Will Cloud Computing Replace Enterprise Architecture?

Due to cloud adoption increasing immensely,  conglomerates, digital enterprises and companies are gradually moving their assets to the cloud. This adoption trend is growing stronger, and the traditional IT enterprise architecture is under heavy interrogation. Is it going to simply fade away because cloud computing is taking over or is it going to stick around due to its continued reliance by some companies with on-premises IT infrastructure?

Some believe that given the challenges that digital business are facing from day to day regarding infrastructure management, taking care of the hardware and software-based assets, and added tension of dealing with costs, cloud computing will be the future. But another school of thought believes that given the complexities the companies have to face while adopting cloud computing, it will not be for everyone and the trend for enterprise IT infrastructure will not simply die down.

This article will show you the challenges of both worlds, the hype that has been built around cloud computing and what the future holds for both of them:

The Current Hype Around the Cloud

The hype that has been built around the cloud seems to be current and on-going, especially on its potential to replace the IT enterprise infrastructure. There are a lot of debates currently going around this topic. These two sides did approach both views in an unbiased manner, one side did appreciate the cloud adoption over the conventional IT setup for enterprises while the other side had a more balanced view in mind.

Cloud Replacing the Traditional IT Infrastructure

This side of the debate was more focused on deeply discussing the elements that make the management of the IT systems somewhat tiresome and unhealthy. There are costs that should be taken care of, the hassle of maintaining the entire infrastructure, and more costs to keep things running at an optimum pace.

Therefore, the whole endeavor becomes costly and avoidable. The introduction of cloud computing is nothing less of a revolution or an opportunity that could save these potential companies millions if not billions in management and also in setting up of the IT environment. The end purpose is to cut costs and be free from the hassle of managing everything on the cloud systems, as almost everything is automated.

The Side That Is Against Cloud Adoption

The processes and jobs within a cloud environment can't be treated as independent elements, as the enterprise architecture will still have to play a significant role in asset management remotely. Business initiatives, end goals of the enterprises, various processes and other aspects would have to be taken into account while dealing with cloud adoption. Not everything as advertised by the cloud is automated, and it can't be made automated, because some aspects of the work need to be taken care of or controlled by the companies.

No matter what kind of technology or dedicated tool you use, nothing productive can ever come out of it unless your vision for the business and the technology which you are using right now doesn’t align in a single plane of thought. Some professionals who supported this side of thought explained how cloud computing is marvelous in every area that an in-house IT architecture is not.

Cloud computing systems are efficient, can take care of processes and other affiliated attributes with the technology, and provide exceptional performance to the client. But it doesn't only cost pennies after using the cloud platform for a whole day. It doesn't automate everything on its own while you are on a trip to some remote location, and it surely doesn’t provide with infinite scalability. All of this belongs to the hype that has been created around it. It is exceptional but not quite like the picture currently painted around it.

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Problems Associated with Traditional IT Infrastructure

The most obvious sight of error in this model is the costs associated to maintain the platform and limitations to scale up the whole system according to the current requirements. These are the driving forces behind this adoption of the cloud systems.

Another debate that branches out from here is whether we are making the right decision adopting cloud systems, giving away our right to privacy as well as the potential security of the data that resides in the cloud. If enterprise infrastructure is taken as a practice and this practice is implemented well, then a lot of endearing benefits can come out of it. If not uses properly, then problems can surface that are far harder to be solved by in-house practices.

The following is a list of problems associated with enterprise architecture and why cloud adoption is gaining traction:

• Enterprise architecture requires a practice-based management model to implicate and manage the day-to-day changes to the platform. And the main drawback happens when organizations put people in charge of EA (enterprise architecture) who happen to be people-focused instead of being practice-focused.
• Right from the start, a broader infrastructure and carefully executed management plan are required if someone is to deal with the concepts and proper implementation of the EA systems. Many unsolicited architectures are created for various solutions and that can jeopardize the broader EA goals and their fulfillment.
• Another heavily subsided problem with EA architects is their approach to business problems. The technical capabilities don’t matter anymore, and that is something these architects have to understand if they wish to remain in the game. What they need to be focusing their attention and energy on are the business-related problems and how EA can help to solve them or take care of them.
• Change is of the essence, and it is going to come sooner or later. Businesses will have to alter their operations or make amends accordingly. It is the same that happens with a standard EA. The system is too rigid and complex. Even if some change has to be incorporated within the IT infrastructure, according to the currently changed business perspectives, it simply can't be done.
• Many EA architects simply forget that the main focus of the EA is on the business and not on implementing unnecessary technical stuff. It is the architecture itself that allows you to accommodate change and complexity, so if your enterprise is the one that doesn't have an architecture, then it won't be able to stand against the need for complexity and change whenever required.

Is Cloud the Type of Solution as Anticipated by the Hype Creators?

This is a million-dollar question. If the correct analysis can be made here and the cloud is rendered as the climate computing solution for enterprise needs, then the problem of having two distinct debates on the topic will have vanished. Cloud is the type of solution the hype creators believe it to be, but there is a need to tone in its charming advantages and almost impossible cost reduction feasibilities as presented by the hype creators. It can save you a lot, but you still have to pay for what you use.

You can achieve next level of scalability with cloud computing, but you can't get by it on an unlimited scope. These are some of the things that need to be cleared down or presented before people decide on picking or discarding cloud computing for good. You will also have to consider the issues of confidentiality and security of the data that resides within the cloud infrastructure. The best possible thing that you can do is consider moving your entire EA (enterprise architecture) into the cloud in phases. This whole system can thus be divided into the following distinctive components:

• Software applications can be the first thing that you settle on for moving into the cloud, such as Office, SQL server databases, VMWare ESX server, SharePoint, and other various apps used by your enterprise.
• Service areas, such as those that include various authentication mechanisms, monitoring systems, task schedulers and other such implementations.
• Make sure that the storage for your business is the last thing that you have to move to the cloud. On the other hand, to avoid confidentiality and data security related issues, it is best to reconsider the proposition of moving your storage or data to the cloud. If your company stores sensitive information for the users, such as their credit card details or healthcare data, then it is best that you refrain from moving your whole storage to the cloud systems.

It is best to have cloud computing training beforehand when trying to appear in a cloud computing exam for a dedicated certification. It will increase your chances of starting a productive and feasible career for yourself within the cloud.