Monday, May 25, 2009

Cloud Computing - Been There, Done That !

Harvesting its benefits will still require the guidance and direction of smart integration

The Information Technology (IT) Industry and publications have lately been abuzz with …Cloud Computing. While some claim it is the next disruptive technology, others suggest it to be the harbinger of the diminishing role of the Systems Integrator. A closer examination reveals that it is neither. But whatever descriptor is finalized for Cloud Computing, harvesting its benefits will still require the guidance and direction of smart integration.
Cloud Computing de-mystified
While there are many definitions for Cloud Computing from credible sources…
Gartner defines cloud computing as a style of computing in which massively scalable ITrelatedcapabilities are provided "as a service" using Internet technologies to multipleexternal customers.
Forrester defines cloud computing as a pool of abstracted, highly scalable, and managedcompute infrastructure capable of hosting end-customer applications and billed byconsumption.
…another way to look at Cloud Computing is that it is a highly automated, readily scalable, on-demand computing platform of virtually unlimited processing, storage and ubiquitous connectivity, always available to carry out a task of any size and charged based on usage! Audacious – though possible today in a limited manner – it is certainly poised to be as pervasive a platform like the internet, in the very near future.
The origin of Cloud Computing
As a matter of historical fact, Cloud Computing has been around since the beginning of the IT Outsourcing industry. At its core, Cloud Computing is about utilizing idle/excess Cloud Computing – Been There, Done That! compute power (processing, storage, and connectivity) of one entity, to carry out the work of another. This is the value proposition based on which Mr. Ross Perot started the IT Outsourcing industry in 1962, when he rented idle computing power from one company (Southwestern Life) to carry out the processing needs of another (Collins Radio). Mr. Perot recalls that the staff consisted of just two individuals who worked diligently in leveraging the compute capacity that was idle, mostly during the night, toprocess Collins Radio's data, and turning it into a win-win situation for all. The organization that owned the computers monetized its down time; the organization that needed the compute power did not have to out lay capital; and Mr. Perot's team, in the role of a Systems Integrator, ensured seamless delivery for a fee. This was the first instance of Cloud Computing.
Evolution of Cloud Computing
Advancements in technology, coupled with declining costs, have disrupted traditional business models and a new category of companies has emerged: one that operates mostly over the internet based on clicks" (e.g., Amazon, eBay, Google, etc.). The established businesses suddenly found that the development of this channel was critical for their survival against the new breed of companies, and started to offer a combination of "bricks and clicks" for the convenience of their customers.
The disruption of business models created a higher demand and dependence on IT. Also contributing to this dependence are "peaks-and-valleys" of IT capacity needs, tied directly to the nature of an organization's business activity (seasonal, one time, quarter/year-end, day/night, etc.). To ensure consistent, stable operations and to virtually eliminate risks, businesses built their computing platforms at or above the highest peak points of their IT requirements, no matter how infrequent that need might be. As a result, many businesses today are stuck with bloated computing platforms that are enormously underutilized for the majority of the time, taking up real estate, depreciating fast in value, and consuming significant amounts of energy and resources.
In response to this operational predicament, companies such as Amazon have started to commoditize their own idle capacity and monetize it under their EC2 and S3 labels. EC2, Elastic Compute Cloud, is a web-based service that allows any entity to buy and use compute capacity on an as-needed basis. The S3, Simple Storage Services, on the other hand, provides for web-based storage and access to data. The fact that both these services operate out of a standard browser and do not require any proprietary/licensedsoftware, make them extremely usable. While early adopters of EC2 and S3 were individuals and small businesses, innovative CIOs are giving them the attention they are due and have started to test out the feasibility of this emerging Cloud Computing platform. Starting with architecting a cloud-based processing environment for one time transactions that were non mission critical, they have experienced performance results.

