1. Understand your needs and the changes brought by integration
Organizational data should always be available in an operational environment without compromising speed, as they are critical for everyday business processes. It is important for a company to have a great overall understanding of what the business operations need and how the objectives can be achieved without much overhead costs.
Depending on the requirements, one can choose alternatives for existing deployment models. For instance, change data capture can be used for self hosted applications. Alternatively, SaaS or cloud hosted options can be used for on prem data centers. Check for factors such as flexibility and its potential for future implementation. Organizations may also have to check for synchronization of old and new configurations and ready a redundancy option in case of failure.
2. Check for communication security, as weak links may appear
Conventionally, organizational data has been protected in data centers, often with firewalls and disaster recovery environments. However, with the adoption of multiple cloud technologies, control over safeguards such as firewalls is no longer guaranteed.
It is now essential to ensure the use of encryption tools wherever possible, and as end to end protection is not under the user’s control, locking down firewalls is also an excellent general practice. Other key security best practices include verifying security certificates and training team members to mitigate potential leaks to threat actors.
3. Bolster network efficiency
The major problem with most organization networks is that bandwidths are limited. Consequently, irresponsible use and overburdening networks result in high chances of latency, which again reduces bandwidth owing to the need for confirmation of transmission. Furthermore, transferring data out of the cloud can be cost prohibitive, depending on the volume.
Consequently, compression algorithms are a great solution to these problems. Also, change data capture solutions can be considered as an alternative. Check how data is being transmitted. Fewer but larger data blocks are mostly better than sending many small ones.
4. Choose between APIs and Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP)
While APIs are often used owing to validation, standardization, and real time operational benefits, they are also challenged regarding security issues, compliance challenges, and high demand for resources.
Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) can handle most of these problems and offer better interoperability. However, it is also essential to remember that this has its challenges, including reduced data structure constraints and lower potential for interaction.
5. Remember that change is the only constant
An organization may already have a cloud setup that ticks all the boxes. However, it is important to remember that change is always around the corner. Software might become incompatible with existing infrastructure, or systems may need replacing over wear and tear.
Cloud environments are also likely to change in terms of technology or even something as basic as pricing. Organizations continually need to be ready to check out new solutions. Looking for solutions that offer a broader range of compatibility can help reduce effort in such matters in the long term.
Choosing the right cloud combination, adequate training, setting up clear staff and user policies, security requirements, and data recovery plans are all major factors that will likely determine how often a company looks towards a new cloud solution.