There’s no denying that a cloud database is a great way to go. However, most people don’t know what to do with them when they sign up for one. You’re missing out on several benefits without taking advantage of all the features that the database offers.
It is a great way to make things easier for you and your business. Moving your information online will make it more readily available and easier for you to access.
Here are some common mistakes people make when working with a cloud service provider.
Not Exploiting the Cloud’s Benefits
The biggest benefit of using a cloud database is its flexibility. You can scale up or down as needed to handle peak loads or unexpected spikes in demand. This is especially important for small businesses that don’t have the capital to invest in expensive hardware and software upgrades every few years.
But if you aren’t taking full advantage of this flexibility by constantly monitoring usage patterns and making adjustments accordingly, then you could be paying more than necessary for services that aren’t being used effectively.
Expecting One-Size-Fits-All
This is an easy trap to fall into when starting with cloud databases. You may think that doing something well is good for everything because one platform does something well. But that’s not always the case.
For example, if you’re migrating applications from on-premises to the cloud, you have to be careful about what type of database you choose in each case.
For instance, data warehouses need scale-out capabilities, while transactional systems don’t necessarily require a high degree of parallelism or replication capabilities.
Not Selecting a Cloud Platform Provider Carefully
You may get tempted to select a cloud platform provider based on price alone. It can, however, be expensive in the long run. That’s because it gives you little control over managing and maintaining your data. Find out how long the company has been in business, what kind of experience they have and what kind of support they provide before making your decision.
Not Understanding the Cloud Database’s Limitations
Some companies offer only read-only access to their databases, which can be frustrating if you need to update your data regularly or add new records. Others use proprietary formats that prevent users from accessing data outside their systems or sharing information with other users at other locations.
The best approach is to choose a provider whose services work with your current technology and allow flexibility in how you use them.
Underestimating Compliance Requirements
Compliance is one of the most important aspects of any business, whether a small startup or a large enterprise. While some companies may get tempted to overlook compliance to save time and money, this is never a good idea.
If you want your company to succeed and grow, comply with regulations at all times. That will help you avoid fines and penalties that could otherwise end your business.
Not Being Prepared for Data Loss
The most common thing people fear when they move their data into the cloud is losing access to it. Data loss can happen at any time, whether you’re storing it locally or in the cloud.
Businesses need to ensure they have a backup plan in place before moving anything over. This way, if something does go wrong, you won’t lose everything you have worked so hard on since launching your business.
Ignoring Your Support Priorities
If you’re running a business, the last thing you want to do is ignore your support priorities. But it happens all the time. Most companies don’t have a clear strategy for how they want to handle support issues.
The problem with this is that you can waste time and money on people who aren’t customers. If your support team spends hours on non-paying customers, it’s time to change.
You need to have a good idea of what kind of help you provide and what kind of questions you get, then prioritize those in order of importance. If it’s something simple, like installing software or resetting a password, go ahead and do it yourself if possible. Otherwise, put them on hold while the more complex questions are handled first.
Failing To Plan for Downtime
One of the biggest concerns about moving databases to the cloud is downtime. When you use a cloud database, you need to factor in how long it will take for your application to fail over to another data center if one goes offline. This could take minutes or hours, depending on how far away the backup is.
If there are multiple layers of redundancy, this could lengthen the time it takes for your application to fail. In addition, if you have an outage at one location but not another, this can cause additional problems. That’s because your application will continue trying to use resources in both locations simultaneously.
Assuming Public Clouds Give You the Best Pricing
The biggest advantage of using a public cloud database is that it offers competitive pricing compared to other options on the market. However, this doesn’t mean it’s the best value for your business.
The price of a database depends on many factors, including storage space and bandwidth requirements. There are also different tiers of service available from most providers, which increases the cost per gigabyte used.
Before you sign up with any provider, understand where all its costs will come from — and whether any hidden fees could unexpectedly drive up your monthly bill.
Always Make the Best Decision
Overall, the ultimate goal of a computing system is to make the best decisions available for accomplishing its goals. More simply, any cloud database can be easily exposed to attack without a system of checks and balances and guidelines for user behavior and access control.
