Category: Blog

Cloudhouse costs are split into two elements – the licensing required to deploy application compatibility packages, and the professional services needed to create the application compatibility packages.

Licensing is offered on a per user basis for desktop applications and a per server basis for server applications. There are discounts available based on volumes.

Professional Services costs are dependent on the nature and complexity of the application. We quote a cost for packaging once we have been able to see the application, or portfolio of applications.

Packaging and Maintaining Applications

Who is responsible for packaging desktop and server applications?

Cloudhouse provide the Professional Services to package applications.

Cloudhouse recommend packaged applications are tested in the standard UAT environments used for natively installed applications, or applications packaged in App-V. The more representative the test environment is of the live environment, the greater the chance of finding any issues prior to go-live.

Service packs and updates can be applied to the applications in a package using the Editor, refer to Updating, Editing and Maintaining Containers which describes how a new snapshot is created for the update, and how it is then applied to the package.

Operations

Who manages Cloudhouse operationally within an account?

Cloudhouse recommends the same team who manage the operations of native apps.

Applications running in Application Compatibility Packages can be deployed, and managed with same tools, or scripts used to deploy natively installed applications e.g. SCCM, InTune, LAN Desk. Please refer to Supported 3rd Party Products and Versions for details.

Support

How do we know which of our departments/ teams should support the Package?

The Cloudhouse Package does not include OS components, it only contains the packaged application plus Cloudhouse components. Cloudhouse recommend the same team that is responsible for supporting applications packaged with App-V, or delivered as natively installed applications, support Cloudhouse Application Compatibility Containers.

Documentation for Service Desk & Service Management

Full documentation is made available to Cloudhouse partners and customers as required.

Training

Cloudhouse offers a full packaging service that can scale to meet any requirement. In the event, however, that a partner wishes to offer application compatibility packaging as part of a wider solution, Cloudhouse will work with that partner. Please contact us here for details.

December 07, 2022 | CLOUDHOUSE | ESU | GUARDIAN

1. What is an ESU?

An ESU is an Extended Support Update for Microsoft applications and operating systems that have come to the end of their life. They ensure that your organisation’s systems are up to date, in the best health possible and can function with the highest level of security available, without purchasing and installing a new version.

ESUs can help your organisation’s systems run better, but they also come with some disadvantages:

– They can be extremely costly, in some cases up to 4x the amount of the operating system (if you want to read more about the expense, head to our CEO, Mat’s blog on ESUs).

– Purchasing an ESU does not guarantee any actual support from the Microsoft team, if you need any additional help, this is not covered in the cost.

Microsoft users are encouraged to purchase ESUs to keep their organisation’s systems secure. Although it may seem like it, ESUs aren’t your only option – you can migrate your applications to other supported platforms. This allows you to transfer your files across to a new system safely, while still keeping your business secure, and without the need for an ESU. Cloudhouse’s Alchemy can do this simply and easily for you.

2. Running applications in an old environment

Systems that are over a decade old are known as legacy systems, and running your business through these can be risky. If you continue to run applications in these old environments, you will be using outdated security systems, making your organisation more vulnerable to cyberattacks.

It is common for businesses to be aware of security patches, yet still, avoid switching to new systems as the process can seem daunting and complicated.

3. Is an ESU right for you?

Take a look at the applications/systems your organisation is currently running on and identify which of those need to be updated. Then, decide whether you still need them – you may find that some of them are no longer serving you.

Cloudhouse has lots of experience in managing end-of-life issues in organisational applications. We effectively transplant existing applications and outdated systems onto the latest Microsoft and Citrix platforms. So, for those applications that are vital to your business and need support – do you need an ESU or could you just as effectively transfer your systems over to another supported platform without the hefty fee?

4. How Cloudhouse can support you

When an ESU inevitability becomes outdated and you need to purchase a new one, you can find yourself stuck in a cycle of expensive updates. Cloudhouse offers two solutions that help you with your end-of-life needs, while avoiding the cost of multiple ESUs, by shifting your existing applications onto newer operating systems.

