With much of today’s business IT moving to remote, cloud-based services, cloud management has become an important part of many companies’ IT. So, what is it?

Cloud management is how system administrators control and synchronize the resources and services in the cloud infrastructure. The management system allows the admins to manage data, applications, and services running on the cloud. It also helps them to assign different access levels among the users.

Cloud management provides system admins with the resources necessary to automate and customize business processes. By tracking cost and usage, your admin can keep your operations flexible so you can scale quickly whenever the need arises.

The Role of Cloud Management

Typically, cloud management can help your business achieve three primary objectives:

• Self-sufficiency: It allows your IT department or service provider to customize your cloud infrastructure to suit your business needs and budget.
• Automate workflow: With proper setup, many processes can be automated.
• Cloud analysis: Cloud workload influences user experience and cloud management lets you keep an eye on both.

Cloud Management Processes

The first step in cloud management is deploying cloud management software into a cloud environment. Virtual machines with your database and a server are the most popular cloud environments. The virtual machine interconnects with various applications to link the database and the resources within and interacting with the cloud infrastructure. The database collects performance data and displays the results on a web interface. Cloud admins analyze and visualize cloud performance and take any corrective measures necessary.

Your choice of an operating system can make or break your cloud management efforts. The OS gives you control over all components that make up the cloud infrastructure while allowing you to deploy cloud management tools. Linux, an open-source, cloud-based OS, is often the most popular choice.

Cloud Management Tools

There are specialty tools to help admins secure the cloud and improve its capabilities while monitoring its performance and managing costs. The choice of cloud management tools depends on the cloud service provider. The most popular tools include Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, and Microsoft Azure Automation. Private cloud management tools include Embotics VCommander and VM Turbo Operations.

These tools are critical in helping cloud admins keep track of all cloud activities. These can range from disaster recovery to use tracking to resource deployment and data integration. The right tools give admins the all-important administrative control over every aspect of the cloud, including the service provider and their resources.

Cloud Management Strategies 

A proper cloud management strategy is the combination of efficient tools, automation, and skilled IT experts. Your IT experts must work with your business team to create a custom cloud culture that suits your business goals.

After defining the goals, cloud admins should test the cloud performance by monitoring critical computing metrics. They should address security vulnerabilities and make vital infrastructure decisions. A reliable team of cloud admins can help you create company-wide policies about cloud use and management.

While an in-house cloud admin is an option, companies without a dedicated IT department can outsource, or existing IT departments can work with managed hosting providers like SingularisIT. Third-party services offer excellent cloud management options without exceeding your budget. Some services come with the advantage of additional tools to help you grow business efficiency and scale your operations. They also provide company-wide cloud training to ensure your staff members can competently use the cloud and avoid costly errors.

Business IT experts can assist in setting up the most efficient cloud management strategy for your business. Explore our customized, comprehensive IT services that will keep your company moving into the future.