast. If you're hosting a web store, you won't look back.

Cost-efficiency

In eCommerce, it all comes down to the bottom line.

Whether you're boxing up orders in your spare room or are an SME renting warehouse space, cloud computing can help you cut costs and be a lean, mean selling machine.

Those savings can then be funnelled back into branding, product development and all the other things you need to make your business sing.

Security

Finally, cloud computing provides high levels of security.

Security has always been important – but never more so now that most retailers handle large quantities of customer data.

If a hacker breaks in and steals your customers' details, you're not only letting them down – you're also in line for a slap on the wrist from GDPR.

Or let's say a hacker brings your website down with a DDoS attack. There's no two ways about it – it's a surefire way to lose both individual sales and return customers.

Looking for a cloud migration partner for your eCommerce business? Here at Ascend, we've helped hundreds of businesses get their workloads where they need to be. Get in touch today for a free, no-obligation consultation.

White-label cloud migration: 5 benefits of partnering with Ascend

Mon, 28 Aug 2023 08:00:00 GMT

Want to provide a cloud migration service without investing in research and development? Find out how a white-label partner could be the answer.

Are you looking to provide a cloud migration service? Is the initial outlay putting you off? Then you might want to consider partnering with a white-label service like Ascend Cloud Solutions.

White labelling is an easy way to provide a service without investing in the costly, lengthy process of research and development. Your white-label partner provides you with a service and you sell it as your own, complete with your company's branding.

Before we go any further, it's important to note that this is a common procedure and one that's totally above board and legal. There's no subterfuge involved. It's a form of outsourcing that allows you to leverage existing expertise to provide a service.

Whether you're aiming to get a venture up and running or you're an existing company wanting to expand your range of services, white labelling can be a cost-effective solution.

It provides a whole host of benefits. It allows you to streamline your workload and focus on branding. It gives you access to existing tools and resources. It provides scalability and instant market credibility. And it lets you build – and keep – your customer base.

Your customers don't need to know about the arrangement – but they'll be the beneficiaries of your new, industry-standard cloud migration solution. It's a great way to gain credibility and increase your standing in a crowded market.

So without further ado, here are five benefits of partnering with a white-label service like Ascend Cloud Solutions.

1. Tightening up your to-do list

Whether you're getting a venture off the ground or trying to take things to the next level, you're going to have a to-do list the length of the Great Wall of China.

SEO. Social media. Facility management. Web development. Branding… And that's just Tuesday.

But that's also what you're best at. You want to play to your strengths, not your so-sos – and that's where a white-label partner can come in handy.

By providing you with an oven-ready service, white labels let you get to work on what you do best. No more cramps of fear every time you look at your schedule. No more half-measures. Instead, you're getting stuff done – with a nice, tidy agenda to boot.

2. Harnessing existing expertise

"If I have seen further," wrote Isaac Newton, "it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants".

Not literally, of course – he meant that he was able to reach new heights by drawing on the work of his predecessors. No Descartes, no Newton. No Spice Girls, no Little Mix.

White labelling is another version of this creative piggybacking. The backend is already there – you're simply leveraging it.

And what is "it"? It's not just a service. It's a pool of expertise, research and tools.

Asking a cloud consultant what they do is like asking Professor Brian Cox what's going on in the Large Hadron Collider. They'll do their best, but at a certain point, you'll run out of questions and wander off for a sandwich.

That's because cloud migration is highly specialised. It's not a topic you can casually explore – not if you want to be a contender in the marketplace.
In practice, this means cloud startups find themselves at a crossroads. Do they invest in cloud talent and train a team of specialists? Or do they look for a white-label solution?

The latter option allows you to jump on the shoulders of giants and take a ride around the paddock. It offers you tried-and-tested products that won't underdeliver and won't bleed your budget dry.

Like all outsourcing solutions, it frees up your time so you can focus on branding and marketing, leaving the technical side of things to the experts.

3. Unlocking more scalability (and saleability)

Ever bought a state-of-the-art smoothie maker? Ever used it religiously for a week and then let it gather dust in the corner?

Building a cloud migration service from scratch is a tricky balancing act. You might spend cautiously and then find down the line that you should have gone bigger. Or you might spend too much and end up with a dusty blender.

White-label cloud migration is scalable. That means your partner will provide you with a solution that fits your present-day needs. You won't be lumbered with too much or too little – but if things go in your favour, you can easily scale up.

4. Keeping on top of your customer base

Working with a white-label partner doesn't mean you have to share your customers. On the contrary – you provide the service under your own name. It's your customer base, not your partner's.

Nine times out of ten, the partnership will be confidential. You take credit for the service and take care of the marketing.

5. Boosting your market cred

Gaining credibility in the marketplace is hard. The cloud market is crowded and there's a lot of competition.

If you keep everything in-house, there's no shortcut. You have to put the hours in – testing, carrying out market research, failing, learning, trying again. With a limited number of exceptions, you're going to feel like you're moving at a snail's pace long before you turn a profit.

Working with a white-label partner is one shortcut you can take.

With white labelling, you're paying for the credibility that comes with road-tested services. You never have to explain to customers that it's early days and you're still figuring things out. Instead, you're a fully-formed entity with a name, a brand and a competitive service.

Sometimes, the path of least resistance is the right path to take

Cloud migration is an in-demand service – but developing your own solution may not be the most cost-effective and efficient route to go down.