Guardian effectively monitors your systems, giving you visibility of what needs updating or removing. By implementing Guardian, you can continuously monitor your operating systems for outdated applications and security flaws before problems arise – keeping your organisation safe and compliant with ever-changing regulations. Additionally, Alchemy is an application compatibility service which takes applications from old environments and safely transfers them onto the latest platforms.

Cloudhouse fixes issues quickly and for good, minimising the risk of problems further down the line; cyberattacks, business disruption and reputational brand damage.

If you would like to know how Cloudhouse can assist you with your migrating needs, send us a message today.

To read more about ESUs, download our insightful white paper here.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Commercials

Licensing is offered on a per user basis for desktop applications and a per server basis for server applications. There are discounts available based on volumes.

Professional Services costs are dependent on the nature and complexity of the application. We quote a cost for packaging once we have been able to see the application, or portfolio of applications.

Packaging and Maintaining Applications

Who is responsible for packaging desktop and server applications?

Cloudhouse provide the Professional Services to package applications.

Operations

Who manages Cloudhouse operationally within an account?

Cloudhouse recommends the same team who manage the operations of native apps.

Support

How do we know which of our departments/ teams should support the Package?

Documentation for Service Desk & Service Management

Full documentation is made available to Cloudhouse partners and customers as required.

Training

November 30, 2022 | CLOUDHOUSE | GUARDIAN | RANSOMWARE

What is ransomware?

Ransomware is a type of malware that prevents your organisation from accessing its files and systems until a fee is paid. It is one of the most common forms of malware and if you don’t have the right cybersecurity in place, you are an easy target.

Cyber attacks can be destructive, affecting your business’ functionality and customers’ personal data while leaving your technology in a vulnerable position. This blog will outline some of the key steps to building your systems back up after a cyber attack, ensuring they are stronger and safer for the future.

Cloudhouse’s top 3 tips

1. Build your systems back up to a strong, protected state.
Firstly, look at the applications your organisation is currently running on – they might be legacy applications (these are applications that were created more than a decade ago). Older systems are at higher risk of malware attacks as they have more entry points for cyber attackers, making them an obvious target. So, if you spot any of these, we advise updating them to newer, more efficient versions – versions that are more in line with the latest Windows software. This can even easily be accomplished using Alchemy.
Although change can be daunting, it is important to update your applications as they are vital to your running day-to-day operations. Newer systems ultimately have better security features and are more resistant to cyber-attacks.

2. Back up your files.
This is as simple as it sounds; ensure all of your files and important information are stored on multiple drives. This will reduce the risk of malware reaching all of your information in one hit.
Keeping your files on multiple drives means that you always have a backup and if your organisation was ever subject to a ransomware attack again, you wouldn’t lose everything. However, if it was, you would be able to clear the system it is breaching and still keep all of your files safe in another location.

3. Continuously monitor for gaps in your technology.
Flaws in your systems allow easy entry for malware and cyber attackers. By continually monitoring your technology you will be able to mitigate or cease any problems before they arise by fixing those gaps. This will not only allow you to understand what the issues were when the ransomware attack occurred but avoid it from happening again.

What next?

All organisations need excellent cybersecurity to avoid attacks and protect their business functionality, brand reputation and customers. Cloudhouse Guardian allows you to monitor all of your applications in one place, spotting problems before they can be exploited.

Send us a message today to find out how Guardian can help protect your business.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Commercials

Licensing is offered on a per user basis for desktop applications and a per server basis for server applications. There are discounts available based on volumes.

Professional Services costs are dependent on the nature and complexity of the application. We quote a cost for packaging once we have been able to see the application, or portfolio of applications.

Packaging and Maintaining Applications

Who is responsible for packaging desktop and server applications?

Cloudhouse provide the Professional Services to package applications.

Operations

Who manages Cloudhouse operationally within an account?

Cloudhouse recommends the same team who manage the operations of native apps.

Support

How do we know which of our departments/ teams should support the Package?

Documentation for Service Desk & Service Management

Full documentation is made available to Cloudhouse partners and customers as required.

Training

November 23, 2022 | CLOUDHOUSE | GUARDIAN

What is Cloudhouse Guardian?

