Cloud Benefits
Scalability
A cloud solution can grow with your business with quick and simple account changes/additions. This is a benefit of utilising a facility with infrastructure built for exactly the purpose of storing data.
Accessability
Cloud storage solutions can easily service businesses with multiple premises. When accessing data from multiple premises or even off-site, a cloud solution can give everyone in the company adequate access when they need it. This can obviously boost productivity, accuracy and customer service.
Speed
In many instances a cloud based solution will give you faster access to your information – albeit dependant on your site’s download and upload internet speeds. For a single premise business with poor internet connectivity, an on-premise storage solution could prove faster than cloud storage.
Data security
Dedicated, monitored and maintained infrastructure can reduce the risk of data loss resulting from hardware failure. Data centres have more safety and hazard precautions in place than the average company which means your data is most likely in safer hands than if it were on-premise. But remember, it’s always good practice to maintain your own backups whether you use an on-premise or cloud solution.
Lets get Technical
Jiwa 7 leverages platforms such as Microsoft Azure or Amazon Web Services. Using established and trusted services for cloud storage can give you peace of mind that your data is in safe hands.
What will you need to run Jiwa?
For the storage
Both the Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services platforms provide sound storage solutions for your data. Our recommendation is using Azure SQL Database as it provides virtually zero maintenance burden and redundant storage.
For user access
Firstly there is session-based Remote Desktop Services (RDS) deployment in a hosted environment (like on Azure Virtual Machines). This option is best for customers already familiar with RDS deployments.
We recommend using an RDS server in the same data-centre as the SQL database instead of connecting local Jiwa clients to an SQL Azure database.
Another consideration is Citrix XenApp to run the client application – allowing for use on iOS, Android, Mac and Windows.
Costs
The basic cost of a cloud solution involves both an RDS Server and the SQL Database – here are the technical requirements we recommend:
RDS Server Requirements
Jiwa recommends a 4 Core machine with at least 8GB of RAM for up to 10 users.
SQL Database Recommendations
The S2 performance tier has been found to be optimal for our use cases.
It is possible to scale up or scale down easily, depending on your experience. The Azure pricing page shows all the available scenarios.
In estimating the cost of your cloud solution don’t forget to allow for migration assistance from Jiwa or your technical support. We have found 3 to 6 hours of time a reasonable amount, depending on your circumstances.
