What Businesses Should Know When Starting Work in the Cloud

Author: Maksim Kirillov, DevOps Engineer, Cloud Engineer, Cloud Architect

According to McKinsey, companies that incorporate cloud technologies into their business find it easier to enter the market, implement innovations, scale their operations, and reduce technological risks. In this article, I will discuss what companies need to consider when starting to work with the cloud, how DevOps engineers, cloud engineers, and cloud architects differ, and how to select the right employee or contractor.

What is the cloud, and how can non-IT businesses work with it?

The cloud is a network of numerous servers located in distributed geographic data centers. It allows customers of a cloud provider to utilize computing resources through convenient GUI or APIs, paying only for the resources consumed.

In other words, companies are not limited by the capacity of the resources they require or storage volumes. The infrastructure can grow in line with the business's expansion without the need to invest in acquiring and maintaining it on their premises, thus not increasing CAPEX.

Clouds are designed to store and process data volumes that cannot fit on an individual's or a company's own computers.

The reference to an individual is not an exaggeration: many people use cloud storage services like Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive for personal use. 

For enterprises, the demand for cloud storage is even higher. According to analytical firms 1,2,3,4, the global market size in this segment exceeded $500 billion in 2022 and is expected to continue growing at a cumulative annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15-20%.

Renting a server rack in an existing data center through an infrastructure owner or operator may be a suitable solution for a larger number of companies. However, several factors need to be considered. Firstly, renting a rack implies that you already have the server to be installed. Investments in "hardware" are comparable to infrastructure expenses: you need to purchase it, maintain it, regularly service it, and update it every N years. Furthermore, over time, the server's lifespan decreases, and its market price drops. Additionally, there is the issue of the platform's reliability (directly affecting the availability of your systems) and the protection of the data you store or process.

Cloud infrastructure can be a solution for businesses not willing to increase their CAPEX for non-core assets. In essence, when using cloud provider services, businesses obtain the same server mentioned in the previous paragraphs, with a few essential differences:

1. No expenses for maintaining hardware in working condition: burned-out processors, faulty RAM, failing disks - getting rid of these becomes the concern of your cloud platform. No costs for maintaining and creating necessary external conditions: procurement, installation, and maintenance of ventilation systems, fire protection, and so on.
2. Pricing is dynamic: there is the option to pay for usage by the second or, conversely, to rent the required business capacities for several years upfront, receiving a substantial discount.
3. PaaS and SaaS solutions allow for easy selection of the appropriate way to interact with the cloud. Businesses can rent the server themselves (the so-called barebones) and install everything they need independently, or pay directly for the use of required software, whether it's databases or orchestration systems. They won't have to worry about timely updates or tracking new vulnerabilities; the cloud provider will handle all of this, guaranteeing service availability through the appropriate SLAs.

Due to the fact that cloud provider services cater to a vast number of clients, economies of scale come into play, making the use of such computational power quite affordable.

Three key professions assist in setting up and maintaining services and infrastructure in the cloud: DevOps engineers, cloud engineers, and cloud architects. Let's take a look at who they are and how they differ.

How DevOps Engineer, Cloud Engineer, and Cloud Architect Differ

DevOps Engineer

A DevOps engineer is responsible for organizing a fast product development life cycle. Software development involves multiple stages: planning, obtaining results, and delivering them to the end user. The DevOps engineer's task is to seamlessly integrate these stages into a continuous, unbroken chain.

Application development comprises various processes, and the application itself usually consists of numerous components. These components need to be assembled into a cohesive whole (without delving into containerization details, which is a topic for a separate article) and then delivered to the end user. This is typically achieved through what is known as a release cycle and a release process.

Modern practices of this kind are collectively referred to as CI/CD, which stands for continuous integration and continuous delivery. CI allows for the fine-tuning of mechanisms, while CD pertains to building the final product and delivering it to the end user.

During the development of an IT product, a multitude of elements that make up the product, referred to as artifacts, are created. The DevOps engineer's task is to ensure that all these artifacts work together. Collaborating with testers, they ensure that there are no errors in the final product. In a large project involving a team of 500 individuals, the number of product builds in a day can reach 5000, and there can be 650 artifacts. It's impractical to manually handle such a volume of builds, so all the processes of building, testing, and delivery are typically automated, and DevOps engineers are responsible for this automation.

