This document summarizes a presentation given at an AWS Summit on moving IT to the cloud. It discusses how moving to AWS can make IT more cost effective and reliable. However, it notes that having a clear strategy and understanding requirements is important to avoid issues. A case study is presented where loose requirements for a website project led to an inadequate initial AWS design that did not meet the client's needs. The key lessons are that accurate business requirements, a well-defined strategy, and a detailed technical design are needed to fully benefit from moving to AWS.

1. Click, Click, Cloud.
Really!
Stuart Speers
at AWS Summit 2014

2. Agenda
→ Introduction and set the scene
→ I.T. is too expensive
→ I.T. Strategy
→ Design Considerations
→ Case Study
→ Key lessons
→ Q&A

3. Technology Challenges!?

4. I.T. is too expensive!
AWS step in the right direction
→ We all make the same expensive mistakes
§ Sorry “learning's”
→ AWS Framework is excellent!
§ Reliable & scalable
§ Cost effective
§ HA & DR
→ Strategy is lacking!
§ It’s to high level
§ How can you measure success?

5. Server Huggers!?
You know who you are!

6. I.T. Strategy
Needs depth across technologies
→ Often defined at a high level for the business
→ Lacks detail
§ e.g. App level SLA, RTO, RPO.
§ Backup / recovery
§ Monitoring
§ Consolidation / rationalisation
→ Critical to AWS success
§ How can you design a solution without a strategy?

7. AWS Design Considerations
Reality check
→ AWS provide an excellent framework
§ Needs understanding to gain full benefits and avoid bill shock
§ Must complete a detailed design
→ Customer expectations need realigning
§ Click, Click, Cloud – will not meet requirements
§ AWS still needs a detailed design
§ Testing is still required
§ Support is still required

8. Case Study – A Website
Business requirements
→ Q - What sort of load do you expect?
§ Don’t know how busy it will be but could be
huge!
§ Must be scalable though!
→ Q – What about SLA’s - HA and DR?
§ Needs to be redundant as revenue
generating
→ Q – When do you need it?
§ We want to launch in 5 days, so ready in 3
days, thanks.

9. Case Study – A Website
A typical AWS design

10. Case Study – A Website
The impact of loose requirements!

11. Case Study – A Website
Key Lessons
→ Accurate business requirements are critical
§ Avoid bill shock
→ How can you create a design without a strategy
§ How can you measure success?
→ Need to understand AWS framework and terminology – need
validation of design
→ Still need detailed design:
§ Standards, security, monitoring, backups, etc

12. Thank you for your time
www.enterpriseit.co.nz