PTP | Cloud Experts | Biotech Enablers

The Impact of AWS Lambda’s End of Support for Older Python and Node.js Runtimes: Why Migrating is Critical for Your Cloud Strategy

Mai Hiraoka — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 03:30:06 +0000

PTP Solves: Migrating AWS Lambda Runtimes for Secure, Compliant Biotech Applications

As biotech and pharmaceutical research organizations increasingly adopt cloud-based solutions to accelerate data processing and analysis, the tools that support these workflows must evolve to meet growing demands for performance, security, and scalability. For many businesses relying on AWS Lambda to run lightweight, event-driven applications, these changes can have a significant impact on operations. In particular, AWS regularly announces the end of support for older Python and Node.js runtimes, which means companies need to be aware of deprecations and have a plan of action.

In this post, we’ll explore the key reasons why migrating away from these outdated Lambda runtimes is crucial and how you can smoothly transition to newer, supported versions to ensure your serverless applications remain reliable, secure, and performant.

What Does AWS Lambda’s End of Support for Older Runtimes Mean?

AWS Lambda allows code to run without the need for provisioning or managing servers, supporting multiple programming languages, including Python, Node.js, Java, and more. Each of these languages has an associated runtime, which includes the programming language and the associated libraries and dependencies Lambda requires to execute the code. However, like any technology, languages evolve, and older versions eventually reach their end of life.

AWS has announced that it will stop supporting several older versions of Python and Node.js in Lambda. This means that Lambda functions running on these runtimes will no longer receive security patches, performance updates, or bug fixes, potentially leaving serverless workloads vulnerable or less efficient.

Key Risks of Using Outdated Runtime

1. Security Vulnerabilities

In the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, data security and patient confidentiality are of utmost importance. Once a runtime is deprecated, it no longer receives critical security updates. Research organizations processing sensitive data—whether related to clinical trials, genetic research, or drug discovery—may expose themselves to data breaches and compliance issues by continuing to rely on deprecated runtimes. Security vulnerabilities can lead to unauthorized access, data loss, or damage to research integrity.

2. Decreased Performance and Efficiency

In research environments where large datasets are analyzed and processed frequently, performance is critical. Older runtimes are not optimized for the latest AWS infrastructure, which can result in inefficient execution of Lambda functions. Biotech and pharma organizations that rely on Lambda for time-sensitive applications—such as real-time analytics, data pipelines, or simulations—may experience delays and increased compute costs if their functions are running on outdated runtimes. Migrating to a newer runtime ensures that Lambda functions run with the latest performance improvements, enabling faster processing and more efficient use of cloud resources.

3. Compatibility Issues with New Technologies

The pharmaceutical and biotech sectors often leverage cutting-edge technologies like machine learning, artificial intelligence, and high-performance computing. As new AWS features are released, older runtimes are not updated and, therefore, may not be compatible. This could limit the ability to integrate Lambda functions with emerging technologies and best practices. Updating runtimes ensures seamless integration with new AWS services, providing better support for complex research workflows and data pipelines.

4. Increased Operational Complexity

Biotech and pharmaceutical research organizations must comply with strict regulatory standards, such as 21 CFR Part 11, HIPAA, and GDPR. Operating Lambda functions on unsupported runtimes can create additional complexity, as troubleshooting and patching vulnerabilities will no longer be managed by AWS. Additionally, after a time specified by AWS, organizations will not be able to update or maintain the code in Lambda functions with very out-of-date runtimes. This greatly increases the likelihood of errors, downtime, and regulatory compliance risks. Migrating to a supported runtime simplifies operations and ensures that Lambda functions remain secure and compliant.

Benefits of Migrating to Supported Runtimes

1. Access to New Language Features and Enhanced Security

Migrating to newer Python and Node.js versions unlocks access to new language features and improvements that can be critical for modern research workflows. Newer releases of Python, for example, have offered improved support for asynchronous programming, which is essential for efficiently processing large amounts of data. Node.js has introduced new features like optional chaining and nullish coalescing in their updates, which enhance the ability to handle complex logic in research applications. Moreover, these newer versions receive regular security patches, which ensures that sensitive research data remains secure.

2. Improved Integration with AWS Services

AWS Lambda functions often serve as a core component of larger research systems that integrate with other AWS services like Amazon S3, DynamoDB, AWS Batch, Sagemaker, HealthOmics, and HealthLake. Newer runtimes are better optimized for these integrations, making it easier to build efficient, scalable research workflows. For example, AWS Step Functions, which is used to coordinate Lambda functions and other AWS services, works more effectively with the latest runtimes, enabling the creation of robust, automated research pipelines.

