Check a Cloud Computing provider for authenticity

by

Ren Bst
(rene@renebuest.de)

CHECKLIST: Check a Cloud Comput n! pro" der #or authent c t$

Cloud does not actually mean Cloud

Increas n!l$ the %uest on s asked& ho' an authent c Cloud Comput n! o##er can be reco!n (ed. It s o#ten sa d: )*e let our data process n! be dealt ' th b$ a ser" ce pro" der n the r data center. *e are then alread$ us n! Cloud& r !ht+, Caut on- Cloud Comput n! has recentl$ been abused b$ the market n! departments o# "ar ous pro" ders& result n! n a d lut on o# the concept tak n! place. *hat 'as once #or e.ample& a )mana!ed ser"er,& s no' s mpl$ a )Cloud ser"er,. E"entuall$ ho'e"er& onl$ the st cker 'as replaced. Th s )pr nc ple, s also kno'n as Cloud/*ash n!.

Cloud Computing and its characteristics

Cloud Comput n! pr mar l$ re#ers to a ser" ce model& ' th 'h ch (theoret call$ unl m ted) IT resources such as computat onal po'er& d sk space& appl cat ons and other t$pes o# ser" ces/on/demand can be accessed. The resources ' ll be char!ed based onl$ on the pa$/ as/$ou/!o concept & 'h ch s n #act used at present. In add t on to the kno'n character st cs o# Cloud Comput n!& there are other t$p cal occurrences that d st n!u sh a Cloud. 0es des !eneral character st cs& these also nclude techn cal ones as 'ell as the " e' n! an!le #rom the perspect "e o# a compan$.

General Characteristics
Elasticity
Cloud allo's $ou to scale resources up and do'n as re%u red. The t me re%u red s n the ran!e o# seconds and m nutes& not 'eeks or months.

Economies of Scale
The Cloud Comput n! pro" der s able to e.plo t econom es o# scale and can obta n the re%u red n#rastructure #or Cloud Comput n! such as po'er& cool n!& band' dth and hard'are at the best poss ble pr ce.

Pay as you Go
Th s s more about a !eneral #eature rather than a commerc al one. Throu!h the use o# Cloud& techn c ans reach dec s ons re!ard n! the allocat on o# resources& 'h ch ha"e a d rect mpact on the consumpt on o# resources and the e.tent o# total costs. There#ore n #uture& e"er$one has a dut$ to lead the compan$ more e## c entl$.

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CHECKLIST: Check a Cloud Comput n! pro" der #or authent c t$

'echnical Characteristics
Rapid scalability
2dd t onal resources can be bou!ht on/3emand n a matter o# m nutes n order to meet the re%u rements o# une.pected s tuat ons 'hen needed. These nclude e.!. comple. calculat ons or an une.pectedl$ h !h number o# " s tors on the 'ebs te. I# the resources are no lon!er needed& the$ can be returned to Cloud.

Resources are abstract and uncomplicated

The hard'are needed #or the operat on o# a Cloud chan!es and s constantl$ be n! mpro"ed. Ho'e"er& t s the Cloud Comput n! pro" der4s 5ob to take care o# th s. 2 Cloud Comput n! user no lon!er has to deal ' th the deta ls beh nd a Cloud.

( Cloud consists of individual modules

The IT resources o# a Cloud Comput n! pro" der cons st o# small modules. Th s means the$ are a"a lable separatel$ and are calculated separatel$. 2 user has the opt on o# not us n! an$ resources& us n! all o# them& or 5ust us n! a #e'& 'h ch are pro" ded to h m as a ser" ce " a the Cloud.

E)perimentation is cost*effective
Cloud Comput n! remo"es the econom c hurdle #or e.per ment n!. Th s allo's ne' deas to be tested ' thout lon!/term n"estment n the re%u red hard'are& n 'h ch case one m !ht resort to temporar$ resources.

Characteristics from the perspective of a company

+o upfront investment
Cloud Comput n! 'as created to share resources 'hen necessar$. 6or th s reason& no one/ t me or lar!e n"estments are necessar$ be#ore the actual need ar ses.

,ariable costs that come from fi)ed costs

Instead o# rel$ n! on a # .ed number o# resources o"er a lon! contract per od (usuall$ one to three $ears)& Cloud Comput n! enables the use o# resources to be chan!ed n real/t me.

-nvestments become overheads

In"estments are usuall$ spread o"er a lon! per od& lead n! to a mult /$ear comm tment to us n! a certa n amount o# resources. 7"erheads ho'e"er& re#lect the actual usa!e o# Cloud ser" ces and can be mod # ed n real/t me.

Resource allocation is more granular

Cloud Comput n! enables m n mal usa!e n terms o# t me and resources& #or e.ample& ser"er usa!e per hour and the nd " dual b$tes o# used memor$.

'he company gains fle)ibility

3ue to the #act that a compan$ no lon!er b nds tsel# to resources #or the lon! term& t s able to respond to chan!es more %u ckl$& ' th re#erence to the re%u red amounts and the t$pe o# bus ness act " t$.

'he provider remains under observation

The core bus ness o# Cloud Comput n! pro" ders s to pro" de ts Cloud #or publ c use. There#ore& t has a stron! ncent "e to pro" de ts ser" ces so that the$ are rel able& appl cable and cost/e##ect "e. Cloud there#ore re#lects the core competenc es o# a pro" der once a!a n.
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CHECKLIST: Check a Cloud Comput n! pro" der #or authent c t$

Costs are associative

3ue to Cloud Comput n!4s #le. ble resource allocat on model& t s 5ust as eas$ to appl$ and operate 9:: ser"ers #or an hour as t s to do so ' th a ser"er #or 9:: hours. It encoura!es nno"at "e th nk n! n terms o# solut ons to problems that are onl$ made poss ble b$ mass "e scal n!.

'he Checklist
Let t be understood that as a rule& $ou cannot and should not look nto the nter or. In the case o# a Cloud& t s a black bo. 'h ch s e ther controlled " a an 2;I ( nter#ace) or a 'eb nter#ace. It thus depends on the e.ternal "alues that $ou can see and obser"e d rectl$.

renebuest research business technology ! analytics " strategies

Ren Bst # $%&$