What are the most common misconceptions about cloud cost and resource management?

1 Misconception 1: Cloud is always cheaper than on-premises

One of the main reasons why software engineers choose cloud computing is to reduce the upfront and ongoing costs of maintaining their own infrastructure. However, cloud is not always cheaper than on-premises, especially if you do not optimize your cloud usage and configuration. For example, you may end up paying for unused or underutilized resources, such as idle virtual machines, oversized databases, or redundant backups. You may also incur hidden or unexpected costs, such as data transfer fees, network latency, or security breaches. To avoid these pitfalls, you need to monitor and analyze your cloud spending, and apply best practices for cost optimization, such as selecting the right pricing model, scaling on demand, and automating resource management.

2 Misconception 2: Cloud is always secure and compliant

Another common misconception about cloud computing is that it is always secure and compliant, and that you do not need to worry about the security and compliance of your applications and data. However, cloud security and compliance are shared responsibilities between the cloud provider and the cloud user. While the cloud provider is responsible for securing the physical infrastructure and the core services, the cloud user is responsible for securing the data, the access, and the configuration of the cloud resources. For example, you need to encrypt your data at rest and in transit, implement strong authentication and authorization mechanisms, and follow the security and compliance standards and regulations that apply to your industry and region.

3 Misconception 3: Cloud is always scalable and reliable

Another common misconception about cloud computing is that it is always scalable and reliable, and that you do not need to design your applications and architectures for scalability and reliability. However, cloud scalability and reliability are not automatic or guaranteed, and they depend on how you use and configure your cloud resources. For example, you need to design your applications and architectures for high availability, fault tolerance, and load balancing, and use the appropriate cloud services and features, such as auto-scaling, elastic load balancing, and availability zones. You also need to test and monitor your applications and architectures for performance, latency, and errors, and implement backup and disaster recovery strategies.

4 Misconception 4: Cloud is always compatible and interoperable

Another common misconception about cloud computing is that it is always compatible and interoperable, and that you do not need to worry about the compatibility and interoperability of your applications and data across different cloud platforms and environments. However, cloud compatibility and interoperability are not trivial or universal, and they require careful planning and implementation. For example, you need to consider the differences and limitations of the cloud platforms and environments that you use or migrate to, such as the programming languages, frameworks, libraries, APIs, data formats, and standards. You also need to use the appropriate tools and methods for cloud integration, migration, and portability, such as cloud-native, hybrid, or multi-cloud approaches.

5 Misconception 5: Cloud is always easy and simple

Another common misconception about cloud computing is that it is always easy and simple, and that you do not need to learn or master new skills and technologies for cloud development and deployment. However, cloud computing is not easy or simple, and it requires a steep learning curve and a continuous learning process. For example, you need to learn and master the cloud services and features that you use or plan to use, and understand their benefits, drawbacks, trade-offs, and best practices. You also need to learn and master the cloud tools and techniques for cloud development and deployment, such as cloud IDEs, cloud SDKs, cloud CLI, cloud DevOps, and cloud testing.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?