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In our latest eBook, created in partnership with Microsoft, ‘Start in control and stay in control‘, we propose five key principles. During this series we are discussing each of these principles in depth, today ‘Enable the organization with a cloud native foundation.’
Rolling out any new technology within an organization always presents challenges. This is especially true when deploying cloud native technologies as it is a fundamental – and almost unprecedented shift – an organization will take.
To help organizations to become cloud native, an overriding policy should be one of enablement and collaboration between DevOps and the wider organization.
To this end, we suggest starting your cloud native journey with the establishment of a Cloud Center of Enablement (CCoE).
The Cloud Center of Enablement (CCoE)
It is often believed that creating a Cloud Competence Center (CCC) or a Cloud Center of Excellence (CCoE) which is centrally run is the best cloud-native approach. Yet like any centralized team, it is prone to becoming inefficient and leading to bottlenecks.
We prefer the establishment of a Cloud Center of Enablement (CCoE) which builds up knowledge and experience in other teams while promoting standardization. The CCoE will help the organization to innovate, accelerate, and maintain compliance and security.
Also, it will support those involved in the overall digitalization strategy which may include a broad range of roles from lawyers to risk managers, and from architects to IT service managers.
The support the CCoE offers is broad covering training, creating policies, researching new technologies, and being the custodian of the InnerSource code library, among other roles.
Don’t centralize your cloud deployment – enablement is the key.
Set up an Open Source Program Office
If a CCoE will support the wider organization to adopt the cloud, an Open Source Program Office will enable your DevOps.
Typically, an Open Source Program Office will roll out and support the use of open source products without losing control and introducing risk. Policies and validations should be implemented to ensure the advantages of open source are exploited but in a secure and compliant way.
Once an Open Source Program Office is established, the benefits of open source can be viewed in three areas.
For teams, open source gives access to pre-built software which means they don’t have to build from scratch. For enterprises, it improves their reputation as an employer which knowledge sharing and an open culture brings to an organization. For team members, they will feel recognized within the wider developer community and can aspire to be a valuable member or a technology leader.
Enable your DevOps with an Open Source Program Office.
Landing Zones
When we talk cloud native, we are also talking about platforms, in particular technology platforms and business platforms.
A business platform, while managed by DevOps, provides business functionalities such as a CRM system or an e-commerce shop. A technology platform offers technical capabilities such as IoT, data, AI or integration, which provide services like identity, monitoring, security, and administration.
Drilling down further into technology platforms, they tend to comprise of four layers.
Firstly, there is the cloud foundation where generic services sit. Secondly, there are specific technology platforms with a single focus such as data storage or container services. Thirdly, there will be a low code platform.
Lastly, there is a landing zone which can be easily scaled and can be configured on the cloud foundation or any tech platform and conforms to organizational standards and industry regulations.
Furthermore, landing zones can use a ‘hub and spoke’ framework. A hub is a central location with shared capabilities for the spokes which can run different workloads, ideally through self-service by teams.
Use landing zones to automate the provision and configuration of DevOps tools.
Cloud Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP)
The advantage of cloud native applications is that the infrastructure is ephemeral, auto-scaling is the norm, and microservice architecture prevails. However, this requires a specialized protection platform to achieve visibility over a fragmented environment.
As traditional security tools are not suited to such a dynamic environment, a Cloud Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP) can ensure the integrity of application images, monitor runtime behavior, manage identity and access, and facilitate compliance.
CNAPP also integrates several risk protection measures, including DevSecOps, Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM), Cloud Workload Protection, Platform (CWPP), and Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM) into a single platform.
A CNAPP example is Microsoft Defender for Cloud. By leveraging AI and machine learning, it continuously monitors activities and identifies potential security breaches.
Secure your cloud environment with a CNAPP.
Summary
The adoption of cloud native foundation is a generational shift or a ‘big bang’ within an organisation. However, once DevOps and the wider business are aligned and share similar goals, the benefits for the wider organization will be both practical and profound, and worth the time that the journey takes.
Sogeti and Microsoft have been strategic partners for more than 25 years. Together to demonstrate the strength in our technical alignment we bring you the latest eBook: ‘Start in control and stay in control – five cloud native adoption principles for enterprises’.
Learn more about these business benefits and to download the eBook.
