Have you spoken with your AWS Cloud Development Partner lately? If not, you might be missing out on some of the latest AWS features and developments of the cloud system. You might also fall behind as far as your readiness to use the cloud and all that it has to offer. Obviously, you simply cannot afford to take a risk like this. Instead, you should schedule a meeting today with those that you have worked with before to get yourself up to speed in terms of the latest cloud developments.
Measuring Your Cloud Readiness
The process of migrating your current data and electronic systems over to the AWS cloud system is not something that you can do in one swooping motion. You must prepare a cloud readiness report and access where you stand today and where you intend to go with your cloud migration plan. Amazon explains the vitality of the migration to cloud systems in today’s business climate:
Pre-migration planning can be as important as the implementation work itself. A cloud readiness assessment can transform an organization’s rough idea of moving to the cloud into a detailed plan that explains how to make it happen and in what order events should occur.
To ensure you have a successful cloud migration process, you should consider taking into account the following steps:
Have a Real Need for Cloud Systems
It might sound obvious to some, but having a legitimate need for using the cloud for business purposes is the first thing you should think about. Some people decide that they want to try to make this shift without giving proper consideration to why they are doing so. The cloud is cool, but you must be sure that you have a legitimate business reason to make the switch.
Create a Cloud Operating Model
This model will show how your cloud systems will be used to handle the current processes you handle via other means. In other words, your cloud operating model will pinpoint the processes that will be handled by the cloud and how this will work. You can also think of it as a blueprint for transforming your current process structure into a structure that works with the cloud.
Create a Timeline and Budget
Understand where you stand with your budget and how you will apply that directly to your needs as far as cloud computing is concerned. You should have a budget for how you will make this work. Also, you should have a timeline for implementation. Always know where you stand and how much you will need to spend.
Prioritize Certain Applications for Migration First
Take some time to create a hierarchy of applications that must be moved over to the cloud system first and foremost. You need to move the applications that help keep your business stable and profitable first.
Test the Cloud System
Finally, don’t forget to test the system and how your applications work within the cloud system before you continue. You want to be positive that your applications continue to operate smoothly and effectively within the new cloud system. Also, make sure the tests are realistic and test some worst-case scenarios.
These are some of the processes that can assist you in the construction of a successful cloud computing system that benefits your entire company. These preliminary steps can help set you up for success with the rest of the process.
Exploring the AWS Ecosystem & Latest AWS Features
Amazon, as one of the largest and most powerful companies in the world, doesn’t do anything on a small scale. This is excellent for anyone that decides to tap into their cloud computing service offerings. However, you might also find yourself taken aback slightly by the size and scale of the ecosystem that Amazon has created. This is why you ought to set aside some time to explore the AWS ecosystem. Ensure that you are getting the best possible value out of what you are using.
There are three main cornerstones of the AWS cloud computing system that you should know about. Those are:
IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)
There are basic infrastructural components provided by the AWS cloud computing product that many users find useful. These include storage, networking resources, and servers. These components are the physical infrastructure that makes the modern Internet a reality. AWS will gladly provide you with the infrastructural services that you might otherwise have lacked.
PaaS (Platform as a Service)
The primary target user for the PaaS offerings of AWS is software developers. This gives them an environment where they can test applications. They can also see how their ideas might play out in a real-world environment. Some of the most exciting and interesting pieces of software are developed in these conditions. This allows developers to freely explore their ideas and find what will work best for their audience.
SaaS (Software as a Service)
Web-based applications such as the AWS SNS simple notification service are available because Amazon offers SaaS products via its cloud computing service.
These are some of the different realms of the AWS platform that you should know about. You are likely to find yourself using some of these services more than others. It is nice to know that they are all available to you. You can select the services that help your business run as efficiently as possible.
Strategic Uses of the AWS Platform
Now that you know a little more about the breadth of the AWS platform, let’s explore how you can leverage the latest AWS features to benefit your operations. To gain the most value from the platform, understand everything that it can do for you.
AWS Lake Formation: Optimize Data Management
Crude oil was the king of the hill when it came to the most valuable resources on Earth for a very long time. The amount of energy and productivity that could be generated from oil was hard to surpass. However, data is now considered more valuable than oil. It is valued as one of the most valuable resources that any organization may have access to. This is why organizations large and small are looking at how to shore up their data and keep it protected.
