Overview

The Cloud Data Benchmarking project is designed to dive deep into the monthly cloud usage data from NET+ AWS, NET+ GCP and CICP subscribing institutions. This data, which includes service names, costs, and usage patterns, can initially seem like a jumble of numbers. However, with this project, we've transformed this seemingly random data into valuable insights, helping institutions understand their cloud usage and cost trends more clearly. They will also be able to see how their peers are performing in the cloud, giving the opportunity to benchmark own performance, pinpoint areas for improvement, refine their cloud strategy, and connect with others tackling similar challenges. 

The report recipients will receive both a 'Community View' and a 'Campus View' to provide a comprehensive perspective. The 'Community View' offers insights at the broader cloud community level, while the 'Campus View' focuses on specific data relevant to individual campuses or departments.

But that’s not all. We’ve also introduced the Cloud Elevation Index (CEI), a metric created by Rick Rhoades and Gabriel Geise at The Pennsylvania State University. The CEI measures a cloud service’s maturity, ranging from bare metal to fully cloud-optimized. Tracking changes in the CEI score can offer a clear picture of how efficiently cloud services are being used across different cloud accounts and within your organization.

Expanding on Cloud Elevation Index (CEI)

The CEI provides a comprehensive analysis of cloud account performance, assessing how effectively institutions are utilizing services across the spectrum from PaaS to SaaS. First introduced by Rick Rhoades at the Cloud Forum 2024, this metric aims to help organizations assess the maturity of their cloud accounts, evaluate their current strategies, and develop actionable plans to enhance their overall cloud operations.

Benchmarking Criteria & Metrics (current)

Cloud Spend Metrics

  • Total Cloud Spend
  • Spend by Cloud Service
  • Spend Over Time
  • Average Community Spend

Performance Metrics

  • Cloud Elevation Index at account and organization level

A sneak peek with screenshots of the reports in action

Target Audience

  • Cloud Enablement Team
  • C-suite

Project Development Phases

  • Static PDF reports - These reports will primarily focus on spend metrics, such as overall cloud spend, spend by service type (e.g., compute, storage, networking), and spend trends over time.
  • Inclusion of usage metrics - Usage metrics will showcase data on how much cloud services and resources are being used, such as the number of virtual machines (VMs) running, storage consumption etc.
  • Authorization/authentication for dynamic access - This phase will focus on allowing secure, real-time access to reports rather than static PDFs ensuring that sensitive cloud usage data is securely accessed by authorized users only.
  • Addition of more metrics - The goal is to integrate additional metrics related to cloud cost, usage, and performance into the interactive reports, with input from stakeholders on which would be most valuable.

Project Roadmap

The project will begin by sharing PDF reports with eligible recipients. As the project evolves, the goal is to transition to providing access to dynamic reports in Looker, allowing users to interact with the data in real time, filter insights, and drill down for deeper analysis.

The first set of reports is expected to be sent out in Q1 2025, showcasing data from Q4 2024. Stay tuned!

Community Resources

Community-view of reports for NET+ AWS, NET+ GCP and CICP subscribers coming here soon!

Questions or Feedback?

  • We would love to hear what you think! If you have any questions, reach out to Bob Flynn (bflynn@internet2.edu) or Nidhi Yadav (nyadav@internet2.edu) or take a moment to fill out this feedback form. Your thoughts really help us improve and deliver you reports that help make a difference in your and your institution's cloud journey!







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