Cloud computing has become increasingly popular, and the demand for cloud connectivity is growing globally. To support this growth, effective management of cloud across the enterprise WAN is essential, especially when dealing with multiple clouds, sites, and remote users. Many businesses have turned to providers for cloud-first technologies such as SD-WAN, but not all service providers offer end-to-end guidance and technical support.
In this guide, we will explore five critical elements that businesses should know about when managing their cloud connectivity, including the best practices for reducing data egress fees, managing multi-cloud deployments, the importance of SD-WAN network infrastructure, designing a high-performance multi-cloud architecture, and alternatives to point-to-point cloud connections.
#1. Understanding Data Egress Fees
One of the biggest hidden costs of cloud computing is data egress fees, which are often overlooked by businesses. While cloud providers allow businesses to store data in the cloud for free, they charge a fee for data retrieval. To avoid these fees, businesses should leverage a private network backbone for direct connection to their cloud services, reducing packet loss and enhancing the security of data in transit. In multi-cloud environments, businesses should consider having an overlay controller to orchestrate connectivity directly between clouds using private connectivity transport, reducing data egress costs and transit and tromboning impacts on data as it moves between clouds, users, and sites.
#2. Managing Multi-Cloud Environments
Managing multi-cloud environments can be challenging, especially when dealing with multiple service providers, operational visibility, and control issues. To address these challenges, businesses should work with a service provider that can simplify the connectivity between the clouds, sites, and users. This includes consolidating multi-cloud deployments into a unified networking strategy and using a single, common controller and service provider for managing multiple cloud network environments. This enhances operational visibility, security, and control across the network, and businesses should look for solutions that enable them to build a repeatable network architecture based on native cloud constructs.
#3. The Role of SD-WAN Network Underlay
When moving to a multi-cloud environment, it is crucial to consider the transport component of the network. Simply overlaying SD-WAN on low-cost broadband is not a solution that will work for every application, user, and location. To avoid congestion and application performance issues, it is important to work with a service provider, such as Epsilon Telecommunications, that can provide a comprehensive solution that supports different levels of application and performance requirements. This includes both the SD-WAN service and the underlay transport network.
#4. Designing a High-Performance Multi-Cloud Architecture
As businesses deploy more functions and services in the cloud, it becomes increasingly important to consider the interactions of remote functions. To design a high-performance multi-cloud architecture, businesses must consider three levels of architectural design: the functional architecture of their applications, their data and workload construct, and the design of their network. The network design should be based on the needs of the business architecture and how it interacts with itself, users, partners, and external sources. A flexible network underlay that focuses on mission-critical elements and utilising overlay solutions to manage the process end-to-end can provide the necessary support for cloud functions.
#5. Alternatives to Point-to-Point Cloud Connections
Many cloud providers offer direct connectivity for interfacing with their cloud, but point-to-point connections can limit flexibility and scalability. In multi-cloud environments, businesses face challenges managing different interfaces from each provider. To address these challenges, businesses should find a provider that can provide a secure, scalable, and on-demand direct interface with leading cloud providers. This not only provides the direct cloud connectivity needed in the present, but also offers connectivity to multiple clouds and a range of other flexible solutions. Future-proofing your connectivity and creating new opportunities to scale operations and support growth through a multi-cloud strategy is essential, and a provider that can provide this support is crucial.
In conclusion, managing cloud connectivity across the enterprise WAN requires a comprehensive approach that considers the underlying network, data egress fees, multi-cloud deployments, SD-WAN network underlay, and architectural design. Businesses should have heard about these critical elements from their provider, and working with a provider that has the expertise to provide end-to-end guidance and support is essential to maximizing cloud performance and security. By taking these elements into consideration, businesses can simplify and accelerate their cloud journey and reap the benefits of their cloud strategy.
