The cloud has changed the way we operate. It significantly contributes to the exponential growth of data, including how we access and store it. Its scalability, agility, and ease of use made it even more attractive. With all the effort of migrating to the cloud, we are seeing a growing trend in returning to on-premises. This phenomenon is known as cloud repatriation or reverse cloud.
As a strong advocate of establishing a hybrid cloud strategy and migrating workloads only if they make sense, here are some reasons you may want to reconsider your cloud strategy through the lens of an MMA fighter.
There are several reasons:
The Uppercut – Cost, Control, & Chaos: Cloud costs can be unpredictable. Bills will balloon without good cloud governance and insight, especially with underutilized resources or hidden fees. Repatriation can help you gain a firmer grip on IT spending. The likelihood is that your cloud costs will be your highest single budget line.
Blocks and Checks—Data Security: Some organizations feel more secure and assured of keeping their data in-house, especially when there is sensitive information, regional nuances, and strict compliance regulations. Do your data governance and security teams know where all your data is?
The Takedown—Performance: Public cloud environments are powerful. However, the cloud may not always be the best fit for specific workloads. Repatriating these workloads can improve performance. It’s good practice to have benchmarks and application performance measurements. Do you have these benchmarks in place?
The Left Hook—Cloud Confusion: Managing the cloud requires specialized skills and greater collaboration. If your team lacks the expertise, repatriation can simplify things. If you have not upskilled your teams, then this may lead to more than a left hook—a knockout! Refer to the uppercut.
But wait. Before you start packing up your VMs and shipping your data, it is more complicated than that. There are downsides to consider.
The Repatriation: Moving data and applications back in-house can be complex and time-consuming. There's a risk of disruption and downtime.
Vendor Lock-In: Repatriation might mean giving up the cloud's flexibility and scalability. You may well end up locked into a specific on-premises infrastructure. When did you last check your cloud agreement?
The Modernization Gap: Cloud repatriation can be an opportunity to modernize your on-premises infrastructure, but it requires investment and planning. With the rise in cloud adoption, on-premises infrastructure has been significantly neglected, mainly to keep IT costs down.
So, the cloud isn't dead. Instead, the strategy should be moving towards a hybrid model where businesses leverage public cloud and on-premises infrastructure strengths.
The Key to Repatriation Success?
Careful planning! Here are some steps to consider:
Evaluate Needs: Identify workloads that are strong candidates for repatriation based on cost, security, and performance requirements.
Count the Costs: Don't just focus on cloud costs—factor in the price of managing on-premises infrastructure, potential hardware upgrades, and resources.
Modernize Wisely: Repatriation can be a springboard to modernize your on-premises environment. Look for solutions that offer scalability and flexibility.
Embrace the Hybrid: A hybrid cloud strategy lets you leverage the best of both worlds. Keep workloads that thrive in the cloud there and repatriate those that benefit more from an on-premises environment.
So, there you go. Cloud repatriation isn’t about entirely shifting away from the cloud. It’s about finding the right balance for your organization’s specific needs. By carefully considering the pros and cons and planning strategically, you can ensure your data finds its optimal home, whether in the cloud, on-premises, or a combination of both.
Do you think AI and the conversations around cost-saving opportunities will spark a second reign in our relationship with the cloud?
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