TMCnet News
Considering the Cloud and the Greater Computing Atmosphere [Computers in Libraries](Computers in Libraries Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Cloud computing is one of those IT terms that can generate as much awe and enthusiasm in an organization as it can create confusion and anticipation. As a concept, it is aptly named. Like a cloud, it has lightweight implications. It lifts some of the heavy burden of support off of internal IT resources and seemingly provides services effortlessly through the vast internet vapor. At the same time, it can also often cloud, or overshadow, the essence of a technology issue, confusing people's understanding of what's actually happening. The term itself originates from the fluffy cloud symbol that is often used to represent the internet in flowcharts and diagrams. Three Kinds of Clouds Cloud computing, simply put, is a general term used for most types of technology services that deliver hosted services over the internet. As hosted software and computing services have quickly multiplied in the past decade, cloud-computing options have also matured to be broadly grouped into three basic categories : software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and infrastructure as a service (IaaS). These services can be either public (open) or private (proprietary). Understanding and being able to communicate the basic differences among these three types of IT-hosted solutions and their options can help an organization formulate sound IT strategies, especially at a higher administrative level. Software-as-a-service is the cloud computing category that most people are familiar with. It's been around since the internet's inception, introduced early on by such services as hosted email (remember AOL's early catchphrase, "You've got mail"?) and early application services providers (ASPs) such as GeoCities and Angelfire that hosted websites for free. SaaS service providers supply both hardware infrastructure and software services to the user through front-end portals over the internet. Since the service provider hosts both the application and the data, the end user is free to use the software service from anywhere and with any device that has an internet connection. From the IT perspective, SaaS services are also very attractive because they shift the hardware purchase, installation, and maintenance to an outside provider, thus eliminating the needed for heavy internal IT support. Gmail and Facebook are good examples of cloud-computing services that have mainstream adoption by the general public. SaaS services for libraries can be anything from general email (my library, for example, uses Microsoft's hosted Outlook service) to specific, such as timesheet tracking for payroll purposes (something that my library also outsources through a cloud SaaS provider). SaaS services typically use a subscription fee that is often based upon the number of user accounts. Platform-as-a-service cloud services expand the notion of the cloud by not only including software services delivered over the internet but also providing the end user with software development tools that are hosted on the provider's infrastructure. Developers and programmers create applications on the service provider's platform over the internet, often through the use of APIs (application programming interface), web service functions, or gateway software installed on the developer's computer. Google Apps (http://google.com/apps) and the Facebook Developers platform (http://developers.facebook.com) are examples of popular PaaS solutions that are publicly accessible to anyone. Cloud services in this category are often based upon the same pricing model as SaaS, but they can scale in cost depending upon how much of the developer platform services are used. Infrastructure-as-a-service cloud services refer to shared services that are more operational in nature and foundational to all IT services, such as storage, hardware, servers, and networking. Much like electricity and other utilities, IaaS cloud solutions are often priced at a scalable level that allows the organization to pay on a per-use basis as the services are consumed. Amazon Web Services is a good example of a public IaaS provider, which provides a robust infrastructure cloud-based service that allows IT departments to configure their own virtual servers and storage without maintaining hardware on-site. IaaS services typically use large-scale solutions that are shared across multiple tenants (i.e., virtualized servers, firewalls, and virus protection services). As the demand for storage and computing services increases for the organization, IaaS providers can scale the environment to fit the needs. Choosing Among Options When evaluating the benefits of cloud-computing options and determining a strategy for your organization, it's not surprising that costs and staffing levels drive the considerations. Cloud computing can shift the burden of harddollar hardware and software costs and transfer the maintenance responsibility of ongoing support off-site. Soft-dollar costs associated with keeping IT staff skills sharp and technology updates current can add up fast. These costs further skyrocket when the skill set is more specialized and specific to certain technologies and platforms. If your library, for example, doesn't have a full-time need for a Cisco-certified architect to maintain your organization's network, why take on the costs and the responsibility for a skill set that you'll only really tap for less than 10% of your total operational IT tasks? Most cloud solutions today can provide for the bulk of your networking needs