Understanding the cloud

Straight talk from HP

There is a lot of talk about the cloud: It delivers everything as a service. It provides entirely new kinds of business value. It is the next big thing in IT.
There is also a lot of confusion about the cloud. These days, it seems like everything is labeled cloud. So, what is the cloud? What is the relationship between cloud computing and enterprise computing? How do cloud services deliver new value?
Here are some practical questions and answers to help clarify what the cloud is all about.
What is the cloud? The cloud is a means by which highly scalable and elastic technology-enabled services can be easily consumed over the Internet on an as-needed basis. The cloud delivers a new class of distinctive services that yield new kinds of business value and underscores the HP strategy and vision for Everything as a Service (EaaS). What is the HP vision on the cloud? The cloud is the next stage in the evolution of the Internet. The cloud provides the means through which everything will be delivered to you as a servicefrom computing power to business processes to personal interactionswherever, however, and whenever you need it. What is the difference between cloud services and cloud computing? Cloud services are consumed directly by users. For example: A home consumer can use Snapfish for online photo sharing [Software as a Service (SaaS)] A business person can use NetSuite for ERP services (SaaS) A software developer can use Force.com to create niche marketing services [Platform as a Service (PaaS)] An application manager can use Amazons EC2 as a computing platform [Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)] Cloud computing refers to the underlying infrastructure that makes it possible to scale services exponentially and flex resources rapidly in response to variable demand.

HP concurs with Gartners definition for the cloud: A style of computing, where massively scalable and flexible IT-enabled capabilities are delivered as a service to external customers using Internet technologies. (Source: Gartner, Inc., Global Class: The Inspiration for Cloud Computing by David Mitchell Smith, Daryl C. Plummer, January 7 2009) ,

What characteristics should I consider when evaluating cloud services? There are many characteristics to consider; the most critical among them being: Service levels: Can the service provider meet the business need for performance and availability? Security: Is my data protected? Workloads: Are they suitable for the cloud? Network latency: Can the service meet the end-to-end experience expectation? Lock-in: How easy is it to migrate from one provider to the next? Regulations: Are there corporate or government mandates about where the data resides? Stability: How stable is the provider? What is a private cloud, and does HP deliver this? The terms internal cloud or private cloud are sometimes used to express the notion of an enterprise-class, virtualized, and automated infrastructure. HP delivers this today, and has done so for many years through its Adaptive Infrastructure, Shared Service Utility, and other offerings. The HP approach to internal infrastructures accommodates an array of workloads and enterprise requirements, and it yields significant financial results for the customer.

Is an enterprise-class infrastructure different from cloud computing? Yes. Though, both traditional enterprise-class infrastructures and cloud computing involve servers, storage, networks, and management software, there are differences. Cloud computing comprises highly integrated and standardized componentsdesigned to execute massively scalable global-class services (cloud services) and designed for use by millions of people from multiple companies around the world. The technology and delivery model differences create a markedly different economic model, both for the provider and the consumer. Does HP provide both? Yes. Enterprise-class infrastructure offerings are available through HP Adaptive Infrastructure and HP Software and Solutions portfolios, which also provide a solid foundation for cloud computing. In addition, HP provides highly scalable offerings, targeted specifically at massive scale-out or cloud computing environmentsdesigned for scale, peak performance, and extreme density and power efficiency. What is the HP cloud strategy? The HP strategy is to: 1. Enable the development and delivery of cloud services 2. Help customers source, enhance security features, and govern cloud services 3. Deliver cloud services directly to our customers

What is unique about the HP approach? Given the broad footprint that HP has in virtually all areas of the business technology ecosystem (including cloud, in-house, and hosted environments), HP can help customers arrive at the right blend of technology-enabled services that directly result in better business outcomes. What is the new business value that HP associates with the cloud? HP characterizes the new value associated with the cloud in three ways: 1. New access: With technology abstracted into easily accessible services, organizations have more choices and flexibility in how they consume and pay for technology-enabled services. 2. New capabilities: Global-class services provide capabilities, which, until now, were too expensive, complex, or otherwise out of reach, such as social networking or ERP services for small and medium businesses. 3. New connections: The ability to connect people, businesses, and experiences increases considerably with the cloud. These connections rise above the constraints associated with traditional applications, integrations, and communications.

Will all enterprise applications move to the cloud? Most types of workload associated with enterprise applications cannot be executed in the cloud today. While they can be delivered as a service through multiple software instantiations, they typically cannot scale in an economically advantageous manner. This means that enterprise applications have to be re-written to be executed in the cloud. What does highly scalable and elastic really mean? The terms highly scalable or massively scalable mean that the application or service is, by design, able to accommodate a large, often undetermined and unpredictable number of users, and resources. Elastic generally refers to the ability to serve individual service requirements easily, without taxing the overall business model. Elasticity accommodates individual needs and preferences. In the cloud context, it implies that cloud services rely on infrastructure flexing, meaning that as service demand fluctuates, resources can be automatically provisioned, de-provisioned, and/or moved around to be executed on other parts of the system.

What is the relationship between cloud computing and utility computing? Cloud computing is a specific type of utility computing, which is designed to support the development, delivery, and consumption of cloud services. What are cloud application platforms? A cloud application platform is a development and runtime environment specifically designed for cloud services. Cloud application platforms provide a basis for which cloud services can be developed and deployed. Application platforms enable massive scaling and elasticity for the service and often provide programmatic libraries, data models, and core services that can be used to compose other services. Are these platforms available as a service? Yes. While most cloud service providers rely on a platform for their own software, some take the next step and commercialize them for use by others. The commercial offering of such a platform has become known as Platform as a Service (PaaS). These offerings are also magnets for horizontal and vertical communities.

What is Software as a Service? Software as a Service (SaaS) is a delivery model, where an application is hosted as a service and provided to customers through the Internet. By removing the need to install and run the application on the customers own systems, SaaS alleviates the customers burden of software maintenance, asset ownership, ongoing operations, and support. Is SaaS the same as the cloud? No. Many SaaS offerings do take advantage of cloud application design and cloud computing infrastructures and platforms, but SaaS can also be delivered by a more traditional application architecture that runs a unique instance for each customer. Is Adaptive Infrastructure offered as a service? Yes. Adaptive Infrastructure as a Service is an outsourced service model, which is offered through EDS and provides application-ready infrastructure services.

For more information

To learn more about HP cloud computing solutions, visit www.hp.com/go/cloud

Technology for better business outcomes

To learn more, visit www.hp.com/go/cloud
Copyright 2009 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. 4AA2-5264ENW, March 2009