Today, how much of the cloud is promise, and how much is real progress? Well, it’s actually a lot of both.

In previous posts we looked at cloud objectives, In this post we’ll get into cloud components.

This will de-mystify the cloud and perhaps give you a framework to consider the various claims. You’ll see that a tremendous amount can be done today. And that the “cloud” is achievable on your terms.

Some vendors talk about cloud as if it were  a mysterious box that does wondrous things. Magically add on demand new:

• Capacity: Compute, storage, I/O bandwidth
• Capability: New applications, storage types, network

And vendors imply (or state outright) that their particular combination of gear will get you there best.

Well of course. They want you to buy everything from them.

But the facts are:

• You have access to all of the needed technologies
• You can buy best-of-breed at each layer and achieve the best possible result at the lowest costs (without sacrificing anything in terms of integration)
• And you can retain sourcing flexibility down the road

These may sound like strong statements. And maybe even heretical, depending on your point of view.

But look under the hood of the various cloud solutions and judge for yourself.

The Solution Stack

Whether you’re talking about someone’s “block” or  “matrix,” the components are the same.

Consider the solution stack. Where are the critical elements?

• Apps
• OS’s
• Server Virtualization software: Key element
• Servers
• I/O Virtualiztion: Key element
• Networks / Storage
• Management software: Important, but also varies widely with your needs

The Critical Elements

So why are the two virtualization layers highlighted?

Remember the primary cloud values: Scaling & flexibility. These occur at the layers where the flexibility gets built in: at the servers and the I/O.

Are the other types of virtualization — storage and network virtualization — being slighted here? Not at all.  They provide huge benefits, but they only work across a single type of network or storage. In our goal of “on demand scalability,” you need the ability to scale everything.

• SAN virtualization works across block level storage, but what if you need NFS? It’s another storage connection to the server.
• VLANs are great, but what happens if the requirement calls for a physically separate network? It’s another network connection to the server.

The central point is this. The demands of the cloud require that:

1. The service is separated from the server. That requires server virtualization.
2. All resources are scalable. You must be able to add resources (servers, networks, storage) and connect them on demand without disruption. That requires I/O virtualization.

Sure enough, when you dig into any of the various solutions, you’ll see that’s what’s at their core: server virtualization and I/O virtualization (or, “unified fabric,” or “virtual connections,” or some variant of these terms).

What’s been created in all of these solutions are essentially two clouds: A server cloud and an infrastructure cloud. Each is scalable on demand.

Virtual I/O lets you connect any server to any network or storage resource, so the addition of any type of resource — in either the compute or infrastructure clouds — will never break your cloud model.

Two final points:

1) Decipher the hype

Look at what vendors are actually delivering, not what’s being promised.  When you decode the hype, most of the real benefits are gained today are from server and I/O virtualization. Both of these technologies are available now from the vendor of your choice.

2) Keep it open

When it comes to the cloud, flexibility is essential, both in technology and in sourcing.

Why? Because change is inevitable: new vendors, new technologies, new business demands. You need the flexibility to roll with the changes without breaking your cloud model. Remember, as soon as something can’t be seamlessly integrated in your cloud, it’s no longer a cloud. It’s back to being silos. And that defeats the whole point.

In the next post we’ll get into exactly how virtual I/O makes the infrastructure cloud a reality.

Tags: cloud

This entry was posted on Friday, April 2nd, 2010 at 7:28 PM and is filed under cloud. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.