94% of businesses on a global scale are adopting cloud computing, and experts expect 84% of companies to embrace a cloud-first principle by the end of this year.
What’s likely still holding some organizations back from making the shift is a wary attitude toward change. Here, we outline the realities behind reliability in cloud computing and why it’s time for your business to join those embracing it.
What Is Reliability in Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing is the service of computer systems over the internet rather than utilizing storage onsite or from a remote server. The cloud allows companies to use resources only when they need them, which is much more cost-effective than building, maintaining, securing, and paying for the infrastructure required to store massive amounts of data.
Reliability in cloud computing is the ability of those internet resources to perform consistently and securely without interruption.
The Importance of Reliability of Cloud Services
Users must be able to trust they can access their data and resources on demand. They should also not have to worry about security breaches, compliance issues, or unsatisfying user experiences.
Otherwise, the cost-risk analysis is no longer worth it, and businesses would be better off returning to building their own infrastructure or paying for remote servers from a larger company that can guarantee onsite security.
The critical factors in the reliability in cloud services are:
- Availability of data
- The ability of systems to recover from failures
- Protection of data from corruption or loss
- Speedy recovery from disasters
- Real-time monitoring and predictive analytics
With these factors in place, cloud computing can be considered reliable and even necessary for organizations looking to save money and increase efficiency.
Let’s look at these factors more closely.
Key Factors That Influence Reliability in Cloud Computing
1. High Availability & Redundancy
Users must be able to access their data from anywhere at any time, or cloud computing simply doesn’t make sense. The best cloud services ensure constant availability.
Marin Cristian-Ovidiu, an expert in cloud-based technologies and CEO of Online Games says, “One of the biggest factors in cloud reliability is redundancy and failover mechanisms—having multi-region data replication and automated failovers ensures that even if one data center goes down, operations continue without disruption.”
2. Automated Disaster Recovery & Backups
Reliable cloud computing will always include automated disaster recovery to ensure seamless transitions to new systems when one system fails. This recovery includes aspects like automated failover, which automatically switches users to a new system in the event of a failed system.
These new systems are often part of a hot standby environment, which is connected to a nearby region, in case the failed system is due to a regional blackout or other disaster.
You can also expect data replication and backup so that your data will always be copied and stored in a secure location in the event your original data is lost. The backup can then be used to restore your system in near real-time.
3. Fault Tolerance & Load Balancing
The best cloud computing services compartmentalize services so that if one part of the system fails, the entire system is not affected and can keep running. Automated responses are put into place to act on failure triggers, and the faulty part of the system is typically brought back in line with little downtime.
Load balancing is another part of this process, which ensures no one segment of the cloud system is overloaded by too much data. Instead, functions are spread out to create a virtual balance.
4. Network & Infrastructure Security
Cristian-Ovidiu says “the significant part in cloud system reliability comes from adhering to security standards and compliance regulations. ISO 27001 and SOC 2 compliance together with strict access rules and powerful encryption safeguards systems from cyber attacks which might cause complete system outages.”
Your security measures should also include backups in the event of disasters and fault tolerance.
5. Real-Time Monitoring & Predictive Analytics
Another way cloud services leverage AI is to ensure continuous monitoring of system performance and provide predictive analytics. This real-time monitoring allows for any issues that arise to be caught and resolved before they affect the user experience or take the system down.
Strategies for Improving Cloud Reliability
If you’ve made the move to cloud computing or you’re considering fully embracing the cloud first principle, here are some strategies to ensure your systems are constantly improving cloud reliability.
1. Implement High Availability Architecture
When you design your systems and applications to have high availability, you set them up for success. You have failover backups in place, and you utilize redundancy components so that when one segment goes down, another leaps into its place.
2. Automate Disaster Recovery & Incident Response
When it comes to disaster recovery and incident response, you should always be leveraging AI and ensuring triggers are put into place. That way, if your system goes down, there’s an automatic response that brings it back online, whether from a hot standby environment or from another resource.
Incident responses should be thorough and robust, prepared to trigger automatic action in the event of any issues that might arise.
3. Optimize Infrastructure with Auto-Scaling
Your infrastructure must be optimized for load balancing and reallocation of resources. This ensures that if one part of the system goes down, the entire system doesn’t crash. It must also be able to scale up or down as the user requires.
4. Enforce Security & Compliance Best Practices
Of course, security must be of the highest priority, again leveraging AI to provide continuous vigilance of the highest possible state. You can implement compliance best practices by:
- Encrypting data both in transit and at rest
- Putting strong identity management into place
- Continuously monitoring for suspicious activity
- Providing ongoing scanning for vulnerabilities
- Creating a division of security tasks for thorough and comprehensive support
5. Utilize Proactive Monitoring & AI-driven Insights
Finally, ensure you’re leveraging AI and automation to be proactive when it comes to predictive analytics. Your LLM should be able to watch for abnormalities, changes, and shifts and then provide insights as to root causes and best responses.
How DuploCloud Enhances Reliability in Cloud Computing
Need help with your reliability in cloud computing? Well, you’re in luck because DuploCloud can help. We’ve created a single platform that makes it easy to move to the cloud and automate your DevOps-managed services.
You’ll save time and money while maintaining security and confidence.
What more could you ask for in reliable cloud computing?
Book a demo now to learn more.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the difference between cloud availability and reliability?
Cloud availability speaks only to the ability to access the cloud. Cloud reliability refers to the ability to access the cloud on demand with security and confidence.
How do cloud providers ensure reliability?
Cloud providers ensure reliability by providing high-level security and compliance, strong backups, hot standby environments, and continuous monitoring to prepare for any upcoming issues.
How does DevOps contribute to cloud reliability?
It helps break down silos and automate repetitive tasks like continuous monitoring and disaster backup and responses.
What are the biggest risks to cloud reliability?
The biggest risks to cloud reliability come from outside threats like cyber attacks and system failures due to natural or other disasters.
How does DuploCloud improve cloud reliability?
Duplocloud improves cloud reliability by automating cloud infrastructure and integrating security and compliance checks into workflows.
