NASA has retreated from OpenStack, the open source infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) cloud computing platform it helped RackSpace launch by contributing its Nebula (Nova) compute controller.
Apparently NASA doesn’t want to play developer anymore. Instead, it’s on an “IT reform” tear that started a year ago.
This reform has a lot to do with NASA watching how it spends the taxpayer’s dime and using commercial cloud services when appropriate.
Ah, but the sweet irony is – according to a June 8 blog posting by NASA CIO Linda Cureton – that the agency has “shifted to a new web services model that uses Amazon Web Services for cloud-based enterprise infrastructure. This cloud-based model supports a wide variety of web applications and sites using an interoperable, standards-based and secure environment while providing almost a million dollars in cost savings each year.”
Avoiding the Operational Debt of Cloud
If you ask three different people why they are adopting cloud it’s likely you’ll get three different reasons. The rationale for adopting cloud – whether private or public – depends entirely on the strategy IT has in place to address the unique combination of operational and business requirements for their organizations.
But one thing seems clear through all these surveys: cloud is here to stay, in one form or another.
Those who are “going private” today may “go hybrid” tomorrow. Those who are “in the cloud” today may reverse direction and decide to, as Alan Leinwand puts it so well, “own the base and rent the spike” by going “hybrid.” What the future seems to hold is hybrid architectures, with use of public and private cloud mixed together to provide the best of both worlds.
The Private Cloud Strikes Back
Having read JP Rangaswami’s argument against private clouds (and the obvious promoting of his version of cloud) I have only to say that he’s looking for oranges in an apple tree. His entire premise is based on the idea that enterprises are wholly concerned with cost and sharing risk when that can’t be farther from the truth. Yes, cost is indeed a factor as is sharing risk but a bigger and more important factor facing the enterprise today is agility and flexibility…something that monolithic leviathan-like enterprise IT systems of today definitely are not. He then jumps from cost to social enterprise as if there is a causal relationship there when, in fact, they are two separate discussions. I don’t doubt that if you are a consumer (not just customer) facing organization, it’s best to get on that social enterprise bandwagon but if your main concern is how to better equip and provide the environment and tools necessary to innovate within your organization, the whole social thing is a red herring for selling you things that you don’t need.
Traditional status quo within IT is deeply encumbered by mostly manual processes—optimized for people carrying out commodity IT tasks such as provisioning servers and OSes—that cannot be optimized any further, therefore a different, much better way had to be found. That way is the private cloud which takes those commodity IT tasks and elevates them to automated and orchestrated, well defined workflows and then utilizes a policy-driven system to carry them out. Whether these workflows are initiated by a human or as a result of a specific set of monitored criteria, the system dynamically creates and recreates itself based on actual business and performance need—something that is almost impossible to translate into the public cloud scenario.
Not that public cloud cannot be leveraged where appropriate, but the enterprise’s requirement is much more granular and specific than any public cloud can or should allow…simply to JP’s point that they must share the risk among many players and that risk is generic by definition within the public cloud. Once you start creating one-off specific environments, the commonality is lost and it loses the cost benefits because now you are simply utilizing a private cloud whose assets are owned by someone else…sound like co-lo?
Finally, I wouldn’t expect someone whose main revenue source is based on the idea that a public cloud is better than a private cloud to say anything different than what JP has said, but I did expect some semblance of clarity as to where his loyalties lie…and it looks like it’s not with the best interests of the enterprise customer.
Where to allocate resources in the cybercrime war
The cost of protecting ourselves against cybercrime can far outweigh the cost of the threat itself, according to a new study led by computer scientists at The University of Cambridge.
At the behest of the UK Ministry of Defence, the research team compiled the first estimate of direct, indirect and defence costs of different types of cybercrime.
The report’s authors, which included experts from Cambridge University, working with colleagues in Germany, the Netherlands, the USA and UK, concluded that Governments should spend less trying to anticipate online crime, and more trying to actively pursue and prosecute its perpetrators.
“Advances in information technology are moving many social and economic interactions, such as fraud or forgery, from the physical worlds to cyberspace,” said lead author Ross Anderson, Professor of Security Engineering at the University of Cambridge’s Computer Laboratory.
“As countries scramble to invest in security to minimise cyber-risks, governments want …
Cloud & National Security: Report to the President on Cloud Computing
In view of the the quick-moving push to modernize many national security and emergency preparedness (NS/EP) capabilities to be cloud based capabilities, the White House tasked the President’s National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC) to produce a report aimed at answering the central issue: Can NS/EP processes be migrated to the cloud without undue risk?
Cloud & National Security: Report to the President on Cloud Computing
In view of the the quick-moving push to modernize many national security and emergency preparedness (NS/EP) capabilities to be cloud based capabilities, the White House tasked the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC) to produce a report aimed at answering the central issue: Can NS/EP processes be migrated to the cloud without undue risk?
What security lessons can be learned from LinkedIn?
