Cloud Computing Discovery

Whiteboard Wednesday - Load Balancing with Cloud Computing

Thursday, March 11, 2010 by Matt Hunckler

Last week, Jake Robinson and I talked about how companies can scale their resources, like RAM and CPU, with virtualization and cloud computing. If you saw last week's video, you remember that this type of scaling is called vertical scaling.

This week, we're at it again -- talking about the ability to scale a cloud computing environment. But this time, were talking about horizontal scaling and load balancing with virtualization.

Horizontal scaling can mean great things for your business, like cost savings and risk mitigation. I don't want to give too much away, so here's it is. Watch this:

Video: Resource Scalability with Virtualization

Thursday, March 4, 2010 by Matt Hunckler

Jake and I brought out the flip cam once again to build on last week's post on storage redundancy and scalability.

One of the major benefits of virtualization is that it allows you more flexibility to scale your virtualized environment on demand. Cloud computing not only allows you to scale your storage, as discussed last week, but it also allows you to scale your processing power and RAM.

If you've ever wondered about the differences between commoditized cloud computing and the enterprise cloud, Jake and I outline some of variables of cloud computing performance and dissect what is commonly referred to as "the resource pool."

So, watch the video, and let us know what you think!

UPDATE: Jake put together this handy visual aid, which he references in this vid:

Understanding Storage in a Virtualized Environment

Friday, February 26, 2010 by Matt Hunckler

Jake and I are back with another Whiteboard Wednesday lesson in virtualization. After our last video on virtualizing with VMware Player and the VMware appliance marketplace, we had some inquiries about how storage is architected into a cloud computing solution.

So, in this video, you'll learn about storage area network and how it can be implemented to create a more redundant, virtualized environment.

Virtualization Training: How to Get Started

Monday, February 22, 2010 by Matt Hunckler

I been having some good discussions with a few people on twitter about getting started with cloud computing and virtualizing servers with VMware. There seems to be a lot of curiousity about how to implement your own virtual server and get in the cloud, so I got with Jake Robinson (one of BlueLock's implementation specialists) and we did a short whiteboarding session with the flipcam.

In this short clip, Jake and I discuss the basics of virtualization as well as some of the first steps for those who want to virtualize their own server. We talk about some of the industry's most popular tools, like VMware Player and the VMware Appliance Marketplace. Enjoy!

Let us know what you think. Is the video helpful? What other things would you be interested in learning in a whiteboarding session?

See you next time.

BlueLock + VMware Partner Exchange Video Montage

Thursday, February 18, 2010 by Matt Hunckler

If you've been following the most recent BlueLock blog posts, you know that a good number of the BlueLock team members returned to Indianapolis this week after spending last week in Las Vegas for the VMware Partner Exchange. With milestone achievements like winning the VMware Cloud Service Provider of the Year and the launch of the BlueLock CloudSuite, there was a ton of excitement.

Luckily for you, the BlueLock marketing team was well-equipped with their Flip video cameras and documented the adventure. For your viewing pleasure, I created a quick video montage, complete with Fat Boy Slim conference-esque soundtrack.

My favorite quote is near the end of the video when, after the VMware Partner of the Year award is announced, John Qualls (our CEO) is asked, "What are you going to do next?" John's Resopnse:

"Do it again next year."

Can a Cloud Comply with PCI DSS?

Wednesday, January 6, 2010 by Matt Hunckler

Security and compliance are hot topics in the cloud computing industry. PCI DSS is a set of requirements that, when adhered to, increase the level of security for payment cards transactions.

To become compliant with the PCI DSS, an organization must meet all of the security requirements and maybe even go through a formal auditing process, depending on the number of transactions processed each year. While these requirements may seem inconvenient,

But, can organizations really become PCI-compliant in a cloud computing hosting environment?

In searching for an answer to this question it's importnat to ask, "What kind of cloud computing service?" Many security experts have discussed the topic on panels and in the blogs, like this one. Most of my experience is with infrastrucutre as a service.

