| How and where do I get started on private cloud? | | | | service levels and the responsiveness of a cloud |
| The roads to cloud computing from the existing | | | | computing environment. Also, in many organizations |
| client-server computing are many. There are at least | | | | IT has not developed into a dependable strategic |
| three major paths are available and followed by | | | | partner. This is an evolution IT must take if cloud |
| business users:o Organizations that run applications | | | | computing is to become less daunting. Platform ISF |
| hosted in VMs on servers can consolidate these | | | | helps you start, or accelerate this journey. |
| servers to form a VM cluster. Adding automatic | | | | From IT's perspective, concerns of security and |
| resource allocation, load balancing across VM clusters, | | | | compliance (even inside the firewall) remain, as |
| and self-service access to resources results in a | | | | confidential information does not usually reside on |
| private cloud run by the IT department.o | | | | shared servers. It is a misconception that a private |
| Organizations that operate distributed systems on | | | | cloud is deployed across the entire organization. It is |
| grids, managed by IT staff and shared by technical | | | | expected that you will have pockets of dedicated |
| applications that are typically compute- or | | | | resources for some legacy applications and those |
| data-intensive can deploy cloud management | | | | with static workload using up all the resources on a |
| software to generalize the grids to support more | | | | server. Finally, fears of upfront investment costs and |
| types of applications. Incorporating VM technologies | | | | complexity can be addressed through the availability |
| and application environment provisioning tools from | | | | of packaged cloud computing management software |
| Data Center Automation products transforms the | | | | (like Platform ISF) designed to leverage existing |
| grid into a private cloud.o Finally some organizations | | | | infrastructure. |
| move directly from their desktops or any client | | | | What are the barriers to cloud adoption within the |
| devices allowing users to access applications hosted | | | | enterprise? |
| in cloud computing centers run by internal or external | | | | The greatest barrier to the adoption of private cloud |
| service providers. | | | | computing is the existing mindset within organizations |
| An organization may choose to follow one path to | | | | and within their IT operations. The role of IT must |
| cloud or another, and often several at the same time | | | | change; a challenge for both IT and the organization |
| for different applications or parts of its business. To | | | | overall, which has a preconceived notion of the role |
| ensure success, the adoption of cloud computing | | | | and capabilities of IT. Once this hurdle is crossed |
| should follow a sequence of evolutionary steps rather | | | | other barriers include the lack of a proof point, IT |
| than an overnight revolution. Motivation for the use | | | | maturity (even after the mindset issue has been |
| of cloud computing comes from users and progress | | | | tackled), the need for project investment, and |
| is driven by the needs of specific applications for | | | | application suitability. |
| scalability, cost-effectiveness, or capabilities such as | | | | What is the role of public cloud within an enterprise? |
| business process automation. Platform believes the | | | | Public cloud represents an important resource |
| best approach is to start small and build a private | | | | available to the enterprise and should be considered |
| cloud using internal resources as a first step that can | | | | by cloud developers as valuable computer resources |
| be used in a Test/Dev, HPC, or other specific | | | | within a private cloud construct. It provides rapid |
| application environment for example and then | | | | access to compute resources on demand within a |
| expanded. | | | | cloud environment and can save organizations capital |
| Why should I work with Platform? | | | | costs, especially for organizations with spikes in |
| As the global leader in grid computing, Platform has | | | | demand or cyclical resource requirements. Resources |
| leading technology and extensive experience in | | | | from external providers can be incorporated into |
| infrastructure sharing and workload scheduling, the | | | | your private cloud as needed. |
| two key capabilities that are required for the | | | | What industries will readily be able to take advantage |
| adoption of private clouds. Platform also has | | | | of private cloud? |
| experience in deploying large scale distributed | | | | IT environments with elastic or variable demands for |
| computing environments that leverage both physical | | | | infrastructure and multiple overlapping applications can |
| and virtual resources, clusters and grids. Platform is | | | | readily take advantage of private cloud computing |
| one of the few vendors that deliver a cloud | | | | today. These demands are often driven by internal |
| computing management platform (Platform ISF) | | | | application development, simulation, testing and |
| which is technology agnostic supporting the leading | | | | business processes which have spikes in demand as a |
| hardware, OS and VM offerings. This means that | | | | result of business cycle or project demands. Initially |
| existing resources can be leveraged to deploy a | | | | these would likely be in the functional areas which |
| private cloud. | | | | leverage HPC, Web apps and SOA applications. |
| What are the common concerns with respect to the | | | | However the private cloud computing paradigm is |
| adoption of cloud computing? | | | | suitable for medium and large enterprise spanning |
| Typically business users are reluctant to give up their | | | | many industries including Financial Services, Retail, |
| dedicated resources and pool them in a shared | | | | Manufacturing, Energy, Healthcare, High-tech and the |
| environment due to concerns of resource availability, | | | | Government sector. |