The Challenge
Alaska businesses face a unique challenge when it comes to cloud services. Major cloud providers operate from data centers thousands of miles away, resulting in latency that impacts application performance. For businesses requiring low-latency access to compute and storage resources, or those with data sovereignty requirements, a regional cloud alternative was essential.
I led the design, deployment, and operational management of a comprehensive regional cloud hosting platform serving businesses throughout Alaska.
My Role
Architecture & Design
As principal architect, I designed the complete technical stack:
Compute Platform
- Multi-tenant hosting on VMware vCenter/vSphere
- Designed cluster architecture for high availability
- Implemented resource pools and allocation policies
- Engineered backup and disaster recovery with Veeam
Storage Platform
- Deployed high-performance NetApp storage arrays
- Implemented tiered storage (SSD, SAS, NL-SAS) for cost-optimized performance
- Designed and deployed ActiveScale object storage for unstructured data
- Engineered replication for multi-site data protection
Network Platform
- Deployed Cisco Nexus data center ethernet fabric
- Designed multi-tenant network isolation using VRF and VXLAN
- Implemented multi-tenant next-generation firewall services
- Engineered inter-data center connectivity for DR scenarios
Disaster Recovery
I architected a comprehensive DR solution spanning multiple data centers:
- Full-scale replication between geographically separated facilities
- Automated failover capabilities for critical workloads
- Regular DR testing procedures ensuring recoverability
- RPO/RTO engineering matched to customer requirements
Multi-Tenant Security
Serving multiple customers on shared infrastructure required rigorous security design:
- Network segmentation ensuring complete tenant isolation
- NGFW services providing per-tenant security policies
- Compliance frameworks supporting regulated industries
- Security monitoring and incident response procedures
Managed Services Operations
Beyond infrastructure, I led the operational team delivering full managed services:
Service Levels
- 24/7 monitoring and incident response
- Help desk support for end-user issues
- System administration for server and application management
- Advanced engineering support for complex technical challenges
Service Delivery
- Established ITIL-aligned service management processes
- Developed runbooks and standard operating procedures
- Implemented ticketing and change management systems
- Created customer-facing dashboards and reporting
Technical Platform Details
VMware Architecture
The virtualization platform was designed for enterprise-grade reliability:
- vSphere HA providing automatic VM restart on host failure
- DRS for intelligent workload distribution
- vSAN ready architecture for hyper-converged options
- NSX capable for advanced network virtualization
Data Center Ethernet
The Cisco Nexus fabric provided:
- High-bandwidth, low-latency connectivity for storage and compute
- FCoE capability for converged storage networking
- VPC/vPC for redundant, loop-free topologies
- Programmable infrastructure for automation
Storage Architecture
Storage was designed for both performance and capacity requirements:
- All-flash tiers for latency-sensitive workloads
- Hybrid tiers balancing performance and cost
- Object storage for backup targets and unstructured data
- Replication for both local and remote data protection
Results
The regional cloud platform served dozens of Alaska businesses with enterprise-grade infrastructure that they could not have built or operated independently. The combination of local presence (low latency), comprehensive services (compute, storage, network, security), and full managed support enabled customers to focus on their core business while we handled their technology infrastructure.
This platform demonstrated that regional cloud services can compete with national providers when designed and operated with the same level of engineering rigor.