Scroll Top

Cloud Services

Cloud Services

LATCH’s architects and engineers have been working with enterprise-scale, Internet-based commercial systems since the late 90s. We have seen the evolution of distributed computing, infrastructure virtualization, and multi-tenancy architecture become major features of modern-day cloud computing, and we understand the opportunities, challenges, and risks that are entailed in migrating to a cloud environment. Our Cloud Services incorporate architecture, engineering, and administrative functions with a mature technology management approach. Download our cloud capabilities document.

Financial Planning

The single most critical risk to a cloud architecture is not the technology -- it's the finances. Otherwise secure, stable, and high-performing systems can be vulnerable to cost overruns, blown budgets, and unexpected expenses. When considering a move to a cloud environment, clients often cite reduced IT operations costs in addition to the user-centric value-driven reasons. In collaboration with the client's financial strategists, pricing specialists, and/or accountants, we analyze the current architecture's operating  expenses, upcoming capital expenses, and events on the financial and technical roadmap, such as a major hardware refresh. Then, when designing a target architecture in a cloud environment, we strongly consider multiple variables, including the changes in the total cost of ownership (TCO), the one time cost of migration, ongoing monthly or annual costs, savings plans, and how the reduction in capital expenses gives rise to a higher risk tolerance for innovation. 

Readiness Assessment

We conduct a readiness assessment that identifies the opportunities and challenges to achieving a seamless migration. Our process begins with a gap analysis to assess each sub-system, component, and data repository that will be migrated. We examine current state architecture as well as the requirements needed for a system to succeed in a cloud environment. Our analysis includes a detailed list of constraints, risks, and limitations that will influence the target architecture.

Migration Types

As a part of our readiness assessment, we consider the type of migration that the system will undergo and conduct a gap analysis to determine whether we can achieve the client's  desired migration type. For instance, while a "lift and shift" rehosting solution may be the lowest cost from a purely financial perspective, there may be significant security, technology, or business reasons why a replatforming or refactoring needs to occur, such as an end-of-life status for an operating system. We recognize the following categories as the five most common migration types:

  • Rehost: A classic "lift and shift" approach where the existing system is migrated to the cloud environment with no changes. Most often accomplished with low-functionality or informational web sites.
  • Replatform: An approach that changes the underlying technology, such as the operating system or database server. Involves heavy regression testing to verify and validate that the system performs as designed.
  • Refactor: An approach that fundamentally changes the system, including new development, recoding, or a major shift in technology. Should be treated in a similar manner to any new development project.
  • Retain: The system is not ready for the cloud for financial, security, or technology reasons, and it may never be appropriate for that environment. The system remains on-premise.
  • Retire: The system is ready to be retired or decommissioned, so a cloud migration would not be reasonable or cost efficient.

Migration

Our migration strategy aligns with customer goals and objectives and emphasizes a no-impact approach. We design a cloud-based target architecture, which includes a list of cloud services, application servers, logical tiers/subnets, and security groups/controls. Our cloud experts evaluate multiple cloud migration strategies, and apply appropriate yet complimentary strategies to each part of the system. We determine the migration strategy for each sub-system, component, and data repository within the context of the cloud target architecture. At the end of our migration planning step, our customers have a cloud migration plan that can be implemented with a high degree of confidence.

Solutions

Cloud Migration Plan

Operations and Maintenance

We provide cloud architects, engineers, and administrators with specific experience in the technology stack of the supported system. We have specific experience with both Microsoft Azure for Government and Amazon Web Services GovCloud, including basic operations and maintenance services as well as network security engineering, infrastructure as code (IoC), and DevSecOps practices. Our services includes both cloud agnostic and cloud native services, and we implement each philosophy depending on the requirements needed to meet the client's mission. We adopt the principles and best practices of existing systems and network O&M approaches, which have been used in on-premise environments for decades. We address the four most common types of O&M, including proactive, reactive, preventive, and predictive, and then adjust them for the distinct challenges, opportunities, and threats inherent in a commercial cloud environment. 

Take on the Cloud

Whether it's to reduce financial costs, enable growth, dynamically scale, or decrease your physical footprint, there are a myriad of business, financial, and technology reasons to go to the cloud. Let us help you determine your cloud readiness or how to make a cloud solution make the most sense for you.