Cloud Computing Best Practices for Engineering IoT

Dear DE Reader:

Developing and simulating IoT (Internet of Things) devices can overwhelm your resources. The greater complexity of designs that engineers have to figure out how to make work — in a timely, cost-effective manner – has led many outfits to consider outsourcing some or all of their simulation capabilities to a cloud provider. If you’re looking to extend or handle your engineering simulation infrastructure on the cloud, the paper on the other side of today’s Check it Out link couldn’t be timelier.

While slanted toward engineering simulation, what the “Cloud Computing Best Practices for Engineering IoT” white paper from ANSYS has to say applies across most engineering disciplines. The gist of its message is that nothing is ever as straightforward as you may think it is initially, and migrating some or all of your engineering simulation workload to the cloud presents a boatload of unique challenges. Nonetheless, some commonsense best practices can make transitioning to and using a cloud platform for engineering smooth and effective.

This paper is not a checklist, but it should help you develop your own to-do list and avoid rookie mistakes. What it offers are eight best practices covering fundamental issues to be considered and addressed with any degree of a simulation cloud platform deployment you choose. In order, these issues are simulation data and data storage, graphics, security, end user access, licensing, business models, workloads and executive buy-in. Live links to on-demand webinars and further reading augment many key points.

The paper covers each best practice with its nuances and options, which should help you stay focused on identifying your needs as you weigh alternatives or develop your approach to a cloud deployment. For example, take the discussion on licensing. It’s titled “Reuse On-Premise Licenses (or Not).” It explains that you need to determine if you want to be able to use your on-site software licenses on the cloud or simply buy and house new licenses on the cloud.

“Cloud Computing Best Practices for Engineering IoT” pulls no punches, which is probably a direct result of ANSYS’ real-world experience helping companies move their simulations to the cloud. To that end, its final two discussions aren’t best practices at all but sage and sober advice: Start small but think big and there’s no one-size-fits-all cloud solution.

The upshot: This is a thoroughly enjoyable and thought-provoking paper. Hit today’s Check it Out link for your copy.

Thanks, Pal. – Lockwood

Anthony J. Lockwood

Editor at Large, DE