The initial euphoria surrounding cloud computing, its allure of limitless scalability, and its pay-as-you-go convenience, has given way to a more sobering reality in the enterprise. Many once enthusiastic cloud evangelists are now struggling with unexpected costs, performance bottlenecks, and growing unease regarding data security and regulatory compliance.
This has led to a shift in strategy. Cloud repatriation, where technologists carefully evaluate and return certain workloads and data to on-premises infrastructure, is gaining momentum
This is not a simple course reversal nor is it about abandoning the cloud altogether. Instead, it’s a new focus recognizing the strengths of the cloud while mitigating its weaknesses. It’s also about building a more nuanced IT infrastructure that balances the best of cloud agility and scalability for dynamic data co-authoring, movement, and analytics with on-premises control, performance, and cost efficiency.
This is increasingly facilitated by advanced file data management and data services technologies. Technologists recognize the need for a “central nervous system” to command cloud repatriation initiatives and ensure maximum control. They need a unified view of the entire data estate, both on premises and in the cloud, to simplify complex data migration projects by automating manual tasks such as data discovery, assessment, and transfer.
They also require the ability to analyze data usage patterns so they can more easily identify data that is infrequently accessed and determine when and how to move it to the most appropriate and cost-effective storage tiers such as cloud object storage. And by extension, these teams must identify and classify sensitive data so that they can implement appropriate security measures and ensure alignment with regulatory mandates.
Reclaiming Control Amid Data Complexity
One of the main drivers of the cloud repatriation movement is the unexpected increase in cloud spending, often referred to as ‘cloud drift,’ which occurs due to a lack of visibility and pricing transparency. The consumption-based model, initially touted as a key advantage of the cloud, can rapidly morph into a financial black hole.
Duplicate data stored in inaccessible silos and underutilized cloud resources too often lead to significant budget overruns, eroding the initial savings promised by cloud adoption. A recent report by Flexera revealed that cloud spending exceeded expectations for 60% of organizations.
Furthermore, initial cloud enthusiasm often overshadowed the importance of thorough data storage planning. Many teams hastily migrated data without adequately assessing its suitability to cloud environments. This lift-and-shift approach, where data, workloads, and applications are simply moved without considering architectural modifications or performance optimization, has too often led to disappointing results.
File services have long been an area underserved by cloud storage providers, for example. Latency issues, increased network congestion, and unexpected dependencies on cloud-specific services can significantly impact data immediacy and the downstream user experience. Additionally, cloud-based mechanisms for avoiding file collisions, upon which organizations depend to prevent data corruption from accidental overwrites, are not offered by default and often do not work as IT leaders expect.
A recent study by Forrester Research indicates that 45% of organizations experienced performance degradation after migrating to the cloud, often resulting in higher support costs and lower productivity – both of which diminish business agility and competitiveness.
Security and compliance concerns further exacerbate the challenges of cloud adoption. The centralized nature of cloud environments can create unexpected security vulnerabilities and greater susceptibility to data loss and cyberattacks.
Moreover, complying with stringent regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) can be complicated and costly. Multi-cloud environments, where data may be scattered across various providers, make it difficult to enforce consistent data security, compliance, and governance.
A Strategic Opportunity to Recalibrate
Effective data management strategies play a role in seamless data access and movement across hybrid environments. This is a critical component of cloud repatriation both before and after the process is complete.
For instance, a single unified data access layer across on-premises and cloud environments, regardless of their physical location, can simplify the experience of uf4rsers and allow IT administrators to more easily manage and govern data across hybrid landscapes.
Advanced caching mechanisms and local performance optimization strategies are often leveraged particularly when data is stored in hybrid configurations. Additionally, many technologists have determined that maintenance of identical data copies in a separate cloud location can provide a fallback option for business continuity in the event of an object store or regional outage.
Repatriation presents a fresh opportunity to address these challenges and reassert control. Strategically and selectively returning certain workloads to on-premises frameworks, organizations can evaluate and eliminate wasteful expenditures and even negotiate more favorable terms with cloud providers.
Consider also that teams can address performance bottlenecks, such as latency and network congestion, by leveraging the higher bandwidth of on-premises infrastructure. Moreover, they can strengthen security by bringing data back under direct control, implementing on-premises data protection measures, and more closely aligning data assets with regulatory mandates.
Re-architecting applications to take advantage of the strengths of on-premises infrastructure, such as lower latency and improved performance, is also a key consideration. This demands clear guidelines for when to utilize cloud services and when to leverage on-premises resources in order to maximize the benefits of both.
Ultimately, cloud repatriation – and a shift toward hybrid frameworks – is a change in mindset. Technology can help teams achieve an understanding of data flows, a proactive approach to risk management, and a continuous evaluation of data usage patterns. These are critical success factors in the repatriation motion.
Optimizing Data Architectures and Data Estates
Cloud repatriation is an opportunity to modernize data storage, optimize supporting architectures, and tap into technologies like edge computing and containerization, which can improve performance and efficiency.
However, successful repatriation requires a meticulous assessment of existing cloud deployments, identifying data that is not optimally suited for the cloud, and which may benefit from on-premises control and predictability.
This can be achieved through the use of data services technologies to inspect data usage patterns and determine the specific performance and security requirements of that data. Technologists need a comprehensive view in order to implement appropriate access controls and migrate data efficiently.
Furthermore, a reliable on-premises infrastructure is essential to ensure repatriated data is ready for workloads such as big data analytics, artificial intelligence, and database management. This may involve implementing advanced storage management using automated, high-performance software-defined service delivery models.
It also demands low-latency data delivery options that provide seamless access and high performance regardless of the object store, typically involving protocols and techniques that improve the efficiency of data transfer.
Ultimately, repatriation is not about giving up on the cloud. It’s about a more balanced and strategic approach to IT infrastructure that recognizes the strengths of both cloud and on-premises environments, optimizing for performance, cost, and security.
Careful evaluation of organizational needs – and the platforms and solutions that can deliver on those needs in each unique context – helps teams align their cloud deployments and strategically repatriate data. Only then can they achieve their broader business and IT objectives with greater efficiency, agility, and resilience.
To learn more about Panzura and cloud repatriation, visit the website here.
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