Category Archives: Tech

Introduction to Cloud Services

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Cloud services have transformed the landscape of IT infrastructure, enabling organizations and individuals to access and utilize computing resources in a more flexible and efficient manner.

I got asked recently what it was and how it worked so this prompted me writing this article.
Let us explore the fundamental concepts of cloud services and discuss a few of their benefits.

What Are Cloud Services?

Cloud services refer to a variety of IT resources that are delivered over the internet. These resources can be categorized into three main types:

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS):
  • IaaS provides virtualized (no onsite requirement) computing resources, such as servers, storage, and networking components.
  • Users can provision and manage these resources on-demand without direct intervention from the cloud service provider.
  • Examples of IaaS providers would include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
Platform as a Service (PaaS):
  • PaaS offers development and deployment environments for building and hosting applications.
  • Developers can focus on writing code without worrying about managing the underlying infrastructure.
  • PaaS providers include platforms like Heroku, Google App Engine, and Microsoft Azure App Service.
Software as a Service (SaaS):
  • SaaS delivers ready-to-use applications directly to end-users via a web browser.
  • Users can access these applications without the need for installation or local maintenance.
  • Popular SaaS examples include Gmail, Microsoft Office 365, and Salesforce.

Characteristics of Cloud Services

Self-Service:
  • Users can setup and manage resources independently, without requiring manual intervention from the service provider.
  • This self-service model allows for flexibility and agility.
Network Access:
  • Cloud services are accessible from anywhere over the internet or private network.
  • Users can access resources using various devices, including laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
Pooling of Resources:
  • Cloud providers can pool computing resources to serve multiple users.
  • Resources are dynamically allocated based on demand, optimizing utilization.
Scalability:
  • Cloud resources can be scaled up or down quickly to accommodate changing workloads.
  • This scalability ensures efficient resource utilization and cost-effectiveness.
Service Measurability:
  • Usage of cloud resources is metered, and users are billed accordingly.
  • The pay-as-you-go model allows organizations to pay only for what they consume.

Benefits of Cloud Services

Cost Efficiency:
  • Cloud services reduces the need for large upfront capital expenditures on hardware and software.
  • Organizations can scale resources as needed, paying only for what they use.
Scalability:
  • Cloud resources can be easily scaled up or down to handle varying workloads.
  • This flexibility ensures optimal performance during peak times and cost savings during off-peak periods.
Increased Agility:
  • Cloud services enable faster deployment of applications and services.
  • Development teams can focus on innovation rather than infrastructure management.
Improved Manageability:
  • Cloud providers handle infrastructure maintenance, updates, and security.
  • Organizations can concentrate on their core business activities.
Enhanced Reliability:
  • Cloud providers offer robust disaster recovery and high availability features.
  • Redundancy and failover mechanisms ensure minimal downtime.
Anywhere Access:
  • Users can access cloud-based applications and data from any location with an internet connection.
  • This flexibility supports remote work and collaboration.

Options for Cloud Deployment Models

Public Cloud:
  • Resources are shared among multiple users or organizations over the internet.
  • Public cloud providers offer a wide range of services accessible to anyone.
  • Examples: AWS, Azure, GCP.
Private Cloud:
  • Resources are dedicated to a single organization.
  • Private clouds provide greater control over security and customization.
  • Examples: On-premises private clouds or hosted private clouds.

In summary, cloud services empower organizations to be more agile, cost-effective, and responsive to changing business needs. Whether you’re an IT manager, non-technical  or a business owner, understanding cloud services is essential in today’s digital landscape.

What are some Challenges with Managing over 25 Applications for an Institution

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Have you ever stopped to think about what it would be like to manage over 25 Business Systems for an Institution. How would you manage applications that are accessed 24/7. What are the day to day challenges. How do you manage the different Business areas each with their own set of requests and goals. How do you manage uptime, upgrades, performance etc.

I hope this post will provide an insight into what it was like and how to juggle the various challenges.

Communication:

  • We had weekly meetings with each of the business areas. This would allow them to share any new requests, receive updates on work in pipeline and also to raise any concerns they may have.
  • Real-time dashboards for some applications.
  • Internal status reports updated and shared in a central location for all concerned to have access.
  • Monthly status meetings with Senior Leadership.
  • Weekly reports to Middle Managers.

Security:

  • It was crucial to have secure systems, with real-time monitoring.
  • Encryption and access controls in place with regular audits.
  • Requirements to apply vendor patches and updates needed to be carefully managed with Change Board visibility. Especially if they would require downtime.
  • Changes tied in with Backups with clear roll-back plans in case we encountered issues.

Application Performance:

  • Each application required monitoring, ensuring visibility of bottlenecks, performance issues and optimizations as required.
  • Access to real-time reports with clear routes for escalations as required.
  • Regular performance optimization reviews.

Support and Training:

  • Communication with IT Helpdesk to provide updates.
  • Provide day to day application support to end users
  • Provide training for new staff, new features to existing staff (normally part of upgrade project but delivered by the team)

Change Management:

  • Weekly meetings with the Change Board
    • To provide progress updates.
    • Get approvals for new changes
    • To have visibility of changes in other systems that could impact our applications.

Vendor Management:

  • Working with various vendors has its own set of challenges.
  • Working with them to resolve bugs or issues.
  • Maintaining communication with Support, Accounts, Contracts and their Leadership to always ensure smooth services and deliveries.

Resource Allocation and Management:

  • We had Technical Resources from the team allocated to each of the Applications
  • In some cases a person would be allocated to multiple applications.

Emergency Preparedness & Business Continuity Plan

  • Some areas of the organization required 24/7 access to applications so we had an agreed plan that would be activated in emergencies.
  • Business had a manual work around if required. This was always a short term plan.
  • Each System had a plan and was listed in the BCP.

 

We had a daily session at the start of the day where we reviewed the progress of all pipeline activities for each business area across all the applications. Ensuring deliveries were on track as previously communicated to the business. This allowed me to have full visibility of all the areas.

In the event of any failures, we all joined a call (regardless of time or day) to identify cause and agree a resolution plan. Any affected Business areas were made aware of the issues so they could initiate the previously agreed back-up plan as defined in the Business Continuity Plan.

No two days were the same and we always needed to have “enough fuel in the tank” as in Operations there was always a possibility that the next call could change the direction and plan for the day. Yes some days were tough but with the right team the days were always fun…