After attending a Clouderati party and DeployCon the following day I started to question my very existence in the world of technology. It’s as if I’ve been closeted. It reminded me a little of my childhood in what was once West Berlin, where my father burst onto the art scene, only to flame-out after publicly humiliating the most powerful gallery of the time and his sponsor, Rene Bloch. My father wanted to flood the gallery with water and have the people traverse islands constructed as part of the exhibit as they moved from one island after another each hosting the paintings and provisions that had sustained the artist as he moved through one way of viewing to another as he constructed and sometimes destroyed his works. That’s another blog post entirely, perhaps even a chapter in a novel.
Cloud Expo: The Question Moves from "What" to "Why" to "How"
Cloud computing has crossed a Rubicon of sorts, and is now being embraced by a majority of enterprise IT shops – at least according to attendees and vendors at Cloud Expo in New York.
I remember interviewing Hal Stern (late of Sun and Oracle) a couple of years ago at the event, when he said that people were asking him “why should I do cloud?” rather than “what is cloud?” This year, the question is “how should I do cloud?”
There is a mad dash among big vendors, for one thing. IBM and HP have embraced the cloud fully, even to the extent of offering traditional PaaS development services as part of their infrastructure (IaaS) solution. Microsoft has re-launched Azure, in effect, working with new vendors to expand beyong its PaaS roots to become an IaaS vendor designed to compete directly with Amazon. Oracle’s Larry Ellison now speaks of cloud as if he invented it, as the database monster now seeks to maintain grip on hundreds of thousands of enterprise IT customers.
Meanwhile, the Battle of the Stacks among Eucalyptus, OpenStack, and Citrix CloudStack is merely part of a larger struggle for market share among the three Open Source companies against VMware, the company that triggered the move toward cloud in the first place.
Cloud Expo had a few highly interesting sub-events within it. In addition to its traditional Cloud Computing Boot Camp and the RightScale conference, this time Cloud Expo hosted a day-long presentation from the Open Data Center Alliance (ODCA), and the initial DeployCon event, which focused on the pack of PaaS vendors who are rubbing against one another for supremacy in this key space.
The word of the day here was “multi-cloud.” It turns out that enterprise IT is complex, and that cloud is not going to eliminate that complexity, at least with larger shops. However, it will continue the push in recent years to eliminate silos, decouple and loosely recouple services, get a grip on measuring things, and provide the vaunted “single pane of glass” through which IT management and view and manage what’s going on.
Cloud’s potential to offer apparently infinite elasticity and to remove some of the day-to-day management headaches when moving things offsite remain as great future opportunities for cloud. But it seems that customers are doing their best to avoid Vendor Lock-in 2.0 and to work with multiple companies to get what they need. From what I saw at Cloud Expo, the need for highly skilled IT worker bees and managers will only increase as companies realize that they really need to know what they’re doing in the cloud; it’s not just a buzzterm, not a panacea to IT complexity, but rather, a foundational, transformational change.
The CRM lottery – will you get the outcome you expect?
Let’s discuss a couple of the heavyweight C words in the IT Sector: cloud and customer relationship management (CRM).
What do they have in common?
Well they have both certainly provoked a lot of press coverage and airtime; both have driven large brand name vendors to jump in with big investment, acquisitions and marketing hype; both have helped drive each other’s growth and both certainly have had customers debating what and when they should elect to use such a solution.
CRM has been a hyped acronym for many years and can mean many things to many people. Many debates abound in this area from if it is the correct terminology to describe what its used for, to how much does it really cost, to what ROI can really be achieved.
The fundamentals are though that a way to manage customer information, share it securely, track customer interactions and …
Bursting into the Clouds – Experimenting with Cloud Bursting
Guest Post by Dotan Horovits, Senior Solutions Architect at GigaSpaces
Dotan Horovits is one of the primary architects at GigaSpaces
Who needs Cloud Bursting?
We see many organizations examining Cloud as replacement for their existing in-house IT. But we see interest in cloud even among organizations that have no plan of replacing their traditional data center.
One prominent use case is Cloud Bursting:
Cloud bursting is an application deployment model in which an application runs in a private cloud or data center and bursts into a public cloud when the demand for computing capacity spikes. The advantage of such a hybrid cloud deployment is that an organization only pays for extra compute resources when they are needed.
[Definition from SearchCloudComputing]
Cloud Bursting appears to be a prominent use case in cloud on-boarding projects. In a recent post, Nati Shalom summarizes nicely the economical rationale for cloud bursting and discusses theoretical approaches for architecture. In this post I’d like to examine the architectural challenges more closely and explore possible designs for Cloud Bursting.
