Cloud repatriation is the migration of a cloud environment to a private cloud or internal hosting. It’s an increasingly popular practice and likely a reaction to the rapid migration to the cloud in the 2010s.
There are a variety of reasons companies may want to repatriate their cloud environments. In this article, we’ll dive into why that might be. We’ll also cover what makes cloud repatriation successful and how you can overcome key challenges in your repatriation efforts.
Why Repatriate?
In the late 2000s and early 2010s, cloud migration was king. Organizations moved their expensive and expansive on-premises hosting environments to the cloud. They did so with the promise that cloud would be faster and cheaper. Even better: They could avoid upkeep and upgrade costs.
For some, that promise was never fully realized. Cloud environments work well for cloud-optimized applications and workflows. Simply migrating a server as is from on premises to a cloud environment may result in more expense for hosting it per year.
Cloud environments are also optimized for cloud workloads. Legacy servers and applications may sometimes perform no better in a cloud environment than they did in a data center.
Add to those issues mounting ingress and egress costs, alternative methods of access and authorization enforcement, and an environment that is sometimes opaque for performance and security monitoring and it’s clear to see why some may not want to maintain their critical assets long-term in the cloud.
Enter repatriation. For assets that reside in the cloud, but probably shouldn’t, organizations can pull them out of the cloud and place them into a private cloud environment, data center, or on-premises hosted environment.
Repatriation can reduce costs for some workloads and make the end-to-end posture of the environment more transparent. Depending on the kind of workload and the sensitivity to latency, it might also make sense to have a workload or server reside in a very specific location.
Cloud repatriation isn’t for everything. Applications that are designed to be cloud native and need global performance, resilience, and scalability are often well-served in a large public cloud environment. These applications would very likely be more cumbersome and expensive and perform significantly worse in a different environment.
Repatriation Considerations
There are a few factors to consider when evaluating a decision to repatriate cloud assets. Here are some of the top considerations.
Cost
Cost can be a boon or a deterrent to repatriating cloud workloads. Organizations wishing to repatriate their cloud workloads likely have made the determination that their cloud workload will be more cost-effective locally hosted, collocated, or hosted in a private cloud.
That shouldn’t be the only cost consideration. Building out a data center or an environment and migration costs can be significant depending on the cloud assets being repatriated. If your staff is specialized in managing cloud assets, they’ll need training to manage a non-cloud environment.
All of that should factor into a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether or not the total cost of repatriation makes sense.
Information Security
It may seem off to see information security as a consideration for migrating from a cloud environment. Generally, cloud service providers can offer information security tools at scale and with expertise.
That being said, a company leveraging a cloud service provider may not possess sufficient expertise to secure cloud workloads. Numerous examples of data breaches highlight the difficulty of securing cloud-native workloads without the expertise to do so.
In that situation, a company may be better served by repatriating its cloud workloads rather than retraining or hiring new staff for its information security team.
Performance
As highlighted above and seemingly paradoxically, some workloads will perform better if repatriated. Some niche applications just perform better on bespoke hardware configurations. Additionally, latency-sensitive applications benefit materially from being located close to their source or target.
Conversely, public clouds provide unparalleled scalability and flexibility. They can grow, shrink, rebalance, and instantiate seemingly instantly. With other hosting solutions, there’s a limit to the volume and pace of change.
Your priorities will drive your decision-making with respect to repatriation. Similar to cost, you should perform a cost-benefit analysis for repatriation where the tradeoff is between interaction responsiveness and rate of environmental change.
Repatriation Strategies
Your repatriation strategy should generally follow the steps of a traditional migration schedule. Here are some considerations for each phase.
Planning
Successful cloud repatriation requires effective planning. Organizations should comprehensively assess their current cloud environment. That assessment must identify which applications and data will be repatriated.
Typical considerations involve evaluating the technical, financial, and operational impacts of the move. That should result in a detailed repatriation roadmap with clear timelines, responsibilities, and milestones.
Even better: Developing that roadmap with stakeholders from IT operations, finance, security, compliance, and other relevant departments early in the process will help minimize disruptions.