Cloudhouse Guardian manages your organisation’s internal security, configuration risks and technological changes.

Guardian scans your entire estate (servers, desktops, laptops, network infrastructure etc), and detects and tracks the configuration of each device or software to determine what is out of date/non-compliant. It uses that information and automatically updates the technology to its best practice.

The importance of protecting your technology

Protecting your technology is vital to avoiding many types of cyberattacks and security breaches, which could result in business interruption. This could not only have an effect on your day-to-day business operations but your customers too. If data breaches occur, private information could be leaked, allowing your customers to become targets of ransomware attacks and in turn causing reputational harm to your organisation.

How can Guardian protect you?

1. Guardian identifies gaps in your technology, spots security flaws early and detects misconfiguration.
Misconfigurations are a common way for attackers to access your devices – even though you may be unaware of any, ports left open on the internet are easy points of entry for attackers. Guardian detects these flaws before they can be exploited and automatically heightens your security by adjusting any out-of-date configurations to their optimal form, covering the gaps for potential security breaches.

2. Avoid configuration drift through continual monitoring of your estate.
Guardian doesn’t just detect issues but builds and maintains resistance in your technology. It compares the changes in your systems and environments over time and provides visibility and control of your configuration flaws. Guardian allows you to proactively act on misconfigurations and reduce the risk of cyberattacks.

3. Software auditing – ensure the right processes are being used, in the most effective and secure way.
Guardian validates all of your processes in one solution and alerts the correct parties if something goes wrong. This allows you to understand how well your current processes are or are not working and the necessary software/patches to install to improve them.

Guardian helps prevent exploitation of your technology, helping to avoid attacks against your business and customers.

To find out how Guardian can help you, drop us a message on our contact page.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Commercials

Licensing is offered on a per user basis for desktop applications and a per server basis for server applications. There are discounts available based on volumes.

Professional Services costs are dependent on the nature and complexity of the application. We quote a cost for packaging once we have been able to see the application, or portfolio of applications.

Packaging and Maintaining Applications

Who is responsible for packaging desktop and server applications?

Cloudhouse provide the Professional Services to package applications.

Operations

Who manages Cloudhouse operationally within an account?

Cloudhouse recommends the same team who manage the operations of native apps.

Support

How do we know which of our departments/ teams should support the Package?

Documentation for Service Desk & Service Management

Full documentation is made available to Cloudhouse partners and customers as required.

Training

Transformation is the trending buzzword in the IT space, but question marks remain around the visibility that professionals have over devices, systems and applications currently undergoing this process. This oversight is particularly crucial in the era of rapid change. The Covid-19 pandemic era for example presided over a drastic shift in working practices, bringing remote strategies to the fore, while consumption of products is moving into the digital space. Keeping tabs on all devices is pivotal to maintaining compliance, resilience and the ability to provide optimum customer service.

Considering cloud complexity

Cloud migration remains one of the biggest transformations currently in the IT industry. The global market value of the cloud computing industry is set to reach just shy of $600bn by 2023, as small and medium enterprises look to take advantage of big data, AI and machine learning. Now, using multiple cloud providers has increasingly become the standard, with many using a mix of both public and private clouds in a hybrid model. However, spreading out the IT estate can be problematic, with oversight of every element a complex and time-consuming undertaking.

With human resources busy enabling positive change in the business, technology needs to bring monitoring capabilities to these developments. Monitoring is essential to minimise disruption and ensure a seamless customer experience, while also enabling maintenance of regulatory standards and compliance. The risks posed by breach of regulatory compliance are significant and well documented, including hefty fines and reputational damage.

2021 data shows that data breach costs rose to an average total of $4.24 million, which was the highest ever on record. The report also discovered that costs were much higher for businesses that fell behind in areas such as security, AI, automation and cloud security. Alongside the financial damage, reputation can also take a hit, particularly for those in heavily regulated industries such as finance and healthcare where fines can be significant.

