Why Every Azure Journey Needs a Landing Zone
Diving into a cloud migration head first might seem tempting, but it’s crucial to pause and strategise before taking the plunge. Before embarking on your cloud journey, it’s essential to establish an Azure landing zone.
This foundational setup prioritises security and ensures optimal performance within your cloud environment. By having a landing zone in place from the get-go, you’re laying down the groundwork for future-proofing your IT infrastructure.
Think of an Azure landing zone as a solid set of foundations for your Azure infrastructure. No one wants to build a house on sand, right?
What is an Azure landing zone?
Before we get too carried away, let’s break down what an Azure landing zone actually is. It’s part of Microsoft’s Cloud Adoption Framework, providing a secure foundation to scale and innovate with ease. Think of an Azure landing zone as a pre-configured environment that offers a secure, scalable, and compliant foundation for your Azure workloads. It sets up the infrastructure, governance, security, and operational frameworks needed for your applications to run smoothly and securely in the cloud.
The best part? You can deploy an Azure landing zone whenever it suits you. Whether you’re just starting your cloud journey, or you’ve already got some workloads in Azure, it’s never too late to establish a solid foundation. The Cloud Adoption Framework is an ongoing process that can reorganise your existing Azure resources into a cohesive landing zone and introduce essential guardrails. Ultimately, an Azure landing zone is crucial for everyone, ensuring your environment runs smoother and more efficiently.
Why do I need a landing zone?
We get it – sometimes you just want a project done ASAP, because you want to get all those benefits you’ve heard so much about. But for a smooth journey, a good take-off is essential and in the long term, you need that secure foundation to benefit properly from the cloud. This way, it won’t become a big, costly entity consuming your resources.
So, some of the benefits you get from an Azure landing zone are:
- Streamlined Deployment – Setting up a cloud environment from scratch can be daunting. An Azure landing zone provides pre-configured templates and best practices, making deployment quicker and more reliable. This streamlined process allows your team to focus on innovation and application development, rather than spending countless hours on configuration.
- Enhanced Security – Security in the cloud is paramount, and an Azure landing zone has built-in controls to protect your data and applications. From encryption and firewalls to threat protection and identity management, it ensures your environment is fortified against potential threats.
- Scalability and Flexibility – As your business grows, so do your IT needs. An Azure landing zone is designed to scale with your organisation, providing a flexible architecture that can handle increasing workloads and user demands. This scalability ensures your cloud infrastructure grows seamlessly alongside your business.
- Governance and Compliance – Navigating the complexities of governance and compliance can be tricky. An Azure landing zone incorporates governance frameworks and compliance policies from the start, ensuring all resources adhere to corporate and industry standards. This built-in compliance reduces the risk of regulatory breaches and simplifies audits, giving you peace of mind.
- Operational Efficiency – Managing a cloud environment involves various tasks, from monitoring performance to managing costs. An Azure landing zone includes tools and practices that enhance operational efficiency, such as automated monitoring, logging, and cost management. These tools help maintain a well-optimised environment, reducing manual efforts and operational costs.
- Consistency and Best Practices – An Azure landing zone embeds Microsoft’s best practices and guidelines into your cloud environment, ensuring consistency across deployments and aligning your infrastructure with proven strategies. This reduces the risk of misconfigurations and improves overall reliability and performance.
- Future-Proofing Your Cloud Strategy – Technology evolves rapidly, and staying ahead requires a future-proof strategy. An Azure landing zone provides a solid foundation that can adapt to new technologies and business requirements, ensuring your cloud infrastructure remains relevant and capable of supporting future innovations and growth.
But what if I am adopting a hybrid-cloud approach?
Even if you’re not planning a full move to Azure, a hybrid-cloud setup using Azure Stack HCI can really benefit from a landing zone. Setting up a landing zone with Azure Stack HCI makes your hybrid cloud approach scalable, robust, and secure, while giving you all the perks of Azure’s powerful cloud services.
This dynamic-duo is a brilliant way to take full advantage of everything the cloud has to offer, without fully leaving your on-premises environment behind.
Ready for your landing zone?
It should be clear now. Azure Landing Zones are not just a nice-to-have; they are essential for your cloud environment. By investing in an Azure landing zone, you’re setting your organisation up for success in the cloud, allowing you to focus on innovation and growth rather than worrying about infrastructure issues.
Ready to take the next step?
At Kascade, we’re a Microsoft Designated Partner with Azure, meaning we know exactly what you need to ensure your Azure environment is set up perfectly for your organisation. Let’s build a strong Azure landing zone together and unlock the endless possibilities of the cloud.