Migration
Migration will require a methodical approach to data and application transfer from the cloud to on-premises or collocated infrastructure. It’s generally a good idea to prioritize applications based on their criticality and complexity. Critical applications need to be functional immediately upon migration; more complex applications will take more time to migrate.
Using a phased approach can help manage risks and account for adjustments. For example, migrating non-critical applications first will provide opportunity to refine your migration processes before tackling critical systems.
Integration
Your cloud applications exist in a robust corporate ecosystem. Integration of repatriated systems is critical to maintain operational continuity.
When migrating, you must ensure that internal and cloud systems are compatible with the repatriated applications and data. This may involve updating software, reconfiguring networks, and establishing new security protocols.
Thorough testing is also vital to identify and resolve any integration issues before go-live. During the migration and integration phases, you should also train IT staff on the new environment.
Practical Tips and Best Practices
You may also want to think about some of the following points when planning and executing your repatriation migration:
- Conduct a pilot: Start with a pilot project to test the repatriation process on a relatively small scale to identify potential challenges and refine processes.
- Engage expertise: Consider partnering with repatriation experts who can provide valuable insight and support throughout the process.
- Ensure data integrity: Use checksums and other data verification methods to monitor data integrity and accuracy.
- Maintain redundancy: Cloud services should run in parallel with on-premises systems for some period of time to validate proper operations and minimize downtime.
- Monitor and optimize: Continuously monitor the performance of repatriated systems and make necessary adjustments to optimize efficacy, efficiency, and security.
Overcoming Challenges
Cloud repatriation is challenging and acknowledging that at the outset increases your chances for a successful migration. Solid planning and communication will be vital to success.
Here are some recommendations for mitigating cloud repatriation challenges.
Data Migration Complexity
One of the most significant challenges in cloud repatriation, if not the most significant, is the complexity of data migration. Transferring vast amounts of data from cloud to on-premises or collocated systems can be time-consuming and fraught with risks like data corruption or loss.
Mitigating those risks necessitates robust data migration tools, error checking, and strategic planning. Using incremental data transfer techniques and performing thorough data integrity checks can ensure a smooth transition. Additionally, pilot migrations help identify and resolve potential issues before upscaling and proceeding in earnest.
Security Risks
Repatriating cloud services can proliferate security risks. Not preparing the repatriation environment with comprehensive monitoring, visibility, and threat-hunting capabilities is a recipe for disaster.
Invest in advanced cybersecurity infrastructure and conduct regular security audits. Implement zero-trust security models and patch systems with the latest security patches. Continuous monitoring and incident response planning also quickly address any security breaches that may occur during or after repatriation.
Compliance and Regulatory Issues
Your repatriated environment must comply with industry regulations at the same or improved levels compared to your cloud environment. The transition from cloud to on-premises systems cannot compromise compliance with relevant laws and standards.
To assure you’re not running afoul of relevant jurisdictional oversight, engage legal and compliance experts to review the repatriation plan. Maintaining detailed repatriation documentation and conducting regular audits can help identify and rectify compliance gaps.
Performance Degradation
Performance degradation can make or break a cloud repatriation project. On-premises systems may initially struggle to handle the workload previously managed by cloud infrastructure if not configured appropriately.
Performance testing and capacity planning will mitigate this impact. Right-sizing hardware, optimizing software configurations, and employing load-balancing techniques help maintain performance levels. Monitoring system performance continuously and making necessary adjustments is crucial to ensure continuous operational efficiency.
Resource Allocation and Expertise
Cloud repatriation requires resource allocation and expertise. Many organizations may lack the internal expertise for a successful repatriation. Outsourcing or supplementing repatriation efforts with experienced IT professionals and/or consultants who specialize in cloud repatriation is key.
Transitioning operations can also be a challenge, especially if an organization lacks adequate expertise. To mitigate that, training for existing staff or supplementing existing staff is essential to ensure a smooth transition.
Planning and Communication
Nothing tanks a project faster than poor planning and a lack of communication. Conversely, good planning and communication can help you overcome many challenges.
