Monitoring in Different Cloud Environments
Cloud monitoring is easier if you operate in a private cloud for reasons we mentioned earlier (control and visibility), as you have access to the systems and software stack. Though monitoring can be more difficult in public or hybrid clouds, application performance monitoring tools (APM) give you visibility into performance behaviors.
A hybrid cloud environment presents unique challenges because data resides in both the private and public cloud. Limitations due to security and compliance can create issues for users accessing data. Admins can solve performance issues by determining what data to store in which cloud as well as what data to asynchronously update. Database synchronization can be a challenge as well, but sharding—partitioning data into smaller, faster and more easily managed parts—helps reduce issues.
Though private cloud gives you more control, you still need to monitor workloads to ensure optimum performance. Without a clear picture of workload and network performance, you can’t justify configuration or architectural changes or quantify the effectiveness of quality of service implementations or other technologies.
APM tools are helpful in private cloud environments as well, as they work hand-in-hand with existing data monitoring and management and can track performance, report results, and alert you to possible service disruptions.
Best Practices for Cloud Monitoring
Ensuring optimized performance and minimizing downtime is important to cloud monitoring. Here some ways to proactively manage the cloud and avoid common issues:
Security
Security is crucial in the cloud so gaining strict control over data at all endpoints helps mitigate risks. Solutions that scan, analyze, and take action on data before it leaves the network help protect against data loss. It’s also important to scan, evaluate, and classify data before it’s downloaded to the network to avoid malware and data breaches.
APIs
The cloud can have an array of performance issues from poorly designed APIs. You can avoid poor cloud API performance by using APIs that operate via objects instead of operations. This results in fewer individual API calls and less traffic. APIs with consistent designs and few data type restrictions result in better performance.
Application Workflow
An application’s response time and supporting resources are vital to understanding what’s hindering performance. Following an application’s workflow helps you identify where and when delays occur.
Workload
Overprovisioning cloud services—also known as cloud sprawl—eats up resources, availability and can impede performance. APM tools can help you find the issues, then proper policies and procedures can help mitigate sprawl and pull back resource and network use when necessary.
Monitoring the cloud requires tools that track performance, consumption, and availability while ensuring the secure transfer of data. A proper solution and management enables companies to find a balance between mitigating risks while leveraging the benefits of the cloud.
Feel free to contact E-SPIN for the various technology solution that can facilitate your cloud monitoring infrastructure availability and security monitoring.
