Using monitoring to observe the cloud
Although cloud computing services offer companies a number of benefits, decision-makers must ensure they have the proper visibility into the network to minimize vulnerabilities and other issues that could lead to poor performance. As the volume of complex workloads making their way to the cloud increases, executives must consider adopting advanced monitoring tools.
A TechTarget report highlighted how the cloud is usually highly advantageous for companies, though the hosted technology usually holds similar challenges associated with managing workloads in traditional data centers. If IT directors do not take initiative to ensure the hosted environment's performance can keep up with the workload, operations will likely suffer.
"When it comes to management of public or private clouds, generally speaking, you are talking about life cycles of workload instead of thinking in terms of virtual machines," said Jonah Kowall, research director at Gartner, according to TechTarget.
Businesses generally lean toward a Software as a Service approach to monitoring, as it supports a pay-per-use system and is relatively easy to manage, the news source noted. In the coming years, however, the proliferation of more complex cloud environments will drive the demand for more sophisticated monitoring and management tools.
Currently, top monitoring services offer a wide range of solutions used to keep an eye on the health and performance of the cloud. While this insight allows decision-makers to gain a better perspective into the cloud, it is not the only approach. In general, the success of monitoring really depends on how well IT teams manage and automate the processes. Still, companies usually have an unrealistic expectation of what they intend to get out of monitoring the cloud, which usually differs from the vendor's point of view.
"The point is that there is a significant expectation mismatch between what people think they can accomplish with these tools and what they will deliver - and with cloud in general - than what is realistic," said Aneel Lakhani, cloud and virtualization research director at Gartner, according to TechTarget.
Network World highlighted the importance of cloud monitoring, noting that using these solutions will enable businesses to create a more robust and secure environment for mission-critical operations. By planning ahead and finding the right vendor, organizations can leverage the tools needed to strengthen their use of the cloud.
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