My efforts at cloud definitional work began with 15 Ways to Tell its Not Cloud Computing. In the intervening time the forces of complexity and, yes, pragmatism have triumphed. We’re now making the long transition from simple and public to complex and private – hopefully some simplicity will make it through the process.
Talking of simplicity, one of the problems in any tech wave is the problem of language. Cloud, like SOA before it, suffers from being everything and the kitchen sink. Funnily enough my name is an anagram of Removes Jargon, and in that spirit I just wanted to amplify some home spun wisdom from our very own Michael Coté.
The other day I was reading some of his notes and came across this line of beautiful simplicity.
a simple mapping:
- IaaS = servers, storage
- PaaS = middleware
- SaaS = applications
There now, that wasn’t so hard was it? Now that is what I call a burger. The next time someone tries to take you through 30 slides explaining the cloud you can just nod sagely, and say… “ohhhh. you mean servers, middleware and apps. Yeah I get it.”
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Pink Floyd – Shine On You Crazy Diamond (parts VI-XI) http://twic.li/ieB ♫
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James Governor’s Monkchips » Defining Cloud is Simple. Get Over It. The Burger. http://bit.ly/9KTY76
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oh no, please no… we’ve just finished using the hamburger as a model/diagram for our virtualization strategy, not more hamburger charts… I’ll see if I can find one or two I can post on slideshare.net
What if a vendor offers the meat, cheese and tomato to its customers?
Please don’t! The 3-layer stack (whether it goes by IaaS/PaaS/SaaS or server/mw/apps) is the worst thing to equate Cloud to. Well, almost the worst. While it makes sense for a few topics (around the provisioning model and the relationship between the consumer and the provider) it is useless at best, and even misleading, for most actionable topics (providing, consuming, managing these services).
At least that’s the point I tried to make on stage at Cloud Connect last week:
http://stage.vambenepe.com/archives/1355
Turning a misleading pyramid into a misleading burger doesn’t help.
#SOA #Blogs Defining Cloud is Simple. Get Over It. The Burger.:
My efforts at cloud definitional.. http://bit.ly/avKtb6
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#SOA #Blogs Defining Cloud is Simple. Get Over It. The Burger.:
My efforts at cloud definitional work began with… http://bit.ly/avKtb6
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Defining #Cloud is Simple. Get Over It. http://ow.ly/1pBP4
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[good read] Defining Cloud is Simple. Get Over It. The Burger.:
My efforts at cloud definitional work began with… http://bit.ly/b3lrBn
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@renailemay A great post answering this from @monkchips… http://is.gd/aTHb9 (though doesn’t cover business model issues)
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Funny…See page 9 of this Oracle Whitepaper
http://www.oracle.com/technology/architect/entarch/pdf/architectural_strategies_for_cloud_computing.pdf
Use old terms for old concepts (servers, middleware, applications, hosting) and new terms for new concepts (elastic computing, pay-as-you-go, virtualization).
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Nice post Alex, thanks for the link.
I like the simplicity of MikeD’s approach. But virtualisation is certainly not a new concept – 40 years old at least.
Also- we need to remember that defining something doesn’t solve the problems of rollout. SOA is a pretty good example – notably in the WS*I stack.
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Virtualisation is also not intrinsically linked with cloud – you don’t see cloud providers like Facebook, Google & Twitter using it. Most of the noise about virtualisation is (unsurprisingly) coming from vendors selling virtualisation hardware and/or software.
It’s also important to include products above (e.g. Android, ChromeOS, CloudPlug, etc.) and below (e.g. Cisco UCS, 3tera, VMware vCloud, SGI CloudRack etc.) the well accepted 3-layer stack if we’re to have a functional taxonomy – that is, one capable of classifying all the items in scope – without polluting the top (application) and bottom (infrastructure) layers respectively. That’s why I now use a 5 layer stack to explain cloud computing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cloud_Computing_Stack.svg
In answer to your question about definitions, I think it is important and have spent the last few years trying to get to the bottom of it. This is the best I’ve been able to come up with so far (with the help of some fellow Wikipedians):
"Cloud computing is Internet-based computing, whereby shared resources, software and information are provided to computers and other devices on-demand, like a public utility."
