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Cloud Computing does not solve all your problems automatically…

…, on the contrary, it initially creates problems! Especially if you want to provide yourself as a provider of Cloud Computing services.

It is a misconception, if you think, that the construction of a private cloud implies, that you no longer have to take care about the high availability of your infrastructure (physical machines, virtual machines, master-slave replication, hot standby, etc.).

Because: The Cloud will make it on their own!

Be careful!!!The Cloud is preparing a (private) cloud operator initially more problems than you think.

A cloud does not work by itself. It must be developed and equipped with intelligence. This applies to the construction of a private cloud as well as for the use of a public cloud offering (in the case of IaaS). Scripts must be written and new software must might be developed, which is distributed over the cloud. It is also important to read the white paper of the respective providers. Build up know how(!) and understand how the cloud works to use it for your own needs. Another possibility is, of course, to obtain advice from professionals (in addition).

There is no different, for example by using a public cloud offering of the Amazon Web Services. If an instance A has a problem, it can suddenly no longer be attainable, like any normal physical server as well. Now you might think: “I just take an instance B as a backup for instance A!” “And then?” One might think that the instance B automatically takes over the tasks of the instance A. It’s not that simple! Scripts etc., must ensure that the instance B is to assume the duties of instance A, if A suddenly is no longer available. Of course Instance B must also be prepared!
Here for example, the important content of the instance A, including all configurations, etc. can be stored in an EBS (Elastic Block Store) and not in the local instance store. Afterwards a script must ensure that the instance B is powered up automatically with the configurations and all the data from the EBS, if the instance A is no longer available.

The Cloud just gives us, in the area of Infrastructure as a Service, the capabilities to get the (infinite) number of resources out of a quasi-infinite pool of resources, at that time when we need them. We thus receive a highly scalable virtual private data center from the provider. This means, conversely for the operator of a Cloud (private, public), that he must hold that amount of physical resources as well, so that the requested virtual resources can be provided at any time and that sufficient resources are always available to the users.

By Rene Buest

Rene Buest is Gartner Analyst covering Infrastructure Services & Digital Operations. Prior to that he was Director of Technology Research at Arago, Senior Analyst and Cloud Practice Lead at Crisp Research, Principal Analyst at New Age Disruption and member of the worldwide Gigaom Research Analyst Network. Rene is considered as top cloud computing analyst in Germany and one of the worldwide top analysts in this area. In addition, he is one of the world’s top cloud computing influencers and belongs to the top 100 cloud computing experts on Twitter and Google+. Since the mid-90s he is focused on the strategic use of information technology in businesses and the IT impact on our society as well as disruptive technologies.

Rene Buest is the author of numerous professional technology articles. He regularly writes for well-known IT publications like Computerwoche, CIO Magazin, LANline as well as Silicon.de and is cited in German and international media – including New York Times, Forbes Magazin, Handelsblatt, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Wirtschaftswoche, Computerwoche, CIO, Manager Magazin and Harvard Business Manager. Furthermore Rene Buest is speaker and participant of experts rounds. He is founder of CloudUser.de and writes about cloud computing, IT infrastructure, technologies, management and strategies. He holds a diploma in computer engineering from the Hochschule Bremen (Dipl.-Informatiker (FH)) as well as a M.Sc. in IT-Management and Information Systems from the FHDW Paderborn.

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