3. Better Compliance and Regulatory Alignment

In highly regulated industries like pharmaceuticals, maintaining compliance with industry regulations is crucial. Using outdated runtimes can create security and data integrity gaps that may violate compliance requirements. Newer runtimes are supported by AWS’s security framework, ensuring that Lambda functions remain in line with industry regulations and standards, reducing the risk of non-compliance during audits or inspections.

4. Enhanced Performance and Cost Efficiency

In the research space, optimizing the performance of Lambda functions can lead to research acceleration. Newer runtimes are more efficient in terms of execution speed and resource utilization. For example, functions running on these updated runtimes are able to process data faster, which reduces compute costs and time. In biotech and pharmaceutical research, where large volumes of data are processed regularly, these savings can quickly add up.

How to Migrate to Newer Runtimes

1. Evaluate Current Lambda Functions

The first step in migrating is identifying which Lambda functions are still running on outdated runtimes. This can be done by reviewing the AWS Lambda console and checking the runtime settings for each function.

2. Update Code for Compatibility

After identifying the functions to update, assess the codebase for compatibility with the newer runtime versions. This might involve:

Updating dependencies to newer versions that are compatible with the most current Python or Node.js version
Refactoring code to take advantage of new language features
Testing the updated functions to ensure they perform as expected in the new runtime environment

3. Test, Deploy, and Monitor

Testing is crucial to ensure that Lambda functions work correctly after migration. Biotech and pharmaceutical companies can use AWS CloudWatch for logging and monitoring to track the performance of the updated functions. Once testing is complete, the updated functions can be deployed into production.

4. Optimize and Scale

After migrating, organizations should monitor the performance of Lambda functions and look for opportunities to optimize. AWS CloudWatch metrics and AWS X-Ray can help track function execution times, resource usage, and error rates, ensuring the system runs smoothly as research needs scale.

Benefits of Well-Architected Framework Review

A Well-Architected Framework Review (WAFR) is a valuable process for identifying issues that may exist in an AWS Lambda environment. By conducting a review, organizations can assess their cloud infrastructure against AWS’s best practices across five key pillars: operational excellence, security, reliability, performance efficiency, and cost optimization. As part of this review, an evaluation of the Lambda functions is performed, ensuring Lambda functions are operating within a VPC, using encrypted environmental variables, and following the principle of least privilege. This proactive assessment helps pinpoint areas that may be a security risk or cost liability. A Well-Architected Review also offers recommendations on how to neutralize these issues, ensuring the organization’s environment is aligned with the latest AWS standards and best practices. For more information about conducting a Well-Architected Framework Review with PTP, including options to fully fund the project, fill out the form at the bottom of this page or contact info@ptp.cloud.

Conclusion

The end of support for older Python and Node.js runtimes in AWS Lambda presents a significant challenge for biotech and pharmaceutical research organizations relying on Lambda to power their critical applications. However, migrating to newer runtimes is essential for maintaining security, performance, and regulatory compliance. By updating to supported runtimes, research organizations can improve the efficiency and scalability of their workflows, ensure better data protection, and reduce operational complexities.

Taking proactive steps to migrate to the latest supported versions will ensure that Lambda functions remain secure, cost-effective, and capable of supporting the next generation of scientific breakthroughs.

Request your complimentary WAR today!

The post The Impact of AWS Lambda’s End of Support for Older Python and Node.js Runtimes: Why Migrating is Critical for Your Cloud Strategy appeared first on PTP | Cloud Experts | Biotech Enablers.

PTP Streamlines AWS Well Architected Framework Reviews with MontyCloud

Gary Derheim — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 16:19:59 +0000

PTP is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with MontyCloud as a foundation for its Amazon Web Services (AWS) Well Architected Framework Review and Cloud Operations practices through the MontyCloud Platform. By combining PTP’s AWS Well Architected proficiency with MontyCloud’s automation capabilities, the collaboration aims to accelerate time-to-value for PTP’s customers. MontyCloud, an AWS Cloud Operations, AWS Built-In, and Well-Architected partner, offers an autonomous CloudOps platform that simplifies and accelerates the adoption of AWS.

