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Transcript

Preparation Task (30 minutes)

Research Task (30 minutes)

Analysis Task (30 minutes)

Create Task (20 minutes)

Hear from a professional in this role to see how they might approach this task.This simulation will help you to develop and enhance the skill of creating and executing effective cloud strategies, by understanding the current infrastructure, conducting research on data centres and cloud service providers, analysing cloud feasibility, creating a cloud strategy plan and reflecting on the learnings of this user-centric approach.

Document and Present (15 minutes)

Reflection Task (10 minutes)

Expected Outcome

Model Answer

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Objective: Conduct research on the client organisation, identifying their current infrastructure.

Preparation task (30 minutes):

Source +

Step one: Familiarise yourself with SilverBlaze by researching the organisation online. SilverBlaze, founded in 1999, is an award-winning software innovation, development, and consulting firm specialising in customer engagement solutions for utility companies.Company Overview: Industry Focus: SilverBlaze provides self-service portals and intelligent form software to electric, water, gas, telecom, and multi-service utility companies.Client Base: The company serves over 100 utility companies, reaching millions of end customers.

Step two: identify the company’s current infrastructure.Current Infrastructure Prior to Migration:Servers: SilverBlaze operated 45 servers within a colocation data centre.Network Setup: SilverBlaze's network was configured to support its software solutions for over 100 utility companies, facilitating services to millions of end customers.Applications: The firm's primary applications included self-service portals enabling consumers of electricity, water, gas, and telecommunications services to monitor consumption and manage payments.

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View comparison +

Objective: Evaluate various data centres and cloud service providers to determine suitability.

Research task (30 minutes):

Steps one and two: conduct research and analysis on various data centres and cloud service providers. When analysing major cloud providers like AWS (Amazon Web Services), Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Microsoft Azure, it's essential to compare their services, costs, geographical availability, support, security, and compliance offerings to make an informed decision. Here's a comparison between each Cloud provider:

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In summary:

  • For SilverBlaze's cloud migration needs, AWS is the most suitable choice. AWS offers the broadest range of services, mature offerings, and global reach, which are crucial for a company like SilverBlaze, which serves over 100 utility companies and requires scalable, high-performance infrastructure. While AWS is cost-effective for large-scale, committed use, careful resource management is essential to prevent costs from escalating.
  • GCP could be considered for its AI/ML capabilities and flexible pricing structure, which benefit data-driven and AI-centric projects. However, SilverBlaze’s primary focus is on customer engagement solutions for utilities, where the breadth of AWS services provides a more comprehensive fit.
  • Azure excels in integration with Microsoft tools and enterprise-grade security, making it a strong contender for organizations heavily invested in Microsoft technologies. However, for SilverBlaze, which seeks a broader range of cloud services and global scalability, AWS is the preferred choice.

Step three: Select and justify the most appropriate optionIn this case, I suggest AWS to be the most appropriate choice for this client, due to its extensive service offerings that align well with the diverse solutions SilverBlaze is migrating, ensuring scalability, reliability, and cost efficiency.

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Analysis task (30 minutes):

Objective: Analyse the feasibility of cloud migration for the identified company.

Open Threats +

Open Weaknesses +

Open Strengths +

Open Opportunities +

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Step one: Step one: create a SWOT analysis of your selected cloud-based solution for your client, compared to their current setup.

Cloud migration to AWS is highly feasible for SilverBlaze, with clear benefits in scalability, disaster recovery, and modernisation opportunities. However, careful planning for data migration, cost management, and compliance with data privacy regulations is essential for a smooth transition.

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Create task (20 minutes):

Objective: use analysis findings to create a high-level strategy plan.

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Step one: Create a high-level cloud strategy plan.

AWS Migration Process:Assess and PlanTo optimise the client’s cloud adoption and migration, the first readiness of the enterprise must be assessed and evaluated. After that, cloud adoption can be accelerated, and the foundation for migration can be established at scale through the hands-on experience of migrating a first wave of applications in just a few weeks.The iterative approach to cloud adoption discussed in this guide can be broken out into the three high-level phases of assess, mobilise, and migrate. These phases are shown in the following diagram.

