Ixia develops amazing products so its customers can connect the world. Ixia helps its customers provide an always-on user experience through fast, secure delivery of dynamic connected technologies and services. Through actionable insights that accelerate and secure application and service delivery, Ixia’s customers benefit from faster time to market, optimized application performance and higher-quality deployments.

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SYS-CON Events announced today that Gridstore™, the leader in software-defined storage (SDS) purpose-built for Windows Servers and Hyper-V, will exhibit at SYS-CON’s 15th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on November 4–6, 2014, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
Gridstore™ is the leader in software-defined storage purpose built for virtualization that is designed to accelerate applications in virtualized environments. Using its patented Server-Side Virtual Controller™ Technology (SVCT) to eliminate the I/O blender effect and accelerate applications Gridstore delivers vmOptimized™ Storage that self-optimizes to each application or VM across both virtual and physical environments. Leveraging a grid architecture, Gridstore delivers the first end-to-end storage QoS to ensure the most important App or VM performance is never compromised. The storage grid, that uses Gridstore’s performance optimized nodes or capacity optimized nodes, starts with as few as 3 nodes and then can grow one or more at a time to deliver a cost effective scale-as-you-grow solution. Headquartered in Mountain View, CA. its products and services are available through a global network of value-added resellers.

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Appcore aims to simplify private cloud through Apache CloudStack solutions. Nate Gordon serves as the Des Moines, IA-based company’s Director of Technology, in its effort to enhance Apache CloudStack and Citrix CloudPlatform for its customers. We had a few questions for him, and this is what he told us:

Cloud Computing Journal: What have your customers found to be the advantages of using Apache CloudStack?

Nate Gordon: Appcore understands that there are a lot of orchestration platforms in the market to chose from. Before we committed to one platform or the other, we did an extensive analysis comparing architecture features, deployment process and technology roadmap. After this evaluation, Appcore chose to integrate our software solutions with Apache CloudStack and Citrix CloudPlatform. A few of the advantages of the platform include:

1. Apache CloudStack is a complete platform, not a toolkit. It provides service providers all the components, right out of the box, that they need to deploy an Infrastructure-as-a-Service cloud.

2. Deploying an Apache CloudStack powered cloud is simple and straightforward compared to other orchestration platforms in the market. With only two components required for management, there are fewer possibilities for communication and configuration errors. Plus service providers don’t have to dedicate a large amount of hardware resources to the deployment.

3. Overall the Apache CloudStack project is organized in a unified direction as new product features are developed. The influence of the project is democratic, which is an important aspect of platform to our service providers customers. This allows them to influence the project, offer feature feedback and contribute to development.

These are just a few advantages of implementing Apache CloudStack over other orchestration platforms in the market. Our service provider customers value the simplicity, stability and scalability the Apache CloudStack platform provides.

CCJ: What are the key management challenges in using CloudStack that Appcore addresses?

Nate: Appcore is solely focused on the service provider market and continues to develop software that is feature rich to enhance IT administrators daily tasks. Appcore is a leading CloudStack solutions company focused on simplifying the complexity of cloud management. Our solutions include software, consulting and support to deliver enterprise-grade clouds tailored to your custom specifications.

Admin Centric Environment View
Appcore simplifies management by equipping service providers with an admin centric view of customer resources. These features provide several benefits including:

Easy access to all account resources
Complete view of all resources tied to a single virtual machine
Quick access to common troubleshooting actions

Metering & Billing
Appcore’s software solution, Appcore AMP, also includes integrated metering and billing for a fully productized cloud solution. Adding metering and billing functionality allows service providers the ability to charge for resources consumed by their enterprise customers.

Appcore’s software is pre-configured with WHMCS but is designed to integrate with other third-party billing solutions. Usage and metering data can also be imported into the service providers existing billing system to provide customers a single invoice.

Multi-cloud Deployments
Appcore’s latest software, Appcore Atlas, empowers service providers to deploy clouds in minutes. This multi-cloud solution integrates pre-configured standardized network, hypervisor and storage. It automates the configuration of private, on-premise and public clouds in 15 minutes.

Unified Authentication
Appcore Atlas also features unified authentication for single system sign-on. This provides a seamless transition between cloud systems for increased user efficiency. It allows the service provider to manage accounts across clouds with synchronized credentials. It also gives the mobility and integration for enhanced visibility into monitoring, orchestration and usage data.

CCJ: How have things evolved for Appcore throughout this year, and what do you expect your customers’ missions and goals to be in 2015 and beyond?

Nate: Appcore has evolved since being founded in 2008, and in this past year, we converted from delivering our product as a 2U cloud appliance to a software-only solution. This development occurred based on feedback from our service provider customers and prospects.

Our continuous involvement in the market revealed that most service providers already had hardware investments that they wished to implement as part of their cloud solution. Therefore implementing a software-only solution was just another way to simplify the complexity of cloud. For this reason Appcore released a software-only solution in May, 2014.