While analyzing customer environments across the Well Architected pillars has been effective, PTP seeks to improve data presentation to customers in addition to delivering the seamless creation of project items for remediation. Through the partnership with MontyCloud, PTP is augmenting its Well-Architected practice through:

Enhanced Visibility: MontyCloud provides comprehensive reports on an environment’s compliance with Well-Architected standards, empowering organizations to make data-driven decisions for continuous improvement.
Prioritization and Remediation: Prioritize WAFR findings based on their impact and remediate immediately using out-of-the-box automation
Automated Routine Tasks: MontyCloud automates various WAFR best practices, allowing teams to focus on more strategic, high-value initiatives.

PTP Well Architected Reviews Are Available on the AWS Marketplace!

“By leveraging MontyCloud’s platform we have a method of automating the provisioning of customer environments along with ensuring deployment reliability. We can deliver services to our clients that allow IT to provide biotechnology scientists and researchers a way to deploy AWS resources so they can complete their critical work, but in a controlled and managed environment.”

Ethan Simmons

CEO, PTP

“MontyCloud is thrilled to be partnering with PTP. Their expertise and innovation in biotechnology solutions on AWS paired with MontyCloud’s automation means that customers can bring life-saving treatments to market even faster.”

Alana Fitts

Director of Alliances, MontyCloud

About PTP

Headquartered in Boston, PTP (Pinnacle Technology Partners, Inc.) delivers specialized cloud consulting, cybersecurity services, FinOps optimization, and managed IT solutions designed to meet the complex needs of life sciences, biotech, and healthcare organizations. As an AWS Advanced Tier Services Partner with Life Sciences Competency, PTP provides end-to-end solutions including AWS cloud migration, Well-Architected Reviews, managed security services, and cloud cost optimization strategies. Through its PeakPlus™ managed services platform and deep domain expertise, PTP empowers innovators to accelerate discovery, maintain regulatory compliance, and drive operational efficiency — all while protecting critical data assets.

For more information, visit https://ptp.cloud.

Media Contact:

Gary Derheim
VP, Marketing & Business Development
marketing@ptp.cloud

About MontyCloud

MontyCloud Inc. was founded with the fundamental principle of transforming teams into cloud powerhouses. The MontyCloud DAY2 platform is a no-code cloud management solution that simplifies CloudOps, without having to add additional IT resources. With MontyCloud DAY2, IT teams can enable self-service consumption, standardize deployments, optimize cloud costs, deliver granular governance, reduce security & compliance issues, and automate incident management.

The post PTP Streamlines AWS Well Architected Framework Reviews with MontyCloud appeared first on PTP | Cloud Experts | Biotech Enablers.

PTP Enhances Cloud Governance with Spot by NetApp and CloudCheckr

Mai Hiraoka — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 08:06:43 +0000

PTP’s Strategic Partnership with Spot by NetApp and CloudCheckr

At the recent AWS Savings in the Cloud event, Ethan Simmons, CEO of Pinnacle Technology Partners (PTP), sat down with John Furrier to discuss PTP’s longstanding relationship with Spot by NetApp. This partnership has been instrumental in optimizing cloud costs and managing AWS environments for PTP’s clients, particularly in the life sciences sector.

Cost Optimization and Management

PTP has leveraged CloudCheckr, now part of NetApp, extensively since 2016. This tool is crucial for cost optimization, compliance, and security management. PTP uses it not only for monitoring customer environments but also as a billing platform for AWS resales. CloudCheckr’s integration with Spot by NetApp provides automated, AI-driven cost optimization, making real-time adjustments that would be impossible to manage manually.

The Value of Automation in Cloud Management

Spot by NetApp brings significant value to PTP’s offerings by automating resource management and cost optimization. This automation reduces the need for manual intervention, allowing customers to focus on their core business activities rather than cloud infrastructure management. With the rise of AI and the increasing complexity of cloud environments, automated tools like Spot and CloudCheckr are essential for maintaining efficiency and controlling costs.

Customer Engagement and Benefits

PTP’s approach has shifted from merely advising on cost optimization to actively engaging with clients to implement these strategies. This proactive engagement has led to substantial savings for clients, freeing up resources for other critical projects. By using tools like Spot and CloudCheckr, PTP ensures that clients can maximize their AWS investments while maintaining compliance and security.

Future of Cloud Governance

Looking ahead, PTP continues to focus on integrating advanced tools and methodologies to enhance cloud governance. The combination of Spot and CloudCheckr under the NetApp umbrella provides a unified platform for managing costs, optimizing resources, and ensuring compliance. This integration simplifies cloud management for clients and supports PTP’s mission to accelerate research and development in the life sciences sector.

For more insights, read the full article on SiliconANGLE and follow theCUBE’s coverage of the AWS Savings in the Cloud event.

