Most cloud architects are finding that their world is suddenly heterogenous. Where once we could focus on a single public cloud provider, today we have as many as four in the mix. The patterns of architecture have moved from intra-cloud to inter-cloud, and that is where complexity and risk come in.
As a result, architects, including myself, have put together processes to make sure that most bases are covered—much like a pilot uses a preflight checklist. These include items such as cross-cloud governance, security, operations, etc. However, a few things that are vital for success are often forgotten. Here are my top three: