Nowadays, more and more OpenText customers are planning to move to the cloud. But before analyzing various available solutions and vendors, organizations should define their requirements and choose the right OpenText cloud hosting model.
In this article, we will discuss different cloud hosting models for OpenText infrastructure, and define which hosting options are the most scalable, secure, and future-proof. For more information, make sure to check out 3 Ways to Move On-Premise OpenText Software to the Cloud.
Public Cloud
The public cloud is a public, scalable and multi-tenant platform, where computing services can be reserved or rented on an ad hoc basis. As part of the public cloud hosting model, the customer’s infrastructure and data are stored in the cloud provider’s data center. The public cloud service provider is solely responsible for any administration and maintenance of data centers and other relevant IT infrastructure.
When using the public cloud, customers benefit from the public cloud’s scalability and “pay as you grow” approach, without spending time and CAPEX associated with purchasing dedicated infrastructure. The leading cloud providers are Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud. All of these service providers offer infrastructure that is certified to run OpenText and SAP software products.
OpenText Cloud
The OpenText Cloud is a continuously expanded managed cloud offering that brings the same agility to access infrastructure and platform services that exist in public clouds while maintaining the security and compliance you expect from an enterprise software cloud solution.
The applications and services provided in the OpenText Cloud range from B2B commerce, messaging services, dedicated private managed applications, SaaS multi-tenant applications, and cloud microservices. OpenText is constantly working on expanding its public cloud SaaS offering, but as of now the portfolio only includes OpenText Core, Archive Center, People Center, OpenText Optimost, Express, Snap, and Active Applications.
OpenText Cloud is a great option for greenfield customers, who would like to purchase OpenText software and are open to subscription-based software usage, or those for customers that have little or no in-house technical expertise, as OpenText Cloud offers application managed services, which fully remove workloads from customers’ internal resources.
Private Cloud vs. Virtual Private Cloud
The private cloud is a cloud computing model that runs on dedicated infrastructure and consists of computing resources used exclusively by a single organization. In this model, the IT department acts as a service provider and the individual business areas as tenants. The biggest advantage of the private cloud is control and exclusivity.
The private cloud may reside locally, or in a dedicated external data center. Services and infrastructure belonging to a private cloud are always maintained on a private network and the hardware and software are dedicated solely to the customer’s organization. Customers can continue to use their perpetual licenses when moving existing OpenText solutions to the private cloud. OpenText application maintenance is done by the customer or a dedicated service partner.
The limitations of the private cloud are similar to those of the self-managed on-premise options, with the same limitations on rapid scalability as the infrastructure is limited. For some customers, this may not be a problem as leading business applications tend to become more static, predictable, and slower. For other, faster-growing companies looking for a future-proof and scalable model, this could be a big problem. One more disadvantage of private clouds is that they are expensive and have high maintenance and resource costs.
A Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) is a hosting option that combines the best of both worlds by working like a private cloud that runs on public infrastructure. How does that work?
In the VPC, a public cloud provider acts as the service provider, and the subscribers to the cloud act as the tenants. The resources from one customer are isolated from the resources of other customers. All connections are encrypted. Customers access their environment mostly through virtual private networks (VPN).
When hosting OpenText applications in VPC, customers can continue to use their perpetual license. Just like in the private cloud, they continue to be responsible for OpenText application maintenance, however, they can partner with a third-party service provider.
The most commonly known virtual private clouds are Amazon Virtual Private Cloud, Microsoft Azure Virtual Network, and Google Virtual Private Cloud (VPC).
Companies choose the virtual private cloud for various reasons. For example, there are no-load restrictions, no difficulties with adding new projects, companies can optimize storage and maintenance-related costs, scale infrastructure smoothly, and run applications with powerful performance, as well as modernize and optimize workforce collaboration and productivity. For more information about VPC, make sure to check out 5 Reasons Why You Should Move OpenText Products to the VPC.
OpenText in Hybrid Cloud Computing
Regardless of the long list of benefits of the cloud, it’s no secret that for many, concerns about security and migration complexity remain. Also, the cloud migration process isn’t a one-day project, and therefore, it doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing path. Hybrid environments become the new normal. A hybrid cloud is a hosting model that combines a private cloud with one or more public cloud services or on-premise hostings, with proprietary software enabling communication between each instance.
OpenText collaborated with Forrester Consulting on recent research exploring the benefits of taking a hybrid-cloud approach. Gain some actionable insight about this research by watching a webinar hosted by Alison Clarke, Director at OpenText Product Marketing.
Choosing a Cloud Hosting Option for OpenText Products
What is the best hosting option for your OpenText landscape when considering all of the above options? Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. It is not about choosing the best option, it is about selecting an option that is right for a specific organization, is capable to support a mix of solutions, and solves everyday problems now and in the future.
As with everything else, it’s all about compromise and each company’s individual needs. When choosing the cloud strategy for OpenText solutions, the decision is often tied to a larger cloud strategy and closely tied to the hosting strategy of leading business applications such as SAP, Infor, Oracle, and others.
As an OpenText and SAP service partner, we have been migrating and managing OpenText solutions for decades. We can help you with your cloud and general OpenText product strategies. We can examine together how your specific company with its unique IT skills and requirements fits each cloud hosting scenario.
Feel free to reach out to us and schedule a call with one of our OpenText cloud migration experts.