Examining Cloud Bursting Architecture
Overflowing compute to the cloud is addressed by workload migration: when we need more compute power we just spin up more VMs in the cloud (the secondary site) and install instances of the application. The challenge in workload migration is around how to build a consistent environment in the secondary site as in the primary site, so the system can overflow transparently. This is usually addressed by DevOps tools such as Chef, Puppet, CFEngine and
The Cloud Bursting problem becomes more interesting when data is concerned. In his post Nati mentions two approaches for handling data during cloud bursting:
1. The primary site approach – Use the private cloud as the primary data site, and then point all the burst activity to that site.
2. Federated site approach – This approach is similar to the way Content Distribution Networks (CDN) work today. With this approach we maintain a replica of the data available at each site and keep their replicas in sync.
The primary site approach incurs heavy penalty in latency, as each computation needs to make the round trip to the primary site to get the data for the computation. Such architecture is not applicable to online flows.
The federated site approach uses data synchronization to bring the data to the compute, which saves the above latency and enables online flows. But if we want to support “hot” bursting to the cloud, we have to replicate the data between the sites in an ongoing streaming fashion, so that the data is available on the cloud as soon as the peak occurs and we can spin up compute instances and immediately start to redirect load. Let’s see how it’s done.
Cloud Bursting – Examining the Federated Site Approach
Let’s put up our sleeves and start experimenting hands-on with the federated site approach for Cloud Bursting architecture. As reference application let’s take Spring’s PetClinic Sample Application and run it on an Apache Tomcat web container. The application will persist its data locally to a MySQL relational database.
The primary site, representing our private data center, will run the above stack and serve the PetClinic online service. The secondary site, representing the public cloud, will only have a MySQL database, and we will replicate data between the primary and secondary sites to keep data synchronized. As soon as the load on the primary site increases beyond a certain threshold, we will spin up a machine with an instance of Tomcat and the PetClinic application, and update the load balancer to offload some of the traffic to the secondary site.
On my experiment I used Amazon EC2 and RackSpace IaaS providers to simulate the two distinct environments of the primary and secondary sites, but any on-demand environments will do.
REPLICATING RDBMS DATA OVER WAN
How do we replicate data between the MySQL database instances over WAN? On this experiment we’ll use the following pattern:
1. Monitor data mutating SQL statements on source site. Turn on the MySQL query log, and write a listener (“Feeder”) to intercept data mutating SQL statements, then write them to GigaSpaces In-Memory Data Grid.
2. Replicate data mutating SQL statements over WAN. I used GigaSpaces WAN Replication to replicate the SQL statements between the data grids of the primary and secondary sites in a real-time and transactional manner.
3. Execute data mutating SQL statements on target site. Write a listener (“Processor”) to intercept incoming SQL statements on the data grid and execute them on the local MySQL DB.
To support bi-directional data replication we simply deploy both the Feeder and the Processor on each site.
AUTO-BOOTSTRAP SECONDARY SITE
When peak load occurs, we need to react immediately, and perform a series of operations to activate the secondary site:
1. spin up compute nodes (VMs)
2. download and install Tomcat web server
3. download and install the PetClinic application
4. configure the load balancer with the new node
5. when peak load is over – perform the reverse flow to tear down the secondary site
We need to automate this bootstrap process to support real-time response to peak-load events. How do we do this automation? I used GigaSpacesCloudify open-source product as the automation tool for setting up and for taking down the secondary site, utilizing the out-of-the-box connectors for EC2 and RackSpace. Cloudify also provides self-healing in case of VM or process failure, and can later help in scaling the application (in case of clustered applications).
Implementation Details
The result of the above experimentation is available on GitHub. It contains:
§ DB scripts for setting up the logging, schema and demo data for the PetClinic application
§ PetClinic application (.war) file
§ WAN replication gateway module
§ Cloudify recipe for automating the PetClinic deployment
See the documentation on GitHub for detailed instructions on how to configure the above with your specific deployment details.
Conclusion
Cloud Bursting is a common use case for cloud on-boarding, which requires good architecture patterns. In this post I tried to suggest some patterns and experiment with a simple demo, sharing it with the community to get feedback and raise discussion on these cloud architectures.
More information can be seen at an upcoming GigaSpaces webinar on Transactional Cross-Site Data Replication on June 20th (register at: http://bit.ly/IM0w9F)
Guest Post: The rise of Outsourcing-as-a-Service
15th June 2012
What is the response to the growth of cloud from leading BPO and outsourcing companies? Is being a good service provider essential to the success of the customer? Mateen Greenway, HP’s Chief Technologist for EMEA Public Sector, gives us his perspective.