Heading into 2015 we anticipate that service providers will continue to look for solutions to simplify the management of cloud. The demand to deploy cloud for their enterprise customers will continue to increase and service providers will look for tools to deploy private, on-premise and public cloud environments. Service providers will continue to demand a reduction in the time it takes to deploy a cloud environment; instead of days, they will need to deploy cloud in minutes for the enterprise.

Service providers are currently yearning for unified cloud authentication so they no longer have to login to several systems to manage their cloud. Instead, administrators are looking for a tool to integrate all cloud components into a single unified platform. Cloud administrators will continue seeking deeper integration into infrastructure including networking, SAN and hypervisor management. They are also looking for management tools that feature resource and capacity planning.

Appcore’s mission heading into 2015 and the years to come is to continuously simplify the management of cloud for service providers. In order to do so, we developed our latest software solution, Appcore Atlas, which automates the deployment of multiple clouds. It simplifies the management for administrators and creates a holistic environment. As we continue listen to the service provider market, we will create new products and services that support them.

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Docker offers a new, lightweight approach to application portability. Applications are shipped using a common container format and managed with a high-level API. Their processes run within isolated namespaces that abstract the operating environment independently of the distribution, versions, network setup, and other details of this environment. This “containerization” has often been nicknamed “the new virtualization.” But containers are more than lightweight virtual machines. Beyond their smaller footprint, shorter boot times, and higher consolidation factors, they also bring a lot of new features and use cases that were not possible with classical virtual machines.

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SAP is delivering break-through innovation combined with fantastic user experience powered by the market-leading in-memory technology, SAP HANA.
In his General Session at 15th Cloud Expo, Thorsten Leiduck, VP ISVs & Digital Commerce, SAP, will discuss how SAP and partners provide cloud and hybrid cloud solutions as well as real-time Big Data offerings that help companies of all sizes and industries run better. SAP launched an application challenge to award the most innovative SAP HANA and SAP HANA Cloud platforms applications. Out of many contenders, the best applications have been selected by members of the SAP Community Network via crowd-voting. Join this exciting session as SAP recognizes the winners and finalists for their great accomplishment and see the winning applications live on stage.

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The post AWS: Cloud Security Mistakes Discussed by Experts appeared first on Porticor Cloud Security.

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Picture credit: iStockPhoto

Recently, @thedodgeretort of Enterprise CIO Forum held a Twitter chat about what cloud computing in 2020 will look like. I decided to write up a quick blog sharing my thoughts on the topic.

Looking into the crystal ball, I see a few things happening with cloud by 2020: call it 5 years out.

First, cloud will transform into more of a utility and a grid of computing power. Second, we’ll see a much deeper manifestation of the core characteristics of cloud computing, especially with regard to flexible capacity, consistent access, and high portability. Third, I anticipate a lot of activity in machine-to-machine transactions and communications (call it IoT if you like). Fourth: superesilient applications. Fifth: compute traded as a commodity. And finally, within 5 years, I think IT and the overall business will come together to actually take advantage of these technologies. Read on for more detail.

Cloud Computing in 2020

1. A utility and computing grid

In 5 years, large companies will still hang on to their datacenters to run some services. However, with security more robust, I think that corporations will make available their own computing resources as much as they consume cloud resources – just like some households generate their own electricity and sell it back to the grid. I think Cisco’s Intercloud concept has an angle on this.

2. Flexible capacity, consistent access, and high portability

A cloud/compute socket just like an electrical socket. Standardized applications and connectors that “plug in” to the grid and are removed just as easily. Virtualization has the first stab at this, encapsulating the OS, data, and applications neatly in a VMX and VMDKs. Containers are the next stab. Redhat has an angle on this with their CloudForms PaaS. Raw compute power becomes more and more of a commodity as portability improves; meaning downward pressure on IaaS prices will remain to some degree (see #4).

3. IoT or machine-to-machine communications/transactions

One machine determines that it needs to acquire more compute power to complete its work. It makes a “deal” to go out and acquire that compute power, uses it, and gives it back to the grid. Or, on the flip side, a machine that knows when it can stand idle and rent its own power. Another angle on this, a virtual machine or application has knowledge of its SLA, and moves to the provider who can deliver on that SLA at the least cost. Love it or hate it, Apple’s Siri has an early angle on this. From what I’ve read about the technology, queries to Siri find their way back to Apple datacenters, not only to obtain answers, but to improve the accuracy of queries for all Siri users.

4. Superesilient applications

As prices for cloud trend downward and portability improves (see #2 and #5), disaster recovery will take a new shape. Instead of running on a 2-site/2-region DR architecture, applications will run on a 5, 10, 20, or 30-site “DR” architecture, with all nodes being active. Does it matter where your application is running at that point? Potentially, it’s running all over the east coast, or all over the country. Some services from AWS already have an angle on this with services that are redundant across regions (a.g., S3, elastic load balancing, etc.), not to mention things like DNS on the Internet. I think it will become cost-effective to do this, in general, within 5 years.

