Appliance Deployment Featured Article

One of the hottest topics in communications these days is the growth of cloud storage. The proliferation of mobile devices, which don't always have the largest amount of local storage built into them, has led to plenty of interest in storing materials like video and music away from devices. To that end, Nebula launched a line of goods and services around helping to provide that private cloud, and most recently, it  debuted the Nebula One controller, a type of "cloud computer" which uses OpenStack to provide its power.

The Nebula One controller is built on an appliance platform with significant powerpower; at minimum--and this is minimum--it reportedly boasts 64 processing cores, 384 gigabytes of RAM (News - Alert) and at full capacity 96 terabytes of storage. Those wanting to step up to the maximum range, meanwhile, will have access to 1,600 processing cores, 9.4 terabytes of RAM, and 2.3 petabytes of storage.

In addition, the Nebula One runs the Cosmos cloud operating system--Nebula's own construction--that allows for easy configuration and deployment for any servers plugging into the Nebula hardware. The Nebula One is also a plug-and-play setup, which allows it to not only automatically configure but automatically boot up to the cloud, all of which is as easy as powering up the device.

As impressive as the Nebula One is, it's definitely not the only option available. NEI (News - Alert) also boasts a line of hardware appliance deployments that can go a long way toward preparing a cloud solution or solving the other problems that can come up in getting an application ready for prime time.

Since NEI sticks to Gartner's (News - Alert) definition of appliance, its line of products focuses on providing solutions with little difficulty, yet also with high security. NEI's LEAD (Lifecycle Engine for Application Deployment) system uses a five-point system to deliver the best possible response, starting with solution design to ensure the best possible overall product to meet a user's needs. From there, it goes on to system integration-- much like Nebula, NEI is out to make a product that easily integrates with current systems for best results--then to application management, global logistics and support and maintenance to streamline deployment.

There are plenty of alternatives when it comes to cloud storage, but with the growing popularity of the cloud—and a variety of applications to choose from, investing in the cloud will provide numerous benefits to a wide variety of end-users.