Active IQ Unified Manager Discussions

What comes after the cloud?

peter_lehmann
4,895 Views

Every vendor talks about the cloud... I'd like to know from the experts what comes after the cloud?

When every application, service, it department has been moved into the cloud (either private, public or hybrid), what is left to be done?

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

lyons
4,895 Views

Peter,

Analysts surveys indicate that only ~ 10% of companies have built private clouds that include all of the elements that enable enterprise IT to fully transition to a

service delivery model:

Fewer yet have built a private cloud that spans to public providers as part of a hybrid model.

I'd say there's a lot of work left to be done before benefits from cloud computing are widely realized! The transition to cloud is shaping up to be a 5 - 10 year journey for the industry - not sure my crystal ball goes out that far 🙂

-Jim

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6 REPLIES 6

lyons
4,896 Views

Peter,

Analysts surveys indicate that only ~ 10% of companies have built private clouds that include all of the elements that enable enterprise IT to fully transition to a

service delivery model:

Fewer yet have built a private cloud that spans to public providers as part of a hybrid model.

I'd say there's a lot of work left to be done before benefits from cloud computing are widely realized! The transition to cloud is shaping up to be a 5 - 10 year journey for the industry - not sure my crystal ball goes out that far 🙂

-Jim

BrendonHiggins
4,895 Views

As a data centre engineer I figure I will have to become either a hardware specialist or get into running the cloud.  I am currently learning about orchestration software as I see the days of selecting next, next, next and spending hours troubleshooting configuration faults are coming to an end.  {No bad thing}

In terms of what is next, IT functions as a consumer commodity item with end users free to pick and choose.  People talk about how 80% of the IT budget is used to run IT (keep the lights on) and only 20% is used to change the business.  And that cloud means 20% used to keep the lights on and 80% used to change the business (but more like 40% change and 40% banked) so the future will include rapid change of processes, with end users calling the shots.  I am all for it and think the future is bright for someone with a can do attitude.

There will be a direct measurable link between the business process and the services it consumes.  "Show me the money!" will become very important with show/change back being a clear KPI in this brave new world.  With service as the product.  After all, customers do not care which manufacture makes the robots in the car factory, only that the car gets great MPG and does not fall to bits after 40,000 miles.

Bren

arunah
4,895 Views

Naturally what comes after Cloud is Rain.Fortunately this is the benefit of the clouds. As the tech and guru talks settle down at least the benefits of the clouds should be tangible and approach shall be based on standards. Naturally it is inevitable that the Clouds become a commodity in medium run. However it is very interesting to know the main differentiators of standards based clouds.

aruna

dejanliuit
4,895 Views

Actualy, the Next Thing I'm looking at beyond the Cloud is Mobility, meaning either user mobily physicaly and the user mobility among their devices (workstation to tablet/pad to phones). The Cloud might be important with the service model but it doesn't help me with the mobility problem.

It might be a local problem (I work at a university) witha great freedom of both the actual workplace and what devices are used but I have to consider it when planning. The rapidly increased popularity of Tablet-devices just increased the pressure on us.

Easily available Cloud services like Dropbox actualy makes our lives more difficult (ie "where is the deceased professors data located?" "Who's laws apply to reach the data without a password" etc).

The reason the users use it is due to their need/wishes of mobility (sync among devices, always available wherever you are).

At the same time I feel that Old Vendors (Netapp included) is trailing behind in the development even now that they are talking about the Cloud.

Just try to use Netapp Filers to reach your private and shared folders from jour App in IPad/Android device and see how much more complicated it is compared to using the popular Cloud storage services.

Hint: ie Webdav, already implemented in OnTap and fairly standard, would help a lot would it be able do share more than just the users homedir and (optionaly) over a SSL-protected connection.

radek_kubka
4,895 Views

Very valid point re Mobility - it is unstoppable IMHO.

I wouldn't be that harsh though on NetApp:

At the same time I feel that Old Vendors (Netapp included) is trailing behind in the development even now that they are talking about the Cloud.

The thing is, they do position themselves as a 'Cloud Enabler', i.e. a supplier of a technology which may / should be used as a cornerstone for building Cloud-based services (like Dropbox).

Other guys are more radical, like e.g. EMC Atmos project, which claims to be more 'Cloud-friendly' by its nature (serving data via http by leveraging API calls).

The time will (eventually) show who's right & who's wrong, but probably there is no absolute answers in this matter.

Regards,

Radek

dejanliuit
4,895 Views

/* rant warning */

Sure, the may position themselfs as enablers and it might work for companies as Dropbox which develops their own solution on top of Netapp storage.

But if we choose not to go to Cloud providers, but for various reasons wan't to keept it inhouse (legal or other reason), where does that leave us?

We also have to follow the trends in the Real World and it might hurt to change, but thats the inevitable things of life.

It if means that we have to look the other way for local storage, so might be it.

Nothing personal agains Netapp, it applies to any vendor.

Then again, its a matter of company strategy what part to develop first.

Develop and Adapt or see youself being overrrun by younger, more eager and more agile.

But for now we stick to Netapp storage...

Radek Kubka wrote:

Very valid point re Mobility - it is unstoppable IMHO.

I wouldn't be that harsh though on NetApp:

At the same time I feel that Old Vendors (Netapp included) is trailing behind in the development even now that they are talking about the Cloud.

The thing is, they do position themselves as a 'Cloud Enabler', i.e. a supplier of a technology which may / should be used as a cornerstone for building Cloud-based services (like Dropbox).

Other guys are more radical, like e.g. EMC Atmos project, which claims to be more 'Cloud-friendly' by its nature (serving data via http by leveraging API calls).

The time will (eventually) show who's right & who's wrong, but probably there is no absolute answers in this matter.

Regards,

Radek

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