Cloud Computing – Been There, Done That! and Capex/Opex savings significant enough to warrant the inclusion of Cloud Computing into their extended IT infrastructure.
Recognizing this phenomenon to be a viable business opportunity, hardware, software and internet-based companies with deep pockets are rushing to establish Cloud Computing environments to make available to businesses out of a utility-type, ondemand model. For hardware companies like IBM & HP, this is an opportunity to sell tons of hardware; for software companies like VMware & Microsoft, it is an opportunityto sell sophisticated software that allows efficient load balancing of computing resources between tasks; and for businesses like Google & Amazon saddled with the need to have extensive IT infrastructure, this has become an economic engine that can be used to convert their unused compute capacity into revenue.The expanding Role of Systems Integrator in the Cloud Computing World In order to understand the role of Systems Integrators, like Perot's team, in today's Cloud Computing world, we need to first review how their roles and responsibilities have evolved over time.
The primary focus of Systems Integrators continues to be planning, optimizing, integrating, and managing clients' heterogeneous compute environments. However, at times, they take on the responsibility of filling the gaps between the clients' IT needs and the available compute infrastructure. At one point, Systems Integrators used to manufacture hardware as needed to run their clients' systems efficiently, and evenwrote system utilities and applications down to the operating system level to fill in the gaps left by the software vendors. Gradually, as the hardware, software and networking companies matured, stabilized and more importantly innovated, the Systems Integrators were able to get back to their core business of integrating disparate systems.
The emerging Cloud Computing companies are proving to be yet another partner joining the hardware, software and network vendors in a typical Systems Integrator business model. The availability of a public domain computing platform (aka Cloud Computing) allows the Systems Integrators to extend their compute platform as needed, through lease type agreements as opposed to capital outlay or long term fixed costs.Even Clouds Must be Grounded While organizations may be lured to the affordability and scalability that Cloud Computing offers, it is imperative that their environment is architected such that it provides these advantages without compromising on security and interoperability.
The role of a Systems Integrator clearly is integral to configuring the optimum (extended) computing environment such that it is dependable/reliable and operating at expected quality of performance for a particular client.
The Future of Cloud Computing
The adoption of Cloud Computing is not without resistance or confusion. Torn between the appeal for cost savings and fear of loss of control, customers are struggling with how to take advantage of the cloud. How confidential will their data be? How will they handle issues around data privacy, intellectual property, regulatory requirements, and protection of "secret sauce" formulas? It is critical to understand that for mostbusinesses the cloud is not a panacea. Unlike the "electricity grid" where individual power generation units ceased to exist, not everything in IT will or should end up in the cloud – at least not just yet. The strategy defining usage of the cloud should be on the CIO's agenda. A trusted Systems Integrator should be involved in the strategic design of the architecture for how a particular company may optimally exploit the cloud.
The cloud trend today closely resembles the offshoring phenomenon. Just as the initial concerns and resistance to offshoring gave way to intelligently architected and governed models to protect the integrity of customer data while taking advantage of the lower cost options, a similar trend will emerge on the cloud front. It will start with resistance to the cloud, followed by the offering of a choice of cloud environments,finally leading to Cloud Computing becoming mainstream and an integral part of the compute environment for most businesses.
The Emerging Conceptual Architecture
At the onset, the low cost and ready access to on-demand computing offered through a cloud environment will cause businesses to rethink what is truly core (mission critical, highly sensitive/secretive) to their business, and shift an increasing amount of non-core processing to a shared or cloud environment. Organizations will be well served to revisit the classification of each piece of processing and storage that was earlier assumed to be sensitive and mission critical -- in light of the high cost associated with running it inhouse through a dedicated infrastructure.

Linux desktop's are easier to deploy than expected

Study finds Linux PC adoption driven by cost reduction; best results achieved with non-technical users

IBM has announced the results of a study conducted by the I.T. analyst firm Freeform Dynamics, commissioned by IBM, which showed that Linux desktops were easier to implement than IT staff expected if they targeted the right groups of users, such as those who have moderate and predictable use of e-mail and office tools.
The research behind the report, "Linux on the Desktop: Lessons from Mainstream Business Adoption" was designed, executed and interpreted independently by Freeform Dynamics.
Feedback was gathered via an online survey of 1,275 I.T. professionals from the U.K., U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and a spread of other countries across Western Europe and the Nordics.
Ninety percent of the study's respondents had direct experience with desktop Linux deployment in their business.
Those with experience of such migrations said that Linux on the desktop was best achieved when it was first targeted to groups of non-technical users. Transaction workers and general professional workers were seen as more than twice as likely to be primary targets for desktop Linux adoption than mobile and creative staff. A majority of the respondents indicated that Linux desktop deployments to these targeted groups was easier than anticipated.
"Some users care a great deal about their desktop computing environment and may be emotionally or practically wedded to Windows" said Dale Vile, research director, Freeform Dynamics.
"The trick is to avoid getting distracted by these, and focus on the users for whom the PC on their desk is simply a tool to get their job done. Migrating a general professional user who only needs to access a couple of central systems, an email inbox and light word processing is pretty straightforward," added Vile.
Key statistics of the study include:
* 71 percent of respondents indicated cost reduction as their primary driver for adoption.* 35 percent stated the ease of securing the desktop was another primary driver* 32 percent cited the lowering of overheads associated with maintenance and support in general were factors contributing to the benefit of desktop Linux adoption* Those with experience of Linux desktop rollouts are 50 percent more likely to regard non-technical users such as general professional users and transaction workers as primary targets for Linux* 58 percent of those with prior experience of a Linux desktop rollout see general professional users as primary targets* 52 percent of those with prior experience of a Linux desktop rollout see transaction workers as primary targets.* 32 percent of those with prior experience of a Linux desktop rollout see power users as primary targets.* 47 percent of respondents said usability was the main consideration when evaluating or selecting a desktop Linux distribution for use in a business environment
The study confirmed Linux on the desktop adoption is primarily driven by cost reduction. About twice as many of the respondents cited cost savings over security as the primary driver of why they'd adopt Linux on the desktop. Participants in the study indicated that both environments can be secured adequately -- it's just cheaper to secure a Linux desktop and maintain it that way.
"If a company is a 'Windows shop,' at some point it will need to evaluate the significant costs of migrating its base to Microsoft's next desktop and continuing the defense against virus and other attacks" said Bob Sutor, vice president of Linux and open source, IBM Software Group. "Savvy IT departments see the Linux desktop as a PC investment that actually saves money during this downturn. We see the recession fueling open source on the desktop."