The complete toolkit for oversight

Maintaining jurisdiction and oversight over IT transformation is now critical for CTOs and CIOs. However, management across numerous devices can be a daunting and laborious task, especially with a matrix structure. How can they achieve the oversight needed with a modern IT suite?

Enter Cloudhouse Guardian. This solution provides a centralised view and unambiguous assessment of every element across a comprehensive IT suite. Any compliance and change management issues can be detected quickly, enabling quick fixes to be made. Omnipresence facilitates an effective level of oversight on the most complex transformation projects, while having data in one easy-to-access place also helps to bring disparate teams together.

Comparisons made between different environments across the estate help professionals gain clarification on where they are on their migration journey. Full visibility of tracking, testing and deployment of updates can enable potential issues to be identified before they arise. Compatibility across server, desktop and networks plus multiple vendors means the solution provides full peace of mind for those working with hybrid cloud systems.

Policy and permissions setting also provides another layer of protection for CTOs and CIOs. To help pre-empt compliance problems before they occur, policies can be selected from the Center for Internet Security’s 20 critical security controls, which cover the requirements of regulations such as PCI DSS and SOX. Automatic compliance is made possible with policies aligning to best practice configuration. Businesses can essentially set up an early warning system thanks to automated health checks, enabling misconfigurations to be caught before they are exploited.

Never missing a trick

IT transformation can include a minefield of different processes across a range of devices. Without technology-driven oversight, CTOs, CIOs and other professionals are left vulnerable to the potential of a regulatory or change management issue slipping by unnoticed. With Cloudhouse Guardian, professionals have a powerful solution that provides complete visibility of the most complex IT suites, enabling them to move forward with confidence when it comes to transformation projects.

Want to discuss more? Chat to a member of our team about Cloudhouse Guardian and your transformation project requirements

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Commercials

Licensing is offered on a per user basis for desktop applications and a per server basis for server applications. There are discounts available based on volumes.

Professional Services costs are dependent on the nature and complexity of the application. We quote a cost for packaging once we have been able to see the application, or portfolio of applications.

Packaging and Maintaining Applications

Who is responsible for packaging desktop and server applications?

Cloudhouse provide the Professional Services to package applications.

Operations

Who manages Cloudhouse operationally within an account?

Cloudhouse recommends the same team who manage the operations of native apps.

Support

How do we know which of our departments/ teams should support the Package?

Documentation for Service Desk & Service Management

Full documentation is made available to Cloudhouse partners and customers as required.

Training

May 04, 2022 | GUARDIAN | SOFTWARE | STAGING-ENVIRONMENTS

Staging environments are a vital element of software testing and deployment, the point at which code, updates and builds are integrated and tested against something as close to a production environment as possible. Ideally, they would be identical, but that’s typically not the case.

Get these steps right and you can have confidence that your software will work as expected when it is deployed. However, in reality there will always be some differences between the staging environments and the production environment. For example, a staging environment is often dependent on the infrastructure developers work with, and typically they will have full control here, whereas a production environment is ‘locked down’. This means that testing will not be 100% accurate.

These differences introduce a significant risk: however careful your testing, defects can be released into the production environment. Resulting in business, operational, and environmental issues. For example this can impact security, data integrity, reliability of services leading to a business impact on customer trust. Do you know and can you measure the differences across your staging environments?

Complete visibility

Getting a good understanding of these differences between the staging and production environments can help you to identify where defects could creep in. But finding these differences can be time-consuming and labour intensive to do.

Which is where Cloudhouse Guardian comes in. Guardian gives a surface view of what is the same and what is different across your staging and production environments, allowing you to check that everything is configured as you wanted. The simple user interface shows the differences and similarities between the two so you can quickly and easily compare them.

What’s more, if you are running regular or ongoing updates, Guardian also allows you to create policies to ensure your preferred configuration criteria are adhered to each time. These policies may be your own or for example as defined by the Center for Internet Security (CIS) allowing you to achieve best practice configuration.

This oversight from Guardian can give you confidence that you won’t be caught out by the unexpected. The insight ensures consistency and efficiency, reducing the risks associated with updates.

