Does every Cloud have a silver lining?

So what is cloud computing? Should I be embracing it or sheltering from it? Whenever I’m faced with a question like this I always find it comforting to make a list of the pros and cons but before I do this let’s start with some basics.

Cloud computing, in its simplest terms, enables you to store files and software remotely rather than on a hard drive or server in the office. You may not know it but you are probably using the cloud everyday in your life. Services such as Gmail, Hotmail, Skype, YouTube, Vimeo and SoundCloud all operate in the Cloud.

So if all these services are using the Cloud it should be safe shouldn’t it? OK, it’s nearly time for that list. It’s now possible for businesses to have their own private cloud which incorporates specific services and is only accessible to selected people. Sounds good doesn’t it?  Let’s look at the Pros of Cloud Computing:

• Employees can access data and files they need even when they are working remotely or outside of office hours.

• Assuming they can get onto the internet employees can access information from home, in the car, from customer’s offices, and from their smart phone.

• Employees can work collaboratively on files and documents even when they are not together. Documents can be viewed and edited at the same time from different locations.

• Setting up cloud computing can be very quick and easy. If you think about how easy it is to set up a Gmail or Hotmail account and be up and running in comparison to installing software which can be time consuming.

• Cloud computing can be cheaper – you don’t have to buy and install software because it’s already installed online remotely.

• You don’t need loads of disk space. With cloud computing you subscribe to the software rather than own it which means it works a bit like pay as you go. You only pay for what you use and you can scale this up and down depending on your requirements.

• Cloud computing can offer unlimited data storage because it is online. It is not restricted by server and hard drive limits and there are no issues with server upgrades etc. If you need more data you just up your subscription fee.

Sounds like a no-brainer so far doesn’t it?  With all of the above benefits why wouldn’t I embrace the Cloud?  Let’s have a look at some of the Cons of Cloud Computing. After all, every silver lining has a Cloud, if you pardon the pun!

• With the Cloud you do not physically possess storage of your own data, leaving the control and responsibility of your data storage with your Cloud provider. So it could be seen that this is a leap of faith.

• You could become completely dependent upon your cloud computing provider taking away your freedom to some extent.

• Your business continuity and disaster recovery are in the hands of your provider. Do you trust them enough?

• What happens with data migration issues should you want to change provider?

• What happens if your cloud provider goes out of business?

• Can your Cloud provider guarantee the security of your data?

• Cloud servers can go down just like normal servers so how do I access my data if this happens?

• Cloud computing is only as robust as your internet connection. If you are experiencing internet issues you won’t be able to access your data.

Hmmm, not so sure now. However, it’s still early days for Cloud Computing and as time progresses then some of these issues will get ironed out. The comedian Peter Kay once famously said about Garlic Bread…..it’s the future!

The same can be said aboutCloud Computing. It’s here to stay, it is the future and whatever size your business is, it’s time to start thinking if Cloud Computing is going to be the most cost effective and flexible solution for your future data needs.

If you are interested in finding out more about how Cloud Computing can help your business, please get in touch with us - http://www.colins-it.com/Contact-us.html

Phone – 0800 10 777 82

Lets go office365.com everyone!!

I have just done a guest blog post for www.comparethecloud.net

Check out the blog entry here

http://cloudcomputingadvice.co.uk/

New Blog....

Hey guys

We have created a new blog. Will keep trying to keep this one updated but the best way to utilise a blog is to have it attached to your domain. So, having it on blogspot doesn't really work great for you. Be great if you can check it out and give us any feedback...

Colins IT Blog

Virtualised Servers - Post 1

Virtualisation is a process of running multiple independent virtual operating systems (servers generally) on a single physical computer.  It is a way of maximizing physical resources to maximize the investment in hardware.  


So it is now possible to turn a very inexpensive 1U dual-socket dual-core commodity server into eight or even 16 virtual servers that run 16 virtual operating systems.  Virtualisation technology is a way of having more actual server. However, it does not actually increase total computing power; it decreases it slightly because of overhead.  


However we can exploit this newly found hardware power by increasing the number of logical operating systems it hosts.  This slashes the majority of hardware acquisition and maintenance costs that can result in significant savings for any company or organisation.


Virtualization is the perfect solution for applications that are meant for small- to medium-scale usage.  Virtualization should not be used for high-performance applications where one or more servers need to be clustered together to meet performance requirements of a single application because the added overhead and complexity would only reduce performance.  


We're essentially taking a 12 GHz server (four cores times three GHz) and chopping it up into 8 x 1.5 MHz servers.  But if 4 of those servers are in off-peak or idle mode, the remaining 4 servers will have nearly 3 GHz available to them. 

Free Broadband for 12 months

We have just been informed that Opal Telecom is extending their special offer of free broadband for 12 months until the 28th of Feb. It is a 2 year contract so the second year you only pay £10 a month.

You need to utilise their business line which is £13.45 a month. As it is a business line and not residential it has a dedicated support team should you have any problems.

Have had loads of interest and it is a great deal which is why we are pushing it so please drop us an email if you're interested or go to our info page.

Unfortunately this is a UK only offer.

Any qyestions, please get in touch and we will be happy to chat.

Facebook Page

Hey guys, when you get a few seconds, please can you like our Facebook page... Thanks a lot :-)

http://www.facebook.com/pages/colins-it/217287649918

New blog entry on Citrix XenServer coming soon...

Cheers

Colin.

online backup

You can't recover what you haven't backed up. I am renowned for being obsessed with ensuring client data is backed up in multiple different ways in multiple locations / media. It is imperative that you backups are checked. If you backup has stopped running, is someone looking after it daily to make sure the issue is fixed. Or did you suddenly discover the last time your backup ran was three months ago...? Or was that a year ago... Nothing we haven't seen before...

So... solution one is to make sure your backups are automated... They don't require someone to remember to change a tape or cartridge etc... 

Solution 2... make sure that if the backup fails then someone is notified and they actually do something about it... Do you have a system in place to check this and make sure it happens. Is the backup status of your critical servers reported to the directors during management meetings?

Solution 3... backup off site. Be this online backup which we prefer especially with the cost of this being really affordable these days or taking tapes or USB drives offsite. If your site become inaccessible then you need a plan B... With our online backup facility, you can access your data on a remote server so get up and running a lot quicker than traditional offsite backup. Ask us for more info rather than me boring you with the detail now...

Solution 4... multiple backups... So traditionally we tend to run a windows server backup, i.e. using the software that comes with windows server (used to be called ntbackup). Then we run an online backup if the client agrees to the investment and finally like to sync the main data to an external USB drive. These are all pretty much low cost ways to backup but are worth their weight in gold.

Solution 5.... Now we start getting to the nitty gritty.... If your server fails then you need to get it backup and running as quickly as possible. This is where third party products come into it. The traditional third party products backup your servers data up, especially exchange and sql server and make it easier to restore the data. Reporting and configuration and options all tend to be a lot easier using third party products but can be really expensive. Where the real value lies is in snapshots... If you use backup software to take an image of the server then restoring an entire server can be as quick as an hour. We have used Acronis in the past on a number of servers and it does the job for us.

Actually to be fair, windows 2008 includes this facility which recently saved our bacon. So the moral of the story is, it doesn't have to be that expensive to setup backups that will prove to be quite simply priceless when they are required.

Hope this post helps, no doubt others have a lot of different experiences and advise but the above information is from our 14 odd years of practical experience so i hope it proves of some use.