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

TIPS TO DEVELOP OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE

Developing software on an open source stack

This tip is written for all software developers interested in adopting Linux as a development platform and who want to explore the expansive variety of software development tools available for free as open source.

Web developers are enjoying a renaissance. After spending much of the previous decade toiling on server-centric code, programmers are now putting code front-and-center, turning the Web browser into its own computing platform.
Much of the renaissance must be attributed to ingenuity. The newest generation of tools and application frameworks automate and simplify the drudgery of building, deploying, and maintaining a Web site. There are also more tools than ever, and all the most innovative tools are open source. This tutorial provides an expansive survey of the free software available to developers to create and deploy Web applications.
This tutorial describes the wide variety of programming tools available on Linux. Further, it demonstrates how quick and easy it is to start developing on the platform and showcases some of the latest innovations in open source tools.
Objectives:
* Learn how to install a Web server, a database, and several programming languages on Linux.
* Learn how to combine the above pieces to build an application, first in PHP, then in Ruby on Rails.

Prerequisites:
This tutorial is written for all software developers interested in adopting Linux as a development platform and for developers who want to explore the expansive variety of software development tools available for free as open source. To follow this tutorial, you should have a general familiarity with using a Linux command-line shell and some programming experience. Some experience installing and configuring software on Linux is helpful, but not required.

System requirements:

To run the examples in this tutorial, you need a Linux box with at least 300 MB of free disk space. Root access to the machine is required to install a number of the software packages. The examples shown in this tutorial were created on Ubuntu Desktop Linux 8.04.1 running as a virtual machine in Parallels on Mac OS X Leopard. Ubuntu is not required; however, the examples use Aptitude, which can be found in any Debian-based distribution.

Microsoft Windows 7 on track for holidays

SEATTLE, US: Microsoft Corp is on track to release its new Windows 7 operating system in time for the holiday shopping season, an executive said on Monday, confirming talk it is ahead of its own conservative schedule for replacing the unpopular Vista system.
The world's largest software company has so far been vague on specifying the timing of its new operating system, wary of disappointing customers. But it has broadly targeted the end of this year or the beginning of next year.
"Windows 7 is tracking well for holiday availability," Bill Veghte, senior vice president of Microsoft's Windows business said at an event on Monday, citing good test results on the early version of the system released to developers and the public over the past few weeks.
Last month, Microsoft said Windows 7 was on track for launch in fiscal 2010, which could mean as early as July this year.
That inspired some hopes Microsoft would be able to take advantage of both the back-to-school and holiday shopping seasons, which usually bring a spike in computer purchases and accompanying software.
But Microsoft is taking care not to rush.
"Many are pushing us to release the product sooner rather than later, but our focus remains on a high quality release," said the head of Microsoft's Windows business, Steven Sinofsky, in a blog on Monday.
Over the last few weeks, Microsoft has been releasing an early version of Windows 7, known as a 'release candidate,' to developers and the public.
Once it makes some more adjustments to the software, the next stage is for Microsoft to hand the system to PC makers -- known as release to manufacturing, or RTM -- to install on machines sold in shops.
"Ultimately, our partners will determine when their PCs are available in market," said Sinofsky in his blog. "If the feedback and telemetry on Windows 7 match our expectations then we will enter the final phases of the RTM process in about three months."
That would put the company on track to have PCs with Windows 7 available this holiday season.
Microsoft's operating systems, installed on the vast majority of the world's PCs, are still the backbone of the company, providing more than half of its $4.4 billion profit last quarter.
The disappointing Vista, launched to the public in 2007, was incompatible with some low-power machines and perceived by many to be too complicated.

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