Find out more

To find out more about Guardian and how it can be used with staging environments, please contact us for a no obligation conversation.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Commercials

Licensing is offered on a per user basis for desktop applications and a per server basis for server applications. There are discounts available based on volumes.

Professional Services costs are dependent on the nature and complexity of the application. We quote a cost for packaging once we have been able to see the application, or portfolio of applications.

Packaging and Maintaining Applications

Who is responsible for packaging desktop and server applications?

Cloudhouse provide the Professional Services to package applications.

Operations

Who manages Cloudhouse operationally within an account?

Cloudhouse recommends the same team who manage the operations of native apps.

Support

How do we know which of our departments/ teams should support the Package?

Documentation for Service Desk & Service Management

Full documentation is made available to Cloudhouse partners and customers as required.

Training

A look into the life of a CTO

It’s a tough life being a chief technology officer (CTO). Many are balancing the joint tasks of maintaining the organisation’s overarching technology infrastructure at one end of the scale and enabling business innovation at the other. To add to the weight of responsibility, pressure is typically being applied by the chief executive officer (CEO) to focus on the innovation side, or more specifically, the blue-sky technology investments which make a tangible difference to operations.

However, this focus can leave critical background projects by the wayside and potentially lead to catastrophic consequences. An onion that is mouldy at its core will remain that way, no matter how many new layers are added over the top, and this is a reflection of how critical underlying systems are often viewed. Failing to deal with the core systems can lead to costly downtime due to breakage or being compromised, and in 2021, almost half (44%) of enterprises reported hourly downtime costs that exceed $1m on average.

Daily struggles

When budgets are allocated, it’s easy to place the background processes, such as the underlying servers or systems, to the bottom of the to-do list. Businesses can take their eye off the ball when a system is providing value, but without regular checks during this period to pre-empt any future issues, it’s going to be more complex to fix when something finally does go wrong. With technologists also typically keeping their focus pinned on the bigger picture, these tasks become bigger and ultimately end up postponed to tomorrow, next week, next year or even next decade.

CTOs are also having to evolve their role in the business. As more organisations undertake digital transformation strategies, they’re expected to take a greater leadership role within the business and suggest solutions that will make an immediate difference, along with being expected to know how technology affects the wider business and not just in isolation. CTOs are likely to take comfort from the fact that companies across the board are likely to have legacy technology in place, with a sense of a shared collective mindset developing from knowing that when things go wrong, it’ll be the same for others, but it’s not a way of thinking that they can affordably rely on.

Sweat the small stuff

CTOs need to pay as much attention to the seemingly smaller tasks as they do the big transformational changes, and this starts with having a rigorous diligent process by understanding where the business is today and looking in-depth for any weak spots. Guardian enables oversight of the whole IT suite, and allows you to identify and track changes against a set of policies that are defined against Center for Internet Security (CIS) guidelines, flagging any deviances for rectification. CTOs are then able to pursue a continuous improvement strategy by achieving best practice configuration.

For critical legacy applications that need to make the successful move to a newer operating system version and continue to provide value, Alchemy: Cloudhouse Application Compatibility Packaging can allow for them to be transplanted to an on-premise, hybrid or cloud system without the need for any code modifications.

A continuous cycle

Making a critical fix to an element of the IT suite isn’t a one-time job. Considering a project complete when applications, servers or systems are brought up-to-date means that businesses will typically find themselves in the same boat a few years down the line. It’s vital for CTOs to take a holistic approach and adopt a range of tools and solutions to ensure that continuous maintenance and evolution happen. The key is to move away from the mindset of chasing the next big thing and instead adopt an ongoing innovation and reinvestment cycle in the business. This evergreen approach allows them to balance new and exciting developments with keeping the train on the tracks.

Balance your responsibilities better with Guardian and Alchemy. Get in touch with us today to learn more.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Commercials

Licensing is offered on a per user basis for desktop applications and a per server basis for server applications. There are discounts available based on volumes.

Professional Services costs are dependent on the nature and complexity of the application. We quote a cost for packaging once we have been able to see the application, or portfolio of applications.

Packaging and Maintaining Applications

Who is responsible for packaging desktop and server applications?

