Enterprise Architecture

Workload Placement Guide

Answer what you know about a workload. The guide matches it to a supported enterprise product, compares the approved hosting locations, and produces an assessment you can send to IT. Guide version 0.12.

  1. 1Choose a similar workloadStart from an example if one is close, then change any answer that does not fit.
  2. 2Describe the shape of the workWhere its data lives, the computing it needs, special requirements, and how it is supported.
  3. 3Send the assessment to ITSave it, download the Excel copy, and email it for infrastructure review.

Describe the workload instead

Say what the workload does in your own words and the answers below will fill in as you go. You can change any of them by hand at any time.

Choose a similar workload to get started

Pick an example that is close, load it, then change any answer that does not fit. You can also clear the form and start from scratch.

Loading an example replaces every answer on the form.

About the workload

Start with what you know. Choosing “I don’t know” is okay; the guide will ask IT for help when too much is uncertain.

Is this new or already running?

Until the workload type is known, the guide uses a balanced comparison across platform fit, data and connections, cost and capacity, and operating support.

Special requirements

Most workloads should answer no. A yes or “I don’t know” sends the assessment to IT instead of making an automatic placement decision.

Does the workload have a requirement outside the standard platform?

Data and connections

Location matters most when the workload repeatedly moves large amounts of data or needs fast, frequent communication with another system.

Compute and usage

Tell us about the computing power and time required.

Team and context

These details help IT understand the recommendation and support the final placement decision.

Close callInformation confidence: earlyConfidence 25%

Start with the questions on the left

Choose what you know. “I don’t know” is fine; the guide will ask IT for help when there is not enough information.

How we reached this recommendation

  1. The guide is ready to match the workload to a supported enterprise product and compare its available locations.

What mattered most

  • Security, resilience, performance, and capacity were treated as equal across the approved locations.
  • Still unknown: workload type, data source, communication pattern, compute needs, usage pattern, and funding approach.
  • The main source of the workload’s data or information is not yet known.
  • The compute requirement is not yet known.
  • The usage pattern is not yet known.

Send the assessment to IT

Saving records the assessment for infrastructure review and gives you an Excel copy to attach to an email to workloadplacement@example.org.

Sign in to save an assessment. You can keep answering questions without signing in.

Copyable text summary
Workload: Unnamed workload
Recommendation: Start with the questions on the left
Enterprise product: No specific enterprise product identified
Why: Choose what you know. “I don’t know” is fine; the guide will ask IT for help when there is not enough information.
Result: Close call
Evidence: Early estimate
Funding: I don’t know
Unknown answers: workload type, data source, communication pattern, compute needs, usage pattern, funding approach

Location comparison
Azure: not scored - Available
Google Cloud: not scored - Available
On-premises: not scored - Available

What mattered most
- Security, resilience, performance, and capacity were treated as equal across the approved locations.
- Still unknown: workload type, data source, communication pattern, compute needs, usage pattern, and funding approach.
- The main source of the workload’s data or information is not yet known.
- The compute requirement is not yet known.
- The usage pattern is not yet known.