If you develop a detailed repatriation roadmap, set realistic timelines and clearly define roles and responsibilities to help set procedural expectations and alleviate substantial friction.
Regular communication with all stakeholders, including IT operational teams, management, and end users will ensure that everyone has a chance to be informed and prepared for change. Addressing concerns and feedback promptly will help prevent misunderstandings and foster a collaborative environment.
What the Future Holds
As cloud computing evolves, so too does the approach to cloud repatriation. Emerging trends and technological advancements are shaping how the transition from cloud services to on-premises infrastructure happens. Staying informed about these developments and adapting strategies accordingly is crucial for continued optimization and cost avoidance.
Hybrid and Multi-cloud
Hybrid and multi-cloud strategies provide a cushioned repatriation strategy. A hybrid approach, maintaining a mix of on-premises and cloud resources, allows a partial and intelligent repatriation strategy. It provides flexibility to leverage the benefits of both environments.
Multi-cloud strategies, where businesses use multiple cloud providers, also reduce single points of failure by enhancing redundancy. That doesn’t mean they’re easy to implement, though. As hybrid and multi-cloud environments become more prevalent, companies must develop robust management frameworks to effectively integrate and orchestrate distributed environments.
Edge Computing
Edge computing is gaining traction as a complementary technology to cloud repatriation. By processing data closer to its source, edge computing reduces latency and enhances performance for targeted applications.
Organizations repatriating cloud services are increasingly integrating edge computing solutions to handle real-time data processing and reduce the load on central systems. These solutions are critical where latency is a key factor in operational efficiency.
Improved Data Migration Tools
Advancements in data migration tools have simplified the repatriation process. Modern solutions offer automated, secure, and efficient ways to transfer data from cloud to on-premises environments.
These tools include features like data validation, error correction, and incremental migration capabilities. In doing so, these solutions minimize downtime and reduce the risk of data loss. Continual tool evolution means smoother and more reliable repatriation efforts.
Enhanced Security
With the growing emphasis on data security, cloud repatriation strategies must incorporate advanced information security. Technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can enhance threat detection and response capabilities.
Implementing AI- or ML-driven security solutions will help organizations proactively identify and mitigate potential risks during repatriation. More sophisticated access and authentication control mechanisms will protect sensitive data.
Sustainability
Sustainability is an increasingly crucial factor in IT decision-making. As organizations seek to reduce their carbon footprint, energy-efficient on-premises solutions are gaining attention. Future cloud repatriation strategies may prioritize sustainability by incorporating eco-friendly data centers and energy-efficient hardware. By aligning repatriation efforts with sustainability goals, repatriation can contribute to environmental conservation while optimizing IT infrastructure.
Continuous Monitoring and Adaptation
Technology is dynamic and requires continuous monitoring and adaptation of repatriation strategies. The latest industry practices, technological advancements, and regulatory changes should inform repatriation efforts.
Regularly reviewing and updating repatriation plans ensures relevancy and efficacy. Industry forums, conferences, and technology partners can provide valuable insights to help you keep up with emerging trends.
How Pure Storage Promotes Repatriation
Repatriation is tough and you need a partner to help. Pure Storage has a wealth of expertise in developing and addressing solutions for repatriation efforts. Pure Storage offers several solutions to help with your repatriation journey:
- FlashArray™ and FlashBlade® provide comprehensive solutions for environmental provisioning and storage. These components are critical for providing the platform upon which repatriation efforts live.
- If you decide to pursue a hybrid cloud solution, Pure1® AIOps simplifies storage management by providing a single pane of glass upon which your business will rely.
- Pure Cloud Block Store™ also provides unified storage management, whether you’re on-prem, collocated, in a private cloud, hybrid cloud, or fully cloud hosted.
- If you want to migrate Kubernetes loads, Portworx® is an on-premises solution. We have broad experience managing Kubernetes loads.
Closing Thoughts
Repatriating assets is not something to take lightly. You can repatriate on a budget and effectively, but you’ll need to have a plan. Planning is key to determining how, when, and why you repatriate. Also, consider having the right partner to help you make your repatriation efforts a success.
