Hybrid Cloud: Cloud Rolls Out To Data Centers in Different Hues

The term "hybrid cloud" in popular vocabulary represents a topology in which an organization's IT infrastructure is spread over public cloud(s) and on-premise data centers. An on-premise datacenter can include the enterprise's own data center or any colocation facility used by the enterprise. Hybrid has also lately been extended to include edge locations whether in a device or in a telecom provider's location. These variants are sometimes also referred to as "private cloud."

Although in a utopian world, the complete data center can be placed in the cloud, in reality, there are invariably some use cases that require workloads to be running on-premise. This is especially true of large enterprises that have considerable IT assets many of which need to continue to reside in the private cloud for various reasons. 

Log4j Bug — Slows Down Your Application

Learn how to troubleshoot your application.

Recently we were troubleshooting a popular SaaS application. This application was slowing down intermittently. To recover from the problem, the application had to be restarted. This application was slowing down sometimes during high traffic volume periods; sometimes during low traffic periods as well. There was no cohesive pattern.

You may also like: How Slow App Performance Can Impact Your Bottom Line

Azure and HIPAA Compliance: What You Need to Know

What is HIPAA?

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a landmark piece of US legislation that was introduced in 1996, in order to safeguard and secure patient information and transmittal. Covered entities (CE) and Business Associates (BA) should comply with HIPAA regulations. Healthcare providers, health insurance plans and healthcare clearinghouses fall under CE whereas Business Associates can be a person or an entity that provides third party services and activities for covered entities, which involve accessing protected health information (PHI). Any information about the health status, provision of healthcare or payment of healthcare services that is created, collected or transmitted by a covered entity and linked with individually identifiable information is considered PHI under US law.

You may also like: Everything You Need to Know to Get Started With Azure Console.

HIPAA Regulatory Rules

Healthcare organizations have been embracing cloud to cut costs and improve the quality of care. While cloud adoption is a crucial stride for a healthcare entity, it is equally significant to adhere to HIPAA regulations. Ensuring valuable benefits for caregivers and consumers alike, HIPAA establishes standards for the secure handling of PHI.

Moving SQL Server 2008/2008 R2 Databases to the Azure Cloud

It's time to move to the Azure Cloud.

Extended Support for SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2 ended in July 2019, and Extended Support for Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 will end in January 2020. Upgrading the software to the latest versions is always an option, of course, but for a variety of reasons, that may not be viable or cost-effective for some legacy applications. Another option is to pay an additional fee to continue receiving Extended Security Update support for three more years. But for most organizations, the best option will be to get continued support for free by moving the databases to the Azure cloud.

This article highlights the considerations and challenges involved when migrating mission-critical SQL Server 2008/R2 databases to the Azure cloud and offers some useful suggestions to help avoid common pitfalls.

Microsoft Azure vs. Amazon Web Services: A Cloud Platform Comparison

According to Gartner, “Cloud computing is projected to grow as a $300 billion business by 2021 and will account for nearly a quarter of all IT budgets.” Companies, regardless of their domain or size, are flocking towards cloud services in order to improve their operational efficiency, increase data security and generate new streams of revenue. Adopting cloud computing gives businesses a great option to access their data from anywhere anytime.

Making a transition to the cloud is an expensive and crucial decision which requires thorough research and planning. Enterprises often feel enormous pressure while choosing a cloud service provider (CSP) to meet their business needs. There are two players that have emerged as the most popular choices in the aggressive cloud platform wars — Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure. Even though these two cloud service providers have much in common and offer a similar set of services, they do differ in several aspects. So, let’s explore the basic features of both the computing platforms and the key differences between them.

5 Reasons to Choose Microsoft Azure Cloud for Your Enterprise

Enterprises across all industries, sizes and geographies have been tapping into the power of the cloud. Gaining widespread use over the last few years, cloud computing has made it easier for businesses to get an edge in the digital age. Gartner survey predicts cloud computing as a $300 billion business by 2021. More and more companies are recognizing the business advantages of cloud computing and leveraging it to run their organizations efficiently, better serve their customers and increase profit margins.

Cloud computing boosts cost efficiency, promotes collaboration, aids disaster recovery, increases mobility and provides flexibility for businesses. If you are planning to migrate your virtualized workload to the cloud, then it is crucial to choose a Cloud Service Provider (CSP) that can best match your business, operational, security and compliance needs.

5 Reasons Why Azure is Better Than AWS

Why would you choose any system that doesn’t fit the requirement list of your business? And why would you not buy the gold standard platform, provided by a globally-recognized organization, with services that align with your enterprise’s needs? There is no reason not to choose Microsoft for building your company’s IT base and there are a lot of reasons to choose Azure as the cloud computing platform for fulfilling your business needs in the best possible way.

Let’s discuss a few of the reasons why Azure is the best choice for your company’s cloud.