Just in working on small business virtualization projects with clients, here at BlueLock, I've had get educated on PCI DSS. The tricky thing for cloud computing hosting companies is that with standards like PCI, there are both application-side and infrastructure-side requirements for compliance.

So with IaaS, where does the responsiblity reside?

Ultimately, it's the responsibility of the company that is doing the payment card processing. The scope of PCI DSS goes beyond what infrastructure as a service companies provide. So, if a cloud computing service provider claims that they are "PCI compliant," it's important to remember that you must still assess your own organization outside of what the service provider manages.

At BlueLock, we use tools from our partners at Shavlik to run regular compliance scans of our clients' environments. If it's important for your organization to be in compliance with PCI DSS, then it's important for you to audit yourself regularly.

To find out more about PCI DSS, visit the PCI Security Standards Council website.

SaaS Virtualization Innovation

Tuesday, December 22, 2009 by Matt Hunckler

SaaS virtualization is creating an ocean entrepreneurial opportunities, where small, nimble businesses can create real value by making creating more efficient ways of doing things.

One thing that James Urquhart points out in his Wisdom of Clouds blog post is that there is still a lot of opporutnity in the SaaS virtualization realm. Businesses that currently use enterprise apps need experts who can transition them to more robust and reliable SaaS apps. There is certainly plenty of room for experts like these to create value, while collecting strategic consulting and referral fees.

As more and more companies take on SaaS apps to manage their business processes, the need for consolidation will increase. Imagine the ability to pay for your campany's blogging platform, accounting system, email marketing platform, and CRM tool -- all on one bill. Now wouldn't that be nice? Urquart rightly points out that SaaS meter consolidatoin could craete a level of convenience for which some companies would be willing to pay.

It will be interesting to see how enrepreneurial companies take advantage of the small pockets of opoprtunity in the SaaS industry next year. It's hard to say which ideas will win, be you can be certain that speed and agility in deploying new business models will be key ingredients to success in SaaS virtualization innovation.

Communities Accelerate Cloud Computing

Tuesday, December 8, 2009 by Matt Hunckler

While reading a cool blog post on cloud computing communities by Reuven Cohen, creator of the Elastic Vapor blog, I was reminded of some of the reasons I love getting together with like-minded people:

Communities are fun.
What's could be better than hanging out with a bunch of folks with with common interests to eat, drink, and toss around ideas? At meetups, you're bound to meet at least a handful of interesting and inspiring people. It's fun to see things from new perspectives, challenge others, and allow others to challenge you.

Two (or more!) heads are better than one.
Simply put, there's power in numbers. Collaborating, brainstorming, and innovating are all natural byproducts of getting smart people toegther in the same space -- whether that space is physical or virtual. Platforms like Wordpress and Joomla are excellent examples of the power of collaboration, and how communities can work together to create something much more powerful than could have come from an individual or team.

Communities are everywhere
Whether cloud computing communities congregate in person -- like at CloudCamp -- or online, finding cloud computing communities is simple.

Don't know where to start? You might find these helpful:

Hope to meet you out there.

Advantages of Cloud Computing Meetups

Thursday, December 3, 2009 by Matt Hunckler

All schmoozing and business-card-swaping aside, there are some fantastic advantages of attending cloud computing conventions and expos. I've found meetups like Cloud Camps, ITEC, TechPoint Summits, and Cloud Users Groups to be a fuel source for both professional and personal growth.

Assimilation of knowledge through osmosis is simple.
There are usually tons of super-smart people at events like those listed above. Whether these people are cloud computing providers, vmware virtual server specialists, or others utilizing a cloud computing platform; just standing b and listening in on conversations can be a learning experience. Be curious, pay attention, and ask questions.

Networking -- the interpersonal relationships kind -- reaps rewards.
Meet some new people, nd expand your network. How can you help event attendees? I always make it a goal to make at least three connections that don't immediately benefit me in any way. While you should never help someone with the intent to gain something in return, the law of reciprocity always pays dividends.