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Open Evaluator +

Assess At the start of the customer's journey, the first step is to assess the organisation's current readiness for operating in the cloud. Most importantly, it is important to identify the desired business outcomes and develop the business case for migration.Migration Evaluator helps predict data-driven recommendations to right-size and right-cost compute. MobiliseAs part of the mobilisation phase, migration plans should be created and business cases should be refined. One critical aspect of developing migration strategy is to collect application portfolio data and rationalise applications using the seven common migration strategies: relocate, rehost, replatform, refactor, repurchase, retire, or retain, as shown below. In this use case, we choose to go with refactoring the application:

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Open +

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AWS Application Discovery Service helps you plan migration projects by gathering information about your on-premises data centres.AWS Migration Hub automates the planning and tracking of application migrations across multiple AWS and partner tools, allowing you to choose the migration tools that best fit your needs.

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Migrate and Modernise During the migrate and modernise phase, each application is designed, migrated, and validated.

AWS Migration Hub is the one destination for cloud migration and modernisation giving you the tools you need to accelerate and simplify your journey with AWS.AWS Application Migration Service (AWS MGN) simplifies and expedites migration from physical, virtual, and cloud infrastructure. AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) and SCT (Schema Conversion Tool) can migrate customer’s data to and from most widely used commercial and open-source databases. AWS Outposts is a pool of AWS compute and storage capacity deployed at a customer site. For applications that have restrictions on moving data to the cloud, Outposts can help to securely process and store on-premises customer data or data located in countries outside the range of AWS regions.

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Prediction of Costs: Next step is to estimate costs. helps estimate the costs for new architecture. Below are estimated costs for this use case.Initial Costs:Data migration tools and temporary storage may cost around £3,500–£7,500, depending on the total volume of data (100 TB).Cloud compute services may cost approximately £2,500 per month during the migration phase for additional testing and load balancing.Ongoing Monthly Costs:Based on a combination of storage (£0.017/GB in AWS S3), computing (estimated £1,500–£3,000 monthly for EC2), and networking costs, the total is projected to be around $5,000–$8,000 per month post-migration.

AWS Pricing Calculator

Timeline for the Transition:Next step is to create a migration plan by prioritising workloads and setting timelines.

  • Phase 1 (Month1): Infrastructure assessment and application re-architecting.
  • Phase 2 (Month 2 - 3): Data migration, setting up cloud environments, testing, and monitoring performance.
  • Phase 3 (Month 4 - 10): Full migration of production workloads, optimization of resource utilisation, final testing, and go-live.

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Prepare AWS Environment

In this phase, we set up

  • AWS accounts - Create or configure AWS accounts for production, development, and testing.
  • Define Network Architecture - Set up a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), subnets, security groups, and VPN connections or Direct Connect for secure access to AWS.
  • Implement Security and Compliance - Configure Identity and Access Management (IAM), encryption, and other security controls. Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

Migrate Data and Applications

Refer to Migrate and Modernise section

Test and Validate

Use AWS CloudWatch, X-Ray, and other monitoring tools to track system performance during testing.

Optimise

After migration, continuously optimise resource usage by rightsizing instances, utilising AWS autoscaling, and monitoring costs using AWS Cost Explorer.

Go-Live and Post-Migration Monitoring

Use AWS monitoring tools (CloudWatch, VPC Flow Logs) to keep an eye on system health and performance.

