It would seem as though cloud computing is a natural fit when it comes to processing and managing big data. And yet there are a huge number of variables to consider when it comes to using the cloud to store, parse and administer massive amounts of essential and non-essential data.
For managed service providers (MSPs) especially, coming up with the proper game plan when offering big data services is important, and requires research, strategy and an understanding of the big picture. A recent blog post from LogicWorks, a company providing managed services and cloud computing solutions for SaaS and a number of vertical industries, discusses five ways service providers can make the most of their big data strategies within the cloud.
The most important consideration when coming up with a big data cloud strategy is to understand the scope of the project. By understanding what your ultimate goals are for big data both on the service provider/cloud facing side as well as the customer and services offering side, you will be better able to allocate the proper resources to meet those goals. Increasing your footprint to handle big data without this type of strategy and preparation could prove costly and ineffective.
Building your cloud foundation for efficiency in handling big data is also essential. Since data is only going to keep increasing, MSPs have to ensure that products can cost effectively and efficiently scale to handle future needs and requirements. According to LogicWorks, less than half of big data projects are being completed, and nearly 60 percent of companies report difficulties because of improper planning and failure to understand the scope of the project.
A survey from Infochimps shows that resources must be matched to needs, particularly if different levels of a Hadoop cluster require different tools in order to operate as efficiently as possible. Along the same lines, understanding how quickly you will need to access and use data is also important. Since big data grows continuously, cloud computing resources are constantly being drawn upon to organize and manage that data, and need to scale accordingly to process data quickly and efficiently.
An obvious but still important factor is to plan for petabytes upon petabytes of data, and how you will manage all of it. While you may not have that much data in the beginning, it will grow exponentially and MSPs need to plan for that growth. By mapping out an infrastructure that can store and manage growing volumes of data, you will save money and future headaches.
Finally, planning ahead is one of the best things you can do for handling big data within a cloud computing environment. By ensuring your infrastructure is configured to handle exponential growth, you can map out a strategy that will handle your big data needs now and well into the future.
Edited by
Brooke Neuman
