The Full CA Practice Cloud Configuration
A mature CA practice 5–10 professional staff, 40–100 client Tally/Busy companies, seasonal filing peaks, partner remote access requirements has a specific cloud infrastructure profile. This guide covers the complete configuration for this profile based on M A Global Network's experience deploying cloud infrastructure for CA firms across central India.
Assessing Your Firm's Infrastructure Requirements
Before configuring cloud infrastructure for a CA practice, four questions determine the correct setup:
- Peak concurrent users: How many staff are in Tally or Busy simultaneously during GST filing week not total headcount, but simultaneous users
- Software mix: Tally only, Busy only, or both plus any other Windows applications (Office, audit tools)
- Client company count and data volume: Number of active client companies and approximate total data size
- Remote access requirements: Which partners and staff need access from home, and from how many locations
Recommended Configuration for a 7-Person CA Firm
| Specification | Value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows Server 2022 with RDS | Multi-user concurrent access |
| Concurrent users | 7 (5 office staff + 2 partners remote) | Peak simultaneous access during filing week |
| RAM | 18 GB dedicated | 2 GB per user + 4 GB OS baseline + buffer |
| CPU | 6 dedicated vCores | Concurrent report generation + OS |
| Storage | 120 GB NVMe SSD | 50 client companies × avg 1 GB + OS + apps |
| Monthly cost | ₹4,900 + 18% GST | 7 × ₹700 = ₹4,900 |
| Annual cost | ₹58,800 + 18% GST | Contracted yearly |
Security Configuration for Client Data
A CA firm's cloud environment requires careful security configuration to protect client financial data:
- IP whitelist: Office IP + each partner's home IP all other connections blocked
- Individual Windows accounts: One per staff member no shared logins
- Tally company-level security: Each Tally company protected with a company password; user access restricted by role
- Senior staff access only for administrative functions: Junior staff restricted from client companies they don't work on
- Daily off-site backup: All client companies backed up daily with 7-day retention
The GST Filing Season Configuration
GST filing season is the stress test for CA firm infrastructure. Key considerations:
Concurrent user capacity: The server must handle peak concurrent load all 7 users in Tally simultaneously, running GSTR-2B reconciliation on large client companies. Dedicated RAM ensures performance does not degrade under this load.
Extended hours support: Filing season often means 10 PM working. M A Global Network's 24/7 support is available at 10 PM on the 19th of the month when a technical issue would be most disruptive.
Temporary user expansion: For firms that bring in temporary staff during peak periods, adding a concurrent user takes hours and is billed at ₹700/user for the period.
Migration for a CA Firm with 50+ Client Companies
Migrating a CA firm with 50+ client Tally companies follows a structured process:
- Pre-migration audit of all company files, TDL add-ons, and user list
- Server provisioned and configured Friday evening
- All company files migrated Saturday data verified for completeness
- TDL add-ons installed and tested Saturday
- Each staff member tests access Saturday evening
- Partners test remote access from home Saturday
- Monday morning: all staff on cloud new companies for the week created directly on cloud server
Migration is included at no charge. 7-day risk-free guarantee: run parallel with the local server for a week and switch fully only when completely satisfied.
Frequently Asked Questions
The client's Tally or Busy company data can be exported in native format and provided to the client or their new accountant. M A Global Network can assist with the export process. After the client's data is confirmed transferred, the company files are removed from the server. No data is held after removal the firm controls what remains on the server. Data exports are handled as a support request at no additional charge.
Complete CA Practice Cloud Infrastructure
All client companies · All staff remote access · GST filing season ready. ₹700/user/month + 18% GST. 7-day risk-free guarantee.