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Cloud Cost Optimization Report – PeakPlus CONTROL Services

Gary Derheim — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 20:41:01 +0000

PTP’s cloud cost optimization services aim to identify opportunities for savings for our customers in AWS. We leverage our comprehensive platform of tools from CloudCheckr, Spot, nOps and OpsRamp to deliver our cloud services and extract critical data and present in a usable and actionable format. Our team of cloud architects and engineers review the critical data points, make recommendations and set plans for issue remediation and cost savings realization. Core elements of the PTP offer and service pricing are all laid out HERE on the PTP.cloud website.

Below is a sample of the reporting our team provides. You’ll see point-in-time data, trending data, detailed data and comparative data to show our customers where they stack up versus the overall PTP customer base. The typical result is over 25% in cost savings versus on-demand pricing.

Want to see it for yourself? Click HERE for a free Cloud Assessment!

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CloudOps Podcast with Myer Media: Focus on the Data and not the Process

Gary Derheim — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 15:19:07 +0000

In the biotech and life sciences sectors, data processing speed can make or break research timelines. That’s where high-performance computing (HPC) comes in—enabling organizations to accelerate scientific discovery through scalable compute clusters and automated pipelines. In a recent podcast hosted by Jon Myer, PTP’s CloudOps Lead Architect Micah Frederick shared how PTP helps clients harness cloud-based HPC for faster, more secure outcomes with managed IT services for life sciences.

Watch the full video on YouTube

What Is High-Performance Clustering?

High-performance clustering refers to running complex workflows across many compute nodes simultaneously. This is especially useful in genomics, bioinformatics, and regulated research where processing pipelines can span days—or even weeks—without parallelization.

PTP’s CloudOps team builds, deploys, and automates these clusters using AWS EC2, Amazon S3, and tools like Nextflow—helping researchers reduce processing time from days to hours.

Bridging the Academic-to-Industry HPC Gap

Many researchers are used to academic HPC clusters but struggle to replicate those resources in commercial life sciences settings. PTP bridges that gap by architecting cloud-ready HPC environments for biotech startups and research organizations—ensuring speed, flexibility, and compliance.

Automation for Scientific Workflows

Automation is key to making HPC scalable and sustainable. PTP enables automated cluster spin-up and shutdown, dynamic parallelization, and cost controls that reduce waste and accelerate results. This strategy supports faster research pipelines without overburdening IT teams.

Reducing HPC Costs Without Performance Trade-offs

Run large clusters for short durations
Use AWS spot instances to reduce hourly rates
Automate shutdowns post-execution to eliminate idle time

These practices give life sciences teams the ability to scale for peak workloads—then scale down cost-efficiently.

Secure Infrastructure for Regulated Environments

For organizations operating under HIPAA, GxP, or similar frameworks, security is non-negotiable. PTP implements encryption, access control, and ephemeral environments to isolate sensitive data and reduce exposure.

Enabling Self-Sufficient Research Teams

PTP doesn’t just deliver managed services—it educates clients and empowers their teams. From pipeline architecture to optimization strategies, PTP ensures researchers and data engineers can operate with speed, security, and confidence.

A Look Ahead

As life sciences research evolves, PTP continues to refine its HPC services to support emerging use cases like protein modeling, multi-omics analysis, and machine learning integration. Whether you're migrating workloads or building new cloud-native pipelines, PTP is your partner for scientific computing success.

🔎 Transcript Highlights: High-Performance Clustering with PTP

00:00 – Host Jon Myer welcomes Micah Frederick from PTP

02:59 – What is HPC? How PTP bridges gaps for life sciences teams

05:18 – When biotech teams need pipeline optimization

07:15 – Migrating from academic clusters to AWS infrastructure

11:18 – Automating Nextflow pipelines for scientific research

16:00 – Cost control via automation and ephemeral compute

21:18 – Leveraging AWS spot instances to optimize spend

27:58 – Using AWS Storage Gateway for lab data ingestion

34:11 – Self-service workflows with GitHub and CodeCommit

37:32 – How PTP enforces secure, zero-persistence compute

42:58 – Final thoughts: accelerating secure research with HPC

Connect with PTP

If you’re interested in learning more about PTP’s approach to high-performance clustering and automation, be sure to connect with them. Their expertise can help you navigate the complexities of HPC and achieve your business objectives with confidence.

