Cloud Adoption Framework(s)

Every journey starts with the first step, but many Enterprises and SMBs are still struggling to get their way into Cloud modernisation or digital transformation initiatives. To mention a few, the common issues and fears identified on customers are:

• Lack of trust on public cloud vendors, from compliance, security or auditing fulfilling perspectives;
• Uncertainty on the best public cloud vendor or vendors to start using, as well the strengths and weaknesses from each provider and best fit services;
• Resistance from internal IT personnel to change to public cloud as well fear of losing their jobs;
• Being lost on evaluating the workloads and data sets that are better suited for cloud move as well migration approaches

I could extend the list on several other reasons why not a small number of companies are still struggling their way into the cloud (or edge, fog if you want to keep the buzz, this is a topic for other post). It is still a new world to many as well the pace that changes occur are impossible to be followed by the normal traditional IT guy — or anyone indeed. From infrastructure as a service we evolved into microservices, more recently serverless and the myriad of tools to manage, deploy, automate, monitor each workload grows nearly exponentially.

To help define the basic milestones and give more light into the cloudy landscape the cloud providers developed the so called cloud adoption frameworks (CAFs). These frameworks main goal is to provide support and try to give a structure into the questions that rise when doing the first steps into a hybrid, multicloud or cloud-first strategy. They give some generic answers and make the right questions concerning the dos and dont’s when moving or starting a new project on the cloud.

I will not enter the details about the frameworks, but currently the most used are the ones provided by AWS (Amazon Web Services) and Microsoft Azure.

My experience as an Enterprise Cloud Architect and Consultant is that by taking benefit of a framework, from the early days of a project saves significant time and consequently money as the frameworks orient the companies to avoid common mistakes as well do the right questions.

The Azure CAF has a focus on the business, strategic and technical aspects, being a very practical and pragmatical approach. Microsoft managed to provide several templates to guide in the requirements and base steps definition (https://www.microsoftpartnerserverandcloud.com/Pages/CloudInfrastructureandManagementPracticeAccelerators2.aspx)

The AWS CAF, in other hand has, in my opinion a more broad and to say so generic approach. AWS defines the so called “perspectives” that encompass not only technical and business elements but also people, which are a key factor on every cloud implementation, as, you know, as I write this, AI and machines have not yet taken over the control from our IT environments.

This element, the people perspective, needs to be cared about from the beginning to the end of the journey. Bringing only external expertise and running aggressive migrations to the cloud without considering the social and human impact is a predicted disaster. Without the people minds and why not hearts in the digital transformation or “cloudification” efforts the entire strategy and goals are at high risk. An unmotivated and fearful team is not a good success indicator.

The other perspectives on AWS cover business and technical elements as well, giving best practices and guidance to enable new business to do a successful cloud adoption.

Being Azure, AWS or another CAF (there are many others out there) taking benefit from a framework from the start helps to reduce risks as well give a more turbulence free cloud journey.