Cloud application management focuses on automating the routine tasks involved in running and maintaining applications. Instead of manual work, the cloud leverages automation.
Automating Cloud Application Management
Here's how it works:
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Resource Provisioning & Maintenance: Cloud management platforms automate the provisioning of needed resources and the ongoing maintenance tasks by using models or blueprints as templates.
- For example, if an application needs more computing power, the cloud management system will automatically allocate more virtual machines, storage, or network bandwidth based on predefined rules.
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Business Policy Translation: Business policies are transformed into virtual steps.
- For instance, a company might have a policy that states, "all production applications must have redundant backups." This policy is configured in the cloud management platform, which then automatically creates backups for all relevant applications.
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Centralized Platform: All these configured virtual steps are managed through a central cloud management platform.
Key Benefits of Automated Cloud Application Management
- Reduced Manual Effort: By automating resource provisioning and maintenance, the reliance on manual intervention is significantly decreased.
- Enhanced Efficiency: Automation streamlines workflows and ensures consistent adherence to policies.
- Improved Resource Utilization: Dynamic allocation of resources ensures efficient use and prevents wastage.
- Faster Deployment: Applications can be deployed much faster as provisioning is automated.
Example Workflow
- Define Business Policy: A business sets a policy to automatically scale resources during peak hours.
- Blueprint Creation: A blueprint is created within the cloud management platform to define resources needed and when to scale up/down.
- Automation Execution: The cloud platform automatically scales resources based on the blueprint as per the business policy.
In summary, cloud application management is about using automation to manage applications, transforming business policies into automated processes for provisioning, maintaining, and scaling applications.