Cloudhouse provide the Professional Services to package applications.

Operations

Who manages Cloudhouse operationally within an account?

Cloudhouse recommends the same team who manage the operations of native apps.

Support

How do we know which of our departments/ teams should support the Package?

Documentation for Service Desk & Service Management

Full documentation is made available to Cloudhouse partners and customers as required.

Training

March 24, 2022 | CLOUDHOUSE | COMPANY-NEWS

Before the pandemic, we held regular Cloudhouse ‘Wonder Wednesdays’, where we took a half day for an activity or experience and a social event. Our Office Assistant, Adrianna, scouts the best options before putting them to the team for a vote.

Some of the activities require working collaboratively, some pitch teams against each other, and some are purely for fun! They are a great way to let off some steam and spend time together away from our desks.

Favourite activities so far have included archery tag, cracking the Crystal Maze, an adrenaline filled speed boat ride up the Thames, and racing at Thruxton:

Lining up for Archery Tag

Victorious in the Crystal Maze dome!

Amazing views from the speed boat

A quick pit-stop at Thruxton

We also had a party on a boat on the Thames, an amazing way to experience London from a different point of view, reminding us how lucky we are to work in such an amazing city:

Party on water!

After a long pause due to coronavirus restriction, it was great to be able to finally be able to get back out last month for a game of Monopoly Lifesized! Played on a 15mx15m board, we had great fun solving challenges and competing against the clock:

Monopoly with a difference

We’re always on the lookout for new experiences to try in and around London, so if you have any recommendations, let us know!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Commercials

Licensing is offered on a per user basis for desktop applications and a per server basis for server applications. There are discounts available based on volumes.

Professional Services costs are dependent on the nature and complexity of the application. We quote a cost for packaging once we have been able to see the application, or portfolio of applications.

Packaging and Maintaining Applications

Who is responsible for packaging desktop and server applications?

Cloudhouse provide the Professional Services to package applications.

Operations

Who manages Cloudhouse operationally within an account?

Cloudhouse recommends the same team who manage the operations of native apps.

Support

How do we know which of our departments/ teams should support the Package?

Documentation for Service Desk & Service Management

Full documentation is made available to Cloudhouse partners and customers as required.

Training

March 23, 2022 | CHANGE-MANAGEMENT | GUARDIAN | TROUBLE-SHOOTING

When IT issues arise, the first question we usually ask is “What changed?”. But this is often not a simple question to answer. Modern IT solutions rely on many different layers (from servers to operating systems, containers to microservices, cloud providers to external SAAS solutions and so on) and changes in any one of these can lead to changes in behaviour – and, potentially, cause issues.

Working back to find the source of the problem can feel like looking for a needle in a haystack. You may need to pull together representatives from multiple teams – app support, development, server admins, network admins, firewall admins etc – to look for clues and try to figure out the root cause. It’s labour intensive and time consuming.

Sadly, this is an all-too-familiar scene for those working to support critical business services.

This is where Cloudhouse Guardian comes in. Guardian dramatically simplifies the process by seamlessly collecting configuration data from ALL classes of IT assets. The data are presented in a single view so you can quickly and easily highlight changes and work out which is causing the issue.
You can make comparisons such as:

What has changed on this server since yesterday?
How does it compare to last month?
How do my two web servers compare – are there any difference?
Are the cluster nodes identical?

Guardian makes this detective process quick and easy, freeing up valuable time and helping you to find a solution FAST.

And it’s not limited to servers: Guardian tracks hundreds of types of configurations, and can track changes in assets including:

Server hardware
OS Configuration
Installed packages
Service state
Application versions
Hotfixes
Database structure
Network Device configuration
Firewall Rules
AWS security Group Configuration

You can see a full list of the devices that Guardian supports here: Guardian Supported Devices

Imagine being able to collect and compare configuration data across your estate in one place. A clear view of your IT assets ready when you need it most.

If you would like to find out more about Guardian and how it could work for you, contact us for a no obligation conversation.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Commercials

Licensing is offered on a per user basis for desktop applications and a per server basis for server applications. There are discounts available based on volumes.

