The first start: Your Plan for success

Yes unfortunately, this has to be done before we can run our own cloud. We have to think about how we get from our vision to the own cloud in reality.

This step is very important as it will give the direction of your own cloud and should not be ignored to mitigate possible errors or wrong investments.

How should my cloud look like and what should it do?


I think, everybody of us has their own perception of their own cloud and so different people are so different their clouds will be.

I have prepared some question for you:

What should my Cloud do and what should it not do?

  • Data collection
  • Data collection and updating data
  • Data collection, updating data and synchronise
  • Data collection, updating, synchronise from home and on travel?

Which documents, records or program should my cloud facilitate?

  • only notes?
  • important documents?
  • all documents and records
  • one calendar
  • one calendar and contact data
  • one calendar, contact data and notes
  • one calendar, contact data, notes, handwritten notes, To Dos etc.
  • more than one calendar, more than one account for contacts
  • Videos, photos, software and apps etc.

Do I like a complete paperless office or just a part of it?

  • The question is what should be digitalised and what should not
  • Sometimes, you have to keep the original document analogue but do you want to digitalise anyway?
  • Sometimes, you have to respect laws for keeping records

Which level of security is important to me?

  • Which level of security should I choose
  • single, double or triple authentication ?
  • Authentication on my mobile devices or OPTAUTH?
  • do I need a Captcha?

Where can I save my backups so that they can be retrieved if something is happen bad?

  • backup location ?
  • How secure is this place where my backup is?
  • How often do I want to do a backup?
  • Which kind of backup is the best solution for my cloud?

Which devices do I have right now?

  • Of course, I like to use my devices also in my own cloud - it does not matter if they run on MAC, IOS, Windows, Android, Linux or Unix
  • Which route do I have - how secure is it?
  • What is my Internet speed today?
  • What kind of mobile contract do I have - how fast is the connection and what is my data volume per month?
  • What is my structure / workflow right now?


What the current state?

  • How to I sync today and what should be better?
  • Where do I keep my data right now and which security level I have today?
  • How can I control that my data are save?

Which people should have access to my data?

  • my partner should have their data also in my own cloud and should be able to sync
  • Do I like share documents, pictures, videos with friends and family?

How can I enable sharing facilities to others?

  • do I like only specific folders or only specific documents to share? Should there be a time limit?
  • how should my sharing progress look like.
  • shall I use password protection or not
  • how long should a shared folder / document be open - how can I manage not to forget to close it?

What should be synchronised?

  • which devices should be connected to my own cloud?
  • what should be synced on my devices i.e. account 1 on my iPhone and account 2 to my brothers mobile

How do you like to synchronise?

  • Do I need a connection to the Internet?
  • Shall I use VPN to connect to my router
  • Shall the router send me my IP to my mobile?
  • How to get a static IP and whom can I trust?

What else should my own cloud do?

  • Do I want to virtualise another operating system
  • Shall it execute automatic tasks, so I cannot forget anything
  • Which of my current devices should be supported?

What do I want to achieve with my own cloud?

  • more security of my data
  • not having any panic attach if Terms and Conditions are changing
  • more control
  • secured and controlled access


So many questions….

Yes, I know but it is important to answer those and this cannot be done just in one day.

Please take your time to get answers to these questions and more importantly what is the best for you?

Here a little hint: I like to use mind mapping if I have to solve difficult tasks i.e. from my partner IThoughtsX for MAC (Test version). There is also a plan of a Windows version coming up in February 2017.

Thoughts can be purchased here:

For Mac and For IPAD and IPHONE.


You can use mind maps for all sort of things but you will see issues and answer visualised and that is easier to digest. Further to this, you can do changes, type notes on branches. The advantage of software to paper is that the mind map can grow and you do not have to worry about paper borders or that the paper is too small. Oh dear, now we are already in the middle of the paperless office and productivity….

I will write some small articles of each of the questions here and they will be published soon.

Have fun with you first step to your own cloud ! If the first draft is rubbish just do not put it into the bin! It could be useful later! Just start afresh with a new idea.


Please save your ideas and inspirations as they could be a useful source for later and can give loads of answers!


If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me. I am also really eager to know which answers you got for yourselves .

So, do not worry just post a comment!

Regards,
Stefanie

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