Instead, take advantage of an existing solution by partnering with a cloud consultancy like Ascend Cloud Solutions. By doing so, you're putting yourself in a position to focus on branding and marketing and see a good ROI.

Ascend Cloud Solutions works with global firms on a white-label basis. Interested in joining the club? Speak to one of our experts to get the ball rolling.

A guide to VMware Cloud on AWS

Fri, 25 Aug 2023 08:00:00 GMT

Are you looking to extend your VMware software stack into the public cloud? VMware Cloud on AWS could be for you. Discover its benefits in our guide.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a market leader in public cloud provision. VMware is less of a household name, but no less influential in the cloud world. It provides market-leading virtualisation software.

Together, they've engineered a cloud service known as VMware Cloud on AWS.

VMware's software stack can be run on any major cloud. But its partnership with AWS is ideal for running, managing, connecting and protecting apps – first and foremost because it leverages AWS's powerful global infrastructure.

It allows enterprises who have already invested in the VMware stack to extend their virtualised data centre to AWS's public cloud – and has therefore been touted as, "the only hybrid cloud solution that allows you to modernise, protect and scale vSphere-based applications leveraging AWS".

It also enables you to unify multi- and hybrid cloud solutions and manage them from a single pane of glass. You're no longer taking care of multiple bits of software. Everything is there in one place.

And because it's unified, it's highly visible. With VMware Cloud on AWS, you know exactly how your resources are being used and exactly where your workloads are deployed.

It's flexible too. You can deploy apps to any cloud without having to go to the effort of re-architecting them.

The name of the game is simplicity, consistency and availability, with the winning results of lower risks, streamlined operations and a higher ROI.

How the partnership began

Today, VMware is synonymous with virtualised software. But it used to be a provider of both private and public clouds.

Amazon constituted a threat – its globally available public cloud had the potential to significantly reduce the selling power of VMware's virtualisation and private cloud offerings.

So it came as a surprise to both industry analysts and customers when AWS took over VMware's public cloud in mid-2017. The collaboration re-focused VMware's efforts on virtualisation, while Amazon took care of the public cloud and its data centre infrastructure.

The benefits of VMware Cloud on AWS

There are several different benefits of VMware Cloud on AWS, but they all point in one direction: simplicity, consistency and operational excellence.

First, there's its capacity to streamline IT management. We've come a long way from the days when your IT team was installing, maintaining and upgrading multiple point solutions. The trend has been towards unified management – and VMware Cloud on AWS is a success story in this regard.

Different companies deploy different combinations of on-premise, hosted and public clouds. This can lead to cloud sprawl. But with VMware Cloud on AWS, everything is visible from a single pane of glass.

And because it streamlines management, it frees up your team to focus on innovation.

It's flexible and agile, meaning you can run a mixture of workloads. It supports both VMs and containers and allows you to manage them all from a single console. This means your business needs are never constrained by your cloud solution.

It's cost-effective, allowing you to keep your existing software stack and give it wings.

And it allows you to take advantage of AWS's global footprint and availability. You can scale on demand. You can gold-plate your disaster recovery approach. And you can rest assured that your cloud provider takes compliance very, very seriously.

Finally, it's great for developers. AWS provides all sorts of tools for devs – and its infrastructure is both flexible and easy to use.

What are some of its use cases?

VMware Cloud on AWS has a wide range of use cases, all of which can help enterprises take the next step on their digital transformation journey.

Industry analyst John Furrier said it best. "A lot of people said it was a bad deal [when it first came out]… It turned out to be a great deal, because not only could VMware customers actually have a cloud, migrate to the cloud, do it safely… but also position themselves for what's beyond just shifting to the cloud."

Use cases include

App development.
Burst capacity – using idle throughput capacity to handle traffic spikes.
Disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS) – protecting your virtual machines by partnering VMware's disaster recovery with AWS's.
Increasing availability. AWS Cloud has a global presence. At the time of writing, it has 99 availability zones in 31 regions, with plans to expand in Canada, Israel, Malaysia, New Zealand and Thailand.
Simplifying – and speeding up – large-scale migration without having to re-architect or convert workloads.
Testing.
Using AWS services to modernise your apps.

What challenges should you keep in mind?

Using VMware Cloud on AWS means increasing your workloads. Before you take the plunge, you need to thoroughly assess your data and apps.

This requires a highly specialised set of skills. It's not something you can pick up in a training session or two. So it can be advisable to approach a cloud consultant for help with both planning and execution.

A cloud consultant will take the long view, creating a plan that considers long-term usage and efficiency.

They'll assess your workloads and your business needs in order to fashion a timeline that leads to the bare minimum of disruption. Often, this will take the form of incremental waves of migration built around your schedules.

They'll help you to estimate costs and identify potential savings. This can be invaluable if you're worried about the initial outlay.

Finally, they'll take care of the red tape: those essential but headache-inducing compliance requirements and licence acquisitions.

In short, it doesn't have to be stressful. Getting a cloud consultant on board takes the sting from the tail of the entire process – from initial assessments to the migration itself.

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we're VMware cloud experts – and can handle migrations to any VMware-based cloud. Looking for a consultant to help you level up your cloud solution? Get in touch today to get the ball rolling.

What is serverless computing?

