OPEN
CLOUD MANIFESTO:
Introduction
The
buzz around cloud computing has reached a fever pitch. Some believe
it is a
disruptive
trend representing the next stage in the evolution of the Internet.
Others
believe
it is hype, as it uses long established computing technologies. As
with any
new
trend in the IT world, organizations must figure out the benefits and
risks of
cloud
computing and the best way to use this technology.
One
thing is clear: The industry needs an objective, straightforward
conversation
about
how this new computing paradigm will impact organizations, how it can
be
used
with existing technologies, and the potential pitfalls of proprietary
technologies
that can lead to lock-in and limited choice.
This
document is intended to initiate a conversation that will bring
together the
emerging
cloud computing community (both cloud users and cloud providers)
around
a core set of principles. We believe that these core principles are
rooted in
the
belief that cloud computing should be as open as all other IT
technologies.
This
document does not intend to define a final taxonomy of cloud
computing or
to
charter a new standards effort. Nor does it try to be an exhaustive
thesis on
cloud
architecture and design. Rather, this document is intended for CIOs,
governments,
IT users and business leaders who intend to use cloud computing
and
to establish a set of core principles for cloud providers. Cloud
computing is
still
in its early stages, with much to learn and more experimentation to
come.
However,
the time is right for the members of the emerging cloud computing
community
to come together around the notion of an open cloud.
What
is Cloud Computing and Why
is
it Important?
In
order to understand the core principles of an open cloud, we need to
first agree
on
some basic definitions and concepts of cloud computing itself. First,
what is
“the
cloud”? The architecture and terminology of cloud computing is
as clearly and
precisely
defined as, well, a cloud. Since cloud computing is really a
culmination of
many
technologies such as grid computing, utility computing, SOA, Web 2.0,
and
other
technologies, a precise definition is often debated.
While
definitions, taxonomies and architectures are interesting, it is
more
important
to understand the value propositions for cloud computing. We need to
understand
how suppliers of cloud technology will come together to deliver on
the
promise
of cloud computing.
The
key characteristics of the cloud are the ability to scale and
provision
computing
power dynamically in a cost efficient way and the ability of the
consumer
(end user, organization or IT staff) to make the most of that power
without
having to manage the underlying complexity of the technology. The
cloud
architecture
itself can be private (hosted within an organization’s
firewall) or public
(hosted
on the Internet). These characteristics lead to a set of core value
propositions:
Scalability
on Demand
All
organizations have to deal with changes in their environments. The
ability of
cloud
computing solutions to scale up and down is a major benefit. If an
organization
has periods of time in which their computing resource needs are
much
higher or lower than normal, cloud technologies (both private and
public)
can
deal with those changes. The organization pays for the IT resources
it
actually
uses; it does not have to maintain multiple sets of artificially high
levels
of
resources to handle peak demands.
Streamlining
the Data Center
An
organization of any size will have a substantial investment in its
data center.
That
includes buying and maintaining the hardware and software, providing
the
facilities
in which the hardware is housed and hiring the personnel who keep
the
data
center running. An organization can streamline its data center by
taking
advantage
of cloud technologies internally or by offloading workload into the
public.
Improving
Business Processes
The
cloud provides an infrastructure for improving business processes.
An
organization
and its suppliers and partners can share data and applications in
the
cloud, allowing everyone involved to focus on the business process
instead
of
the infrastructure that hosts it.
Minimizing
Startup Costs
For
companies that are just starting out, organizations in emerging
markets, or
even
“Skunk Works” groups in larger organizations, cloud
computing greatly
reduces
startup costs. The new organization starts with an infrastructure
already
in place, so the time and other resources that would be spent on
building
a data center are borne by the cloud provider, whether the cloud is
private
or public.
Challenges
and Barriers to
Adoption
Although
the cloud presents tremendous opportunity and value for
organizations,
the
usual IT requirements (security, integration, and so forth) still
apply. In
addition,
some new issues come about because of the multi-tenant nature
(information
from multiple companies may reside on the same physical hardware)
of
cloud computing, the merger of applications and data, and the fact
that a
company’s
workloads might reside outside of their physical on-premise
datacenter.
This
section examines five main challenges that cloud computing must
address in
order
to deliver on its promise.
Security
Many
organizations are uncomfortable with the idea of storing their data
and
applications
on systems they do not control. Migrating workloads to a shared
infrastructure
increases the potential for unauthorized access and exposure.
Consistency
around authentication, identity management, compliance, and
access
technologies will become increasingly important. To reassure their
customers,
cloud providers must offer a high degree of transparency into their
operations.
Data
and Application Interoperability
It
is important that both data and applications systems expose standard
interfaces.
Organizations will want the flexibility to create new solutions
enabled
by data and applications that interoperate with each other regardless
of
where
they reside (public clouds, private clouds that reside within an
organization’s
firewall, traditional IT environments or some combination). Cloud
providers
need to support interoperability standards so that organizations can
combine
any cloud provider’s capabilities into their solutions.
