Businesses need to outsource specific processes and functions to managed service providers. MSPs keep track of these processes and determine what is necessary for the business to function properly and get the best outcomes. MSPs work with various businesses across industries and provide numerous services. To continue efficient management of networks and business processes, MSPs need to scale the architecture. However, this is not that easy. Scalability is essential but also difficult to achieve. Manual processes cannot ensure seamless scalability and can result in errors. Therefore, it is essential to invest in automation, and that is what the best AIOps platform software provides. Therefore, AIOps for managed service providers is the best solution to improve scalability.

What Scalability issues do Managed Service Providers (MSPs) Face?

MSPs deal with multiple clients at the same time, and the number of clients and services provided keeps changing. Therefore, MSPs need to scale their services. Scaling of services is necessary to maintain a certain standard of performance. If MSPs do not scale, it can result in decreased efficiency. Scalability depends on the size and nature of both the infrastructure and the operations.

MSPs face certain challenges in scalability. These challenges go beyond the IT Infrastructure-managed Services and can affect the performance of MSPs, leading to issues with their client base. The following are the issues that MSPs need to deal with where scalability is concerned:

• Time-Consuming Procedures

Scalability of infrastructure requires MSPs to add extra infrastructure or modify the size of the infrastructure. This, when done through partially manual processes, takes a long time. The scalability process itself is complex, but if it is also time-consuming, then it may be difficult for MSPs.

• Limitations

Certain businesses still utilize on-premise architecture. This means that there are only a limited number of servers, and therefore, MSPs face these limitations, which prevent them from scaling with ease. If there are a certain number of servers, then MSPs cannot scale beyond that. If MSPs try to do so, it will involve complexities and an acquisition cost, if they try to increase the number of servers.

• Lack of Accurate Predictions

Scaling requires a certain degree of prediction as to what the future needs might be. MSPs need to anticipate what future services they may need to provide, or what clients they may have. If they are unable to do this, then scaling will be rather challenging. Seamless scaling needs an accurate prediction of what the MSP will need, and without this, it is nearly impossible to attempt it.

• Modification Difficulties

While scaling is primarily done on the infrastructure, it is not only the size of the infrastructure that matters. At times, MSPs may need to scale the nature of the infrastructure as well. Apart from this, MSPs will need to scale teams and processes as well. However, the changes and modifications required for this are not always possible. Teams or functions cannot be modified for scalability, especially when manual processes are being implemented.

How Can AIOps Help Managed Service Providers (MSPs) Overcome Scalability Challenges?

The challenges of scalability are present and very real. They can affect the efficiency of MSPs and that will lead to faulty operations. AIOps helps to resolve these issues through certain solutions. Here are the following solutions that AIOps platforms offer MSPs:

• Efficient Reconfiguration of Tools

Manual processes result in various errors. This is because human intervention cannot increase efficiency and is not cost-effective. Manual processes rely on humans, and there is a huge margin of human error involved. Now when scaling is necessary, manual processes can be time-consuming. Therefore, MSPs need to invest in AIOps tools. These tools can be easily reconfigured and upgraded when necessary. Now some functions require manual labor but the part that can be automated and optimized, requires the implementation of AIOps tools. AIOps tools can help to ensure seamless scalability, help in IT cost optimization and increase the efficiency of the system.

• Automation

Automation is essential because it enables MSPs to increase the infrastructure without any human intervention. With IT automation with AI, it is possible to provision infrastructure and automate the deployment of applications. This allows seamless scaling and there are no issues with the modification of IT infrastructure. AIOps allow automation of all business processes and assist MSPs to ensure that operations can be increased and scaled with ease.

• Cloud Migration

Businesses are investing in digital transformation and changing on-premise architecture to cloud-based systems. MSPs that work with these businesses need to understand the cloud environment and how applications can be integrated within it. Scalability of cloud environment is easier than of on-premise databases. MSPs need to move to cloud environments to improve scalability. Cloud migration is also needed to improve overall efficiency and productivity of the business. Scaling is also easier with AIOps digital transformation as it enables serverless computing and other such services.

• Adoption of Modular Architecture

Since scaling is necessary not only for infrastructure but also for teams and processes. If MSPs have a modular architecture, scaling is easier. AIOps can assist in modifying the existing infrastructure of MSPs into modular infrastructure. The existing infrastructure is usually a monolithic database. If there is a monolithic structure, then scaling that entire architecture is difficult and complex. If MSPs have a modular infrastructure, then it is easier to improve scalability.

• Playbook Development

As one of the scalability issues is prediction, it is important to have a playbook. With the assistance of AIOps solutions, scalability playbooks help to accurately predict what future business needs may be. These playbooks help to predict and navigate through security needs and infrastructure processes that may be necessary for the future as the client base might develop as well. A scalability playbook allows MSPs to accurately understand the condition of the infrastructure and anticipate how much scaling is necessary.

Conclusion

AIOps (Artificial Intelligence for IT operations) helps to ensure that all systems are efficient. Scalability is crucial for the proper functioning of MSPs. AIOps for managed service providers can help to create network processes that can be easily scaled.