DevOps engineers work with any infrastructure, whether it's in the cloud or a company's own on-premises infrastructure.

Cloud Engineer

In contrast to DevOps, a cloud engineer, as the name suggests, specializes in cloud infrastructure. The responsibilities of a cloud engineer include knowing and understanding how to set up and fine-tune all processes related to it.

As mentioned earlier, cloud providers offer a plethora of solutions for various scenarios, including several types of databases, dozens or even hundreds of server configurations, numerous SaaS offerings, and hundreds of partner solutions. These solutions cater to a wide range of industries, from video and image recognition to complex logistics projects.

Therefore, if a company plans to deeply integrate a cloud solution into its business infrastructure, the cloud engineer becomes the linchpin responsible for configuring all the disparate elements into a unified system. Their responsibilities include understanding the nuances of configuration and the ability to bring to life the tasks set by the business through the cloud architect.

Cloud Architect

In contrast to a cloud engineer, who configures cloud operations, the cloud architect is involved in design and planning. This specialist listens to the business needs and develops the architecture of the cloud solution. The cloud architect not only knows how a particular function or option of a cloud provider works but also understands how these nuances will impact solving business tasks. In the market, there are solutions designed for quick response to requests, while others prioritize scalability, with speed being a less crucial factor. The cloud architect must understand what is specifically needed in a given case.

To sum up, the cloud architect designs the final cloud infrastructure based on business tasks, focusing on design and the overall direction of the company's development. The cloud engineer configures the necessary services, while the DevOps engineer fine-tunes everything to ensure the product ultimately fits into the cloud.

How to Hire a Competent Engineer, Architect, or Choose a Contracting Company

If a business is considering finding an experienced professional, whether it's a DevOps engineer, cloud engineer, or architect, there's no need to hesitate in utilizing word-of-mouth recommendations. In any professional environment, good specialists are typically well-known. You can ask for recommendations from colleagues in your field, attend industry-specific events and conferences – it's almost certain to yield results.

When trying to find a new hire, reading expert articles on professional resources is quite helpful. Experienced and talented individuals usually have valuable insights to share and are interested in exchanging their experiences with colleagues. They are eager to discuss solutions to complex or non-trivial problems to find optimal solutions. As it has turned out, 90% of these discussions can be found in open access on professional resources, where you can also find an expert in your area of interest.

Pro Tip: Someone who understands the subject matter can always explain complex things in simple terms. If you're inundated with jargon even after requesting a simpler explanation, it's reason to doubt their professionalism.

Engaging HR agencies has its advantages: the initial screening of candidates is not your responsibility or that of your employees but rather the responsibility of the company that provides you with candidates who have already passed the first screening.

The drawback of this method is that not all HR agencies have specialists who can assess the technical skills of applicants. As a result, recruiters may select a candidate with excellent communication skills but lacking in so-called hard skills.

If you've decided not to hire someone in-house but to seek a contracting company, you should focus on the contractor's area of expertise. There are companies with a high level of expertise and successful IT projects in the oil and gas industry. Still, if your business is in retail, you should look for experts who have worked in that field and understand its specifics. A significant advantage of working with a contracting organization is the turnkey approach. From the customer's perspective, they provide the technical task, budget, and a point of contact from their employees, while the partner you select will provide all the technologies and potential solutions, the engineering team, architects, and other proven and well-coordinated experts.

Sources:

1. https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/cloud-computing-market-234.html  (Report by the MarketsandMarkets Research Private Limited) 
2. https://store.rationalstat.com/store/global-cloud-computing-market/ (Report by RationalStat)
3. https://www.reportlinker.com/p06321915/Global-Cloud-Computing-Market-Size-Share-Industry-Trends-Analysis-Report-By-Service-Type-By-Deployment-By-Enterprise-Size-By-End-use-By-Regional-Outlook-and-Forecast.html?utm_source=GNW  (Report by KBV Research)
4. https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/cloud-computing-market-102697 (Report by Fortune Business Insights)