Leveraging architecture mining for enhanced cloud management

Managing today’s complex cloud environments is now more critical than ever. Most enterprises depend on diverse platforms such as AWS, Azure, Kubernetes and Microsoft Entra ID to power their operations, yet managing these platforms can present significant challenges. The biggest challenges of cloud optimisation concern security, cost management and understanding the intricate interdependencies within the cloud infrastructure. 

This is where the power of architecture mining comes into play, transforming raw data into strategic insights that drive smarter decisions around cloud optimisation. As the adage goes, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it,” which rings true for today’s modern cloud infrastructures.

What is Architecture Mining?

Architecture mining refers to the process of extracting valuable information hidden within infrastructure management platforms. By tapping into this rich data source, IT teams can access actionable insights crucial for strategic decision-making. This approach enhances visibility across the cloud environment and promotes best practices in managing resources, storage, security and costs.

Architecture mining tools offer IT professionals immediate access to vital information by utilising predefined reports and dashboards. These tools analyse and present data in formats that are easy to understand, such as charts, graphs and tables, enabling quick assessment and optimisation of the IT infrastructure. This is especially valuable in today’s hybrid IT environments, where agility and adaptability are key to maintaining competitive advantage.

Enabling Comprehensive Visibility for All Stakeholders

Architecture mining tools are designed to provide best practice reports that deliver comprehensive analyses and quick IT infrastructure optimisation suggestions. These reports help organisations enhance their security posture and control costs more effectively. For instance, a CIO can use these insights to present data in various reports to the board and senior management, illustrating potential improvement areas and the impact of current strategies.

One of the core advantages of architecture mining tools is their ability to consolidate data into user-friendly dashboards. These dashboards offer always-up-to-date visibility into the current state of an organisation’s cloud infrastructure, making it easier to visualise and understand the dependencies between different environmental elements. This visibility is crucial for managing cloud migrations, where understanding and controlling costs can be particularly challenging.

Cloud Migration and Cost Management

A recent Forrester Consulting report commissioned by Boomi highlights that rampant and out-of-control cloud spending is a significant challenge many Asian Pacific organisations face. The study reveals that 87 per cent of companies exceeded their cloud budgets in the past two years, with 69 per cent expecting to surpass their budgets again in the current fiscal year. This issue is exacerbated as regional cloud workloads are set to grow substantially over the next two years. The most significant increases are anticipated in IT operations (51 per cent), hybrid work environments (55 per cent), software development platforms (42 per cent) and digital experience technologies (40 per cent).

These financial pressures often stem from the opaque nature of cloud cost origins, making budget management and optimisation extremely challenging. Architecture mining tools are designed to tackle this problem head-on by offering a granular analysis of cloud expenditures, linking them to specific resource groups and types. This precision enables IT leaders to identify the exact sources of costs and evaluate how effectively different applications and services are performing relative to their expenses.

According to a recent report, reducing cloud expenses is now a top priority for cloud strategy agendas worldwide, second only to executing modernisation initiatives and consolidating data for analysis. Despite this, less than half of Asian Pacific organisations have implemented strategies to address the underlying issues that escalate cloud costs. These prevalent issues include excessive storage usage (52 per cent), a deficient integration strategy (44 per cent) and bandwidth overconsumption (42 per cent). This highlights a significant gap between recognising potential cost optimisations at the architecture level and implementing effective cost management strategies to tackle them.

Adapting to Hybrid and Non-Cloud Environments

While cloud-based tools are essential for managing cloud environments, they are also adaptable to hybrid situations where some infrastructure remains on-premise. Additionally, architecture mining tools can offer significant value to organisations that have opted against full cloud integration by providing insights into in-house managed environments. This flexibility ensures that IT departments can maintain clarity and control regardless of the infrastructure setup.

Conclusion

As organisations continue to navigate complex cloud landscapes, integrating architecture mining tools with existing management suites is indispensable. These tools reveal insights, relationships, security risks, and dependencies that standalone tools cannot, offering a holistic view of cloud and non-cloud environments. 

Ultimately, architecture mining enables businesses to harness their data effectively, optimising their technological and strategic outputs. By embracing these advanced tools, organisations can enhance operational efficiency and secure a competitive edge in the digital age.