👉 Request your Free Cloud Assessmentor explore👉 PTP's AWS Marketplace Offers

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Cloud Management 303 Training – Unlocking Underused AWS Optimization Tools

Gary Derheim — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 22:58:46 +0000

Too many organizations pay for AWS features they’re not fully using. That’s why PTP and CloudCheckr teamed up for a 1.5-hour on-demand Cloud Management 303 training session. Designed for engineers, FinOps pros, and cloud architects, this session dives deep into the underutilized features that drive cost savings, automation, and better decision-making.

Led by Jarrett Plante, Technical Account Manager at CloudCheckr, and Hong Pun, Cloud Architect at PTP, the session breaks down practical ways to get more from your cloud environment using automation, reporting, tagging, and rightsizing strategies.

Watch the full video on YouTube

What You’ll Learn in Cloud Management 303

This isn’t another cloud 101. It’s a hands-on workshop packed with real-life client scenarios, walkthroughs, and expert commentary. Here’s what’s covered:

🔍 Customized & Automated Best Practice Checks

Learn how to configure and automate your best practice checks in CloudCheckr to proactively surface issues and improve cloud security and governance.

💸 Cost Savings & “Low Hanging Fruit”

Get step-by-step guidance on finding unused resources, stopping zombie assets, and identifying immediate cost-saving opportunities in AWS.

📊 Advanced Grouping & Reporting

Discover how to use saved filters, scheduled emails, and Advanced Grouping to track spend across business units, cost centers, or custom tags.

🏷️ Tag Mapping & Custom Dashboards

Explore how tagging unlocks powerful reporting. Learn to map custom tags in AWS to dashboards and Advanced Grouping views that give executives, team leads, and FinOps analysts actionable insights.

📈 Resource Utilization Confidence & RI Management

Learn how to evaluate Reserved Instance (RI) utilization and avoid misallocation. The training walks through confidence scores that help you determine how aggressive or conservative your commitment strategy should be.

⚙️ Cloud Environment Health Monitoring

Understand how to use CloudCheckr to monitor the state of your cloud environment, create alerts, and automate actions when something doesn’t align with best practices.

Why This Training Matters

During the session, Hong and Jarrett emphasize that many companies only use 10–20% of what’s available in cloud management platforms. That means missed savings, security blind spots, and reactive decisions. This training helps bridge that gap by:

Empowering cloud engineers to automate more tasks
Helping FinOps teams make confident financial decisions
Providing security and compliance visibility across the environment
Reducing manual effort with smart filters, reports, and alerts

“If you haven’t spent time customizing CloudCheckr for your environment, you’re not getting the full benefit.” — Jarrett Plante

🔎 Transcript Highlights: Cloud Management 303 Training

00:00 – Introduction from PTP and CloudCheckr teams

01:06 – Overview of CloudCheckr’s capabilities and session goals

04:03 – Automation of best practice checks

06:14 – Cost savings reports and unused resources

09:20 – Advanced grouping for granular cost analysis

15:04 – Rightsizing recommendations and utilization scoring

27:02 – Tag mapping to unify fragmented environments

37:05 – Creating cost dashboards and reporting by tags

45:10 – Budget alerts, thresholds, and email automation

51:43 – Real-world strategies for improving tagging hygiene

Maximize Your AWS Investment
Get a personalized walkthrough of your AWS environment with expert insights on cost savings, optimization, and governance.

👉 Request your Free Cloud Assessmentor explore👉 PTP's AWS Marketplace Offers

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How PTP Leveraged OpsRamp to Transform IT Operations and Drive Growth

Mai Hiraoka — Tue, 21 Jun 2022 06:42:42 +0000

How PTP Leveraged OpsRamp to Transform IT Operations and Drive Growth

PTP faced challenges managing diverse client environments and delivering efficient IT operations. By adopting OpsRamp’s AIOps platform, PTP streamlined monitoring, reduced alert noise, and scaled its managed services, enabling rapid growth and exceptional customer outcomes.

The Challenge

As clients increasingly spun up workloads and resources in both the cloud and on-premises, PTP faced significant challenges in maintaining visibility and control across customer environments:

Lack of Visibility
PTP needed a unified view of customer infrastructures to monitor performance and detect changes across diverse environments.

Incident Response
Efficiently identifying and responding to incidents quickly and accurately was critical to maintaining high service levels.

Operational Efficiency
PTP required tools to manage infrastructure effectively, optimize support processes, and deliver consistent value to its customers.

“PTP wanted to enhance efficiencies and needed a single solution that could manage and monitor its diverse network and data center equipment, on-prem and in the cloud, architected effectively for multi-tenancy and customizable by the client, location, and device.”

