Flight Plan: Into the Clouds
Posted on 26. Oct, 2009 by vbrown in Cloud Computing, Enterprise Architecture, Feature
Ok. You’ve heard enough to be convinced that there could be tangible benefits from adopting a Cloud Computing strategy – everyone seems to be doing it. Next big question… what benefits can you realize, and how? Can a Cloud Computing strategy support your mission and corporate goals?
I’m going to “talk” about why and how you can realize concrete, measurable benefits from this latest evolution in IT – at least I assume it’s still the latest; I did go to sleep for a few hours last night, so who knows! The topic and its associated set of issues are very broad and deep. First, understanding how it aligns with and supports your business and your business strategies is crucial. (In some cases it may even offer opportunities for new business strategies!) Second, clearly understanding the impact on both your business and your current IT ecosystem and organizations is also critical.
Clouds Defined
Before we start discussing specific applications of Cloud Computing, and the implications and issues, let me offer some definitions from which we can work. Terminology in this space is a bit, er… cloudy, right now. So let’s put some stakes in the ground for purposes of ongoing discussion.
One of the aspects of the Cloud Computing discussion that can make it difficult to follow is the fact that there are so many types of Clouds (I sound like a meteorologist!). Each type offers unique and significant benefits, if used appropriately, but each also requires a different strategic approach.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology has published a set of definitions of Cloud Computing that seem to be gaining acceptance in both the public and private sectors. NIST’s overarching definition is:
“Cloud computing is a model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction. This cloud model promotes availability and is composed of five essential characteristics, three service models, and four deployment models.”
The characteristics that NIST defines are essential to understanding what constitutes a Cloud and how a Cloud is more than just a virtualized computing platform. They define the five characteristics as follows:
On-demand self-service. A consumer can unilaterally provision computing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, as needed automatically without requiring human interaction with each service’s provider.
Broad network access. Capabilities are available over the network and accessed through standard mechanisms that promote use by heterogeneous thin or thick client platforms (e.g., mobile phones, laptops, and PDAs).
Resource pooling. The provider’s computing resources are pooled to serve multiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with different physical and virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according to consumer demand.
Rapid elasticity. Capabilities can be rapidly and elastically provisioned, in some cases automatically, to quickly scale out and rapidly released to quickly scale in.
Measured Service. Cloud systems automatically control and optimize resource use by leveraging a metering capability at some level of abstraction appropriate to the type of service (e.g., storage, processing, bandwidth, and active user accounts).
NIST’s five characteristics provide the first key pieces of information that clarify what Clouds actually are and hint at where some of the most significant benefits lie.
Next. . .
The NIST Deployment Models and Service Models build on these characteristics to define the two critical and complimentary frameworks that provide the foundation for an effective cloud deployment strategy. I’ll review and discuss those models in my next post. And I’m going to highlight strategies that use private and hybrid Clouds for your core applications — applications that you probably don’t want to host in a public Cloud.
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