I am a great admirer of Marie Kondo, the Japanese organizing consultant who brings joy to homes by transforming cluttered spaces into realms of tranquility and efficiency.
Picture a cupboard brimming with two decades of accumulated possessions—a mix of obsolete, broken, and unopened items. Among these are items you’ve bought in duplicate, unaware of their existence deep within the cluttered confines. Amid the chaos, a few handy objects await discovery. However, trying to excavate them could cause a catastrophic avalanche. Trust me, I possess such a cupboard.
This scenario aptly represents a typical on-premises data center, a labyrinth of applications without discernment of their significance.
In the quest for cloud benefits, companies were urged to execute a “lift and shift” strategy—moving their existing applications to the cloud wholesale. This strategy often feels akin to relocating your cluttered cupboard into a rented garage in another part of town. You still grapple with the same amount of stuff; it’s just more inconvenient to access and secure. Not to mention, the garage comes with an additional rental cost.
An alternative to “lift and shift,” companies were also recommended to “containerize” their applications before cloud migration. Using the cupboard analogy, this would equate to packing your belongings into plastic crates before moving them to the garage. Containerization simplifies the transportation and management of applications and facilitates future moves between different storage units. Nonetheless, it inherits the downsides of garage storage, along with the added expense of containers. This “move and improve” strategy seems appealing, but the motivation to sort out the clutter often dwindles once it’s out of sight.
The Pitfalls of an Unplanned Journey
The ideal scenario involves decluttering the cupboard entirely. Broken items should be repaired or discarded, obsolete belongings removed, and duplicated or unused possessions donated. Following Marie Kondo’s mantra, you should retain only the items that “spark joy.” Once this selection is complete, you can consider whether to display these cherished items prominently or store them away, neatly and securely.
In the realm of cloud technology, this approach translates into cloud modernization: a comprehensive review and restructuring of applications for optimal cloud performance. This topic, however, lies beyond the scope of this book. As many companies have discovered, cloud modernization can be a lengthy and costly process. Many firms have resorted to the lift and shift or containerization strategies, only to find their applications harder to manage and secure and more expensive to run in the cloud.
Less than optimal experiences with cloud migration have resulted in scepticism and disappointment surrounding the cloud. Companies have been reminded that there is no one-size-fits-all solution or quick fix. Despite this disillusionment, digital native competitors continue to leverage the cloud’s advantages, warranting a deeper exploration into what sets these companies apart in their cloud strategy.