Why ‘Lift and Shift’ Is Failing Your Cloud Strategy | September 2024 Newsletter from Alta3 Research

In the world of IT, there's a familiar scenario many organizations find themselves in—manually building servers, one by one, with each server becoming a unique "snowflake." This approach might feel comfortable because it’s how things have always been done, but it’s also fraught with inefficiencies, errors, and significant risk. However, what if the old way of doing things—the snowflake server approach—wasn't the best way? What if you could eliminate the manual, error-prone process of server creation and instead embrace automation that ensures consistency, scalability, and security?

Is it time to start rethinking how you build and maintain your servers? Your current setup may be limiting your efficiency and security. By embracing automation, you can create a more resilient and adaptable infrastructure.

The Problem with Snowflake Servers

Snowflake servers are those unique, one-off creations that require hours of manual setup. No two are alike, and crucially, there’s often no record of how they were built. This lack of documentation becomes a nightmare during disaster recovery, where you'd have to painstakingly recreate each server—often under immense pressure.

Many believe virtual machines avoid the "snowflake" problem because they can be easily cloned or templated. However, without automation and consistent management, they can still become unique and vulnerable to the same issues as physical servers. If someone ever says their backup plan is "virtual machine snapshots" you've arrived at virtualized snowflakes.

Moreover, in general, the human factor introduces inevitable errors. We're not machines; we need breaks, we make mistakes, and this means your snowflake server is fragile, vulnerable, and unreliable. In the event of a ransomware attack, for example, your recovery process could be disastrously slow, if not impossible.

Enter DevOps: Automation and Efficiency

Now, imagine replacing this outdated approach with a DevOps-built server, built by automation tools like Ansible or Terraform. Instead of building servers one at a time, you can deploy hundreds or even thousands of servers simultaneously. The process is fully automated, reducing the build time from hours to mere seconds. More importantly, every server configuration is documented and stored, meaning that disaster recovery is not only possible but swift and precise.

With DevOps, you have pristine record-keeping. You know exactly what's being built, how it’s configured, and where it’s located—24/7, with no breaks, no mistakes. And if disaster strikes, your recovery time is measured in minutes, not days.

The Pitfalls of Lift and Shift

One common mistake organizations make during cloud migration is the "lift and shift" approach. This involves taking your existing server—built manually, likely a snowflake—and simply copying its disk image to a public cloud server. While this might seem like an easy solution, it often results in reduced or eliminated access to the cloud's powerful, native services. Essentially, you end up with a less efficient, less secure version of what you had before.

Instead, why not rebuild your servers using automation? By leveraging DevOps tools, you can create cloud-native servers that fully exploit the benefits of cloud computing. If your needs change or if a server fails, no problem—just let the robot rebuild it elsewhere. This flexibility is at the heart of modern IT infrastructure.

The Future is DevOps

In summary, the era of snowflake servers is over. The future lies in DevOps—a world where servers are built by robots, configurations are encoded, and infrastructure is resilient, scalable, and secure. This isn’t just a technical upgrade; it's a strategic shift that can revolutionize your entire IT operation.

So, the next time you find yourself needing to refresh a VMware license or considering a cloud migration, take a step back. Don’t just replicate the old way of doing things in a new environment. Instead, embrace the future with DevOps, where automation, efficiency, and security are built into the very fabric of your IT infrastructure.

By making this shift, you'll not only avoid the pitfalls of the past but also position your organization for success in the digital age.

Upcoming Guaranteed-to-Run Courses at Alta3 Research

If you're looking to sharpen your skills in DevOps, automation, or other areas of IT, Alta3 Research has several Guaranteed-to-Run (GTR) courses coming up this month that can help you embrace this transformation:

Python 101 - Basics (5 days) - 9/16-9/20/2024

Jenkins Automation Server Essentials (2 days) - 9/16- 9/17/2024

Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) (5 days) - 9/16-9/20/2024

Managing Azure with Terraform (3 days) 9/18-9/20/2024

Python 201 - API Design with Python (5 days) 9/23-9/27/2024

Ansible 101 - Essentials (5 days) 9/30-10/4/2024

Ansible 201 - Network Automation (5 days) 9/30-10/4/2024

These courses are a perfect way to strengthen your foundation and take your skills to the next level.

Additionally, if you're interested in diving deeper into the topic of cloud strategy, Alta3 Research is hosting a webinar on October 9th: Mastering Cloud Migration with DevOps – where we'll discuss why traditional approaches often fall short and how automation can transform your infrastructure. Register here for the webinar.

Don't miss out on these opportunities to enhance your skill set and keep up with the latest trends in cloud and DevOps!