Why modern infrastructure like cloud is better than traditional IT infrastructure?
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Today, organizations face the challenge of deciding whether a cloud infrastructure is a right fit for them or an on-premise environment. There are many factors that a company must consider to make this decision. To begin with, organizations need to sort their business requirements and then choose a reliable technology vendor who offers services that meet their organizational needs. In this article, we’ll look at the key similarities and differences between cloud and on-premise, which will help you decide on the best viable solution for your organization. Show
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What Is ‘On Cloud’ and ‘On-Premise’?In recent years, the hi-tech arena has undergone significant changes in computing and communication platforms. One such prominent technological shift has been the upgrade from an on-premise infrastructure to a cloud environment. Today, cloud has become a fulcrum of most organization’s technology strategies. The computing space has seen disruptive tech changes in the past decade, with cloud taking the top spot. The value proposition offered by cloud is multidimensional. From contributing to cost savings over traditional on-premise models to providing flexibility in services, cloud has replaced traditional computing models entirely. On cloud explainedOn cloud implies hosting data, software platforms, applications and even resources on the cloud instead of in-house. This is commonly termed cloud computing, a blend of two technologies — cloud refers to networks, while computing relates to computer-related resources, applications, and services. Enterprises pay for what they use, similar to services provided by a telecom provider. The cloud more closely associates with a subscription-based model where you only pay for what you use. Here, computing becomes a service on the cloud and customers are billed every month for utilizing these services. Thus, cloud can be treated as a distributed collection of computing resources where applications reside anywhere on accessible networks. On-premise explainedOn-premise refers to a computing model where a company hosts everything in-house in an on-premise environment. Software, platforms, hardware, and infrastructure (communications, storage, backup, and much more), including servers and server rooms, are located within the physical confines of the organization. On-premise and cloud computing primarily differ where resource control and infrastructure management are concerned. Traditional computer applications are hosted on local hosts on the premises, such as desktops, notebooks, and workstations. According to IDG’s 2020 Cloud Computing Survey of over 500 IT professionals, 59% of tech buyers (involved in the purchase process for cloud computing) said they planned to be ‘mostly’ (43%) or ‘all’ (16%) on the cloud in the next 18 months. These figures are up from 38% in 2018 who said they were mostly or all on the cloud. Around 92% said that their organization’s IT environment is at least somewhat on the cloud today, while 8% said their total IT environment is all on-premise. According to another survey, 50 CIOs expect to see the proportion of total workload done on-premise drop from 59% in 2019 to 38% in 2021, a reduction of 41%. These figures only highlight how organizations are embracing cloud over traditional on-premise models. Also Read: Top 10 Best Practices to Manage Hybrid Cloud Security Challenges in 2021 Key Similarities and Differences Between On-Premise vs. CloudThe IT industry has been in transition for decades. Cloud is a one-stop solution that has received global acceptance.