Users are making it too easy for hackers.
If we take a closer look at the 6.5 million hashed LinkedIn passwords that leaked we find a large swathe of the user population are ignoring warnings of overly simplistic and obvious passwords. Would you believe the most common word or phrase found in a 160k sampling of the list was “link”?
And would you further shake your head in disbelief that “1234” and “12345” followed close behind. Rounding out the top 10 were “work,” “god,” “job,” “angel,” “the,” “ilove,” and “sex.”
More so than Facebook, LinkedIn is the social media of choice for business. So it is likely to be used by the users in your enterprise as part of their security-as-a-service (SaaS) profile. This makes their problem your problem.
If we learn anything from this debacle, it is that password management should be a priority for any organisation that …
Cloud Expo & PaaS: Where Do We Take It From Here?
“It’s the same old tune, fiddle and guitar, where do we take it from here.” – Waylon Jennings (RIP).
Waylon was talking about change in this song, which was entitled “Are You Sure Hank Done it This Way?” His view was that one could build on a great legacy – in this case, country music – while still respecting it. He faced the same reactionary forces that artists have faced since modern western society emerged during the Renaissance.
I daresay that cloud computing continues to face the same sort of resistance as it builds upon the great legacy of enterprise IT, and as it brings changes to decades of established procedure.
“Legacy IT” was a derisive term a decade ago, as an earlier generation of client-server systems threatened to eliminate the mainframe “hairball” (Scott McNealy’s term) for good.
From Derided to Accepted
Today, legacy IT is an accepted piece of the puzzle, and can describe anything that is not new. I don’t think anyone expects enterprise IT to run with “seamless interoperability” (the worst marketing buzzphrase ever) anytime soon. The challenge of making everything work is, after all, why everyone in IT has a job in the first place.
So…having returned recently from Cloud Expo in New York to my current office in Illinois, I have to ponder, “where do we take it from here?”
The big lesson from Cloud Expo, as I wrote a few days ago, is the inevitably of multi-cloud computing. Enough vendors are now partnering with one another, creating a vast new sea of middleware. This creates a marvelous tautology: a.) your current enterprise IT shop can migrate to cloud without having to rip stuff up, b.) cloud computing can be embraced by your organization because you don’t have to rip stuff up.
Well, this lesson might qualify as a big “duh” to enterprise IT pros who’ve been bemused to this point about “cloud myths” and the Den of FUD being furnished by companies large and small. Of course we will work within our own parameters! Of course we won’t tear everything up! In fact, we won’t tear anything up!
Now that cloud vendors – and those who write about the technology – have figured out there will be no clean lines drawn among public, private, and hybrid cloud, we’re all allowed to proceed with cloud initiatives as it suits our company’s fashion. The newish, cloud-era purveyors of Infrastructure (IaaS) in the cloud are now free to see hockey-stick growth in an arena populated by all of the traditional enterprise IT players.
Whither Larry’s Company?
While on this topic, I’d like to observe that it seems Oracle CEO Larry Ellison continues to have nothing of value to say about cloud computing. His feigned disgust of cloud of a few years ago has been replaced by condescending endorsement. The only good news here seems to be an earnestness among Oracle’s other employees to bend the company’s offerings to fit what there customers want. It is impossible for me to tell at this point whether cloud will ultimately destroy Oracle, be destroyed by it, or simply sleeken it up to meet the needs of this new era.
Time for More PaaS
In any case, Oracle must function within this multi-cloud universe. And within this universe, the question of software development (delivered as PaaS) also raises its head. I find PaaS to be the most dynamic area within cloud. As one PaaS entrepreneur told me in New York, “you know there are only two PaaS frameworks with more than $10 million in revenue right now – and one of them is Microsoft Azure.”
In other words, the Oklahoma Land Rush is on, and it will look chaotic to some, for some time.
As a business-side panelist during the DeployCon PaaS conference held within Cloud Expo noted, “the machine screws aren’t the same size” among the competing cloud development programs and frameworks today, further noting that “it will be a long time before they are.”
This can either signal chaos and cause timid managers to wait until things standardize themselves, or can signal healthy competition and cause bolder managers to pursue their cloud projects with what they think is the best software and framework for them.
I’m trying to think if there’s ever been a truly losing bet when it comes to software languages and frameworks. There must be more than 100 significant languages and frameworks already in use – and the better jobs go to those with well-developed skills in more than one of them.
Train ‘Em!
Which brings me to my final point of the day. Cloud computing promises to upgrade IT jobs. Let the water flow where it may – if lower level tech support continues to migrate to India, the Philippines, and Eastern Europe, let it. Train your people here, train them well, lobby against more H1B visas, and let a thousand flowers bloom.
If enough of the United States’ current population simply can’t be trained to meet the more extreme needs of cloud computing, then forget what I said about the visas. The opportunity is there in any case.