API Strategy 2012: For the Cloud, by the Cloud, as Platforms Emerge
What do salesforce.com and Mashery have in common? They are multi-tenant software as a service leaders – both built with billions of APIs – for the Cloud, by the Cloud.
The implications this year: API Strategy in 2012 cuts across mobile, social, and cloud. Winning with API’s translates to understanding the economics and agility of clouds for scale, speed, and security.
In 2010 Delyn Simons, formerly the head of eBay’s highly successful developer program stated, “Behind every good app is an API.” In 2012, the projection is that “behind every successful app there will be a number of APIs that power it.” Apps are becoming big business, with more than 250 million app downloads on Christmas day alone and a record number of Android, iPad, and iPhone sales during the holidays. The world has been mobile for a decade, but now the mobile world is so omnipresent and dynamic that it is altering business and culture at impressive rates.
Cisco reveals cloud-ready networking app
Networking firm Cisco has introduced its Cloud Connected Solution, a new application that has been designed in order to allow users to connect securely to cloud services.
It will deliver cloud-enabling routing and wide area network (WAN) optimisation platforms as well as Cloud Connector software and services.
The application is also designed to enable organisations to implement cloud computing and accelerate the deployment of cloud services whilst delivering an optimal user experience.
New software has also been launched with the product application called Cloud Connectors. This is embedded in the Cisco Integrated Services Router (ISR) G2 platform along with services that are hoped will improve performance, security and availability of cloud applications.
Cloud Connectors has an open architecture which will help service providers develop third-party Cloud Connectors to deliver differentiated services to their customers.
Furthermore, the new app will feature Cisco WAAS 5.0 with AppNav which virtualises WAN optimisation …
Global SMB Market: Hosted Communication and Collaboration
Part 4 of a 5-part series detailing Parallels SMB Cloud Insights research
Welcome to Part 4 of our overview of findings from our Parallels SMB Cloud Insights report. So far in this series, we’ve discussed the different segments of the SMB cloud services market and how they relate to hosted infrastructure and web presence.
In the area of hosted communication and collaboration, the opportunities for hosted email penetration are the same for SMBs working with either mature or maturing cloud service markets in developed countries. Therefore, in this post we’ll look at all developed countries as a single group. We’ll also focus our research on two areas: premium business email, including security, archiving, and mobility features; and hosted PBX.
Worldwide, the SMB market for both these services is small, with less than 10% of SMBs currently paying for premium hosted email and less than 5% using hosted PBX services (see Table 3 below).
Hosted Email
About 50% of SMBs in countries with mature cloud services use hosted email (see Table 3), and less than 10% of those in mature and maturing cloud service environments pay for it (except in the US, where over 15% do). Though this may seem like a challenge, current low usage of paid hosted email actually offers two major growth opportunities for service providers.
The first is in encouraging adoption among micro and small SMBs currently using in-house email servers. Our research found that around 10% of micro SMBs and more than 20% of small SMBs in developed countries use in-house email servers. This is an expensive and complicated solution for small companies, particularly those without dedicated IT staff. And since some 25 to 40% of SMBs with in-house email servers are either definitely planning to or at least considering switching to premium hosted email in the next three years, these SMBs represent a sizable opportunity for service providers.
The second opportunity lies in upselling small and medium SMBs that are currently using free email. Free is hard to compete with, but free only gets business so far. In fact, 20 to 50% of small and medium SMBs using free email are either planning to or considering adding premium hosted email in the next three years. The trick to upselling to these businesses is demonstrating the benefits of hosted email, like its team collaboration aspects and its “pay-per-seat” pricing model.
For the markets with emerging cloud services, less than 20% of SMBs are even using email at all, and only 5% are paying for it. These companies can benefit from the same features as SMBs in developed countries, so the best opportunity here is to upsell small and medium SMBs using free email through a hosting service, ISP, or other free provider.
Hosted PBX
Hosted PBX is a fairly new service in all geographies, which means the SMB market for this service looks similar in both developed and developing countries. Our research found that, except in the U.S., less than 5% of SMBs in any country have a hosted PBX system (see Table 3). For U.S. companies, it’s still a meager 10%. Nevertheless, we expect other countries to catch up to the U.S. rate quickly.
The easiest targets for service providers looking to step into the hosted PBX market are SMBs that currently use in-house PBX systems (about 10 to 20% of micro SMBs and more than 30% of small SMBs). Selling points include the less complicated, more flexible options hosted PBX offer.
Service providers will also have to address the three big stumbling blocks to hosted PBX adoption for SMBs: price, security and privacy issues, and technical know-how. We believe the trick to working around this is two-fold: offer small bundles in order to keep prices lower, and actively educate SMBs about security and technical aspects. Hosted and in-house PBX systems have similar technical features and are equally secure, yet many SMBs mistakenly think otherwise.
