Cloud Computing Explained

This little video seems quite simple, but has some powerful reminders:

1. Make sure your provider has the same level of security that you would have on site
2. Ensure you understand the service level agreements and what happens if they are not met
3. Be clear as to what services 'must be available' for your users - and make sure they agree to...
4. What happens if you cannot access the Internet? or if the Cloud Provider goes bust!

• Cloud computing explained
• |
• silicon.com

Also, don't forget the data remains your responsibility where ever it's held so make sure your Cloud provider so check all stored data is encrypted, and do make sure you know where in the world that data is being processed or stored - data protection legislation still applies to your data in the Cloud.

Online Webinar

One of our partner companies 360is is hosting an on-line webinar titled

"How Virtualization Demands Are Changing Hardware Choices, The Emergence Of A Virtualization Appliance"

Why not stop by it's 15 minutes long and nicely to the point - if you can't make it on the day the recording and slides are up on line as well.

What is a Cloud?

There's been a load of debate over Cloud and what it is... Thanks to Pete Peterson of Wells Fargo Bank for providing this useful extract and link to the NIST source

This NIST definition is the most concise and "share"able definition I've read. My favorite so far. Clip included:

"Cloud computing is a model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction. This cloud model promotes availability and is composed of five essential characteristics, three service models, and four deployment models."
- NIST Definition of Cloud Computing

Whilst virtualization technology is an obvious aid to 'Cloud' computing. It's probably worth saying that virtualization is not The Cloud - to the users I speak to it's clearly a way of describing computing as a utility or outsourced service delivery; which includes pretty much all the traditional managed services, some new ones and layered under SaaS, IaaS and PaaS.

Introducing the Virtual Machine Company

Nick, Andy and myself have been running The Virtual Machine Company for just over 18 months we have been successfully designing, building and selling Hardware Appliances that are specifically designed for running high performance virtualised workloads. Our aim being to improve all the datacenter metrics that make virtualisation a such a compelling technology; including maximising the density of VM workloads per unit of rack-space. Anyway, with virtualisation in mind let's hear from the virtual me...



Nick was also keen to tell you something about the ideas and common beliefs that drive our R&D roadmap.



Let's have a look at The Virtual Machine Company.

Or, drop us an email at info@virtualmachineco.com

Welcome to VM Yak

This is the first post from the team at The Virtual Machine Company.

This is a three handed effort on our part. So expect to see a mixture of market analysis, technical discussions and informed comment.

As we've been around in many roles, for many years; we have gotten to know some interesting people - policy makers, manufacturers, service providers and people in the know, people that you might want to hear from directly. So expect guest bloggers to turn-up from time to time, banging their own drums about cloud computing, security and green-it.

So it's news, views, case studies and useful insights into the the issues of the day.

Why not bookmark us now, let us know if it's worth it :0)

Regards Steve, Nick & Andy