Gary Derheim

Vice President, Marketing and Business Development, PTP

The Solution

To address these challenges, PTP selected the OpsRamp platform to replace their legacy IT Operations Management (ITOM) solution. For the past eight years, OpsRamp has enabled PTP to transform its service delivery through modern ITOM capabilities and AIOps-driven automation. Key solution components included:

Unified Monitoring and Management
OpsRamp provided PTP with holistic monitoring of on-premises network and data center infrastructures, cloud resources, and virtual firewalls.

The platform’s multi-tenancy feature allowed PTP to deliver customized monitoring and management for each client.

AIOps for Incident Management
Leveraged intelligent automation to consolidate alerts and reduce noise, enabling the team to focus on actionable incidents.

Reduced mean time to repair (MTTR) and scaled support capabilities more effectively.

Customizable Dashboards and Templates
Created a “single pane of glass” view to manage client environments as an extension of their IT teams.

Custom monitoring templates and automated reporting provided consistent, accurate insights.

“With a platform like OpsRamp, it’s allowed us to create that single pane of glass, have visibility across all of our customers’ infrastructures from a tenancy perspective and really be able to customize and manage them as if [PTP] were an extension of their team.”

Rick Pitcairn

Vice President, Managed Services, PTP

“Rick and I had experience with enterprise class tools like Spectrum from CA as well as lower-level monitoring tools. Our goal was enterprise-class capabilities delivered in a SaaS model where we could focus on our clients.”

Gary Derheim

Vice President, Marketing and Business Development, PTP

The Outcome

By partnering with OpsRamp, PTP achieved significant operational improvements and delivered exceptional value to its customers:

Improved Operational Efficiency
Automated high-volume IT operations through intelligent alert correlation, reducing noise and allowing the team to focus on actionable incidents.

Enhanced Scalability
Supported rapid business growth by leveraging multi-tenancy and customizable monitoring templates to manage diverse client environments efficiently.

Faster Incident Response
Reduced mean time to repair (MTTR), ensuring faster resolution of critical issues and maintaining high service levels.

Accurate and Consistent Reporting
Delivered automated, reliable insights that improved transparency and decision-making.

Secure, Auditable Access
Provided secure and transparent access to client environments, strengthening trust and accountability.

These outcomes enabled PTP to scale its managed services while delivering differentiated, highly valued support to its clients. With OpsRamp, PTP continues to focus on resolving critical issues, driving customer success, and preparing for ongoing growth.

Ready to transform your IT operations and scale your services?

OpsRamp continues to help PTP scale its managed services by automating routine IT operations, allowing their team to focus on improving customer outcomes and preparing for future challenges. With a strong foundation in OpsRamp’s capabilities, PTP is positioned for sustained growth and success.

Schedule a call

Maximize efficiency and scale your IT operations with PTP and OpsRamp.

Contact us today to transform your managed services and drive growth!

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Accelerating IT with AIOps

Gary Derheim — Tue, 14 Jun 2022 17:09:26 +0000

OpsRamp, a leader in Digital IT Operations Management, profiled PTP in an edition of their Transformational Tales to share how the platform and its AIOps capabilities allow PTP to deliver value to its customers. OpsRamp invited Rick Pitcairn, VP of Managed Services and Gary Derheim, VP of Marketing and Business Development to share their experience and insight from a combined 30+ years in Managed Services. In addition to sharing a bit about PTP’s business, Rick and Gary discussed what led PTP to modernize it’s IT Operations Management platform, PTP’s key solution requirements, how PTP is enabling its customers with IT transformation, and advice for other service providers.

More about AIOPs and Managed Services from PTP!

PTP’s PeakPlus Managed Services have been developed to augment the network, cloud, datacenter, and security engineering resources of our customers and to provide management, monitoring and maintenance deliverables with Service Level Agreements (SLAs) by our team of highly-experienced and certified engineers. We are a Cisco Cloud and Managed Services and AWS Life Sciences Competency audited and accredited services team providing services based on the ITIL v4 service framework and doing so with an exceptionally high Net Promoter Score with the mission to improve service levels and reduce risk.

The PeakPlus Managed Services Platform
Our team has assembled a platform of tools enable our customer’s investment in information technology infrastructure, both on-prem and in the cloud. Our team of seasoned Managed Services experts have tuned these tools to deliver the information necessary to operate their environments through dashboards and both detailed and executive reporting. We are transparent and provide full access to customers who wish to work in the tools. Our platform includes OpsRamp for IT Operations Management (ITOM), Cherwell for IT Service Management (ITSM), CloudCheckr for Cloud Optimziation and Management, the PeakPlus View portal, in addition to other integrated point tools for visibility and security.

