Infrastructure Glossary
Your comprehensive guide to infrastructure and cloud migration terminology
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B
- Bare Metal
- Physical servers that you own or lease directly, without virtualization layers. Provides maximum performance and control over hardware resources.
- Related terms: Cloud Migration, Dedicated Server, Infrastructure
C
- Cloud Migration
- The process of moving applications, data, and infrastructure from one environment to another, often from on-premise to cloud or cloud to bare metal.
- Related terms: Cloud Repatriation, Hybrid Cloud, Migration Strategy
- Cloud Repatriation
- The strategic movement of workloads from public cloud services back to on-premise infrastructure or private data centers for cost, performance, or control benefits.
- Related terms: Cloud Exit, Bare Metal, TCO
- Cloud Sprawl
- The uncontrolled proliferation of cloud instances, services, and resources, often leading to increased costs and management complexity.
- Related terms: Cloud Waste, Cost Optimization, Resource Management
- Cloud Waste
- Unused or underutilized cloud resources that continue to incur costs. Studies show average cloud waste is 32% of total cloud spend.
- Related terms: Cost Optimization, Reserved Instances, Right-sizing
- Colocation
- Housing your own servers in a third-party data center facility that provides power, cooling, physical security, and network connectivity.
- Related terms: Data Center, Bare Metal, Hybrid Infrastructure
- Cost Optimization
- The practice of reducing infrastructure expenses while maintaining or improving performance and reliability through various strategies.
- Related terms: Cloud Waste, Right-sizing, Reserved Instances
D
- Data Egress
- Data transfer fees charged by cloud providers when data leaves their network. Often a hidden cost that can significantly impact cloud bills.
- Related terms: Bandwidth Costs, Cloud Pricing, Hidden Costs
- DevOps
- A set of practices combining software development and IT operations to shorten development cycles and provide continuous delivery.
- Related terms: CI/CD, Infrastructure as Code, Automation
H
- Hybrid Cloud
- An infrastructure approach combining public cloud services with private cloud or on-premise resources, connected to work as a unified environment.
- Related terms: Multi-cloud, Cloud Strategy, Infrastructure Design
I
- Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
- Managing and provisioning infrastructure through machine-readable definition files rather than manual hardware configuration.
- Related terms: Automation, DevOps, Configuration Management
K
- Kubernetes
- An open-source container orchestration platform for automating deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications.
- Related terms: Container Orchestration, Docker, Microservices
L
- Lift and Shift
- A migration strategy where applications are moved from one environment to another with minimal or no modifications.
- Related terms: Migration Strategy, Replatforming, Cloud Migration
M
- Multi-tenancy
- Architecture where multiple customers share the same computing resources while keeping their data isolated and secure.
- Related terms: Cloud Architecture, Resource Sharing, Isolation
R
- Reserved Instances
- A cloud pricing model where you commit to using specific resources for a term (usually 1-3 years) in exchange for significant discounts.
- Related terms: Cloud Pricing, Cost Optimization, Commitment
- Right-sizing
- The process of matching cloud instance types and sizes to workload performance and capacity requirements to optimize costs.
- Related terms: Cost Optimization, Performance Tuning, Resource Management
T
- TCO (Total Cost of Ownership)
- The complete cost of owning and operating infrastructure over its lifetime, including purchase, maintenance, operations, and disposal costs.
- Related terms: ROI, Cost Analysis, Budget Planning
V
- Vendor Lock-in
- Dependency on a specific vendor's proprietary technology that makes it difficult or expensive to switch to alternative solutions.
- Related terms: Cloud Strategy, Migration Challenges, Portability
Z
- Zero Downtime Migration
- Moving applications and data between environments without any service interruption to end users.
- Related terms: Migration Strategy, High Availability, Business Continuity
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