Cloud computing requires sound physical infrastructure

Cloud computing requires sound physical infrastructure

Businesses and organisations might want to consider leased lines and MPLS networks if they are thinking about moving to cloud computing.

According to a recent article from Data centre Dynamics, cloud services will not run properly without “a properly tested network and physical infrastructure”. However, both ends of the service need to assess this issue.

Firstly, cloud service providers need to tackle availability. Customers are looking for remote hosted services that feel local, so a network that can keep delays and interruptions to a minimum is vital. The business buying the service can help in this matter by ensuring its own network is up to scratch, but the provider will also need to have a high-speed interface.

However, service assurance is equally important to customers. This can be tricky for a cloud service provider to guarantee when it may not control the data communication connection between the cloud service and the enterprise customer, the article noted.

But tests can be done by either the cloud provider or the customer before signing up to a new service. Looking at the WAN - which provides data communication between the two parties - is “fundamental to service assurance and testing of end-to-end service availability”. Looking at the infrastructure in place between servers is also important when considering service efficiency and uptime.

When it comes to conducting these tests, there are some specific methods relevant to the cloud, such as latency measurements, which allows users to measure the time delay between a cloud service provider and the end enterprise customer.

The article follows recent research which found that companies need to get clued up before moving to the cloud. Conducted by Venafi, the study revealed that 64 per cent of organisations are failing to encrypt all cloud data and transactions.

However, Richard Spires, chief information officer of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the US, recently remarked that vendors are starting to tackle the security problems associated with cloud computing, which should help the technology to grow. "I am a believer that we are going to, over the next few years, really solve a lot of the cybersecurity concerns that we have with cloud-based services," he said.