The document provides a checklist for key steps to help ensure a successful move to cloud hosting. It outlines 9 steps: 1) choosing the right cloud model (public, private, hybrid); 2) understanding security requirements; 3) understanding the benefits of cloud hosting; 4) understanding setup and exit costs; 5) ensuring assumptions are realistic; 6) ensuring technical practicality; 7) understanding security risks; 8) considering non-technical factors like data protection; and 9) properly managing cloud vendors and contracts.

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Moving to cloud?
A checklist
Key steps to help your move be a success
Paul McCormack & Roelof Iball
DrPete Technology Experts, London, UK

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1 Choose the right cloud model.
2
Choose the right hosting cloud (private, public or hybrid). Factor in
security at the start - don’t try to add it later.
3 Understand the benefits.
4 Understand the setup and ESPECIALLY exit costs.
5 Understand your assumptions - ensure they are realistic.
6 Ensure hosting is technically practical.
7 Understand the security risks.
8 Non-technical considerations e.g. Data protection and retention.
9 Manage your cloud vendor.
Key steps for moving to cloud

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There are three main types of cloud model. There are overlaps between
them and some platforms straddle two of the standard definitions, but in
brief:
1. Cloud models
Ease of use
Fewer
providers -
less choice

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2. Hosting cloud - Public, Private or hybrid?
Public cloud

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● Centralised applications.
● Fewer servers, apps and support services - reduced costs.
● Easier to outsource application provision.
● Elasticity: The infrastructure can expand and contract automatically.
● On-demand: Service is consumed as and when required.
● Usage-based metering.
● Simple management.
● Reduced energy usage by utilising highly efficient vendors.
Cloud is so much more than saving money - it is about facilitating remote
access for staff and third parties, BYOD, rationalising applications and IT
services, increasing resilience and improving DR capabilities.
3. Understand the benefits

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When selecting a vendor, be sure to understand additional costs that may be
added to the advertised hosting costs, such as:
● Internet / internal bandwidth per virtual machine each month.
● Transaction (IOPS) per month.
● Backup frequency & data retention.
● Data recovery incidents per month.
● Security setup costs.
● Server migration costs (engineering and transfer).
● Server support (patching etc).
● Setup & exit fees may be applicable and will vary between vendors.
4. Understand setup and exit costs

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To make progress, you may have to make assumptions - ensure these are
recorded and circulated to make sure everyone understands them.
Examples of assumptions you might need to make:
● Current costs.
● Transfer of licenses cross borders is feasible and cost effective.
● Performance of hosted servers will be comparable.
● Volumes of data transfer.
5. Understand your assumptions

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6. Ensure external hosting is technically practical
There will be technical hurdles to overcome such as:
● Integration with existing systems e.g. database
servers or manufacturing systems.
● Ensuring adequate bandwidth, backup/ failover
and latency to provide an acceptable service.
● Authentication with Active Directory.
● Prepare your organisation to accept occasional
maintenance downtime.
● Use WAN acceleration to improve performance.

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7. Understand the security risks
● Encrypt data sent to/from the
cloud.
● Identify & mitigate
vulnerabilities.
● Use a proof of concept pilot first
● Consider two factor
authentication
● Create and enforce a security
policy.
● Educate and refresh staff
regularly on behaviours
impacting security.

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8. Non-technical considerations
There may be non-technical compliance limitations
on hosting:
● Data Protection - Legal requirements to store
data “in-country”.
● Internal data policies e.g. Following the US NSA
revelations, many organisations are wary of US
hosting & vendors; where is data stored and who
has access.
● Acceptable use of BYOD equipment (e.g. family
members having access) and remote wipe policy
implications.

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9. Select your cloud vendor
Your vendor should:
● Be financially stable; you should be able to
terminate the contract and extract data and
services in the event of insolvency.
● Provide reasonable notice of any downtime
required for maintenance.
● Provide data snapshots and backup services with
appropriate data retention.
● Provide compensation for any non-agreed
downtime.
● Inform you of any security incidents.
● Guarantee your ownership of any hosted
intellectual property (IP), to include data,
emails, and email addresses/domain names.
● Negotiate your contract properly

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Cloud hosting will:
● Offer significant scope for cost savings in the short and
longer term.
● Support application rationalisation.
● Allow server rationalisation, leading to further savings.
● Move to “IT as a service” with opex replacing capex
In Conclusion

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Paul
McCormack
Senior
Consultant
Paul is a seasoned IT professional, having
served as a Head of IT for a variety of
corporates. Prior to joining DrPete, Paul was
an an IT Consultant advising clients of BDO
LLP. He also undertook a discrete project
assignment for Google.
Paul has worked in many diverse sectors, from
natural resources, to property management
and cryogenics, providing IT reviews, due
diligence and IT project management services.
Roelof Iball
Senior
Consultant
Roelof is a seasoned IT professional, corporate
(BP, Ernst & Young, Rentokil Initial, BDO) IT
problem solver, experienced across a range of
industries encompassing both mid-size and
enterprise organisations.
Reporting on IT investment and performance
issues for private equity and corporate finance
due diligence.
About the authors

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Some of our clients

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Our services
DrPete Technology
Experts Consulting
service in the
following technology
areas:

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We use the latest cloud apps and technology paradigms.
DrPete Technology Experts:
Thought leadership
We are members of the
European Cloud Industry
body - Eurocloud, where
we have presented.
Our firm is regularly
featured as thought
leaders. we have been
featured in broadsheets
such as the Financial
Times, the Guardian, and
leading portals like the
Huffington Post.
We have regular columns
in CloudPro and Techradar

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Thank you
For more information:
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E info@drpete.co.uk