It simplified IT maintenance concerns by managing core infrastructure aspects over the network. Despite the various advantages, cloud deployment is not viewed as the complete answer, as some organizations still have strong preferences for on-premise solutions.  Similarities Between Cloud and On-Premise While cloud handles infrastructure over the network, on-premise solutions deal with infrastructure at organizational premises or on-site. However, the fundamental aim of both these solutions is to reduce organizational costs and maintenance burdens by implementing agile IT infrastructure. Cloud has proven to be cost-effective and easier for small businesses, as it offers agile and flexible integrations at affordable costs. That being said, both approaches do have some similarities. Key Similarities Between On-Premise vs. Cloud1. Workloads within the systemCloud is known for its ability to offer unlimited memory space, timely backup, on-demand service availability, a faster rate of application launch (and release), timely software upgrades without the need for additional hardware in case of its own data center, and the ability to handle workloads. An on-premise infrastructure model does not offer all these services. But testing and running workloads on the cloud is a temporary solution adopted by organizations with on-premise infrastructure. Hence, as like cloud, an on-premise environment too enables cloud computing to run its workload within the system. This allows organizations to continue their normal operations without disruption due to excess workload. Companies can test and run the additional workload on the cloud depending on the requirement. 2. A unique mix of technologiesBoth on-premise and cloud infrastructure are created using a combination of technologies. This includes an operating system, a management platform, and application programming interfaces (APIs). A management platform combines a set of features or modules that enables the management of different cloud environments as well as an on-premise model. Meanwhile, an API facilitates the development of services and applications for provisioning cloud/on-premise platforms, hardware, and software. It acts as a service gateway to enable indirect and direct cloud/on-premise software and infrastructure services to end users. 3. Additional capabilities or increased efficienciesVirtual machines enable a greater level of customization by OS and by application needs. Packages of applications and data can vary in relation to executive, IT access, accounting, HR, marketing, sales, or even front-line needs. As virtualization continues to grow, it’s reaching into virtually every corner of the computing network, not just in the cloud but even in on-premise networks. Virtualization provides greater advancement in terms of ease of use and customization of machines for end users. It also helps in containing costs. Today, computing configurations have become largely complex. Some organizations find it easier to operate their networks on-premise. Here, they build ‘private clouds‘ internally and manage the workload through virtualization as observed in cloud infrastructures. 4. IT infrastructure automationOrganizations employ IT infrastructure automation to minimize manual efforts associated with managing and provisioning workloads. IT infrastructure automation aims to make all activities related to on-premise and cloud resources fast, efficient, and with minimal intervention. IT automation frees up IT staff to address more pressing issues and architect for the future. Automating repetitive tasks is a way for IT teams to focus on important tasks that provide added value to the organization. Owing to these advantages, IT infrastructure automation is adopted on-premise and on different cloud environments, including public, private, and hybrid clouds. It makes workload deployments far more efficient. It also helps in cutting costs, as hardware resources and software licenses are reclaimed, which would otherwise have been wasted. Also Read: Top 10 Hybrid Cloud Solution Companies in 2021 Key Differences Between On-Premise and CloudAs outlined above, there are a few similarities between an on-premise and a cloud environment. However, there are quite a few fundamental differences between the two. Organizations can choose one of these environments depending on their needs and the features they’re looking for in a solution. List of Key Differences Between Cloud and On-premise
Also Read: Top 10 Cloud Data Protection Companies in 2021 In conclusionA cloud model employs dynamically scalable and virtualized resources as services over the internet. Cloud users rely entirely on cloud platforms for most or all infrastructure management and software execution. A cloud platform, therefore, functions as a virtual storage space. These very foundations of cloud infrastructure are opposite to traditional on-premise computing models. In an on-premise model, all the resources are stored on local hosts, such as desktops, servers, workstations, tablets, etc., that are on the company’s premises. Fundamentally, the two models differ in resource control and infrastructure management. While both solutions have their share of pros and cons, no one model is superior or worse than the other. Organizations can choose any one of these solutions depending on their specific needs and end objectives. Did you find this article helpful? Comment below or let us know on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook. We’d love to hear from you! Why is cloud computing better than traditional one?Scalability. The cloud offers much more scalability than traditional data centers do. On the cloud, you have access to nearly unlimited storage space and server resources. Depending on the size of your workload, you can scale your cloud servers up or down.
What is an advantage of cloud computing architecture over traditional IT architecture?Benefits of Cloud Computing Architecture
It reduces IT operating costs and gives good accessibility to access data and digital tools. It helps businesses to easily scale up and scale down their cloud resources. It has a flexibility feature which gives businesses a competitive advantage.
What are the advantages of using cloud over traditional data centers?These providers benefit from better infrastructure and resources thanks to their focus on delivering this particular service. This means that cloud data centers are easy to use, highly customizable to business requirements, and more agile overall than traditional data centers.
What is the difference between traditional infrastructure and cloud infrastructure?Overall, reducing support costs. In this way, cloud computing offers far more flexibility and scalability than traditional IT infrastructure. Businesses are able to purchase additional data space, and processing capacity. They can even manage employees' access levels with just a few clicks of a button.
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