A step-by-step guide to researching the Cloud Computing environment before the implementation takes place

Cloud Computing Roadmap

Akelios © 2010

1. Introduction: Cloud Research Milestones

2. Cloud Cost-benefit Analysis

3. Cloud Training

4. Cloud Vendor Selection

5. Cloud Management Platform Selection

6. About Akelios

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Outline

Akelios © 2010

1. Introduction

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Cloud Research Milestones

1. Cloud Cost-Benefit AnalysisAs the initial stage of the research, the cost-benefit analysis is designed to make a strategic decision about whether to enlarge the existing on-premises resources or to implement a cloud infrastructure.

2. Cloud TrainingCloud Training provides a comprehensive comparison of the pros and cons of different Cloud Providers, Cloud Management Platforms, and Cloud Products and helps get a real-time experience.

3. Cloud Vendor SelectionThis stage is required to consider the pros and cons of the top-tier Cloud vendors that differ in their capabilities, product offerings, and maturity and to single out the one that suits the requirements of the company best.

4. Cloud Management Platform SelectionThis stage is designed to conduct a comparison between the existing platforms and select the one that suits the most required criteria.

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2. Cloud Cost-Benefit Analysis(Goals)

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Cloud Cost-Benefit Analysis Goals

1. Cloud Migration CostCalculate possible Cloud Migration and maintenance expenditures

2. Cloud Start Up CostAnalyze Cloud-related start-up costs

3. Cloud Implementation OptionsCompare Cloud Implementation scenarios with the possibility to engage on-premises resources

4. Cloud Ramp-Up TimeEstimate expected staff ramp-up time

5. Cloud ROIEstimate the expected Return on Investment (ROI)

6. Cloud Security SpendingAnalyze possible expenditures related to providing the necessary level of security

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2. Cloud Cost-Benefit Analysis(Steps)

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1. Gather Requirements (1 day)

Review business goals and perceived limitations, as well as conduct information delivery requirements analysis

2. Information Management and Delivery Assessment (2 days)

Evaluate data models, underlying products and business, data collection practices and technology

3. Technology Assessment (2 days)

Examine hardware infrastructure, database platforms, software, data integration, and analytics tools

4. Cloud Computing vs. On-Premises Resources (2 days)

Evaluate the initial investment, annual costs, and return on investment (ROI)

5. Organizational and Operational Assessment (1 day)

Outline roles and responsibilities, structure of organization, recommend changes for organizational structure

6. Document Findings and Report Delivery (2 days)

Evaluate current business strategy, find existing gaps, and recommend adjustments and next steps

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3. Cloud Training(Goals)

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Cloud Training Goals:

1. Cloud Overview

Get an overview of the Cloud Infrastructure and learn its distinction from the on-premises systems

2. Cloud Experience

Receive real-time experience in working with cloud platforms and tools in order to be able to manage and control the Cloud System independently

3. Cloud Quick Start

Save time and costs by making a “quick start” and manage the Cloud Infrastructure right after it has been implemented

4. Cloud Security and Data Handling

Understand the specifics of data security and data handling in the cloud environment

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3. Cloud Training(Steps)

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A Typical Cloud Training Can Be Conducted in the Course of Four Days:

Day 1: Cloud Computing OverviewCloud computing features and differences, the types of clouds and their characteristics, the existing cloud platforms and products

Day 2: Three-Tier ArchitectureInfrastructure within the cloud, including data access, storage, business logic, transactions, and other architectural elements and communication between them

Day 3: SecurityData protection, security standards (PCI DSS, GLB, S&O), SSL (Secure Socket Layer), etc.

Day 4: Data Handling and Training Wrap-upData warehousing, disaster recovery scenarios, data backup, data synchronization, redundancy issues, etc.

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Cloud Vendor Selection Goals:

1. Optimal Resource Management

Investigate allocation of additional computing resources Determine scalability options depending on the server usage (hard drive space,

CPU, bandwidth)

2. Optimal Data Management

Compare data management options Analyze data back-up and recovery options

3. Optimal Security Management

Investigate Security standards for data access and management

4. Optimal Low-Level Resource Management

Determine Cloud Environment controls Investigate low-level resource controls

4. Cloud Vendor Selection(Goals)

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4. Cloud Vendor Selection(Solutions)

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Since Cloud Vendors differ in their capabilities, product offerings, and maturity,the Cloud Researcher should review the pros and cons of each of the Cloudvendors to single out the one that best suits the requirements. Among the top-tier Cloud Vendors, companies are now challenged to select from the followinglist:

Amazon EC2

Rackspace Cloud Sites and Cloud Servers

Salesforce.com

Microsoft Azure

GoGrid

Google Application Engine

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4. Cloud Vendor Selection(Steps)

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Cloud Vendor Selection Steps:

1. Analyze the company’s infrastructure, goals, and the existing challenges

Complex IT Infrastructure Management Credit Cards and Personal Data Security Traffic Spikes

2. Outline the main criteria that would define the Cloud Vendor of choice

Scalability support

Mature security models to protect financial and personal data Advanced server configuration

3. Conduct Cloud Vendor comparison in accordance with the selected criteria

Ability to automatically set up additional servers Access to low-level resources

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Cloud Management Platform Selection Goals:

1. Cloud Vendor/Cloud Management Platform Compatibility

Investigate Cloud Vendor support Determine Cloud Vendor integration Investigate Hybrid Cloud suitability

2. Auto-Scaling and Manual Resource Scalability

Analyze resource management tools Analyze resource management automation

3. Cloud Environment Management

Investigate Cloud monitoring Test Cloud alerting Test Cloud reporting

5. Cloud Management Platform Selection

(Goals)

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5. Cloud Management Platform Selection (Solutions)

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To select the best fit, the Cloud Researcher has to look at the pros and cons ofdifferent Cloud Management platforms. Currently, the choice is typicallybetween the following platforms:

RightScale

enStratus

Plesk

Eucalyptus

The core point of the analysis is to compare the list of federated services eachCloud Platform provides, including logging and log aggregation, security, serverprovisioning and deployment, database provisioning and deployment,distributed authentication, and others.

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5. Cloud Management Platform Selection (Steps)

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Cloud Management Platform Selection Steps:

1. Analyze the company’s infrastructure, goals, and the existing challenges

Complex IT infrastructure

Lack of experience in working with Cloud Management Platforms

Traffic spikes

2. Outline the main criteria that may define the platform of choice Hybrid Cloud support Auto-Scaling Alerts and log reports across multiple custom parameters

3. Evaluate the list of federated services and operational capabilities each Cloud Platform provides and choose the most appropriate fit

Logging and Log aggregation

Server Provisioning and Deployment

Distributed Authentication

Metadata mapping

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Akelios is a team of Cloud Computing experts that provides a wide range ofCloud Computing services, including Cloud training, Cloud development, Cloudmigration, and Cloud support. We assist companies across the various stages ofthe Cloud adoption cycle, providing:

Cloud Vendor, Platform, and Product Selection

Cloud Application Migration

Cost-Benefit Analysis

Cloud Disaster Recovery

Security Planning

Cloud Performance Tuning

Cloud Architecture Design

To learn how Akelios can help your company benefit from the cutting-edgetechnologies and cost savings the Cloud provides, please visithttp://akelios.com.

6. About Akelios

Akelios © 2010

Thank You!

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More Questions?

Send me an e-mail: info@akelios.com

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Author: Matthew Brown, VP of Marketing

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