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|In: Cloud|Last Updated:

Hey—You know that spreadsheet you have been keeping for the last 15 years about Non Functional Requirements?  You know the one—With references to uptime, Recovery Objectives, and user counts?

In a cloud environment, many of these NFRs are just plain irrelevant.   For example, Point in time Restore (PITR) makes older discussions about Recovery Point Objective and Recovery Time Objective seem like we might be talking about reading the TV Guide to learn when the Ed Sullivan show is on.   It just dates us.  Elasticity and Scalability can more or less handle changes in user loads instantaneously, (as long as the budget is there, and the options are selected).

However, now that we have solved these problems, there are new considerations that we need to manage for in NFRs.   Not surprisingly, not all cloud providers will tell you about some things that you need to ask for or check on.   Whether you are moving an enterprise application to the cloud or considering a SaaS application, NFRs still matter.

In no particular order, you probably want to consider these points in your updated, cloud hosted NFR document.

 

  • Performance and reliability metrics and testing still matter, and should be tested with analogous loads and user scenarios. If you are doing this now, keep doing it, adjusting the tools needed.  For the record, we happily use Locust as one of our go-to tools.

 

  • Data Residency. Where is your cloud (processing, storage, and anything else) physically going to reside?  Will it be located in the same country you are in, and applicable to the regulations you expect?  Or will it be hosted somewhere that doesn’t respect GDPR, California CCPA, FedRAMP or other applicable regulations?

 

  • Can you “exit” your data to a different cloud storage environment as you wish? Let’s call this factor  “Data Portability”.    Along these lines, how do you access your data, whether you exit or not?  (Note—You really, really want to test this out, prior to fully committing to a vendor)

 

  • How much notice will the cloud hosting company provide you with before planned outages or maintenance? Not naming names here, but in our experience some providers show little concern about announcing outages or dealing well with cleaning up the mess they can leave behind after maintenance.   Some cloud providers even fail to count “scheduled maintenance” against downtime, even if their data center is on fire.

 

  • Highly related—Most cloud providers offer some sort of security as a service add on, and you will probably want it. But, it would be good to know exactly what their “Armor” actually covers—and what it doesn’t.

 

  • You will likely be asked by somebody about cost predictability in your NFRs. This may or may not be a big deal, but nobody likes surprises.  You want to at least ask the question about how stable your pricing will be, even with potential elastic changes in loads or users.

 

Bottom line—We all actually need to think about NFRs more now.  At the very least, we need to update our spreadsheets, but perhaps more importantly, we need to creatively think about how to avoid treating this as just a rote piece of busywork.

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|In: Cloud|Last Updated:

When it comes to talking about Cloud offerings, sometimes there are surprises lurking in the fog.  (Apologies to Bob, and his corny humor)

It won’t surprise you that there is an Intermediary, and they stand to do well. I am speaking of the big cloud infrastructure providers, and their desire to sell you undefined, but discounted software and hosting, through a general term known as Cloud Consumption commitments, AKA “committed use” or “committed spend”

These commitments are an enticing proposition—buy now, pay later, and get a discount.

So, what’s the catch with cloud commitments? Here are a few things you should watch out for:

  • Long-term commitments: These contracts typically last several years, and if you need to exit early, expect to pay an unpleasant termination fee. Once you’re locked in, you’re in for the long haul.

 

  • Auto-renewals: No one likes a surprise renewal charge. Some cloud providers sneak in auto-renewal clauses, ensuring you stay committed unless you explicitly opt out. (ugh).

 

  • Usage monitoring and pricing escalations: Cloud providers will offer monitoring tools to track your usage, but be aware—if you go beyond your committed resources, you’ll likely face price escalations. It’s easy to start with great pricing, only to find yourself paying much more later.

 

  • Hitting your spend target: Oddly enough, the challenge for many organizations isn’t avoiding overuse—it’s using enough of the services to meet the commitment.

In thinking about this, it reminded me of the Gift Card industry.   We buy gift cards because they are convenient, easy to use, and ultimately, expect that we will spend all of the money loaded on the card.  It turns out that a good number of gift cards are either never redeemed at all, or not fully redeemed, with some estimates being as high as 10-19%.  There is even a term for this, called “Breakage”.

 

Here’s where a little bit of strategic thinking comes in. Start by making sure you’re effectively managing budgets and usage projections. But there’s an even better trick—see if the cloud provider offers software you’re already using, or planning to deploy. Many software publishers have favorable agreements with cloud providers, meaning those tools could count toward your commitment. It’s a bit like discovering that your forgotten gift card can be spent on something you were already planning to buy.

This isn’t a perfect solution, but it’s certainly worth exploring. After all, if you’re locked into a multi-year agreement, you might as well get the most out of it. Just like using every dollar of that gift card, the key to cloud commitments is maximizing value while staying informed.

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