5. Compute traded as a commodity, just like crude oil

This might be a stretch in 5 years, but with the trend of IaaS being more commoditized and portability improving, we’ll see a day when compute power is traded in a commodities market. In the channel, this is already fairly common – IaaS providers are eager to cut favorable deals with resellers who agree to purchase large chunks of infrastructure upfront, only to resell at a later date.

6. IT and the business coming together

DevOps was the first marriage of two groups that had been previously at odds (oftentimes). Within 5 years, I think maturity in IT will improve to the point that they become as focused on the business as any other traditional LOB. IT becomes an Innovation Center — they are focused on the business, and behave proactively. Corporate IT shifts its focus from requirements to possibilities. See my previous posts on the emerging idea of a cloud architect who will be important in this shift.

To sum up… we’re just at the beginning of possibilities in cloud computing.

To hear more from John, you can download his eBook, “The Evolution of the Corporate IT Department“

Picture credit: Damian Nowak/YouTube

Say hello to VirtKick. This startup, based out of Gdansk, Poland, has a simple goal: to make virtualisation easier.

The company has launched an Indiegogo campaign to put together an ambitious $57,000 to add a series of new features, but the company aims to make complexity with spinning up virtual machines a thing of the past.

“Virtualisation technology is tough,” VirtKick trumpets in a press release. “DigitalOcean did their job and revolutionised the cloud/VPs business. But it doesn’t look that great in [the] open source world.

“Existing open source cloud panels are hard to setup and use – they focus on technological aspects, not users’ needs. VirtKick solves it – it’s an open source cloud panel allowing anyone to become their [own] VPS provider and regain full control over cloud.”

With almost 80,000 followers on Twitter and series A funding of $37.2 million in the bank, cloud hosting firm DigitalOcean is a suitable company to look up to for VirtKick.

As it’s all open source, naturally every line of code the company writes will be available on GitHub. Currently you can spin up a VM in three clicks, as you can see in a demo here, but VirtKick aims in future to be able to do it in one.

“The project is revolutionary,” said VirtKick co-founder Damian Nowak in an email. “There’s no open source project that would simply let users manage their virtualisation without having to dig into configuration files, system internals, networks and such.”

VirtKick is offering ‘bundles’ – tasks to be ticked off as soon as a certain amount of money is raised. $7,000 will enable the one-click install of VMs, $17,000 will enable the implementation of credit card payments and invoices, while later deals hint at partnerships between Amazon, SoftLayer, and MIT among others.

You can take a look at the hosted alpha here and have a play around, and the company’s video below:

Picture credit: iStockPhoto

Even though ensuring the company is iterating and innovating is more the CIO’s bag, the CIO and the CFO both have a keen interest in the bottom line. New research from Canopy has found that 81% of CIOs and CFOs worry their business will become uncompetitive if they miss out on cloud revenues.

The research, of 950 CIOs and CFOs in mid market and enterprise firms in the US and Europe, further noted that three quarters of CFOs think their business is missing out on revenue opportunities if they don’t have the optimum cloud applications and infrastructure in place.

It’s been a fine balancing act between CIOs and CFOs in terms of keeping the company on track. CIOs in particular worry of the issues their company will face if IT doesn’t move towards a cloud-based approach:

• 38% globally believe lack of cloud would lead to reduced staff productivity
• 34% argue it would result in increased time to market
• 35% reported a potential risk of data theft

Similarly, nearly half (44%) said their IT department was not able to develop applications fast enough without adequate cloud technologies.

From the CFO’s perspective, 94% recognised the need to embrace cloud based applications, and more than two thirds (68%) admitted a lack of cloud investment was holding back digital projects.

“Digital must be in the DNA of every department to help the business maximise market share and revenue,” said Canopy CEO Jacques Pommeraud. “Right now digital transformation is only happening in pockets. One key to unlocking digital transformation is cloud computing.”

When it comes to profit margins, CIOs and CFOs are often singing from the same page. One issue which hasn’t been completely solved is downtime, which can cause both financial and temporal pain for businesses. Last week Databarracks unveiled its complete disaster recovery toolkit, featuring a cost of downtime calculator, and a roadmap for each department to get back on its feet. While downtimes can sometimes be unavoidable, it can now be comfortably mitigated.

SYS-CON Events announced today that AIC, a leading provider of OEM/ODM server and storage solutions, will exhibit at SYS-CON’s 16th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on June 9-11, 2015, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY.
AIC is a leading provider of both standard OTS, off-the-shelf, and OEM/ODM server and storage solutions. With expert in-house design capabilities, validation, manufacturing and production, AIC’s broad selection of products are highly flexible and are configurable to any form factor or custom configuration. AIC leads the industry with nearly 20 years of experience in mechanical, electronic, system-level engineering as well as a dedication to product innovation and customer support. Headquartered in Taiwan, AIC has offices and operations throughout the United States, Asia and Europe.

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