From data center to cloud storage, the key to business expansion
Data center on-premise or cloud storage? We share two success stories that will help you identify the best solution for your business.
In this article, we tell you about the benefits that make more and more companies bet on cloud storage. In addition, we share with you two cases of Wezen implementations that show the potential of this form of hosting.
What is a data center?
A data center is a set of physical and technological infrastructures designed to store, process, manage and distribute large amounts of data and computer applications. They can be located in a company’s private facilities or in shared spaces that provide hosting for several organizations.
For the operation of this type of infrastructure, the following are required:
- Servers: These are high-capacity and high-powered computers designed to handle large volumes of information.
- Network equipment: To interconnect servers with application users.
- Systems for the backup and archiving of information.
- Technical support: for adequate and continuous operation.
- Cooling and uninterruptible power supply systems to ensure the availability and proper functioning of the equipment and stored data.
All this infrastructure requires certain maintenance that, after three years, begins to represent high costs. This has to do with the need for radical renewal and updating of operating systems and applications.
Data center vs. cloud storage
We have already delved into what a data center is, now we will address what cloud storage is and some differences between the two modalities.
Cloud storage allows you to host files in a space on the internet, without having to occupy your own hard drive. Instead of storing files on a local hard drive, files are uploaded to a remote server via an Internet connection. The amount of storage will depend on what the company contracts, but you can store up to entire databases.
Here are some characteristics that differentiate cloud hosting from data centers.
Customization and scalability
| On-Premise: |
| Allows exclusive and customized use of data and hardware. However, it has a limited capacity that requires an investment in a larger number of servers. |
| Cloud: |
| Its capacity is potentially unlimited, allowing more data to be stored simply by paying for a third-party plan instead of taking up space in the office. On the other hand, it does not have full control of the data, since access to the hardware is remote. |
Security
| On-Premise: |
| It guarantees that the persons who have access to the data have been previously authorized by the company. In this way, the company is the only one responsible for its security. |
| Cloud: |
| The company entrusts its data to a third party and can access them from any location. For this reason, it is advisable to hire a provider with the most up-to-date security certificates. |
Costs
| On-Premise: |
| It requires a larger initial investment consisting of the purchase, installation, and maintenance of the server. This is why it will become part of the company’s assets. |
| Cloud: |
| It is cost-effective, especially for small companies. Configuration and maintenance will not depend on the company, since they can start using it once they have contracted it. |
5 reasons driving companies to migrate their data centers to the cloud
There are several reasons why organizations are migrating their data centers to the cloud, including:
- Adaptability: Through cloud computing, companies can increase or decrease their data storage and processing capacity according to their needs. In this way, they can adapt IT resources as business demands change.
- Less investment: Instead of having to buy and maintain expensive hardware and hire staff to administer and maintain systems, companies can use cloud services and pay only for what they use.
- Increased availability and reliability: Through service level agreements (SLAs), providers guarantee a high level of availability and reliability. This means that the system is available at all times and with a recovery plan in case a problem occurs.
- Remote access: With cloud hosting, employees can access company data and applications from anywhere at any time.
- Automatic updates: Cloud service providers are responsible for keeping systems updated with the latest technologies and security patches, ensuring constant protection and updates.
All these benefits mean that companies are increasingly opting to migrate their data centers to the cloud.
Real cases of data center migration to the cloud
To understand more about the impact that migration to the cloud can have, we share with you 2 real cases.
El Tejar, the first company in Latam to migrate SAP from its on-premise data center to Microsoft Azure
In 2015, El Tejar needed to migrate its data center, as the support period for the servers was about to expire. To do so, the Argentine agribusiness company dedicated to the generation of a wide variety of grains for cultivation entrusted the process to Wezen.
The strategy was to use Microsoft Azure as a platform for its computing center and thus ensure business continuity and accompany the growth of the company from IT.
In just 5 months, we were able to migrate 60 servers to the cloud with a complete implementation of SAP.
The cloud environment made it possible for this client to obtain an ideal solution to take its data center to a higher level of flexibility and confidentiality. This implementation provided the necessary support to operate the dispersed sites of more than 100,000 hectares with crops.
We invite you to watch this video, where we show the success story of “El Tejar”.
Tecnoseeds, Microsoft Azure environment optimization
In the case of Tecnoseeds, we are not talking about the migration of an on-premise data center to a cloud environment but about the optimization of the use of Microsoft Azure. This implementation is a clear example of how having an expert provider can help companies reduce costs in IT management.
Tecnoseeds is a seed production services company in the agricultural market operating in Latin America. With the separation of its 5 companies (3 from Brazil and 2 from Argentina), it was necessary to create a new environment to support all SAP systems and satellites without affecting day-to-day operations.
A key point was the integration of all infrastructure, SAP BASIS, and functional activities by WEZEN, coordinating in detail both the process and the other suppliers responsible for the creation of the satellite systems in the new environment.
The project consisted of a detailed step-by-step migration plan. This helped to minimize downtime and to coordinate a heterogeneous team in different countries. Different stakeholders were involved in the implementation process, such as end users, technical, functional, Basis, Infrastructure, Network, and Security.
As a result, in this project, we achieved:
- Decrease of 50% in resources in AZURE by optimizing the use of servers compared to how they were created in the previous project.
- The process is transparent to the end user.
- A transparent process for the end user.
- Few incidents in the post-migration process, so the CORE business processes were not affected.
- Technical improvements that allowed us to optimize the user experience, since we took advantage of the migration process to update the operating systems, database, archiving, and data deletion.
In conclusion,
As we have seen, the benefits of opting for cloud storage are many. Migrating your on-premise data center to a cloud environment requires detailed step-by-step planning to ensure operational continuity while saving time and money.
Cloud computing has arrived to provide companies with flexibility, scalability, and a constant update that accompanies business growth.
At Wezen, we can bring to your migration project: 10 years of experience, best practices in project management, and coordination of multidisciplinary teams.
