Cloud computing is rapidly changing technology and business models by promising cost efficiency, scalability, security, access, enhanced management, and overall data center agility.
Although the cloud promises a great deal, it also creates opportunities and responsibilities. The most obvious opportunities are around new consumption based services that are offered by Infrastructure-as-a-service, Platform-as-a-service and most notable Software-as-a-service providers. Cloud computing is also creating opportunities for technology vendors to provide more tools that build, secure, manage and measure cloud environments. These advances range from consistent programming models to an integrated security and management framework. The cloud also allows for the usage of smarter and more powerful devices with new form factors that enhance the user experience. With the ability for cloud environments to scale based on business demand, the cloud prepares businesses to ramp up for success. Enterprises are now better able to align IT to business needs by taking quick action based on business requirements.
However, as cloud computing creates more opportunities, it also challenges IT executives to be more aware about security, identity, privacy and regulatory compliance. Security is still a major concern and inhibitor to cloud adoption. As enterprises move to the cloud, they should plan the Right IT strategy for their business.
The collaboration between Microsoft and Novell is facilitating enterprise ability to embrace cloud computing by delivering virtualization, federated identity, and standards based systems management. These solutions will help enterprises virtualize, automate and move their IT workloads to the cloud.
Virtualization
Why Virtualize? Well the benefits are simple: drive costs down through server consolidation, energy and space reduction, and application compatibility; increase IT efficiency through rapid provisioning and high availability; thereby enabling business agility. Virtualization is a major catalyst to moving to the cloud. By virtualizing your Linux and Windows environments, you are one step closer to getting to a cloud based environment.
Identity
Identity Federation is an important aspect to ensuring the right people have access to the right information whenever they need it. Building Identity and Security into your IT framework is an essential practice. The Microsoft-Novell collaboration has delivered a trusted identity model using Novell Access Manager and Active Directory Federated Service for secure single sign on of non Windows and Windows directories, allowing organizations to easily and securely share business data in mixed-source IT environments.
Systems Management
Heterogeneous data centers often require separate tools for management and monitoring and each tool may require unique IT skills. In addition, using multiple monitoring tools can increase security risk and potential system failure which can take hours for IT managers to locate, diagnose, and fix. At the end of the day, lack of standardization and consolidation of management tools prevent IT staff from focusing on getting business done. To allow enterprises to manage their Windows and Linux environments through one pane of glass, Novell built Linux management packs that are plug-ins to Microsoft’s System Center Operations Manager R2 2007.
Planning for your move to the cloud is critical from a security, identity, and infrastructure management perspective. Today, tools exist to help you build, secure, manage and measure your cloud environments. So take advantage of them and remember, you are not alone in this endeavor.
Microsoft and Novell will be presenting on this topic at the Gov 2.0 Expo in Washington, DC (May 25-27, 2010). Follow the link for more information about the session scheduled for Wednesday, May 26: http://www.gov2expo.com/gov2expo2010/public/schedule/detail/15387
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