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Expected Improvements:Performance:By leveraging auto-scaling, AWS infrastructure will dynamically adjust to workload demands, reducing latency and increasing speed.Resource Utilisation:AWS will ensure optimised resource allocation, reducing overprovisioning. Compute power, storage, and networking will scale based on actual usage, ensuring that Silverblaze only pays for what it uses.Reliability and Uptime:AWS’s global infrastructure will provide high availability and robust disaster recovery.Flexibility:AWS infrastructure will provide the ability to quickly deploy new environments for development, testing, and production, speeding up project delivery and innovation.This high-level plan will help Silverblaze transition smoothly, optimise its resources, and drive long-term cost savings and agility in its operations.Links for reference:

https://docs.aws.amazon.com/prescriptive-guidance/latest/strategy-migration/welcome.html

Cloud Migration Services on AWS

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Document & present (20 minutes):

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Objective: Document your findings and chosen strategy in a concise report. Step one: compile your findings and strategy in a report, covering the required points.SilverBlaze Cloud Migration ReportSection A: Current Infrastructure Overview SilverBlaze operates a colocation data centre infrastructure, intending to migrate to the cloud to reduce costs, enhance scalability, and drive innovation. The current infrastructure includes:

  • Servers: 45 physical servers supporting customer engagement platforms for utility clients.
  • Storage: Approximately 100 TB of data, primarily customer and service management data.
  • Network: Hybrid setup with VPNs, firewalls, load balancers, and dedicated LAN for internal applications.
  • Applications: Custom-built customer portals, billing systems, and data analytics tools.
Section B: Cloud Service Providers Comparison A comparison of major cloud providers highlights key differences relevant to SilverBlaze:
  • Compute Services: AWS (EC2, Lambda), GCP (Compute Engine), Azure (VMs).
  • Storage: AWS (S3), GCP (Cloud Storage), Azure (Blob Storage).
  • Global Reach: AWS has 31 regions, Azure 65, and GCP 38, ensuring low-latency performance globally.
  • Security & Compliance: All platforms offer robust security features (IAM, encryption) and compliance with industry standards (ISO, HIPAA, GDPR).

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Conclusion: AWS is chosen for its comprehensive service offerings, global reach, and flexibility, making it the ideal provider for SilverBlaze’s cloud migration.

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Section C: Cloud Migration Feasibility (SWOT Analysis)

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Conclusion: Cloud migration to AWS is highly feasible for SilverBlaze, offering scalability, disaster recovery, and modernisation opportunities.

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Section D: High-Level Cloud Strategy Plan

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AWS Migration Process:Assess & Plan:

  • Evaluate SilverBlaze’s readiness for cloud migration.
  • Define desired business outcomes and create a comprehensive migration plan.
  • Use AWS Migration Evaluator for data-driven recommendations on compute resource allocation.
Mobilise:
  • Develop detailed migration strategies, leveraging AWS tools such as AWS Application Discovery Service and AWS Migration Hub.
  • Focus on refactoring key applications to improve performance and scalability.
Migrate & Modernise:
  • Migrate applications and data using AWS Application Migration Service and AWS Database Migration Service (DMS).
  • For applications with data residency requirements, use AWS Outposts to process data on-premises.
Estimated Costs:
  • Initial Costs: £3,500–£7,500 for data migration tools; £2,500/month for cloud compute during migration.
  • Ongoing Costs: £5,000–£8,000/month for storage, compute, and networking post-migration.

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Migration Timeline:

  • Phase 1 (Month 1): Infrastructure assessment and application re-architecting.
  • Phase 2 (Months 2-3): Data migration, cloud setup, and testing.
  • Phase 3 (Months 4-10): Full migration of production workloads, resource optimisation, and go-live.
Expected Improvements:
  • Performance: AWS’s auto-scaling capabilities will reduce latency and enhance speed.
  • Resource Utilisation: Optimised resource allocation will reduce overprovisioning and costs.
  • Reliability: AWS guarantees 99.99% uptime, ensuring high availability and robust disaster recovery.
  • Flexibility: Quick deployment of environments will accelerate development and innovation.
This strategy ensures a smooth transition to the cloud for SilverBlaze, delivering cost savings, enhanced performance, and greater operational agility.

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Reflection task (20 minutes):

Objective: reflect on the process of creating a cloud strategy plan.

