Bridging the Gap in Cloud Observability

In the rapidly evolving landscape of cloud observability, a clear divide has emerged. On one side, we have FinOps products that aim to optimize cloud spending, while on the other, multi-cloud automation platforms dive deep into complex deployment and provisioning challenges. However, there's a missing middle ground that aims to provide a holistic solution for cloud observability, asset management, automation, and governance without the need for lock-in.

The Cloud Observability Conundrum

When it comes to cloud observability, organizations often find themselves grappling with various needs:

1. Observability: The need to gain visibility into cloud spending and resource utilization.
2. Asset Management: The desire to efficiently manage cloud assets while keeping a close eye on costs.
3. Automation: The drive to automate cloud consumption and workflows for enhanced efficiency.
4. Policy and Governance: The necessity to enforce policies and governance across multiple clouds from a single control point.

But here's the catch: while addressing these needs, organizations don't want to be tied down to a multi-cloud automation platform that delves too deeply into their development implementations. This raises the question of striking the right balance.

What's the right mix?

So, what should an ideal cloud observability platform look like? Apart from the standard bouquet of features already available as table stakes, here are few key features and differentiators that can set it apart in this crowded market:

1. Single Pane of Glass Across Clouds

Imagine having a unified view of your AWS, GCP, and Azure environments in one place. A single pane of glass that consolidates all your cloud data, making it easier to manage and monitor.

2. Advanced Dashboards

The dashboard is a crucial component of cloud observability, and the ideal platform should take it a step further. It should offer customizable widgets that allow you to select dimensions, group data, apply filters, and set data limits. This empowers you with unparalleled control and insights.

3. Asset Management with Cost Tracking

Tracking assets is essential, but it becomes even more valuable when you can see the actual dollars associated with each asset. This feature can help you understand the true financial impact of your cloud resources. Financial reporting of cloud resources is delayed by ~24 hrs but getting visibility into the assets at runtime and setting up triggers, assists to be more proactive.

4. Actions

The missing piece in many observability platforms is the ability to take immediate actions based on insights. The problem is, the $$ amount are ~ 24hrs old.

If I were to retrieve the resource ID, access the cloud platform, log in to the associated account, navigate to the specific region, and initiate a search for the SKU, by the time I reach this point, the resource might have already vanished. This reactive approach not only consumes valuable time but also involves a cumbersome journey with numerous clicks and actions along the way.

From an end-user, the Actions could a variety of things like -

• Pause/Stop/Terminate
• Contact the owner
• Make a note about it - comment
• Add/Update a tag ....

5. Policy and Governance

Effective governance across multi-cloud environments is a daunting task. An ideal platform should encapsulate access to the cloud, simplifying policy implementation and governance. It should translate the intent, ensuring that engineers and services don't have to repeat the same intent for different clouds. This streamlines cloud service consumption and maintenance while maintaining governance. You can define policies once and apply them consistently across clouds.

Examples include tagging underutilized resources, grouping resource consumption, blocking provisioning without required tags, or implementing second-level approval for specific resource requests.

6. Advanced Recommendations

While basic recommendations from cloud providers are helpful, the next level of value lies in long-term infrastructure analysis. An observability platform should be capable of providing insights into over-provisioning or under-provisioning and offer suggestions for cost and time savings.

What is the Time/Cost delta - If I over provision OR If I under provision?

The Path Forward

In a cloud environment where complexity continues to grow, the missing middle ground in cloud observability is becoming increasingly apparent. The need for a comprehensive solution that bridges the gap between observability, asset management, automation, and governance is more critical than ever. By focusing on a unified approach and introducing differentiating features, the cloud observability landscape can evolve to meet the demands of modern cloud operations.

As organizations continue to navigate the cloud, they will undoubtedly seek out solutions that not only provide insights but also empower them to take meaningful actions, enforce policies, and make informed decisions that impact their bottom line. The missing middle ground in cloud observability is the key to achieving this balance.