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 08:00:00 GMT

Are you an app developer? Then you might want to consider investigating serverless computing. Join us as we break down what it is and how it works.

At first sight, the phrase "serverless computing" is a little confusing. Servers are the engine room of computing – wouldn't a model of cloud provision without servers be like a car without wheels?

In fact, "serverless computing" is, if not a misnomer, then not quite what it says on the tin. It can be filed alongside the difference between public and private clouds in the Big Book of Confusing Cloud Terminology.

It's serverless in the same way that your home is generatorless. From your perspective, you can just plug in that Hoover and go. But the electricity has to come from somewhere.

In a serverless setup, you use a cloud platform to write code – and the servers that allow this to happen are maintained and managed by a cloud provider.

You pay for the resources and storage you use and the cloud vendor makes it possible behind the scenes.

In theory, this division of labour is ideal for developers who want to focus on building and running apps without having to manage servers.

It's also an example of how broad and sweeping “the cloud" has become. It's so much more than a place to store your holiday snaps.

Why serverless?

Serverless computing shares its main advantage with cloud computing in general. The user uses and the provider provides. To return to our electricity analogy, why build a working nuclear reactor when you can pay a monthly bill to the energy company?

The journey from bare metal to virtual machines to containers to serverless is one where the business is less and less responsible for setting up and maintaining the environment. Its staff can spend more time writing code and business logic and less time pulling the levers that make it possible.
For the end user, serverless is entirely abstracted from the underlying infrastructure. You're not responsible for either a bare metal server or a virtual machine.
The question on your lips might be how serverless computing is different from containers – the cloud solution pioneered by Docker that bundles up files and libraries into discrete containers which can run on any Linux infrastructure.
At the technical level, there are lots of differences. But from a user perspective, the main difference is one of scaling.
Containers simplify the deployment process – but when you want to scale up your apps, they present problems. Serverless, however, auto-scales.
It's a bit like being a painter and hiring a studio. With serverless computing, you hire the room, the brushes, the easel and everything else you need – and you know that the studio manager will take care of wiring, rising damp and any other problems.
If studio rental worked like serverless computing, it would vanish in a puff of smoke the minute you left the room. Resources come to life – or "spin up", to use the lingo – only when required.
This means you're never paying for anything you don't use. With containers in a public cloud, however, you're paying a month's rent upfront.
Advantages of serverless computing
Serverless computing is cost-effective. Its auto-scaling capacity means you're only charged for the resources you use, unlike previous iterations of cloud computing where you're paying for idle time too.
It's an easy and quick way to write and deploy apps, which means you can get your creations to the marketplace at a satisfying pace. You can pour all your energy into developing apps while the provider maintains the underlying infrastructure.
This user-friendliness is also connected to its polyglot nature. It's the Switzerland of cloud computing. You can write your code in whatever language you like.
Finally, serverless provides high availability. There's a team of technicians behind the scenes ensuring that the server is always running.
But like everything in life, there's another side to the coin.
Disadvantages of serverless computing
A big risk of serverless is vendor lock-in. Different vendors provide different services – so you're not enjoying the flexibility of a multi-cloud solution.
Serverless is built for speed. However, if you're deploying a long-running app, you may find that the bill dwarfs that of a VM or dedicated server.
Latency can be an issue, especially when handling a function for the first time.
Serverless instances are perpetually self-renewing – little digital phoenixes that spin up entirely new versions of themselves each time. This can make debugging a delicate operation.
Finally, serverless instances time out. Executing code can be a race against the clock. This isn't always a problem but can be if the app you're developing is especially involved.
Who's it for?
Serverless computing can be used in a variety of use cases:

App and website backends
Asynchronous processing – behind-the-scenes tasks that don't interrupt your programming flow
Building RESTful APIs
Continuous delivery (CD) and continuous integration (CI)
IoT data processing
Security checks
Trigger-based tasks (e.g. a user signs up on your website, which triggers a database update, or a security sensor triggers a push notification)
Video/image manipulation
Writing polyglot (multi-language) apps

Why did Amazon ditch serverless?
Amazon made a splash in the tech world when it announced, in May 2023, that its video quality analysis team was ditching its serverless micro-service architecture and moving back to a "monolith". The switch allegedly saved Amazon 90%.

The irony here is that Amazon was one of the market leaders in serverless computing, introducing Lambda functions back in 2014.

This is newsworthy because it challenges the purported advantages of serverless. The pitch is usually that serverless computing scales efficiently and saves you money. But Amazon appears to have decided that neither of these things is true.

It's too soon to say whether this is an edge case or a dramatic blow against serverless computing.

But despite Amazon's headline-grabbing move, it seems likely that serverless will continue its upward trajectory in 2023 and beyond as cloud providers continue to plump up their offerings.

The bottom line

Whatever its disadvantages, serverless enables developers to focus on code by eliminating management and maintenance overheads – and it's playing an important role in global digital transformation.

Ascend is a cloud solutions provider that specialises in cloud migration and VMware consulting services . Want a trusted partner for your next cloud project? Speak to one of our experts today.

Migrating a fully remote business to the cloud

Fri, 18 Aug 2023 08:00:00 GMT

Fully remote businesses are on the up – and they're only possible because of the cloud. Learn how a cloud consultant can help you make the move.

If you're working in business, you won't have failed to notice that things have changed dramatically over the last few years.