The AWS Lake Formation product is an excellent resource to utilize to store, build, and protect data. It is far superior to the traditional way of storing data in a single building or server to be tapped by individuals who require access to this information. This is because the AWS Lake Formation system allows for greater accessibility to the data for those who require access to it. Meanwhile, it is also useful for keeping away prying eyes that have no legitimate reason to access that critical data.
In addition to the security features offered by AWS Lake Formation, it is also true that it is a useful tool for organizing your data as well. Many organizations pile their unstructured data into the AWS Lake Formation so that it can be sorted and organized. They may decide to use the AWS cloud development kit. This will help establish a useful database within the AWS Lake Formation system. If they do so, then they can build something that is exceptionally useful for them.
AWS SageMaker: Developing the AI Tools You Need for the Future
You’ve undoubtedly heard all of the hype about artificial intelligence (AI) programs that have been swirling around in recent months. Artificial intelligence programs can already do several astounding things such as:
Write for Premium Publications
Well-respected publications such as the New York Times and the Washington Post are already using AI to assist their human writers with some of the content that they produce. For now, AI still acts primarily as an idea-generator, but the fact that it writes well enough to be useful to high-level publications such as those is truly breathtaking.
Detect Sounds
AI programs exist now that can detect critical sounds such as the sound of gunshots. This is a critical skill that assists law enforcement and other agencies. These programs are amazing because they are so accurate, even more accurate than the human ear.
Pass Major Exams
Machine learning tools like ChatGPT have become so powerful now that they can pass some of the most difficult standardized tests. Recently, ChatGPT passed the Bar Exam to get into law school with a score nearing the 90th percentile. Once again, the things that AI and machine learning programs can accomplish are far beyond what most believed was possible.
These are just a few of the things that AI programs are already doing. We know that these programs will continue to play a big role in our lives. Many are eager to see what the next great leap forward in technological development will look like. This is where AWS SageMaker comes into play.
Think of SageMaker as the training ground for new AI programs. Techtarget.com defines it like this:
Amazon SageMaker is a managed service in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) public cloud. It provides the tools to build, train and deploy machine learning (ML) models for predictive analytics applications. The platform automates the tedious work of building a production-ready artificial intelligence (AI) pipeline.
It is the place where developers try out their ideas and see what works (and what doesn’t). It provides them with a sort of clean slate where they are free to test their ideas without being under the microscope of a potentially skeptical public. Also, it is an excellent place to work out any bugs or glitches that could otherwise derail the entire project. This is one of the AWS cloud development tools that you will likely need to use in the coming years. AI is going to continue to play an immense role in all of our lives. It is best to understand that reality and embrace it when possible.
AWS Cost Explorer: Identifying and Improving How You Spend
As one of the latest AWS features, just as the name suggests, the AWS Cost Explorer tool helps you identify how much you are spending on various projects. You can see in explicit detail how much you spend on various projects. This can help you identify how your budget should be allocated and where there are specific areas where you might want to cut down on your spending.
Not only can AWS Cost Explorer show you what you have spent in the past, but it can also create a forecast of what your spending might look like for the next 12 months. Those projections are extremely useful for creating plans and strategies for how to expand your business, reach out to your customers, and create a sustainable operation.
AWS Step Functions: Automate Workflow Functions
It is often challenging to allocate work to the right systems and individuals in an efficient manner. AWS Step Functions can help you see how to distribute that work. The program manages input, output, error handling, and retries. This allows the software developer to focus on the bigger picture of how the product can be used and which functions they need to push forward to ensure the highest levels of success.
There are a tremendous number of things that one can do within the AWS system. There are new features added all of the time. Any software developer, business owner, or tech-savvy hobbyist should stay on top of the latest to come out of the AWS ecosystem. It will help them create the most up-to-date and useful pieces of technology for their end users.
You can’t go wrong with the AWS platform. These new features open the door to many exciting new possibilities. Users are flocking to the platform to check them out. If you haven’t already, explore some of the features mentioned above as well as any additional features and services that you believe could be useful for your purposes. Amazon will continue to provide the resources that its users need.
For more information on the latest AWS features and how you can utilize them, please contact us with your questions. We stay on top of and monitor these developments so you don’t have to, and we are happy to help.
