Deciphering cloud computing

BANGALORE, INDIA: Data explosion and heterogeneity within the realms of the digital universe has left enterprises the world over, large, medium-sized or small, little choice but to employ more sophisticated techniques for information management, security, search and storage.

Also Read: Storage-as-a-service: Cloud Storage

There has been an ever growing need to store, protect and revive information in most of the industries.

Sectors like bio-medical research/clinical research, telecom, pharmacy, aeronautical engineering, gaming, CAD/CAM, etc are extremely data driven and data intensive industries.

Each bit of information generated is critical and sensitive which requires to be stored, managed and retrieved on need basis. In such a scenario, the requirement for an excellent storage infrastructure is of essence for the smooth functioning of each of these sectors.

IDC predicts that organizations’ storage infrastructures will grow by 300 percent by the end of the decade. Already, enterprises are spending one third of their IT budgets on storage. They are now seeking economical ways to store and protect data.

The emergence of cloud computing and in turn cloud storage has been a boon to all the heavily data driven sectors. While cloud computing provides dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources as a service over the Internet on a utility basis, it aids the users with common business applications online and allows them to access it from a web browser, while the software and data are stored on the servers.

On the other end, cloud storage has bought in a radical change by enabling increased storage efficiency and allowing different application types to function efficiently. Ability to leverage service oriented architecture to the fullest through the web services route is the most important capability of cloud storage.

Cloud computing and cloud storage represents a fundamental change at least, and a revolution at most, in enterprise storage. Below are a few terminologies that are closely associated with cloud computing.

XaaS - The controlling acronym for implementations of cloud computing is XaaS, as in “-as-a-Service.” The definition of “X” depends on who is providing which service delivered through the cloud.

Infrastructure-as-a-Service - Provides grids or clusters or virtualized servers, networks, storage and systems software designed to augment or replace the functions of an entire data centre. The subscriber is offered the ability to host virtual clients or virtual servers and the supporting storage in one or more of the suppliers’ datacentres.

Software-as-a-Service - The most widely known and widely used form of cloud computing, SaaS provides all the functions of a sophisticated traditional application, but through a web browser, not a locally-installed application.

SaaS eliminates worries about app servers, storage, application development and related, common concerns of IT.

There are different cloud computing models that provide easy and cost effective access to key computing elements such as programmes, applications, storage, and computing power over the Internet.

The following are examples of the most common cloud computing models:

• Public - Uses the Internet to provide services to anyone who has Internet access.

• Private - Can use both physically private networks and the Internet to deliver services to their end users/customers.

• Hybrid - Services are delivered across multiple types of transports.

• External - Service provider is located off-premise.

• Internal - Located on premise and could be within one entity, for example in a large organization, business, or government agency.

• Semi-Private - Service delivery is exchanged between partnering organizations

Almost every enterprise has an opportunity for bigger savings and efficiency by moving at least some IT services delivery to a cloud computing model. However, effective execution of a cloud solution, and measurement of its true impact, requires proper strategy, preparation and planning, and programmatic implementation and concrete metrics for evaluating progress.

Although cloud computing is relatively new, it enjoys a proven track record as several organizations, both big and small, have already moved some or all of their IT operations into a cloud.

Let's now consider a set of best practices for planning and rolling out a cloud computing solution:

Identify impacts and limitations of cloud computing. The need to identify the impact, application design considerations and limitations that the application teams will need to consider and understand to leverage the full cost benefits of cloud solutions.

Cost savings and risk mitigation are the true benefits of a cloud solution.

Align an organization’s people, processes and technology with business objectives. A successful cloud computing solution is not a technical solution aimed at solving a business problem. A successful cloud solution will solve business issues and realize business objectives with a technical solution.

If there is no particular business requirement for a cloud computing solution, an organization should not pursue it, at least until it can verify the solution’s worth to the business. The key is to clearly define the services and the service management criteria before trying to solve it with technology.

Describe how and by how much a cloud solution will save the business. The main benefits of a cloud solution are the business savings. Be able to articulate how savings will be derived with cloud computing and its benefit to the bottom line.

When planning a cloud computing solution, it must be shown that there will be a cost savings with that move. Be specific: for example, describe how much capex will decrease, and the effect of a cloud solution on opex.

Communicate the pay-as-you-go model instead of asking for a large outlay of money to build out an internal IT infrastructure for self-provisioning the solution.

Raise the need within the organization for a cloud computing solution. Executive sponsorship is required to ensure success and overcome foreseeable obstacles when moving to a cloud computing model.

The driver of its adoption requires a declaration of support by top management within the organization. To successfully transition to a cloud solution, senior executives and managers, both on the business and technical sides of an organization, must endorse and support the project.

Their support will help overcome objections from employees who may be afraid of change or afraid of the possibly of losing their job. A phased approach will help show quick progress.

The author is VP, Storage and Availability Engineering Group at Symantec.

Platform-as-a-Service - Provides virtualized servers on which users can run existing applications or develop new ones without having to worry about maintaining the

operating systems, server hardware, load balancing or computing capacity.