Ask the major research companies if you wish – or look around your shop, think about what you want to build on the cloud with PaaS, and see if you can find the talent to do it. If you can’t let me know – I’m ready to start a whole new series of PaaS conferences if there’s a need.
As Waylon himself wrote, “Tell me one more time just so I understand.” I think I’ve been told enough now.
Follow me on Twitter
Cloud Expo & PaaS: Where Do We Take It From Here?
“It’s the same old tune, fiddle and guitar, where do we take it from here.” – Waylon Jennings (RIP).
Waylon was talking about change in this song, which was entitled “Are You Sure Hank Done it This Way?” His view was that one could build on a great legacy – in this case, country music – while still respecting it. He faced the same reactionary forces that artists have faced since modern western society emerged during the Renaissance.
I daresay that cloud computing continues to face the same sort of resistance as it builds upon the great legacy of enterprise IT, and as it brings changes to decades of established procedure.
“Legacy IT” was a derisive term a decade ago, as an earlier generation of client-server systems threatened to eliminate the mainframe “hairball” (Scott McNealy’s term) for good.
From Derided to Accepted
Today, legacy IT is an accepted piece of the puzzle, and can describe anything that is not new. I don’t think anyone expects enterprise IT to run with “seamless interoperability” (the worst marketing buzzphrase ever) anytime soon. The challenge of making everything work is, after all, why everyone in IT has a job in the first place.
So…having returned recently from Cloud Expo in New York to my current office in Illinois, I have to ponder, “where do we take it from here?”
The big lesson from Cloud Expo, as I wrote a few days ago, is the inevitably of multi-cloud computing. Enough vendors are now partnering with one another, creating a vast new sea of middleware. This creates a marvelous tautology: a.) your current enterprise IT shop can migrate to cloud without having to rip stuff up, b.) cloud computing can be embraced by your organization because you don’t have to rip stuff up.
Well, this lesson might qualify as a big “duh” to enterprise IT pros who’ve been bemused to this point about “cloud myths” and the Den of FUD being furnished by companies large and small. Of course we will work within our own parameters! Of course we won’t tear everything up! In fact, we won’t tear anything up!
Now that cloud vendors – and those who write about the technology – have figured out there will be no clean lines drawn among public, private, and hybrid cloud, we’re all allowed to proceed with cloud initiatives as it suits our company’s fashion. The newish, cloud-era purveyors of Infrastructure (IaaS) in the cloud are now free to see hockey-stick growth in an arena populated by all of the traditional enterprise IT players.
Whither Larry’s Company?
While on this topic, I’d like to observe that it seems Oracle CEO Larry Ellison continues to have nothing of value to say about cloud computing. His feigned disgust of cloud of a few years ago has been replaced by condescending endorsement. The only good news here seems to be an earnestness among Oracle’s other employees to bend the company’s offerings to fit what there customers want. It is impossible for me to tell at this point whether cloud will ultimately destroy Oracle, be destroyed by it, or simply sleeken it up to meet the needs of this new era.
Time for More PaaS
In any case, Oracle must function within this multi-cloud universe. And within this universe, the question of software development (delivered as PaaS) also raises its head. I find PaaS to be the most dynamic area within cloud. As one PaaS entrepreneur told me in New York, “you know there are only two PaaS frameworks with more than $10 million in revenue right now – and one of them is Microsoft Azure.”
In other words, the Oklahoma Land Rush is on, and it will look chaotic to some, for some time.
As a business-side panelist during the DeployCon PaaS conference held within Cloud Expo noted, “the machine screws aren’t the same size” among the competing cloud development programs and frameworks today, further noting that “it will be a long time before they are.”
This can either signal chaos and cause timid managers to wait until things standardize themselves, or can signal healthy competition and cause bolder managers to pursue their cloud projects with what they think is the best software and framework for them.
I’m trying to think if there’s ever been a truly losing bet when it comes to software languages and frameworks. There must be more than 100 significant languages and frameworks already in use – and the better jobs go to those with well-developed skills in more than one of them.
Train ‘Em!
Which brings me to my final point of the day. Cloud computing promises to upgrade IT jobs. Let the water flow where it may – if lower level tech support continues to migrate to India, the Philippines, and Eastern Europe, let it. Train your people here, train them well, lobby against more H1B visas, and let a thousand flowers bloom.
If enough of the United States’ current population simply can’t be trained to meet the more extreme needs of cloud computing, then forget what I said about the visas. The opportunity is there in any case.
Ask the major research companies if you wish – or look around your shop, think about what you want to build on the cloud with PaaS, and see if you can find the talent to do it. If you can’t let me know – I’m ready to start a whole new series of PaaS conferences if there’s a need.
As Waylon himself wrote, “Tell me one more time just so I understand.” I think I’ve been told enough now.
Follow me on Twitter
Tell Your Children to Learn Hadoop
I spent some time last week with several vendors and users of Hadoop, the formless data repository that is the current favorite of many dot coms and the darling of the data nerds. It was instructive. Moms and Dads, tell … Continue reading 