Cloud exit assessment – a framework for leaving the cloud
I intend this post more as a discussion starter, but I welcome any comments, criticisms, or opposing views.
I would like to draw your attention for a moment to the topic of 'cloud exit.' While this may seem unusual here, I believe that most organizations—whether startups or enterprises—lack an understanding of the vendor lock-in they encounter with a cloud-first strategy, and there are limited tools available on the market to assess these risks.
Due to unfavorable market conditions as a cloud security freelancer, I've had more time over the last couple of months, which is why I started building a unified cloud exit assessment solution that helps organizations understand the risks associated with their cloud landscape and supports them in better understanding the risks, challenges and constraints of a potential cloud exit.
The solution is still in its early stages (I’ve built it without VC funding or other investors), but I would be happy to share it with you for your review and feedback.
The 'assessment engine' is based on the following building blocks: 1) Define Scope & Exit Strategy type: For Microsoft Azure, the scope can be a resource group, while for AWS, it can be an AWS account and region. 2) Build Resource Inventory: List the used resources/services. 3) Build Cost Inventory: Identify the associated costs of the used resources/services. 4) Perform Risk Assessment: Apply a pre-defined rule set to examine the resources and complexity within the defined scope. 5) Conduct Alternative Technology Analysis: Evaluate the available alternative technologies on the market. 6) Develop Report (Exit Strategy/Exit Plan): Create a report based.
I've created a lighweight version of the assessment engine and you can try it on your own: https://exitcloud.io/ (No registration or credit card required)
Example report - EU: https://report.eu.exitcloud.io/737d5f09-3e54-4777-bdc1-059f5f5b2e1c/index.html (for users who do not want to test it on their own infrastructure, but are interested in the output report )
the example report used the 'Migration to Alternate Cloud' exit strategy, which is why you can find only cloud-related alternative technologies.
To avoid any misunderstandings, here are a few notes: - The lightweight version was built on Microsoft Azure because it was the fastest and simplest way to set it up. (Yes, a bit ironic…) - I have no preference for any particular cloud service provider; each has its own advantages and disadvantages. - I am neither a frontend nor a hardcore backend developer, so please excuse me if the aforementioned lightweight version contains some 'hacks.' - I’m not trying to convince anyone that the cloud is good or bad. - Since a cloud exit depends on an enormous number of factors and there can be many dependencies for an application, my goal is not to promise a solution that solves everything with just a Next/Next/Finish approach.
Best regards, Bence.
Hey Bence, this is great. I’ve seen a few cloud exits done pretty badly and part of that was because for those teams and orgs it was something that they’d not really done before.
I like the listings of alternative technologies especially.
Well done!
Thank you! :) It's still in the early stages; the vendor landscape changes continuously, and I have to invest significant time to improve this.
Cloud is just someone else’s server.
Cloud is an abstraction that lets you stop thinking about individual physical servers in direct relation to specific applications. Doesn't matter whether yours, someone else's or both.