The post Accelerating IT with AIOps appeared first on PTP | Cloud Experts | Biotech Enablers.

Automating Reserved Instances in the Cloud

Gary Derheim — Fri, 18 Mar 2022 14:27:49 +0000

In this on-demand webinar, PTP's Gary Derheim hosted an expert panel with leaders from Spot by NetApp and CloudCheckr to explore automated strategies for AWS Reserved Instances (RIs) and Savings Plans. For life sciences companies managing dynamic cloud environments, this discussion reveals how to gain actionable insights, reduce cloud spend, and improve operational efficiency with minimal overhead.

With panelists Todd Bernhard (CloudCheckr), Kevin McGrath (Spot), and Hong Pun (PTP), the conversation explores how tools like CloudCheckr and Spot integrate to automate cloud optimization, eliminate manual oversight, and drive real savings.

Watch the full video on YouTube

Why CloudOps Matters for Life Sciences

Life sciences organizations—especially those focused on genomics, bioinformatics, or clinical research—require scalable compute and secure, compliant infrastructure. PTP offers managed IT services for life sciences, integrating tools like CloudCheckr and Spot to support high-performance environments while maintaining cost control.

Panelists explained how combining Reserved Instances with automation through Spot ECO enables real-time, intelligent purchasing decisions. This allows biotech IT teams to avoid overprovisioning, reduce on-demand costs, and redirect cloud savings toward innovation.

Key Challenges Addressed

Underutilized resources and idle infrastructure
Fear of long-term RI commitments and cloud cost uncertainty
Manual RI purchasing without visibility or automation
Lack of communication between finance, security, and DevOps teams

PTP’s Five-Step Optimization Process

PTP's CloudOps team delivers IT consulting for life sciences through a proven approach:

Identify and eliminate unused or idle resources
Evaluate overprovisioned workloads and apply right-sizing
Implement scheduling and automation for stop/start instances
Layer in commitment strategies with Savings Plans and RIs
Deploy Spot ECO to manage portfolio optimization dynamically

Clients typically see 30%+ cloud cost savings in the first few months.

Why Automation Is the Future

As Kevin McGrath emphasized, automation is key to effective cloud management. Spot continuously adjusts commitments using AWS RI Marketplace data, ensuring biotech companies and clinical organizations never overpay. CloudCheckr provides visibility into spend, security posture, and compliance with standards like HIPAA and GxP.

This approach reflects a broader trend in outsourced IT services for life sciences: automation, cost transparency, and optimized infrastructure at scale.

Learn More

🔎 Transcript Highlights: Automating Reserved Instances & Savings Plans

00:00 – Introduction: CloudOps value and managed services overview

04:00 – The NetApp acquisition: CloudCheckr + Spot = complementary tools

07:00 – Understanding RIs vs. Savings Plans vs. Spot automation

10:00 – How Spot ECO dynamically buys, sells, and adjusts RI portfolios

13:00 – Continuous cloud optimization post-deployment (CI/CD integration)

17:00 – Life sciences workloads: HPC, lab data, and peak usage patterns

22:00 – Common customer pain points: overprovisioning, RI fear, lack of tagging

26:00 – CloudOps visibility + FinOps + SecOps = Modern cloud governance

33:00 – How to introduce FinOps and build maturity (crawl, walk, run)

36:00 – What customers gain from integrating CloudCheckr and Spot

The post Automating Reserved Instances in the Cloud appeared first on PTP | Cloud Experts | Biotech Enablers.

10 Important Cloud Optimization Questions & Answers

PTPstaff — Thu, 03 Mar 2022 15:39:56 +0000

by Gary Derheim

What’s Inside

What is Cloud Cost Optimization?
What Discounts are Available in the Cloud?
Which Cloud Discount is Right?
“Hidden” Costs of the Operating in the Cloud?
Does Scalability have anything to do with Clous Cost Optimization?
Justifying Cloud Spend When Leaders Want to See Savings
Having Conversations Around Cloud Cost Across Departments or Functions
Ways We can Measure the Success of Our Cloud Investment
Tools to Optimize Cloud Costs

Download

Cloud optimization is essential for maximizing efficiency and minimizing costs in cloud environments. Our white paper addresses 10 key questions about cloud optimization and provides answers to help organizations make the most of their cloud resources.