The pandemic didn't invent remote working – but it did take the stabilisers off. Many companies realised its benefits – not only the cost savings it can unlock but also its positive effects on employee satisfaction and retention.

In fact, it can be such an attractive proposition that some companies have gone fully remote.

A fully remote business is one without premises. Employees are free to work where they choose, whether it's at home, in a co-working space, on a park bench or up a mountain. All they need is a laptop and an internet connection.

This way of working, which swaps in-person meetings with Zoom calls and water coolers with cafetières, offers a range of benefits to business owners.

In theory, it offers a wider pool of talent to recruit from, freed from geographical restraints. It's also said to reduce absenteeism and boost retention, satisfaction and productivity.

But most of all, it saves money. Transitioning to a fully remote way of working immediately frees up your budget. You no longer have to pay commercial rent or bills or fork out for office furniture or kitchen appliances. Many fully remote businesses find that these lower overheads can accelerate their business growth.

But none of this would be possible without cloud technology.

How the cloud makes fully remote businesses possible

Whether a business has transitioned to being fully remote or is starting out with that model in mind, a cloud solution is essential.
The primary function of the cloud is to make software and data available anywhere that has an internet connection. From streaming services to customer management platforms – and everything in between – it makes things accessible pretty much anywhere in the world.

In the absence of business premises, a cloud platform is your store cupboard, meeting room and office cubicles all rolled into one. The cloud is where you run most – if not all – of your apps and store your data.

So far, so good. But novel solutions bring novel challenges – and fully remote businesses are no exception.

There are always DIY solutions – but they're going to soak up huge amounts of time, money and energy. You might need to provide your IT technicians with additional training or recruit a dedicated cloud expert.

An alternative is to partner with a cloud consultant. Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we specialise in cloud migration and have managed over 400 successful projects.

We understand the challenges faced by fully remote businesses – and can promise to work with you to build those considerations into a migration plan that delivers the goods.

Security, the cloud and fully remote businesses

Every business has to take security seriously, from Tesla to Terry's junk shop down the road.

A fully remote business has one big consideration: how to secure a complex network. The very nature of the business means that the network consists of a multitude of users, devices and locations.

With all these variables flying about, chinks in the armour can appear – and it only takes one chink for all hell to break loose.

At best, a security breach will lead to downtime – at worst, you'll be forced to pay a fine. That's why you need your cloud migration to be secure and compliant with all the relevant laws and regulations.

Again, this is where a cloud consultant can help. They'll be able to bake compliance and data governance into your migration plan.

If you're fully remote, the cloud is your workplace. Downtime doesn't mean a loss of productivity – it means an end to it. It's like arriving at the office one morning to find the place in flames.

The benefits of working with a cloud consultant

A good cloud consultant knows the cloud in immense and (some would say) tedious detail. But they also know how cloud migration fits into a business growth plan.

After all, the cloud is there to help you grow. It's not window-dressing – it's the window itself. It promises to streamline operations, centralise data and transform your way of working. If you get the migration wrong, you might as well throw your chequebook on the fire.

However, businesses aren't always set up in a way that smoothly aligns technology and business practice. There can be rifts. IT wants one thing and management wants another.

Working with a reputable, experienced cloud consultant can help to bridge this divide. It will plan your migration with one question in mind: how will this transfer of workflows make this business grow?

This "thisness" is all. There's no one-size-fits-all cloud migration solution. It's about your requirements as a fully remote business. Ask yourself – and ask your consultant – how will this help this?

You want a partner, then, who will tailor the plan to your requirements. Who will read tech news digests with their Bran Flakes. Who will know how compliance will affect you. And who will execute the migration with an absolute minimum of disruption.

About us

Here at Ascend Cloud Solutions, we know cloud migration inside out. We've been there, done that and got the certification and satisfied customers to prove it.

Our speciality is "lift-and-shift" migrations. This is a kind of migration where your workflows are scooped up and dropped into a new cloud environment without any changes being made first.

This is because we believe it's best to "move now and optimise later". We might even get it printed on our company crest (in Latin, of course).

Whether you're making the move to fully remote working or just starting out on your journey, we can help you migrate to the cloud with our road-tested five-step plan.

And we'll do so with one thing in mind: how to help you realise your business goals.

If your business is fully remote, you need the best cloud solutions you can find – and we can help you to get there.

Looking for a cloud migration partner? Get in touch today for a free, no-obligation quote.

Cloud migration in education: benefits and challenges

Mon, 14 Aug 2023 08:00:00 GMT

More and more schools, colleges and universities are migrating to the cloud. Learn about the challenges and benefits of this new way of working.

If you work in education, you're probably already familiar with a range of cloud services – even if you don't call them that.

Got a Gmail account? That's the cloud. Logging into a shared document? Cloud. Zooming a colleague? Well, you get the picture.

Cloud technology is so much more than just an ethereal backup for your gallery of cat pics. Any piece of software or computing function can be accessed from anywhere, on any device. When that's the set-up, it's on the cloud.

Cloud services are untethered from a physical location. Just as you can log into your Netflix account in any location that has an internet signal, so you can access software that's critical to the day-to-day operations of your institution.

In education, more and more institutions are embracing the cloud – from HR software to team comms, from online learning portals to teacher resources.

It's all part of a general trend of digital transformation. Advocates (like us!) believe it's a cost-effective and convenient way of managing your software and data that can make a valuable difference to student and teacher outcomes.