SMBs also often indicate that it’s important to them that their service provider has a local presence. It’s crucial for service providers with a local presence push this advantage, by emphasizing their expertise in local language voice offerings, for example.
In our last series entry, we’ll discuss opportunities in Business Applications, and wrap up the findings in our Parallels SMB Cloud Insights report.
Global SMB Market: Hosted Communication and Collaboration
Part 4 of a 5-part series detailing Parallels SMB Cloud Insights research
Welcome to Part 4 of our overview of findings from our Parallels SMB Cloud Insights report. So far in this series, we’ve discussed the different segments of the SMB cloud services market and how they relate to hosted infrastructure and web presence.
In the area of hosted communication and collaboration, the opportunities for hosted email penetration are the same for SMBs working with either mature or maturing cloud service markets in developed countries. Therefore, in this post we’ll look at all developed countries as a single group. We’ll also focus our research on two areas: premium business email, including security, archiving, and mobility features; and hosted PBX.
Worldwide, the SMB market for both these services is small, with less than 10% of SMBs currently paying for premium hosted email and less than 5% using hosted PBX services (see Table 3 below).
Hosted Email
About 50% of SMBs in countries with mature cloud services use hosted email (see Table 3), and less than 10% of those in mature and maturing cloud service environments pay for it (except in the US, where over 15% do). Though this may seem like a challenge, current low usage of paid hosted email actually offers two major growth opportunities for service providers.
The first is in encouraging adoption among micro and small SMBs currently using in-house email servers. Our research found that around 10% of micro SMBs and more than 20% of small SMBs in developed countries use in-house email servers. This is an expensive and complicated solution for small companies, particularly those without dedicated IT staff. And since some 25 to 40% of SMBs with in-house email servers are either definitely planning to or at least considering switching to premium hosted email in the next three years, these SMBs represent a sizable opportunity for service providers.
The second opportunity lies in upselling small and medium SMBs that are currently using free email. Free is hard to compete with, but free only gets business so far. In fact, 20 to 50% of small and medium SMBs using free email are either planning to or considering adding premium hosted email in the next three years. The trick to upselling to these businesses is demonstrating the benefits of hosted email, like its team collaboration aspects and its “pay-per-seat” pricing model.
For the markets with emerging cloud services, less than 20% of SMBs are even using email at all, and only 5% are paying for it. These companies can benefit from the same features as SMBs in developed countries, so the best opportunity here is to upsell small and medium SMBs using free email through a hosting service, ISP, or other free provider.
Hosted PBX
Hosted PBX is a fairly new service in all geographies, which means the SMB market for this service looks similar in both developed and developing countries. Our research found that, except in the U.S., less than 5% of SMBs in any country have a hosted PBX system (see Table 3). For U.S. companies, it’s still a meager 10%. Nevertheless, we expect other countries to catch up to the U.S. rate quickly.
The easiest targets for service providers looking to step into the hosted PBX market are SMBs that currently use in-house PBX systems (about 10 to 20% of micro SMBs and more than 30% of small SMBs). Selling points include the less complicated, more flexible options hosted PBX offer.
Service providers will also have to address the three big stumbling blocks to hosted PBX adoption for SMBs: price, security and privacy issues, and technical know-how. We believe the trick to working around this is two-fold: offer small bundles in order to keep prices lower, and actively educate SMBs about security and technical aspects. Hosted and in-house PBX systems have similar technical features and are equally secure, yet many SMBs mistakenly think otherwise.
SMBs also often indicate that it’s important to them that their service provider has a local presence. It’s crucial for service providers with a local presence push this advantage, by emphasizing their expertise in local language voice offerings, for example.
In our last series entry, we’ll discuss opportunities in Business Applications, and wrap up the findings in our Parallels SMB Cloud Insights report.
GoGrid to Provide Cloud Infrastructure for Big Data Architecture
GoGrid, a cloud infrastructure company, on Thursday announced that Brilig relies on hybrid infrastructure in the cloud from GoGrid for its Big Data architecture. A cooperative data marketplace for online display advertising, Brilig offers ad space in more than 7,500 consumer segments. Since turning to GoGrid, Brilig has decreased its infrastructure costs and increased the performance of its Big Data solution.
“Brilig wouldn’t exist without the distributed data architectures associated with Big Data,” says Paul Cimino, the company’s CEO. “Big Data represents a profound change in the usefulness of the huge amounts of data we generate. The cloud is just as important. By running our solution using GoGrid’s hybrid cloud infrastructure, we’re able to process more than 300 million requests per day without tying up our capital in database or server hardware.”