12 Jun Dynamics NAV on the cloud? 10 questions to help you to make the right decision

Are you considering migrating Dynamics NAV to the cloud and you don’t know if you’re making the right decision? In this article we are going to try to answer the 10 most common doubts about cloud based working. For the last 7 years, Grup de Serveis Triangle has trusted SaaSplaza for all projects related to the cloud.

1. Security on the cloud

For many organisations who consider moving to the cloud, securityis one of the main concerns. In terms of the rumours as to whether the cloud is secure or not, we believe that the cloud is more secure than most local solutions. Why? Part of the answer rests on the regulations that have been established to guarantee cloud security. Most of the implementations on local servers are not independently audited or certified, so it is difficult to evaluate the state they are in.
There are many available certifications. For example, at SaasPlaza, they carry out yearly independent audits (controlled by PWC) of all systems and processes to ensure their compliance with the ISAE 3402 y SSAE16 Type II standards.
We also have to bear in mind that each implementation on the cloud can be certified and analysed. For example, all communication of data is safeguarded with an SSL certificate. This means that all of the data sent over the internet is encrypted and secure.
Configurations on the cloud are also designed and deployed in network layers so that the data is never directly exposed on the internet.

2. Can I integrate my other systems with Microsoft Dynamics NAV on the cloud?

Fundamentally, there are 3 different configurations on the cloud: public cloud, private cloud and hybrid cloud. Different levels of integration are possible within each configuration.
On the public cloud, it is connected to the data base and the system using the predetermined web services. A public cloud uses IT resources shared with other customers, so all traffic and unlimited integrations cannot be permitted because it could negatively affect other customers. It is also known as a “multi-tenant” implementation and, as a general rule, it works well for businesses with standard requirements.
On the private cloud, it uses resources dedicated exclusively to your implementation, so it is much more flexible and there are more options to integrate and personalise. Basically, you can do anything with a private cloud. This is known as a “sole tenant” cloud and it offers many more options.
A hybrid cloud uses elements from the public and private clouds. For example, less sensitive workloads and any ad hoc “on-demand” IT resources that are required can be powered by the public cloud, whilst the private cloud can manage more critical workloads, critical for the business and the system recovery.
In the majority of cases, the design and architecture of the type of cloud chosen will depend on the requirements of your business. In the majority of companies we work with, the specific integrations and personalisations of the industry are a standard requirement that we have to deal with, because many companies require some sort of specialised ISV solution to satisfy all of the requirements of their industry. SaasPlaza also has vast experience in the integration with other common products such as Office 365, JET Reports, Atlas and LS Retail.

3. Will I lose performance on the cloud?

Performance is one of the documented guarantees covered in the SaasPlaza Service Level Agreement (SLA). SaasPlaza will ensure that the application works and will scale the environment as necessary to provide the required level of performance. What we want to say is that scaling the environment is adding more resources, such as CPU or memory, to guarantee the performance of the system satisfies your needs.
The scalability, the capacity to adapt your environment to your needs, also apply to the users of your system. With the cloud, you can easily add and remove users and manage costs efficiently, if you subscribe to the all inclusive prices per user per month.
SaasPlaza’s support engineers use advanced monitoring tools, including the entire Microsoft System Center, to monitor the performance.

4. How good does my internet connection need to be?

Nowadays, the bandwidth per user probably won’t be a problem. The minimum requirements are 2Mbps to download and 0.5 Mbps to upload, or more. However, internet latency can directly affect the performance, so during the test, the internet connection latency must be less than 100 milliseconds.
In most situations we find, thanks to the level of Peering of internet on networks, latency rarely exceeds 50 milliseconds. Where this happens, the option of using the Content Delivery Network (CDN) is available if needed.
To minimise latency, SaasPlaaza operates from different data centres throughout the world, including the network of the Microsoft Azure data centre, to bring the end user the best experience depending on their location. For regions where the bandwidth can be a problem, such as Africa, customers are offered RDS since they require less bandwidth.

5. When is the best time to act?

A minimum level of activity time is another of the documented guarantees guaranteed on our SLA. SaasPlaza financially supports their minimum level of activity time of 99.9% per month.
This guarantee applies to all levels of application, not to the level of infrastructure. Why? Given that the server can be running but the application may be inactive, it then monitors the activity time of the application because this is what your business needs to do its work.
Global support is offered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with engineers throughout the world to carry out the monitoring of your system and guarantee its working.

6. What happens with a failover, the backup files and disaster recovery?

To achieve the guarantee of 99.9% activity time, SaasPlaza has high-availability systems implemented as part of the default architecture. This means that the Failover capacity is part of the standard configuration for all servers and network components, since it helps to guarantee a high availability.
The security copies are made daily and stored for a period of one month in at least two different data centres. This is the standard configuration, but it can be personalised according to the requirements of your business.
We also have examples of customers who are legally obliged to keep up to 8 years of records, so it is also possible to have a large data archive. Disaster Recovery is a service we provide to many customers, with the option of delivering a full recovery of the system from multiple recovery sites. Once again, it all depends on your requirements.

7. Can I migrate existing data and applications to the cloud?

Yes, as well as the Dynamics Cloud applications, infrastructure connections to existing data and applications are offered, with an SLA in the connection.
Therefore, the connection is managed and direct assistance is provided to deliver the best cloud delivery solution for these applications, but the applications continue being the responsibility of the partner who provides them to you, for updates, maintenance and any development.

8. Where will my data be?

This depends on which data centres are used for your solution which, as mentioned earlier, can be anywhere in the world. The security copies of data and disaster recovery are always stored in at least two different data centres.

9. Can I access my data whenever I want?

Yes. The data will always belong to your domain, not the supplier. On request, the data will always be delivered to you.

10. What real benefits do I get from the cloud?

What do companies value most about Microsoft Dynamics on the cloud? The cloud can in fact generate cost savings for businesses, a recent survey carried out by SaasPlaza revealed that the advantages that businesses value most, and they may surprise you!
Recently, direct customers were surveyed and the results were compelling. One of the survey questions was: rate the benefits you receive from the Cloud Services from 1 to 5, where one is the most significant benefit. Here are the results:

​Without the hard work required to manage a pre-determined infrastructure, the cloud enables businesses to benefit from new technology which helps to capture the market share and increase profitability.

About SaasPlaza:
SaasPlaza has been a world leader in cloud services for Microsoft Dynamics since 2008. Dynamics Cloud solutions is the only thing they do. Due to this focus, SaasPlaza is the leading Dynamics Cloud provider in the world. Today they work with more than 200 Dynamics partners throughout the world, as Grup de Servies Triangle, and offer more than 1500 implementations throughout the world.