Data
and Application Portability
Without
standards, the ability to bring systems back in-house or choose
another
cloud
provider will be limited by proprietary interfaces. Once an
organization
builds
or ports a system to use a cloud provider’s offerings, bringing
that
system
back in-house will be difficult and expensive.
Governance
and Management
As
IT departments introduce cloud solutions in the context of their
traditional
datacenter,
new challenges arise. Standardized mechanisms for dealing with
lifecycle
management, licensing, and chargeback for shared cloud
infrastructure
are
just some of the management and governance issues cloud providers
must
work
together to resolve.
Metering
and Monitoring
Business
leaders will want to use multiple cloud providers in their IT
solutions
and
will need to monitor system performance across these solutions.
Providers
must
supply consistent formats to monitor cloud applications and service
performance
and make them compatible with existing monitoring systems.
It
is clear that the opportunity for those who effectively utilize cloud
computing in
their
organizations is great. However, these opportunities are not without
risks and
barriers.
It is our belief that the value of cloud computing can be fully
realized only
when
cloud providers ensure that the cloud is open.
The
Goals of an Open Cloud
Customers
expect that the cloud services they use will be as open as the rest
of
their
IT choices. As an open cloud becomes a reality, business leaders will
benefit
in
several ways.
Choice
As
an organization chooses a provider or architecture or usage model, an
open
cloud
will make it easy for them to use a different provider or
architecture as
the
business environment changes. If the organization needs to change
providers
because of new partnerships, acquisition, customer requests or
government
regulations, they can do so easily. If the organization deploys a
private
cloud, they can choose between providers as they extend their
capacity
and/or
functional capabilities. Resources that would have been spent on a
difficult
migration can instead be spent on innovation.
Flexibility
No
matter which cloud provider and architecture an organization uses, an
open
cloud
will make it easy for them to work with other groups, even if those
other
groups
choose different providers and architectures. An open cloud will make
it
easy
for organizations to interoperate between different cloud providers.
Speed
and Agility
One
of the value propositions of cloud computing is the ability to scale
hardware
and software as needed. Using open interfaces allows organizations
to
build
new solutions that integrate public clouds, private clouds and
current IT
systems.
As the conditions of the organization change, an open cloud will let
the
organization respond with speed and agility.
Skills
A
side effect of an open cloud is the availability of skilled
professionals. If there
are
many proprietary programming models, a given IT professional is
unlikely to
know
more than a few of them. With an open cloud, there will be a smaller
set
of
new technologies to learn (especially when existing technologies are
utilized),
greatly
enhancing the chances that the organization can find someone with
the
necessary
skills.
Principles
of an Open Cloud
Of
course, many clouds will continue to be different in a number of
important
ways,
providing unique value for organizations. It is not our intention to
define
standards
for every capability in the cloud and create a single homogeneous
cloud
environment.
Rather, as cloud computing matures, there are several key principles
that
must be followed to ensure the cloud is open and delivers the
choice,
flexibility
and agility organizations demand:
Cloud
providers must work together to ensure that the challenges to cloud
adoption (security, integration, portability, interoperability,
governance/management, metering/monitoring) are addressed through
open collaboration and the appropriate use of standards.
Cloud
providers must not use their market position to lock customers into
their particular platforms and limit their choice of providers.
3.
Cloud
providers must use and adopt existing standards wherever
appropriate. The IT industry has invested heavily in existing
standards and
standards organizations; there is no need to
duplicate or reinvent them.
When
new standards (or adjustments to existing standards) are needed, we
must be judicious and pragmatic to avoid creating too many
standards. We
must ensure that standards promote innovation and do
not inhibit it.
Any
community effort around the open cloud should be driven by customer
needs, not merely the technical needs of cloud providers, and should
be
tested or verified against real customer requirements.
Cloud
computing standards organizations, advocacy groups, and
communities
should work together and stay coordinated, making sure that
efforts
do not conflict or overlap.
Conclusion
This
document is meant to begin the conversation, not define it. Many
details
(taxonomies,
definitions and scenarios, for example) will be filled in as the
cloud
computing
community comes together.
We
have outlined the challenges facing organizations that want to take
advantage
of
the cloud. These issues lead to a call to action for the IT industry
around a vision
of
an open cloud. We as industry participants must work together to
ensure that
the
cloud remains as open as all other IT technologies. Some might argue
that it is
too
early to discuss topics such as standards, interoperability,
integration and
portability.
Although this is a time of great innovation for the cloud computing
community,
that innovation should be guided by the principles of openness
outlined
in this document. We argue that it is exactly the right time to begin
the
work
to build the open cloud.
Companies
and organizations that support the open cloud manifesto are listed
at:
www.opencloudmanifesto.org
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