without the requirement of hiring IT-certified staff internally. But even with this being said, note that cloud-computing should never be a substitute for having skilled IT professionals on your staff. Even with SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS solutions, you still need knowledgeable staff members who can work with vendors, troubleshoot problems and issues, and configure technologies remotely. When considering cloud solutions, the chart shown here can be helpful in identifying how the various cloud options differ from internally supported applications and technology. Saas providers manage it all for you from the infrastructure networking components to the end-user application level. IaaS providers focus just on delivering services at the enterprise or core level, leaving the management and support for the delivery of applications, data, and the desktop operating environment at the internal organizational level. SaaS solutions are often the easiest to consider, especially if the desired technology service is unique to a specific function or doesn't require integration with other existing technology services. For example, my organization is currently in the process of evaluating hosted software solutions for our library's customer email newsletter. Driven by the unique needs of the marketing department, the service is narrow in scope and doesn't require a lot of integration with other systems. The service has also mitigated any data security issues since our customers will opt in to the email newsletter service through full disclosure and the newsletter can be delivered effectively without internal IT support. With these considerations at the top, a hosted software solution is the perfect strategy to consider for this type of service need. Data security is always an important consideration when evaluating the benefits and risks of moving to the cloud. If the service you are considering outsourcing to a vendor is already publically accessible, such as your library's website (where the data is already in the public domain), then there is probably less concern over confidentiality of patron records. However, even in this very public example, data access and security are still things that should be considered seriously. All it takes is one simple security breach to compromise a website and distribute misleading information. A careful risk management assessment should be part of every cloudcomputing consideration, and it should cover everything from who has access to data and what encryption protocols are used to protect data traveling over the network to what redundancy and off-site backup mechanisms are in place to prevent data corruption and loss. It goes without saying that a strong vendor reputation and a proven track record in a delivery system's uptime are critical. A solid risk-management review takes all these elements into consideration, and if you're unfamiliar with what security issues you should be talking with vendors about, there are fortunately lots of resources on the web to help you understand them. In addition to different categories of the cloud-computing service providers, there are also different types of clouds. Most clouds are either public, community, or private. A public cloud provides services to anyone on the internet. A private cloud typically comprises a proprietary network or a data center that supplies hosted services to a single organization or tenant. A community cloud shares infrastructure between several organizations and often has common concerns (such as security, compliance, or regulatory issues) that can be managed similarly for the community. Additionally, there are also hybrid clouds, which combine elements of both public and private clouds. You can easily go into your own overkill by looking at the many combinations of private and public IaaSs with other providers that offer public and private SaaS solutions. But what's important to understand is that there are different implications around the delivery of technology services, depending upon the type of cloud-community environment your computing services operate in. Indeed, when considering cloud-computing options, there are definitely a lot of variables and issues to be familiar with. Yet considering the cloud isn't as daunting as it used to be; you just need to understand a little bit about the cloud-computing atmosphere and have a basic understanding of its layers. INDEED1WHEN CONSIDERING CLOUDCOMPUTING OPTIONS, THERE ARE DEFINITELYA LOTOF VARIABLES AND ISSUES TO BE FAMILIAR WITH. CLOUD COMPUTING SHOULD NEVER BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR HAVING SKILLED IT PROFESSIONALS ON YOUR STAFF. Cloud-Computing Resources Cisco's Cloud Computing Primer: http://biLly/8C3cL2 Cloud Computing Security Considerations: http://bitly/el49Z9 Cloud Security Alliance: http://cloudsecurityalliance.org Agréât short (5-minute) educational video for your general staff; Ooud Computing in Plain English; vwvw.commoncraft.com/video/cbud-computing _b_y_h elene blowers Director of digital strategy Columbus Metropolitan Library Hélène Blowers is the director of digital strategy for the Columbus Metropolitan Library (Ohio) and is widely known as the architect of Learning 2.0: 23 Things, an online discovery learning program that has been duplicated by inore than 500 libraries and organizations in 15-plus languages worldwide. She is a 2007 Library Journal Mover & Shaker, the 2008 recipient of the LITA Hi-Tech award, and the co-author of the book Weaving a Library Web: A Guide to Developing Children's Websites. She can be reached at [email protected]. (c) 2012 Information Today, Inc. |