Professional Services costs are dependent on the nature and complexity of the application. We quote a cost for packaging once we have been able to see the application, or portfolio of applications.

Packaging and Maintaining Applications

Who is responsible for packaging desktop and server applications?

Cloudhouse provide the Professional Services to package applications.

Operations

Who manages Cloudhouse operationally within an account?

Cloudhouse recommends the same team who manage the operations of native apps.

Support

How do we know which of our departments/ teams should support the Package?

Documentation for Service Desk & Service Management

Full documentation is made available to Cloudhouse partners and customers as required.

Training

What is Cloudhouse Guardian?

Cloudhouse Guardian, previously known as UpGuard Core, provides visibility into the configuration of your IT infrastructure, and enables you to validate that configuration against your own standards and policies. Guardian scans your entire estate – servers, desktops, laptops, boundary devices, network infrastructure, storage and cloud platforms – and detects and tracks the configuration of each component.

Guardian can monitor configuration on Windows, Linux and most other types of Unix, servers, desktops and laptops, firewalls, routers, switches, and many SAAS solutions. It can also monitor anything else where you can access the configuration via a script or API call.

Cloudhouse Guardian supports the Cloud

Guardian provides a single pane of glass through which you can see accurate configuration data across the whole of IT, including the Cloud. It collects detailed configuration details and compares this to your policies, identifying when systems are out of compliance with then. With this valuable insight, you can get better control of your Change Management processes, avoiding misconfiguration, identifying configuration drift, measuring compliance with standards and so on.

Discover the AWS monitoring features built into Guardian

This post walks you through how to use the AWS monitoring features. Before you get started, please note that we do not recommend switching on everything immediately – you might want to talk with your Cloudhouse Account team to get recommendations on the best way to maximise value from your Guardian license and to prioritise nodes which will give you best insights.

Getting started

Once you have identified your priority nodes, navigate to the Add a Node feature at the top right of the screen, as shown here (if you don’t see this option, please get in touch with your Guardian Admin):

This takes you to a selector page where you can add the nodes you are most interested in. There are many, many to choose from (Windows, Linux, AIX, Solaris, Network, Websites, Hypervisors, Custom scripts, and so on) but today we are interested in the AWS option on the left hand side:

Select this and provide details about the AWS instance you want to monitor and how to access it. You can also select what types of data you want to collect. Guardian supports 17 different types of Node from AWS including:

Guardian supports 17 different types of node

For each node type Guardian will poll the AWS API and extract the configuration data. This data is then presented in the Guardian User Interface alongside all your other node types. Be aware that each node will use a Guardian license so you should prioritise those which will give you best value:

For example, an IAM node will capture details about how your AWS users are configured. The allows you to check against policies for multi-factor authentication (MFA), password details, root access and so on, which will help you ensure that all your AWS instances are configured in line with best practice. When you have all this new data, Guardian can validate that against a target configuration using Policies:

EC2 Instance nodes will capture details about how this node is configured. Note that this is different to the data collected when monitoring the Operating System inside the instance. In an EC2 Instance node, you will see details about instance type, availability zone, device configuration, security groups etc.

S3 nodes will capture details about public visibility, encryption and so on. This data is invaluable to identify potential misconfigurations, which in turn can lead to one of the internet’s infamous mechanisms for leaking sensitive data.

Valuable configuration data

All 17 of the incremental node types introduce valuable configuration data into Guardian – and all of this works in just the same way as the other configuration data. You can see all configuration in a single place, compare changes over time, identify deviations from policy, compare between nodes and so on, meaning you are in complete control.

Common use cases might include:

Detecting unencrypted S3 buckets to control risk of data leaks
Validating that all temp servers are configured to AutoShutdown
Saving usage charges
Controlling Security Group permissions to detect permission creep
The list goes on!

Visibility and integrity validation

AWS and other Cloud providers have changed the way IT works in business, and Guardian offers you a simple and consistent way to get visibility and integrity validation across both your Cloud and on-premises IT assets.

If you would like to discuss how this can help you, contact your Account Manager or say hello on our contact page

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Commercials