1. What is Cloud Cost Optimization?
Cloud cost optimization involves strategies to reduce expenses and increase efficiency in the cloud. These strategies include volume discounts, resource monitoring, and scaling to meet demand. Cloud cost optimization aims to reduce capital expenditure while increasing IT flexibility.

Answer: An effective cloud cost optimization strategy begins with an efficiency analysis to identify cost-saving opportunities and prevent unnecessary expenses from escalating. Using a Cloud Management Solution (CMS) can aid in discovering hidden costs and analyzing data storage needs, offering a single dashboard view for monitoring cloud utilization.

2. What is the Easiest Way to Save on Cloud Costs?
Organizations often look for simple solutions to reduce cloud costs without affecting performance or productivity.

Answer: Start by identifying and eliminating unused or idle resources. Unused instances, orphaned snapshots, or inactive resources can significantly increase costs. A cloud cost optimization strategy should include regular audits to remove these inefficiencies.

3. What Discounts Are Available in the Cloud?
Cloud providers offer various discount options for customers willing to commit to specific contracts or resource levels.

Answer: The most common discount methods are Reserved Instances and Savings Plans. Reserved Instances offer discounted rates for committing to resource usage over one to three years, providing savings of up to 70%. Savings Plans offer discounts based on a fixed dollar commitment per hour for the same period.

4. Which Cloud Discount is Right for You?
Determining the right cloud discount depends on your organization’s usage patterns and budget constraints.

Answer: On-demand options allow you to pay as your bill increases, offering flexibility but potentially higher costs. Reserved Instances and Savings Plans require upfront or committed payments but provide stability and reduced costs. Analyze your current and forecasted budgets to choose the best option for your needs.

5. Are There Any “Hidden” Costs of Operating in the Cloud?
While the cloud’s flexibility is beneficial, it can lead to unexpected costs if not managed carefully.

Answer: Hidden costs often stem from unused or idle instances and orphaned snapshots. Unused instances are those left running but not actively used, while orphaned snapshots are disk backups that remain after an instance is terminated. Regularly audit your cloud environment to identify and address these hidden costs.

6. Does Scalability Have Anything to Do with Cloud Cost Optimization?
Scalability allows cloud resources to adapt to varying demands, affecting cloud cost optimization.

Answer: Cloud scalability involves adding or subtracting resources as needed. Horizontal scaling adds or removes instances, while vertical scaling adjusts the size of existing instances. Auto-scaling can help optimize costs by scaling resources based on demand, reducing the need for additional capacity or under-provisioning.

7. How Can We Justify Increasing Cloud Spend When Leaders Want to See Savings?
Leaders often prioritize cost reduction, but investing in the cloud can lead to long-term benefits and revenue growth.

Answer: Justifying increased cloud spending requires highlighting the potential for increased revenue and faster delivery of products and services. A well-thought-out cloud spending plan can demonstrate the positive return on investment (ROI) from investing in cloud infrastructure and technology.

8. How Can My Organization Have Conversations Around Cloud Costs Across Departments or Functions?
Effective communication about cloud costs across departments is crucial for cloud optimization success.

Answer: Establishing a Cloud Financial Operations (FinOps) or Cloud Center of Excellence (CCoE) can facilitate cross-departmental communication and collaboration. FinOps bridges the gap between finance, IT, and operations, while CCoE helps define best practices and ensures cloud costs are optimized

9. What Are Some Other Ways We Can Measure the Success of Our Cloud Investment?
Measuring success in the cloud involves analyzing key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess the cloud’s value to the organization.

Answer: KPIs can be categorized into financial and business-value KPIs. Financial KPIs include costs, profitability, and cash flow, while business-value KPIs measure efficiency, productivity, and customer satisfaction. These KPIs help demonstrate the success of cloud investments and support cloud initiatives.

10. What Tools Can I Use to Optimize Cloud Costs?
Cloud platforms offer native tools for monitoring and managing cloud costs, but sometimes additional tools are needed for a comprehensive view.

Answer: Native cloud tools from platforms like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud help monitor costs and performance metrics. However, third-party solutions can offer a holistic view of cloud costs and identify cost-saving opportunities that native tools might miss. Consider integrating a cloud management platform for complete visibility and enhanced cost optimization.

These 10 important cloud optimization questions and answers provide a comprehensive guide for managing cloud costs and achieving optimization in your cloud environment. By following these best practices, organizations can improve cloud efficiency, reduce unnecessary expenses, and make informed decisions about their cloud strategies.

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