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MMMMmmmmm hamburgers… now where the hell am I going to find a good hamburger in Paris? *sigh*
#Cisco #Cloud James Governor’s Monkchips » Defining Cloud is Simple. Get Over It …: Amazon android APIs appl… http://bit.ly/an7lNX #TCN
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#Cisco #Cloud James Governor’s Monkchips » Defining Cloud is Simple. Get Over It …: Amazon android APIs appl… http://bit.ly/an7lNX #TCN
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Take a step back for a moment. For whom are you trying to define cloud computing? Individual non-technical consumers who wouldn’t know middleware from Tupperware? Businesses that might need to turn to the cloud for services? Or is it strictly to policy makers and developers at this point?
If it’s consumers, they generally don’t need in-depth analysis about what it is – just how it will benefit them and can they trust it from a privacy perspective. Business has similar needs, although in-house tech alters that to a certain extent because they will need to provide internal support. For the latter group, I don’t think the nuts and bolts matter as much as consensus on the problems that cloud computing aim to solve.
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Defining Cloud is Simple. Get Over It. The Burger.: Servers, middleware, applications. Is it really that simple? W… http://bit.ly/b1CAS0
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Sam – true enough. But in the IaaS layer at least AWS and Red Hat are very very relevant – as de facto standard.
Dan – best burger in Paris? There *must* be some good ones!
Karen- my articulation is very much for practitioners. Civilians, or consumers as you call them, certainly don’t need to understand the stack. I think you’re actually agreeing with me somewhat about the technical side. “I don’t think the nuts and bolts matter as much as consensus on the problems that cloud computing aim to solve.”
What is cloud computing? chk this Burger analogy and 15 ways to tell its not cloud compting piece by @monkchips http://bit.ly/afrcSd #SaaS
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Sent @monkchip’s “Defining cloud is easy” blog entry to the Rational folks working on cloud stuff (because it’s right) http://bit.ly/aW08jw
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Thanks @BillHiggins: @monkchips’ cloud definition is helpful as an ‘outside-in’ view http://bit.ly/aUm8nz
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Sent @monkchips’ “Defining cloud is easy” blog entry to the Rational folks working on cloud stuff (because it’s right) http://bit.ly/aW08jw
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The people over at Elastic Vapor also have commented on defining Cloud Computing, so much so to the point where they think the term "Cloud" is a marketing term of art that will soon run its course.
http://tinyurl.com/yfl6j2r
I’m an intern at Cloudshare, and I think I’m in agreement with the folks at Elastic Vapor in the sense that certain "cloud" applications need to be defined in the context of the goals they achieve for users as opposed to being defined as "Cloud Computing." I know that’s what my colleagues at Cloudshare have aimed to do in describing their turnkey solution.
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Virtualisation is also not intrinsically linked with cloud – you don’t see cloud providers like Facebook, Google & Twitter using it. Most of the noise about virtualisation is (unsurprisingly) coming from vendors selling virtualisation hardware and/or software
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RedMonk: Defining Cloud is Simple. Get Over It. The Burger http://digbig.com/5bbhbt
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Defining Cloud is Simple. Get Over It. The Burger. http://bit.ly/9SJ1ZC
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Love this: IaaS = servers, storage, PaaS = middleware, SaaS = applications: http://bit.ly/caQmWe #cloud
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Oracle could be a cloud company. I would be suprised to see Oracle buy a company like Egnyte or Box to join the fun.
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Egnyte seems to be a hot company that continues to rise the ranks of cloud offering companies. Nice pick Jon.
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In the cloud Oracle would catch less fees for licenses, installations and maintenance.
No such a good business idea for Oracle.
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IMHO, it doesn’t really matter whether Oracle is a cloud company or not. At least Larry Ellison won’t care whether it is "cloud" enough or not.
It kinda has everything now with the latest acquisition of SUN Microsystem. In other words, it can provide hardware, DB, Middleware, Application (whether on-premise or on-demand).
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Explaining IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, “ohhh. you mean servers, middleware and apps. Yeah I get it.” via @monkchips http://bit.ly/a497dQ #WhyCloud
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Good clarity in @monkchips and his defn of cloud – “Defining Cloud is Simple. Get Over It. The Burger.” http://tinyurl.com/y57sql7
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What if your infrastructure is done by a vegetarian? Is it now a Tofu implementation?
Malcolm- I resemble that remark! Never heard of a Veggie Burger? More problematic- I am trying to give up wating wheat! What no bap?