What are the benefits of cloud migration for educational organisations?

Some of the benefits for schools, colleges and universities are the same as the benefits for any other sector. Others are specific to your goals as an educational institution.

The elevator pitch for cloud migration in any sector goes something like this.

You're a company or institution with a lot of data and a lot of software. To keep these running, you need a room full of servers.

Great! You're the captain of your digital destiny, fully in control of your infrastructure.

Then the day comes when you hit capacity. You need more servers. Or, conversely, you're scaling back and need fewer. Either way, there's no way to achieve this without spending a lot of money and putting up with disruption to your day-to-day activities.

Or say the day comes when a server needs repairing. This is an unexpected outlay – and time-sink – that you could really do without.

When you migrate to the cloud, the provider sorts all of that out for you. They take care of upkeep and management – and they oversee the process when you need to scale up or down. It's as simple as changing your subscription plan.

And while they're at it, they're on top of the ever-changing cyber-security landscape. When a new threat emerges, they respond. Your infrastructure is automatically updated.

From a budgetary point of view, you're replacing long-term costs prone to unwanted spikes with a straightforward payment plan.

Another overarching advantage is that it centralises your data and software. They're no longer split between different bits of software on different bits of hardware that aren't always accessible when you need them.

In the age of hybrid working – and hybrid learning – this accessibility is a godsend.

In the context of education, it also enhances collaboration among staff. It's easy to share and co-author documents, files and lesson plans. All you need are your staff login details and a working internet connection. It doesn't matter whether you're in the staff room, in the science block or on a roof terrace in Dubai.

At a time when teacher burnout is an issue facing many institutions, this accessibility can help relieve some of the stress.

Cloud-based software is also great at automating data analysis. All your student data is in one place and your software can extract insights into performance and attendance with a speed that an individual member of staff can't match.

Then there's the potential unlocked by virtual classrooms. These became headline news – and a household reality – during the pandemic, but the trend shows no sign of abating.

Some are sceptical of the value of virtual classrooms. In reality, they are to traditional classroom learning what Zoom meetings are to a conference room. You get out what you put in.

If planned and delivered well, virtual classrooms can be engaging and stimulating environments.

They're also accessible. No one needs to be excluded from the class because of health issues or special educational needs.

Finally, they can be used for induction. In situations where a student can't attend in-person induction for any reason, this can be invaluable.
What are some challenges for educational organisations?

The key concern for many education professionals is the cost. But, in fact, cloud services generally cost less than on-premise data centres – even when you take into account investment in cloud-ready devices.

The other issue is data protection. There's a fear that the cloud is insecure – and given that educational institutions hold a lot of sensitive data, it's a reasonable concern.

Two things are worth pointing out here. One is that cloud providers have some of the most rigorous security teams in the world. It's their job to keep your data safe – and they have resources to do so that exceed your own.

The other point to make is that migrating to the cloud frees up time that you can redirect to security if you so choose. IT no longer has to uncoil cables and install updates. Instead, they can work on improving your security posture.

Last but not least, there's the question of data sovereignty. In France , for instance, the Education Minister has said that free versions of Google Workspace and Microsoft Office 365 shouldn't be used in schools.

Why? Because Microsoft and Google store data in the USA – and an EU Court of Justice ruling called "Schrems II" has said that US data governance falls short of European privacy standards.

This is a legislative tangle beyond the scope of this blog post. But whatever the complications, we would say that the benefits far outweigh the challenges – and that those challenges can be tackled well by reputable cloud consultants.

More and more educational institutions are moving to the cloud and reaping the rewards. Are you going to get involved?

At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we know VMware cloud migration like the backs of our hands. If you want to learn more about our services, get in touch today.

The future of AI and cloud computing: predictions from pop culture

Fri, 11 Aug 2023 08:00:00 GMT

What is the future of artificial intelligence and cloud computing – and can sci-fi and pop fiction give us any clues? Join us as we dust off our crystal ball.

In 2014, Stephan Meyn wrote an article for Wired entitled, "The Cloud in 10 Years: Will It Be a Major Force, Same Visibility in the Next Decade?"
Nine years on, and he got one thing eerily right: cloud computing would lead to a huge expansion of remote working.

"Expect," he wrote, "fewer people sitting in offices, as cost pressures make large centralised offices less essential. Professionals whose core jobs require them to be out and about – visiting customers, working on jet engines, or transporting goods – will not be required to return to the office at the end of the day and may well not see the office for extended periods of time.

"This," he concludes, "is the future of cloud."

Now the future of cloud is here and forms of remote working are the norm. While this process was accelerated by the pandemic, it's safe to say that technology has been leading us this way for a while.

But what's the new future of the cloud? Many people agree that it's sure to involve AI.

Artificial intelligence and cloud computing

AI is one of those scientific developments that hasn't only been predicted by scientists, but also by writers of imaginative fiction.

In 1964, for instance, sci-fi author Arthur C. Clarke predicted that "the most intelligent inhabitants" of the future "won't be men or monkeys" but machines.

He went on: "The present-day electronic brains are complete morons – but this will not be true in another generation. They will start to think and eventually they will completely out-think their makers."

To put that in perspective, a computer at the time – say the PDP-1 – had 9.2 kilobytes of memory. Today, a MacBook Pro will come with anywhere between 256 gigabytes and two terabytes of storage.

