As we established in our previous article, private cloud is becoming an increasingly popular option for businesses seeking to advance their digital transformation strategies. Private cloud offers several benefits, including enhanced security, greater control over resources, and improved performance.
How can organizations get started in shifting their apps and workloads to private cloud? Put simply, there are three distinct approaches to tackling private cloud. Each comes with its own set of benefits and challenges:
1. Build Your Own Private Cloud. A popular way to get started with private cloud is to build your own infrastructure. This approach requires you to purchase and manage your own hardware, such as servers, storage, and network switches. You will also need to install and configure the software, such as virtualization software, storage management software, and network management software.The Pros: With a self-built private cloud, you can tailor the infrastructure to meet your specific needs and remain vendor agnostic. This can offer your organization the greatest degree of control and customization.
The Cons: Building your own private cloud can be a challenging and time-consuming process. You will also need to have the technical expertise and resources to manage and maintain the infrastructure.
2. Use a Private Cloud Platform. Another popular option is to use a private cloud platform, such as VMware vSphere, a software platform that enables businesses to create and manage their own private cloud infrastructure. Private cloud platforms provide pre-built software stacks that include all the necessary components, such as virtualization software, storage management software, and network management software. These platforms also offer automation and orchestration tools to simplify the deployment and management of the infrastructure.The Pros: Using a private cloud platform can be a more cost-effective and efficient way to get started with private cloud. You can avoid the costs of purchasing and managing your own hardware, and you can leverage the expertise and support of the platform provider.
The Cons: You may be limited in terms of customization and control over the infrastructure.
3. Leverage a Managed Private Cloud Service. Managed private cloud providers offer fully managed private cloud infrastructure, including hardware, software, and support services. They typically offer a range of service level agreements (SLAs) to ensure high availability and performance.The Pros: A managed private cloud service can be the easiest and most cost-effective way to get started with private cloud. You can avoid the costs and complexities of building and managing your own infrastructure, and you can benefit from the provider's expertise and resources.
The Cons: You may be limited in terms of customization and control over the infrastructure.
When it comes to advancing private cloud as part of a multi-cloud strategy, VMware Cloud Foundation is a comprehensive software-defined data center (SDDC) platform that provides an integrated solution for private cloud infrastructure. Cloud Foundation provides a comprehensive solution stack for building and managing private clouds. With Cloud Foundation, businesses can automate the deployment and management of infrastructure, streamline operations, and improve scalability.
Self-service private cloud with VMware Cloud Foundation enables IT organizations to transform their on-premises data center infrastructure into a modern private cloud with self-service consumption and delivery capabilities.
Key benefits include:
If your organization is looking into private cloud, there are several ways to get started. Whether you choose to build your own infrastructure, use a private cloud platform, or leverage a managed private cloud service, like VMware, Iron Bow has the technical expertise to work with you and help your team take advantage of the benefits of private cloud while gaining greater control over your IT resources.
Ready to get started on your journey to private cloud? Reach out to our team of experts: Contact Us