For many businesses, working with and in the Cloud continues to grow in importance. A Cloud architect prepares, implements and controls a company’s web infrastructure, which must be able to function optimally. He must have extensive technical knowledge, but also be willing to work in a team and demonstrate strong communication skills.
What is a Cloud Architect?
Cloud computing has today become one of the best solutions for many modern companies wishing to optimize their flows and processes, while taking costs and resources into consideration as much as possible. Many services can thus be offered to these teams, both small and large, with a variety of solutions ranging from server structure to extensive databases, including software and storage space. These countless possibilities, however, come with some challenges. The success of a strategy based on Cloud computing depends on the Cloud architecture, which must be personalized and adapted to the company developing it. A Cloud architect is therefore responsible preparation, implementation and, in some cases, control of such architecture.
What are the areas of work of a Cloud architect?
Cloud architecture touches on different areas of Cloud computing. The IT infrastructure itself corresponds to an elementary area for which the Cloud architect is responsible. Different services are made available to the company via the Internet or its intranet. Generally speaking, the service providers concerned offer the following services:
- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) : Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) makes it possible to make computer hardware available through the Cloud. These can, for example, be virtual computers and storage solutions, which can then be used individually or in teams.
- Platform as a Service (PaaS) : Platform as a Service (PaaS) makes it possible to provide execution and programming environments, in which it is possible to develop and execute your own applications.
- Software as a Service (SaaS) : Software as a Service (SaaS) makes it possible to make individual programs or entire application collections available on demand. There is no need to install and update them on every computer.
A Cloud architect must therefore select and implement all the useful service models that Cloud computing can offer to his business. In addition to the creation of the Cloud, architecture also refers to the preparation of the services to be made available. The most common models are shown below:
- Public cloud : in a public Cloud, most or all of the services are offered to different customers by the same provider.
- Private Cloud : access rights to a private Cloud do not leave the company that owns it. This must therefore generally take care of its maintenance.
- Hybrid Cloud : the hybrid Cloud is halfway between the public Cloud and the private Cloud. The Cloud architect determines, in agreement with the company in question, which services must be private and which must be public.
It is also possible to consider operation on other models.
What are the tasks of a Cloud architect?
To create a cloud architecture that is ideal for an enterprise, the cloud architect must think about many factors that need to be taken into consideration. Its main tasks are presented below:
Preparation
The more well-prepared a company’s cloud solution is, the more effective it will be once implemented. A Cloud architect must thereforecarry out a preliminary needs analysis of this, to determine a portfolio of services that it deems necessary. During this step, it must also consider access rights, capabilities, interfaces and migration. In many companies, legal considerations also matter, and the Cloud Architect should review these before proceeding with the actual implementation.
Selection
Once the needs are sufficiently defined, the Cloud architect selects the services the company needs. Many vendors offer different technologies, and this offering allows it to choose the solutions that best meet the company’s needs, whether in terms of price or importance.
Implementation
For the implementation itself, the Cloud architect collaborates closely with the developers and the administrators of the company concerned. It is therefore preferable to think about common solutions from the preparation phase. In addition to the implementation, the Cloud architect must supervise the possible configuration and migration of applications already used by the company.
Security and performance
The Cloud Architect is also responsible for creating a security structure capable of protecting the company’s networks, as well as its sensitive data. He must also check that the Cloud solutions he has chosen are suitable and work optimally in relation to each other.
Development
In certain circumstances, a business may need specific application development to be reviewed and corrected. The Cloud architect therefore defines his needs and collaborate closely with the development team.
Training
So that the company’s staff can use all these new structures optimally, the Cloud architect trains them and supports them in the first stages of their work with these tools.
Control
When the Cloud solution is implemented and staff are using it, the Cloud architect must regularly monitor the system. This control allows it to quickly identify weak points and problems, and then better correct them. This also allows it to take technological innovations into account and, where appropriate, integrate them into the infrastructure.
What qualities should a Cloud architect have?
A good Cloud architect must be able to demonstrate different qualifications and skills. The criteria and qualities listed below are particularly important:
- Technical skills : To make a career, a Cloud architect must have extensive technical knowledge. In particular, he must master IT systems and development, as well as Cloud technologies. Anyone with experience in development or administration may therefore be at an advantage. Most companies also require a degree or training in the field of computer science or information technology. Many cloud solution providers offer certifications to prove that a person has significant knowledge in these areas.
- Visionary attitude : When preparing large Cloud structures, a Cloud architect must always take future developments into consideration. It is therefore absolutely essential that he be interested in new technological trends and possibilities, in order to be able, if necessary, to integrate them into an already existing system.
- Team spirit and communication skills : A Cloud architect must be able to prepare the necessary structures independently, but also collaborate with many other members of staff, at least from the implementation phase. Administrators, developers or even workers dedicated to using the final Cloud solutions: the Cloud architect will have to demonstrate team spirit and communicate with each of them fluidly if he wants to successfully complete his mission. This dialogue is all the more essential when future users have little technical knowledge.
- Abstract thinking and time management : the preparation stage requires as much foresight as imagination. Good time management is also crucial, as companies need to be able to prepare their new infrastructure safely.
