Infrastructure transformation & Application migration
Cloud architectures and technologies (public and private) have reached a tipping point in maturity that every enterprise needs to consider the value for implementation. The key questions confronting most enterprises are:
- What is the true value of the Cloud and how does it apply to my enterprise?
- How do I quantify the value of the Cloud to my organization and create a plan to leverage it?
- How and what should I consider moving to the Cloud?
- What should I do first?
Armada’s Fast Track Cloud Migration offerings helps enterprises answer these questions and creates a roadmap to define actionable projects that deliver measurable business value. By leveraging the customer’s knowledge of its business, infrastructure and operations, Armada helps to compile a knowledge base of your current architectural patterns and articulates the path to get to your desired future state.
Value Chain
Armada’s Fast Track Cloud Migration methodology creates a value-chain that links business drivers directly to a solution and execution framework.
- Drivers - The pain points, needs, objectives and desired benefits for change that determine the highest priority needs of the organization.
- IT Impacts - The IT initiatives that need to occur and how are they prioritized.
- Capability - The knowledge, skills and resources the organization has to complete these initiatives.
- Execution Framework – Comes from comparing prioritized initiatives and capabilities.
Methodology
Armada offers two fast track analysis programs:
- Snapshot
- Workshop
The Snapshot is designed to be performed as a one or two hour conference call with key business owners and Armada consultants. It helps business owners rationalize the value of cloud computing with the tactical needs of business and the constraints of legacy applications and infrastructure. The Snapshot starts this process by identifying the trigger events that describe the most critical business drivers. Using scenario analysis and the knowledge of organizational data we can then select possible adoption strategies and create a fast track for implementation.
The Workshop is an intensive, interactive day-long (or two half-days) working session at the customer site, that leverages the knowledge key customer’s stakeholders and the Armada consultant’s experience. In preparation for each workshop, a 90 minute online conference is conducted to understand the customer’s environment and specific business drivers; and tailor the agenda to deliver maximum value to the participants. In addition to addressing the key questions and the value chain, a typical workshop includes topics like:
- Common Architectural Patterns
- How to make the Business Case and calculate ROI
- Developing your Cloud Roadmap and execution plan
Deliverables
The primary deliverable for the Snapshot is the "Business Case Inputs: document. This document outlines key recommendations in each of the Cloud Evaluation Framework categories:
- Workload
- Architecture
- Financial
- Risk
- Operations
- Security
Within a week after completion of the Workshop, the customer will receive a concise but detailed Cloud Migration Plan which includes:
- Business Value Statement – A simple taxonomy of qualitative and quantitative value to be achieved and the associated core business requirements.
- Business Case – Business justification for investment.
- Return on Investment (RoI) - A quantitative assessment of the ROI of the target deployment architecture (if any).
- Architectural Requirements – What are the design requirements for the final solution?
- Preliminary Execution Plan – Define and scope quick win projects, initial requirements, resources & timelines.
Analysis Framework
Armada's "Cloud Evaluation Framework (CEF)" is a holistic approach to examine all aspects of an architectural change.
Whether you are considering public, private or hybrid cloud solution, it’s critical that one is aware of all major components, their various interdependencies, and related implications.
The framework covers
six major categories:
1. Workload
A profile of the usage & performance of the application over a period of time. It is a technical representation of the business demand/drivers for IT resources.
2. Architecture
A analysis of the design of the infrastructure and applications to determine to identify if you can technically take advantage of cloud architecture, and/or how much work would be needed to achieve the value.
3. Financial
The entire cost and bene!t analysis for the application from current state to target end-state. The !nancial model considers:
- Initial Investment
- Operating costs
- Opportunity cost
- Cost avoidance
- Cost of features you are getting from the new architecture (and paying for) that you do not need
4. Risk
The key areas you need to provision for in adopting the new architecture:
- Contractual
- Business
- Technical
- Implementation
- Resource
- Organizational
- External
5. Operations
What are the impacts on the people, process and tools used to deliver IT services? Some key areas include:
- Deployment, Testing, Change Management
- Capacity Management, Performance
- Tools Integration, Automation
- Availability, Business Continuity, Architecture
6. Security
The requirements of the application and the data it uses - the most closely scrutinized aspect of cloud today. Primary topics include:
- Jurisdiction
- Compliance/Certi!cation (FISMA, DIACAP , HIPAA, HITECH or PCI to GLBA etc..)
- Privacy
- Regulation
- Design/Architecture