The sheer amount of data that companies deal with is part of the reason why AI is likely to have a big influence on the future of cloud computing.

Those fathomless petabytes of data running through a company's bloodstream simply can't be managed by an administrator. Companies need software to take the reins – and software is more and more using AI.

It's likely that AI will be increasingly used to automate routine IT management tasks – resource allocation, for example, and scaling.

It's already being used to analyse data and "sense demand". As the technology improves, it seems highly likely that data analysis will be carried out primarily by bots.

AI also has lots of potential for cyber security. A machine can, in theory, detect and contain threats with far greater speed and accuracy than humans.

As cyber criminals grow in sophistication and threats become ever harder to manage, cloud-based AI could be the hero we need.

Times when sci-fi and popular fiction got it right

Sci-fi and pop fiction have long been fascinated by the prospect of artificial intelligence. In fact, a cyberpunk novella by American writer Vernor Vinge may have predicted cloud computing back in 1981. Take this quotation:

"In minutes, he had traced through three changes of carrier and found a place to do his intermediate computing. The Comsats rented processor time almost as cheaply as ground stations, and an automatic payment transaction… gave him sole control of a large data space within milliseconds of his request."

It's all there: "intermediate computing", renting out processor time and data space, direct debits, superfast computing… The book also hints at a future "singularity" – a point in the future where technology slips out of our grasp and takes over. This is a recurring theme in dystopian sci-fi.

Other predictions are more lighthearted – and several have come to pass.

Star Trek is like an Argos catalogue of cloud-based tech: Bluetooth headsets, Alexa-style voice-activated assistants, mobile phones and even automatic sliding doors. And as VR continues to develop, we might be closer to the Holodeck than ever before.

Checking your smartwatch or smartphone for a weather update? Back to the Future predicted it back in 1989.

In the early sixties, labour-saving devices were changing households in the developed world – so it's no surprise that The Jetsons included a robot maid in its animated cast.

While sentient robot servants are still a pipe dream, hands-free vacuum cleaners like iRobot are on the market – and they're hooked up to the cloud.

Can sci-fi tell us about our future?

Neal Stephenson is an American sci-fi writer whose fiction – especially 1992's Snow Crash – has been credited with predicting big data, virtual worlds and wearable tech.

But by his own admission , he didn't see cloud computing coming – and, he adds, "I think that things are less predictable now".

The reason for this, he says, is that "the instruments of change are more widely distributed among a larger number of people". Technological research and development are no longer centralised – so you have to take notes fast if you want to predict future developments.

Nevertheless, speculating about the future is a tale as old as time – and Canadian-American sci-fi writer Robert J. Sawyer made this prediction back in 2019:

"The future of computing is artificial consciousness, and it will be here within 20 years, and maybe much sooner than that… Thinking – and feeling – machines won't be burdened with billions of years of Darwinian nastiness driving them and they won't think in terms of win-lose but rather of win-win, because their natural environment is one of endless bounty, of unlimited copying of whatever resource one might desire. In the end, we may finally learn compassion and altruism from our machine children."

It's not a million miles from Arthur C. Clarke's prediction of "inorganic or mechanical evolution":

"Is this depressing? I don't see why it should be. We superseded the Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal man and we presume we're an improvement. I think we should regard it as a privilege to be stepping stones to higher things."

What's next?
Predicting the future is never a reliable science. For every prediction of Nostradamus that appears to have come true, there's a whopping error. But whatever our future looks like, it's very likely that AI and cloud computing will continue to shape our private, work and leisure lives.
Ascend provides expert cloud solutions in Ireland , the UK and beyond. To keep up to date with the latest cloud news, follow our blog .

Africa's digital plumbing problem (and how to solve it)

Mon, 07 Aug 2023 08:00:00 GMT

Africa is home to 1.2 billion people but only a tiny percentage of the world's data centres. Learn more about its digital plumbing – and how we might fix it.

In 2021, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed sounded a grave warning at the UN General Assembly. She warned that the digital divide between the developed world and the developing world will be "the new face of inequality".

"Almost half the world's population," she said, "3.7 billion people, the majority of them women, and most in developing countries, are still offline."

This means that while the tech sector is thriving in developed countries, it's a different story in the global south. AI, blockchain and cloud computing are effecting a digital transformation – but it's not at all equally distributed.

Mohammed called for a "global town hall" to address the problem and "steer the course of our digital future". In its absence, some change could be wrought by the improvement of the global south's "digital plumbing" – the infrastructure that allows the internet to work at all.

Africa's digital plumbing: what's the problem?

Africa has 17% of the world's population – but less than one percent of the world's data centres.

It's important to say at the outset that we're not mistaking Africa for a country. The nations that make up Africa are diverse in culture, religion and the distribution of wealth.

There's a big difference between the larger African economies and the smaller ones. But the overall picture is clear: despite the proliferation of smartphones and business software across the continent, its standing in the digital world is lagging behind the global north.

Things could be starting to change, however, as more data centres get built in some of Africa's smaller economies.

But first – why data centres?

Why are data centres important?

These days, most businesses rely on the internet and the internet relies on data centres – big ones. We're not talking about a shed with a couple of servers. We're talking about "hyperscale" facilities housing thousands of the things.

