Technology blog Gigaom recently wrote that many people now admit that the cloud is a powerful management tool, but the problem is here, we think the cloud is just a tool. In fact, the cloud management platform is not just a nice wrapper, not a few scripts for automatic generation or scaling, but a platform that allows cloud owners to feel that their company's directives and policies are more effectively and securely enforced on technical solutions and cross-border issues.
The cloud management platform, like any software, can be used to solve problems or create opportunities (often the same purpose), and the company should use a cloud management platform after clarifying its own needs. The Cloud management platform should meet the following requirements:
1. Ability to manage multiple cloud
Where the white clouds are and why they are used or discarded is an important strategic vision: the ability to retrieve data in the available formats and to find the right cloud platform for the expected workload and location, and so on. You can take partnerships or competition issues as the determinants of your cloudy strategy.
2. Handling data security and positioning
Can your system administrator circumvent the positioning and data confidentiality requirements to obtain an enterprise strategy? About HIPAA or other regulatory issues? If they don't admit that this is a concern, why do they look for its management tools?
3. Manage the whole cloud with your heart
Your architects and engineers may be good, but are you sure they use the best set of generic and streamlined tools to manage your data? Depending on the platform performance and lifecycle you choose, consider the policies you can take in terms of privacy security.
4. Including developing role-based security
While your engineers and infrastructure administrators can handle the security decisions of the Tun access to the cloud management platform, can they determine whether the customer (developer or end user) and partner may visit your cloud?
5. Incorporating a security suite for a virtual machine
For this, the CIO may not need to invest too much, but it should be the area where the senior security role participates in the project.
6. Consider the lifecycle from creation to deletion
Make sure that the platform has a solid lifecycle to help you specify a more efficient use pattern and reduce the risk of improper use of resources.
7. Integrated operating platform (monitoring, billing, etc.)
Defining these requirements is primarily the task of a technical team, but the budget for managing monitoring and billing is still critical.
8. Common tools and scripting languages for APIs
Major technical/architectural requirements may lead to integration exceptions.
In the appropriate cloud management platform considerations, the above several aspects are not perfect, just a general direction. However, the key is that the cloud management platform should complement the missing link and reposition your IT organization.