In Brazil, cloud infrastructure grows rapidly and shows signs of maturity. Organizations have been implementing new practices and exploring new business models through this infrastructure model.
However, most business applications and systems are still migrated to the cloud as if they were in a private data center without taking advantage of the possibilities of cloud computing. After all, we must rethink applications and systems to better explore these possibilities. What points should we take into account when optimizing applications to run in the cloud?
The Cost Dimension
The usage-based billing model is an important aspect that must be taken into account. Many applications have been migrated to the cloud “as is” without changing and evaluating the execution model, the usage profile and peak situations, which could reveal excellent cost reduction opportunities. Why allocate a computing resource 24/7, for instance, a server, to run an application that is only used during business hours? In this case, migrating the application to a Platform as a Service (PaaS) model, for instance, could result in great savings.
Other interesting information about an application’s cost of execution and resource usage are:
- Assessing performance and bottlenecks can reveal inefficiencies that must be mitigated.
- Using database servers as services, such as AWS RDS, can significantly reduce the cost of managing applications.
- Hiring data storage services (AWS S3, Azure Blob) can result in decreased information storage costs.
- Reassess the cost of licensing infrastructure components, which can be replaced by services made available in the cloud.
New Possibilities
The possibilities are another key aspect to be taken into account for applications running in the cloud and built especially to run in the cloud. It is important to think about projects based on available resources through which innovative applications are created. Some of these resources are:
Viscosity, dynamic
The possibility to allocate and release resources on demand can reduce the need for batch processing after business hours.
Products “As Service”
Mobile Backend as a Service (MBaaS), authentication mechanisms, cache mechanisms and even log analysis resources can streamline application construction, as well as reduce investments and delivery times.
More sophisticated features at a low cost
New highly sophisticated technological concepts, such as machine learning, deep learning, cognitive services, large-scale event processing services, have reached competitive prices some time ago, which makes it possible to offer innovative solutions.
Serverless Computing
Services like AWS Lambda or Azure Functions implement this concept. Short code snippets (functions) are executed from triggered events, for example, database changes or receiving e-mail. It streamlines the execution of workflows and better integrates business teams, which increases their efficiency.
The great innovation of cloud computing is not only made up of IaaS, PaaS and SaaS models. It is important to evaluate the entire spectrum of the Cloud Continuum and select the appropriate tools and services for each new solution.
Certainly, cloud computing is one of the most important elements of the rapid digital transformation of markets.