Globally, data centres are now as crucial as pylons, power stations or banks. Without them, businesses have to maintain on-premise data centres – the digital equivalent of having your own electricity generator.

But like other kinds of infrastructure, data centres are unequally distributed across the globe. This is one of the causes of the digital divide that the UN Deputy Secretary-General spoke of.

The inequality between the global north and global south is reflected in the equality within Africa itself.

Over the last five years, there's been a big increase in cloud computing in Africa's biggest economies – Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Kenya and South Africa. The number of hyperscale facilities in South Africa, for instance, is rapidly growing.

But to give you some indication of the disparity between Africa and the global north, there are 37 data centres in South Africa, a country with a population of 59 million. Italy has a similar population, but more than 100 data centres.

And at the end of 2022, the continent as a whole had just five more data centres than the city of Mumbai. That's roughly the same infrastructure to support a continent of 1.2 billion and a city of around 12 million.

The causes of this disparity – and the uneven distribution of Africa's digital plumbing – are far from simple. But one factor is the availability of power, with energy poverty evident even in a developed market like South Africa.

This matters because uptime is essential to the digital economy – those "five nines" at the end of 99% that are a stamp of quality for an SLA.

But things continue to change. Now that the bigger economies have received a lot of investment in data centres, it's the turn of some of the smaller economies.

Pan-African data centre operator Raxio is planning to build around 30 new facilities in Angola, Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda.

What effect could these new data centres have?

An optimistic reading would suggest that these 30 new data centres could help to level out the inequalities and imbalances of digital infrastructure in Africa.

This investment could give smaller African economies a seat at the table when it comes to dynamic industries like artificial intelligence (AI).

AI is a branch of computing that relies on superfast data centres. Without this infrastructure, a country like Angola could find itself locked out of the process.

Customers could benefit, too. Here in Ireland, we enjoy relatively low subscription costs for cloud computing, partly because the digital plumbing means we're never far from a hyperscale facility.

In parts of Africa, by comparison, internet service providers have to travel to maintain and upgrade facilities – costs which are transferred to the consumer.

If cloud costs go down, eCommerce could go up. Tech hubs could start to emerge in smaller economies. The more infrastructure, the more investment – it's no accident that Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa enjoy more investment than, say, Mozambique.

There's a political angle, too. Huge swathes of Africa's data are stored in other parts of the world, connected by subsea cables built by American tech companies like Alphabet and Meta.

This means the personal data of African citizens is stored offshore – a state of affairs that can undermine African policymakers. If their own privacy laws are overruled by those of the country hosting their data, their hands are effectively tied.

A more pessimistic view would say that these countries need far more investment if they're to compete globally, attract investment and go toe to toe with tech companies in developed markets.

There are also warnings that it could be another example of "digital colonialism", with outside corporations such as Alphabet, Huawei and Meta competing to extract profits from the continent.

Either way, it seems plausible that major investment across the African continent would help to bridge the digital gap between the global north and the global south.

Ascend is a team of trusted cloud computing experts based in Cork, Ireland. For more up-to-the-minute industry analysis, be sure to bookmark our blog .

Cloud compliance isn't all that scary, actually

Fri, 04 Aug 2023 08:00:00 GMT

Do you know your ISO from your GDPR? Cloud compliance is a crucial part of any cloud migration. Find out more about how a cloud consultant can help.

When you migrate to the cloud, you need to pay attention to the issue of compliance.

The phrase refers to the regulatory standards and local, national and international laws relating to cloud security. They exist to promote safe data handling – and to dole out fines and other penalties if you oversee a data breach.

The issue can seem daunting – partly because of the technical language used. Even if you've done your homework on the basics of cloud migration, you might still be stumped by the blizzard of acronyms.

Cloud compliance doesn't happen automatically – but it also doesn't have to be hard.

So long as you know your responsibilities, have a strong security posture, and partner with a reputable cloud consultant, you should be able to enjoy all the benefits of the cloud without any regulatory headaches.

But before we get into your responsibilities as a business preparing for cloud migration, what is cloud compliance, exactly?

What is cloud compliance?

Cloud usage is governed by different standards, laws and regulations. No one law covers the whole of cloud security. Instead, there's a patchwork of different protections.

Any business using the cloud has to be compliant with local, national and international laws. There are industry standards, too, such as those relating to card payments. Then there are regulatory standards. And your business's internal governance policies. And so on.

It can seem like a lot. But if you work with a cloud consultant to plan and execute your migration, they can identify the laws, regulations and policies that you need to follow.

Why is cloud compliance so important?

In 2022, over 60% of all business data was resting in the cloud. That's double the figure for 2015 – and this growth shows no sign of slowing down.

Data continues to multiply, so it needs to be monitored and safeguarded.

The main reason that cloud compliance is important is that you need to do all you can to avoid data breaches.

There are two sides to this. First, you owe it to your customers, suppliers and partners. They're entrusting you with personal data, sometimes of a sensitive nature. Any breach is liable to give your reputation a good kicking.

And secondly, data breaches have consequences. You could be fined – and we're talking big money. In 2022, IBM reported that the average cost of a data breach was a staggering $4.35 million.

Even if you don't get hit with a fine, you could experience downtime when your data processing is audited, suspended or banned.

It's tempting to think that a data breach is something that will never happen to you, like flood, fire or a personal injury.

But it's a far from rare occurrence. In 2021, IDC revealed that 98% of the companies they spoke to had experienced one or more data breaches.