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Step one: answer the following questions:

  • What have you learnt from the process of creating a cloud strategy plan?
I have learned the complexities of migrating infrastructure to the cloud, the importance of AWS tools for streamlining the process, and the value of SWOT analyses and cost calculators in planning. This experience has deepened my understanding of cloud scalability, security, and performance optimisation.
  • What challenges did you face and how did find solutions to overcome these?
Challenges included navigating infrastructure migration and AWS cost structures. I overcame these by using AWS tools for efficiency, conducting SWOT analyses for strategic insights, and leveraging cost calculators for accurate budgeting.
  • How can your skills in Cloud Strategy be improved upon and how will this help you in your career as a Cloud Architect?
Improving my skills involves pursuing certifications, gaining hands-on experience, and staying updated on AWS services. This will enhance my ability to create efficient cloud solutions, advancing my career as a Cloud Architect.

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When analysing major cloud providers such as AWS, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and Microsoft Azure, it's crucial to compare their services, costs, and features to inform decision-making. AWS stands out for its extensive range of services and global reach, making it ideal for enterprises needing flexibility and scalability. GCP excels in AI/ML capabilities, while Azure offers seamless integration with Microsoft tools.For AnyCompany, a SWOT analysis reveals that AWS migration is feasible, providing strengths like scalability and cost-efficiency, while also addressing weaknesses such as complex pricing. The migration process involves assessing readiness, mobilising resources, and modernising applications, with a clear timeline and estimated costs outlined.By leveraging AWS's infrastructure, AnyCompany can expect significant improvements in performance, resource utilisation, reliability, and flexibility, leading to long-term cost savings and enhanced operational agility.

Outcome

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Strengths:

  • Scalability: AWS offers highly scalable cloud services, enabling SilverBlaze to adjust resources dynamically as its customer base and data demands grow.
  • Cost-Efficiency: AWS’s pay-as-you-go model can help SilverBlaze manage costs by only paying for the resources used, reducing operational expenses compared to maintaining physical servers.
  • Comprehensive Services: With AWS’s broad range of services, including computing, storage, security, and analytics, SilverBlaze can leverage these to enhance its customer engagement solutions and streamline operations.
  • Global Presence: AWS’s globally distributed data centres ensure low latency and reliable service for SilverBlaze’s international clients, enhancing user experience and supporting disaster recovery strategies.
  • Security: AWS provides robust security features such as encryption and Identity Access Management (IAM), which are crucial for safeguarding sensitive utility data and ensuring compliance with industry regulations.

Opportunities:

  • Innovation & Flexibility: AWS’s access to advanced technologies like AI/ML and IoT presents SilverBlaze with opportunities to innovate its customer portals and services, maintaining a competitive edge.
  • Cloud-Native Features: Migrating to AWS allows SilverBlaze to adopt cloud-native architectures, enhancing its agility, performance, and ability to rapidly deploy new features.
  • Cost Savings: Optimising AWS services can lead to significant savings compared to traditional on-premise infrastructure, allowing SilverBlaze to reallocate resources to other strategic initiatives.
  • Disaster Recovery: AWS’s global infrastructure enhances SilverBlaze’s disaster recovery capabilities, ensuring business continuity and data protection.

Threats:

  • Downtime Risks: While AWS provides high availability, the potential for service outages could impact SilverBlaze’s operations, necessitating robust contingency planning.
  • Data Privacy Concerns: SilverBlaze must navigate data sovereignty and privacy regulations, ensuring that customer data is handled in compliance with industry and geographic standards.
  • Competition: As AWS services are widely used, SilverBlaze must ensure that its cloud strategies are optimised to maintain a competitive advantage in the utility sector.
  • Cost Overruns: Mismanagement or overprovisioning of cloud resources could lead to unexpected cost increases, emphasising the need for diligent cost monitoring and optimisation.

Weaknesses:

  • Complex Pricing: The wide variety of AWS services and pricing options could make it challenging for SilverBlaze to predict and control costs, requiring careful financial management.
  • Learning Curve: The transition to AWS will require SilverBlaze’s team to acquire new skills and knowledge, potentially necessitating investment in training to utilise AWS's extensive ecosystem fully.
  • Dependency: Migrating to AWS could create vendor lock-in, making it difficult or costly for SilverBlaze to switch providers if needed.