Does Your Software Work In A Cloud
Cloud computing is certainly a hot topic these days. No matter if you are thinking of using a public cloud, a private cloud, or a hybrid, the real question is can your software and applications work in a cloud?
Today
Sun opened up our cloud platform. If you are using Solaris, our open storage software, MySQL database, Lustre file system, OpenOffice, or Glassfish app server, your software is already designed to work in a cloud. Learn more about why
Sun's cloud computing platform is the world's most popular open cloud computing platform.
Hi Mr. Hamilton!
Do you mean, "cloud computing is YET ANOTHER buzzword" being touted around these days?
The magical cloud is THE panacea that can solve all the world's problems, including driving costs of IT down.
Uh-uh. And what about data? Why would anyone want to store confidential data on the cloud? What if all these stalwart companies go belly up, or change their terms of service? This has happened many times before; the customer always got the shaft.
And what does "can you applications work in a cloud?" mean anyway? All the cloud is are a bunch of virtual machines, so if one as the engineer has half a brain left in one's skull, one will design his solution to work on a cluster in a active-active, load balance fashion anyway. It's not that hard, nor is it rocket science.
I guess what really irritates is the touting and slinging of buzzwords, without consideration to reality, and without consideration to facts and issues surrounding the subject.
It's just a bunch od operating systems' images in a grid, the grid concept being in existence since the late '90s of the last century; back then, noone wanted to hear about it, and all of a sudden, it's all the rage?
What is wrong with the world today?
Posted by UX-admin on March 18, 2009 at 11:46 PM PDT #
UX-admin,
Concerns about private data stored in the could are very appropriate. That is why Sun uses Solaris, with its military-grade security, at the core of all its cloud services. However, public clouds use shared infrastructure and if you are concerned about the risks of shared infrastructure then Sun or one of our partners can build a private cloud for you, storing your data on your computers in your data center operating on your private network or VPN.
Posted by Marc Hamilton on March 19, 2009 at 06:02 AM PDT #
But what does that mean??? Sun will come in and build me a cluster? A grid engine? What? Who? Where? How? Why?
If any company comes in to "build me a cloud", why couldn't I do that myself???
I can't see how paying premium prices for the magical BUZZWORD's "supported hardware and software" will actually help cost cutting.
Sun's strategy is in a serious need of revision; you heard it from me!
How about working more on driving the prices of Sun hardware to be dirt cheap, delivering complete management solutions for provisioning and virtualization, better support in terms of hardware drivers, "clusters at the push of a button"?
That's what's in demand, customers need JustWorks(SM) solutions (think Apple!), not paying for tons of overpriced hardware and professional services (that's what IBM is for, and they wouldn't get any capable engineer's time of day anyways).
Posted by UX-admin on March 20, 2009 at 02:21 AM PDT #
UX-admin,
The tone of your messages does not show a lot of respect towards the people who are working hard to facilitate the technologies that make Grids/Clouds/Clusters work.
As you can see, the tools, operating systems and technologies are available as open source. You don't have to store your sensitive data on a public cloud (which is indeed an appropriate concern). If you like, you can use the available software to build your own cloud.
The added value is in the expertise that Sun (or any other vendor you do your business with) can supply. If you don't need it, thats fine. Don't blame the business model.
Posted by Auke Folkerts on March 20, 2009 at 03:53 AM PDT #
"The tone of your messages does not show a lot of respect towards the people who are working hard to facilitate the technologies that make Grids/Clouds/Clusters work."
You are correct. I don't like when buzzwords are just slung around for no good reason other than to try and make a sale. I admit that it rubs me the wrong way, because it's a blatant plug.
As for "technologies that make Grids/Clouds/Clusters work", they have been long known, and the algorithms governing for example split brain, quorum and I/O fencing are well understood, if not simple.
I have every respect for the engineers writing cluster software, because I know what all goes into a cluster.
I have significantly less respect for re-branding a grid engine to a "cloud" and trying to sell a bunch of virtual machine images as buzzwords that are to be panacea.
It just so happens that this industry, the computer industry, is unlike any other, special. Marketing techniques which would work for the average Joe happen to fail unimaginably miserable ways in the computer industry.
Posted by UX-admin on March 21, 2009 at 11:45 AM PDT #