Roadmap Document for Private Cloud

APPROACH DOCUMENT FOR PRIVATE CLOUD

This document outlines the approach to be followed to take up a private cloud initiative.

THE CLOUD COMPUTING & PRIVATE CLOUDS

Cloud Computing is the latest IT trend which is so promising for both IT & business results. With a lot of hype cycle predicted for next few years and all vendors embracing cloud concepts at their possible levels, customers are tempted to try & embrace cloud for their benefits. However, a few questions bother the customers like:

* Is it just another buzzword or a real game changer?

* Is it safe enough?

* Does it give results to me, to my specific setup, for my workloads?

* Is it proven & trusted enough?

* How effectively does it build on top of the applications, infrastructure & expertise that my organization already has?

We advise the Cloud Computing Solution Advisor to keep all these things in mind while a cloud promise is made to customer. Essentially all aspects of a customer's current & past details are key for successfully drafting a cloud strategy or a cloud computing roadmap for a customer.

Successful Private Cloud Initiatives Lead To:

* Lower TCO for hardware & software

* Higher utilization of server rooms & rack space

* Optimal risk buffers for application SLA management

* Effective DR & BCP results

* A trend of Capex slowly moving into Opex

* Better standardization & compliance

* Improved end-user experience, faster applications, fewer downtimes, better managed scheduled maintenance windows

* Power savings & Green efficiency, reduced overall carbon & water footprint of the organization

* Improved utilization of existing IT systems, software licenses, servers, network, storage etc - operational efficiency at all layers

Wrongly-handled Cloud Initiatives Lead To:

* Data privacy issues

* Increased vulnerabilities

* Customer dissatisfactions in a multi-tenant setup

* Initiative taking more cost, energy, resources than the business results produced.

Reasons for failed Cloud Initiatives:

* Choosing an SI that is not competent enough

* Not aligning to vendors who offer right cloud offerings & solutions

* Scanty planning or lack of clarity in objectives

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RECOMMENDED APPROACH FOR PRIVATE CLOUDS

Firstly, it is important to understand that one size does not fit all. There is no single cloud computing offering that everyone can buy themselves buy like from a soda vending machine. At this point, at least until all vendors in the world are going to sit together and evolve universally binding standards, you need to have a 7 step mechanism that is (i) customized for you (ii) each selection made carefully for your specific needs & workloads.

Step I. Right starting point

* Observe at what level in the organization the cloud initiative is commissioned.

* If this is a part-time project by a junior manager in one datacenter, expects results accordingly.

* If the cloud is treated as part of another major initiative, or a program, or commissioned at a business unit level, understand that it the cloud will still be limited, or shaped in the boundaries enforced.

* Many successful private cloud initiatives (even their PoCs) are commissioned by the organization's CIO directly under supervision by a special task force.

* If the organization is a business conglomerate with many group companies and shared services among group entities, the cloud initiatives taken up by the group CIO (and not any unit's CIO) will give more results.

For the CIO equivalent executive to back the cloud initiative, it is normally observed that a lot of brainstorming

Step II. Evaluate Objectives

* The Objectives behind commissioning a private initiative could either make or break the initiative completely. Technology, implementation skills, vendor/products selection - all come second.

* The objectives for successful private cloud initiatives are neither business results nor IT results solely. Objectives for successful