What Problems Everyone Has With Azure Cloud– How To Solve Them

What Problems Everyone Has With Azure Cloud– How To Solve Them

With a sharp rise in demand for businesses to migrate their infrastructure to the cloud, it's not always easy, as depicted on paper or in advertisements. Despite its numerous benefits, it also comes with serious challenges. It can turn out to be a costly experience for the user when misused. Its complexity and technical aspect sometimes make it difficult for new users to navigate its portal or deploy services effectively.

But as with many businesses or service providers, it too has some downsides, which would end up inconveniencing the user. Without proper knowledge and expertise, you may find yourself experiencing different challenges when using the service.

What are the problems you can experience with the Azure cloud?

1. Risk of a security breach 

Azure is a safe platform but delegates some security responsibility to users. The security responsibilities are sometimes not adequately defined, which leaves users unsure of the specific security features they are supposed to be responsible for. Azure provides users with the tools needed to keep their infrastructure secure, but it's their responsibility to use them effectively. Failure by the user to use the tools well may cause a security vulnerability.

2. Complex Migration

It looks easy to transfer your data from physical premises to the cloud until it's time for migration. Lack of proper planning may lead to wasting a lot of time in the migration process. You can take more time to complete the process than the time you anticipated, which translates to incurring more costs. 

Migration also needs cloud technology experts, which Azure does not articulate well. Basic cloud technological know-how may not be enough for a secure and successful migration. A minor error could result in a significant complication, such as massive data loss. An in-depth understanding of migration would be ideal to avoid any potential data transfer disaster. 

3. Overspending

Before migrating to the cloud, you must pay for your on-premise infrastructure, whether you use it or not. The shadow has a pay-as-you-go approach, meaning you only pay for what you use. This misconception leads to overspending because many users leave unused assets active, leading to higher billing. Most users cannot identify idle resources in the cloud, which are also billed whether they use them or not. Other reasons for overspending are:

• Complicated pricing structure
• Overprovisioned  resources
• Unused capacity
• Misuse of On-Demand services

4. Inadequate Monitoring and Administration

Most business owners assume moving to the cloud takes away all their administrative tasks, which is usually not the case. Some end up reducing the number of their executive staff but realize they still need them after migration. Migration may relieve you of most technological aspects, but administrators must maintain and stabilize the services. 

Azure's administrative and monitoring tools are spread throughout its different services, which may be hard to utilize without the required knowledge. Its monitoring platform also doesn't provide alerts and notifications, which leaves your business out of touch with its infrastructure, security, and performance.

5. An Unclear Starting Point

With a variety of services offered by Azure, it can turn problematic when choosing the right one. You may get overwhelmed and confused about how to start your journey. Coming up with the specific tasks you need most can also be challenging. Frequent licensing updates can also hinder your progress. Different licenses for different resources may also be a significant challenge if you don't understand licensing. 

How to solve Cloud Azure Problems

Proven ways to solve Azure problems

1. Use a Vulnerability Management Tool

This type of software thoroughly scans your system across your virtualized infrastructure. If it detects a vulnerability, it provides your development team with a guide on eliminating it effectively. Some other benefits of having a vulnerability management tool are:

• Create customized reports that support a compelling case for additional security actions.
• Automated scanning of IT assets without compromising the end user's experience
• Remotely manages and implements the best techniques for managing vulnerabilities.
• It gives a score on the severity of a risk which could be critical, high, medium, or low.

2. Cost optimization

You must be fully aware of all the cloud services your business uses. You may be billed for some services that are out of your control without your knowledge. For this reason, you need to identify who uses what services and why they use them. Determining what you use or don't use will help you take steps to reduce your spending. Consider taking the actions below:

• Use scheduling software to switch off assets.
• Identify and get rid of unused assets.
• Take advantage of Azure discounts.

3. Ensure you have everything in place for a smooth migration

With the complex skill set and cost needed for a successful migration, you should invest in the right skills or hire an expert. A well-estimated budget should also come in handy before the migration to avoid inconvenience. Good planning and preparation will reduce migration costs. Other considerations are:

• Get assurances on expected performance before you agree to any migration contracts.
• Use a migration tool to monitor and assess your migration process.
• Purchase internet bandwidth to allow you to choose between migrating online or offline

4. Take advantage of managed services providers

Complexity with Azure's resources leads to costly errors and misconfigurations when handled by inexperienced users. If you have trouble keeping up with Azure's changes and new features, you should take advantage of managed services to reduce the risk your business could face. Managed services providers can:

• Offer technical and customer support.
• Offer financial monitoring services that help in predicting costs in the early stages.
• Help in keeping track and maintenance of your documentation.

5. Trouble-shoot common issues

Some Azure service roles can suddenly stop or remain in an initializing or busy state for a long time, resulting in severe downtime if not resolved on time. You can mess up with the systems when trying out new things. Not every issue requires technical expertise, as it's easy to diagnose and fix some problems using tools and troubleshooting resources available in Azure's portal. Most of them are beginner-friendly and easy to use.

What is the Azure Cloud Migration Process?

Microsoft recommends a four-step procedure for moving workloads and apps to Azure. The table below clearly shows the four steps:

Conclusion

It's complicated to learn some aspects of Azure when starting, especially when you try to do everything simultaneously. Trying one thing at a time will lessen the burden of understanding why and how everything works the way it does. Getting a partner or an assistant who's experienced in Azure cloud services can be a quicker way of getting things done faster and perfectly. Reach out to Guru Solutions for all your azure cloud services.