Challenges to Portability in the Cloud

There are three major types of cloud computing portability that may be involved in an enterprise’s cloud footprint. Each scenario poses specific challenges to moving your implementation between cloud providers. 

Data Portability - This is simply the ability to use the same data components in different applications. The technical side of porting data to a new application is similar whether the app is hosted in-house or in the cloud. It can be a time consuming and expensive undertaking in both cases. The difference lies in the control that an organization has over the decision to move ahead with the process. 

A cloud provider can force a customer to port their data to conform to the provider’s new application or risk losing a particular service. An on-premises system could be maintained without vendor support if the company saw that as a better option than upgrading and porting their data.

Application Portability - Here the issue revolves around the potential of using an application or its components among various cloud and on-premises platforms. Platform as a Service (PaaS) is a widely used cloud offering which enables an application to be run utilizing the provider’s platform. The organization that owns the application may have difficulty moving the app back in-house or to another provider based on the method by which it was hosted on the cloud platform.

Platform Portability - The concern in platform portability is the capacity to run the same groups of applications and their associated data on diverse computing platforms. This category can be further divided into platform source and machine image portability. The underlying architecture of the providers’ infrastructures will dictate if platform portability can be easily accomplished.

The Importance of Having Options

As more critical systems are moved to the cloud, it becomes more important that an enterprise has options concerning their provider. The ease with which systems can be moved to the cloud masks the fact that it may be very difficult to relocate them if desired. Your organization may be considering moving to another provider for a number of reasons including:

• Price - Cloud providers are competing for your business and you may find that the services you have contracted for can be obtained at a greatly reduced cost by switching. 

• Security - An organization’s data is its most important resource. If there are concerns over the way its security is being handled by your cloud provider, you may want to find a new home in the cloud. 

• Enhanced services - The competitive nature of the cloud results in providers offering new services to differentiate their brand. One of these might be exactly what you need and influence your decision to consider a new direction for your cloud presence.

The cloud offers businesses many advantages. A long-term strategy should ensure that your enterprise can move to different providers if compelled by business needs or technological advancements. Careful planning of how, where, and which services are moved to the cloud will enable you to make a graceful exit if the need arises.