Real understanding of cloud computing

Cloud computing is a new technology that brings together a wide range of applications, but defining cloud computing clearly is as difficult as pinning the clouds in the sky. In the face of different objects, the description of cloud computing is also different, we can interpret it as software as a service (Software as a services; SaaS), a service platform, or a common operation. According to a recent report by Forrester study, we are still in the early stages of cloud computing. In this regard, Forrest a definition of cloud computing "cloud computing is an abstract computing center with a highly resilient and well-managed computer infrastructure that provides users with the applications they need and can be billed based on the amount of resources they use." "In addition, according to James Staten, the lead analyst at Forrester," There are still a lot of hurdles to overcome, no matter how we define it. Because cloud computing has the potential to reduce costs, already some companies are using non-critical projects to test the benefits of cloud computing.

Stability and security are the biggest obstacles for enterprises to import cloud computing. While some well-known suppliers of cloud computing (such as Salesforce.com, Amazon, and Google) offer different solutions in cloud computing, they rarely see matching service levels Agreement; SLA). In addition, because most of the enterprise's internal cloud computing is not responsible for enterprise internal information management, suppliers are often unable to provide potential customer-related reference cases.

Transparency is one of the main security concerns in cloud computing. Some suppliers are unwilling to disclose where the real application is located, and the supplier does not allow the customer to request the location of the application installation. Lack of support is another issue. Many commercially available operating systems are not validated on this platform because of the proprietary infrastructure used in cloud computing. In addition, Staten mentions that because the infrastructure of cloud computing is virtualized, it also creates software licensing problems.

Best practices

1. Understanding Cloud Computing

As Staten mentions, corporate CIOs should encourage application testing of cloud computing, otherwise it's hard to know what the services cloud can offer. Companies should be more aggressive in trying to understand what cloud computing is doing and learning from it. In addition, companies must carefully consider which applications can be ported to jobs in cloud computing.

2. Multi-contact with suppliers

Once your enterprise begins testing the services provided by cloud computing and starts to inquire about different scenarios, it should make the cloud supplier aware of the needs of the business and propose appropriate solutions based on your company's needs. In fact, cloud providers also need the guidance of enterprise users to provide truly applicable services.

The application of enterprise information management is still in the bud

Cloud computing is a growing new technology: predicting that the cloud market should reach 160 billion dollars in 2011

But only a handful of companies are currently using cloud computing, and only about 5%~15% in large enterprises.