In the USA, a violation of HIPAA – the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act – can lead to financial penalties or, in the most serious cases, imprisonment.

And when a US citizen is the victim of a data breach, they can contact the CCPA to pursue statutory damages.

In the EU, there's GDPR, which has set a maximum fine of either £17.5 million or four percent of annual turnover. Alternatively, you could be reprimanded or have your ability to process data suspended or banned altogether.

Whether a fine or downtime, the consequences of non-compliance are serious – and just not worth the trouble.

Cloud compliance, then, is a way of ensuring that you can enjoy the benefits of cloud migration without any compromise to security.

How to achieve cloud compliance

There are several steps you should take to ensure cloud compliance.

Before you migrate, you need to know which regulations and laws you should comply with – and identify any risks or security requirements that apply to you.

You also need to know your responsibilities. It's a common misconception that your cloud provider takes full responsibility for compliance – but, in fact, most providers have a model of shared responsibility.

This means they agree to ensure that their infrastructure is compliant. Your job is to keep your data safe in the cloud.

So before you make the move, make sure you're working with a trusted cloud provider with a clear policy on your – and their – responsibilities.

Help is at hand. A good cloud consultant can help with the above – and this can be indispensable when you're getting ready to migrate. Forewarned, as they say, is forearmed.

Once you've migrated to the cloud, you need a strong security posture. This is largely a question of access.

At bottom, you need a strict policy determining who is granted access to data – and how much of it. Access shouldn't be universal. After all, there's only a limited number of people in a company who need unfettered access to everything.

If your business handles sensitive data, then a hybrid solution can be advisable. This is where you store most of your workflows on the public cloud and your classified information in an on-premise data centre.

Encryption is key. A 2021 study found that 83% of businesses failed to encrypt up to half of their sensitive data – even after they'd experienced a data breach.

Also key is regular auditing and monitoring of your cloud architecture. While your cloud provider will automatically update you with their security improvements, there's no substitute for a strong internal security posture.

The bottom line

Cloud migration is a big deal. There's a reason it's considered part of digital transformation and not, say, digital tweaking. The way you work changes, big-time – and we're far from the only ones who think it's a change for the better.

But as you embrace the change, you need to make sure you're on top of compliance to avoid the nasty consequences of data breaches.

Working with a reputable cloud migration partner will equip you with the facts, so you know exactly what to do with regard to regulations, laws, responsibilities and changes to security. Trust us – you won't look back.

Are you looking for a cloud migration partner? At Ascend Cloud Solutions, we've handled over 400 successful migrations and counting. Get in touch today to find out more.

Ascendcloud

Tanzu guide: how it's changing the game for cloud-native apps

Going cloud-native? Discover how VMware Tanzu is changing the game in our accessible explainer.

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What is VMware Tanzu?

How does VMware Tanzu manage containers?

Why does VMware Tanzu matter?

What is a cloud-native app?

What are microservices?

What are containers?

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What is Tanzu Spring?

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How we can help

Sustainability in IT training: how virtual labs save energy and waste

In 2026, sustainability is as important to IT as to every other aspect of business. Find out the role virtual labs can play.

How virtual labs save energy for lab providers

How virtual labs save energy and waste for educators

How virtual labs save energy and waste for students

What are the other benefits of virtual labs for training?

1. They're risk-free

2. They're flexible

3. They improve learner retention

4. They provide real-time teacher feedback and tech support

How Ascend Cloud Solutions builds scalable VMware labs

Discover how we provide fast, high-performance lab hosting services for VMware Education Delivery Partners.

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Building a positive UX for students and teachers

24/7 support

Empowering learners with knowledge

The importance of expertise

What is VEDP?

What courses do you host labs for?

What is a VMware lab?

How cloud engineers learn by breaking things safely

How do cloud engineers learn to troubleshoot common issues? Answer: by breaking things in controlled environments.

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What is a virtual sandbox?

What are the use cases for breaking things safely in a cloud environment?

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The perfect learning environment: why virtual beats physical

The future is bright! The future is virtual? Find out how virtual learning and labs beat physical classrooms every time.

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Why virtual learning beats classroom learning

1. Flexibility

2. Accessibility

3. Cost-effectiveness

4. Personalisation

5. Reduced risk

Hosting for virtual IT learning labs

Closing the skills gap in cloud infrastructure

Are you struggling to close the cloud computing skills gap in your firm? Explore 4 ways to proceed in our guide.

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1. Upskilling

2. Harness AI

3. Think about the culture

4. Training and hands-on experience

What the next generation of cloud engineers expect from training

Cloud computing training is evolving. But does it chime with the expectations of Gen Z cloud engineers? Let's find out.

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Does today's cloud computing training chime with Gen Z expectations?

IT training: why experience beats rote learning every time

Looking to deepen your VMware knowledge? Find out why experiential learning wins the day, every day.

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1. How deep is your knowledge?

2. Getting ready for the real world

3. Meaningful feedback

4. More engaging, less… boring

5. Creative thinking allowed

What is VEDP?

How we can help

Kubernetes for VMware admins: a gentle introduction

Struggling to get your head around Kubernetes (K8s)? Explore the core concepts and use cases in our guide.

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What is Kubernetes?

How does it work?

What are the three core design principles of Kubernetes?

What are the benefits of Kubernetes?