What Cloud Computing Tools Are Available?
Placing and fine-tuning cloud workloads can be a challenge. Many cloud management platforms include workload optimization tools that enable more efficient use of resources, often by moving each application to the cluster that supports its specific performance and cost requirements.
Intel works with a broad range of software vendors and cloud service providers (CSPs) to provide access to Intel® platform technologies through software stack integration.
Intel also offers a variety of purpose-built cloud software tools designed to improve the performance and cost-effectiveness of cloud computing operations at every stage of the cloud journey.
Many of these cloud tools take advantage of hardware-enabled features in Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors and other Intel® processors and platforms to help further improve the price performance of cloud operations. Intel® technology-based cloud instances are readily available from most CSPs worldwide, so organizations can take advantage of those software tools and hardware-enabled features.
With Intel’s strong presence in the enterprise data center and among CSPs, cloud migration can take advantage of a common hardware platform that supports compatibility, flexibility, and scalability in the cloud. Intel® platforms and tools help to smooth the transition from the on-premises infrastructure to private cloud, public cloud, hybrid cloud, and multicloud deployments.
Cloud Tools to Simplify Premigration Planning
Migration to the cloud may begin with a “lift and shift” that transitions workloads from the on-premises data center to a private cloud or hybrid cloud environment. Unfortunately, many organizations have found that these deceptively simple migrations can be accompanied by a mismatched allocation of cloud resources and significant cost overruns.
Thorough premigration discovery and planning should take into account the organization’s short- and long-term strategic objectives, as well as key requirements of all planned cloud deployment models and users.
Dr Migrate by LAB3 is an important cloud tool for migration assessments. Dr Migrate provides an AI-enabled framework that helps simplify and accelerate cloud migrations. Dr Migrate automatically analyzes applications, workloads, connections, and resource needs to develop a comprehensive migration plan supporting business goals.
Other premigration tools for cloud infrastructure planning and design include the Intel® Xeon Processor Advisor Suite.
Midmigration Cloud Tools Boost Performance
Excellent results can also be achieved by focusing on infrastructure optimizations during migration. Intel® Cloud Optimizer by Densify deploys machine learning to analyze an organization’s range of cloud workloads automatically, matching them with platform and service combinations that are offered by the CSPs.
Intel® Cloud Optimizer produces an ongoing series of recommendations that help organizations adopt more cost-effective instance types or consolidate and optimize their contracts with CSPs, even if the organization’s purchasing processes are decentralized or fragmented. Intel® Cloud Optimizer is available from Intel on a subscription basis.
Cloud Optimization Tools Help Control Costs
When migration is in progress, the focus shifts to management and optimization of the cloud infrastructure.
Intel® Granulate™ software is an AI-enabled, automated solution that helps to enhance performance and reduce latency in cloud deployments.
Mobileye, an Intel company and market leader in advanced driver assistance systems, achieved 45 percent faster job completion and 44.5 percent cost reduction1 with no code changes after implementing the Intel® Granulate™ solution in a hybrid cloud environment.
Intel® Cloud Products and Solutions
In addition to cloud development tools and platforms, Intel provides compilers, developer kits, code libraries, reference models, and more, as well as training and support for the cloud journey.
Additional software tools that originate in the on-premises environment can also be used to enhance the performance of cloud instances and improve workload portability.
Intel has been powering the cloud since 1998. Today, more than 15 million Intel® processor-based servers run workloads at major cloud service providers. Intel® platforms are nearly ubiquitous, and along with a vast ecosystem of software and hardware solutions, they provide a consistent, stable technology stack that helps to facilitate workload migration from edge to cloud.
Intel® cloud technology supports cloud development and deployment with purpose-built Intel® Accelerator Engines integrated into the Intel® Xeon® Scalable processor, as well as other computing, networking, and storage products.
Intel® Developer Cloud is a free virtual development sandbox to learn about and program with Intel® oneAPI cross-architecture applications. Develop, test, and run your workloads for free on a remote cluster of the latest Intel® hardware.
Cross-Disciplinary Cloud Management
Cloud implementations can be extremely complex, as organizations seek to balance numerous requirements and meet or exceed performance expectations while controlling costs. Initial and ongoing cloud development must allow for flexibility and scalability to accommodate an organization’s needs in an unpredictable future.
Cloud migration and management should be treated as strategic endeavors due to their significant impact on the entire enterprise. A FinOps framework and cross-disciplinary team can help to align IT, development, and financial leadership with the organization’s overarching plans and objectives.
Cloud tools can support FinOps and help achieve business goals by optimizing workload placement and the workloads themselves to accelerate time to market, improve performance, and reduce the total cost of cloud-based operations.
Cloud management platforms from vendors like Microsoft, Red Hat, SUSE OpenStack, VMware, and Google Cloud can also offer visibility into hybrid cloud or multicloud models with a unified view of all workloads.
These platforms can make it easier to move workloads dynamically among clouds and scale resources up or down as needed. Consolidated cloud management dashboards within those applications can also help to simplify policy control, automation, and information tracking.
Performance optimization can also help improve operational efficiency to yield significant cost reductions. Together with a global partner ecosystem, Intel delivers solutions with quality, optimized performance, and energy efficiency that help reduce costs and improve sustainability.
Qualified cloud partners who are members of the Intel® Partner Alliance and the Cloud Insider Community can offer these and other cloud optimization tools to their customers.
Intel® Cloud Partners can take advantage of additional resources at the Intel® Optimization Hub, a guide to hardware accelerators, software builds, open-source libraries and drivers, recipes, and benchmarks.