Fluency increases competency.
The simple repetition of explaining the advantages of cloud computing has helped me build a certain level of confidence and competence around the benefits of virtualization, vmware hoted environments, and SaaS irtualization. Join in the conversation and learn to talk the talk. The act of speaking about cloud computing platforms, helps to organize thoughts, enhance comprehension, and vet new ideas.

Bottom line: get out of the office and learn somthing from somebody -- including yourself. Find the next cloud computing meetup in your area. Hope to see you there.

A YouTube Course in "Cloud"

Tuesday, November 17, 2009 by Matt Hunckler

New to the idea of Software as a Service SaaS Virtualization? This video from Salesfor will help bring you up to speed:

This short video clip, produced by Salesforce.com, effectively points out that managed cloud hosting is a superior way to run your business. It's clear that multitenancy is simply a more efficient way to approach IT infrastructure.

For those of you who are new to cloud, some of the major benefits of cloud computing are that your data is:

secure
backed up in another location (redundant)
not limited in storage or resources

To help you better understand Infrastructure as a Service (Iaas), Common Craft recently put out a cool little video that is put together like School House Rock for the 21st century.

You can check it out here: Cloud Computing Hosting in Plain English

I always keep an eye open for better ways to explain the benefits of virtualization and cloud computing to not-so-technically-inclined friends as well as potential clients. I found these quick videos to be expremely helpful in succinctly illustrating cloud computing hosting.

Test/Dev Clouds in High Demand

Friday, November 6, 2009 by Matt Hunckler

I love my job. As a client specialist at BlueLock, I get to spend the majority of my time working with the innovative companies that are producing the products and services of the future and, at the same time, pushing the limits of cloud computing hosting.

In all of my conversations with BlueLock clients, one thing is clear:

There is massive demand for a cloud computing platform, specifically for testing and development, that is cost-effective and integrates well with production environments.

Many businesses have data and processing that doesn't require a fully-managed cloud hosting service at four nines (99.99%) uptime.

Some companies offer services that seem like they could be a good answer for this problem. IBM recently released Smart Business Development and Test on the IBM Cloud, which seems like it might be a competitor of Amazon's EC2 cloud computing platform.

The problem with some of these test/dev clouds is that they can't support VMware hosted environments. This means that, with test/dev clouds like EC2 and IBM's new offering, a company that is running their production environment on VMware can't necessarily integrate their test and production environments seamlessly -- an important consideration when doing a cloud computing comparison.

Enter vCloud Express...

One of the cool tools that the BlueLock engineers are tinkering with is a VMware-based, pay-as-you-go option that will be ideal for companies that need an environment that is dedicated to test and development. We announced vCloud Express back at the start of September, and since then, have received an overwhelming number of signups for the beta-version. In fact, we acually completely filled up all of the beta test slots!

I'm excited for the public launch of BlueLock's vCloud Express, because we'll be able to offer clients the perfect solution for their test/dev needs. Until then, I'll keep you posted as we continue to progress.

Cracking the Books (and Blogs) on Cloud Computing

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 by Matt Hunckler

It’s amazing how quickly a quarter of a year can blow by. It’s been three months since I started at BlueLock. Besides enhanced foosball skills and a less-than-healthy reliance on coffee, I have gained a ton of knowledge on cloud computing and the hosting industry as a whole.

At BlueLock, I work with our current clients to help maximize value and optimize their return on investment with us. I love to get to know and build relationships with the people and companies who utilize Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). My vocabulary, expertise, and skills have grown as I’ve rolled up my sleeves to dig in an understand client environments, identify areas of opportunity, and communicate ideas that were way over my head only weeks ago.

I’m psyched about all that I’ve learned so far, but I know that I’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg. Not only is cloud computing an extremely broad subject, but with rapidly evolving technology and innovators driving growth in the industry, the depth of each niche is incredible.

Reaching out to the community has been the quickest way for me to grasp the cloud concepts. I rely heavily on fellow BlueLock teammates to help me navigate the wealth of information that can, at times, be a bit overwhelming.

In my future posts I plan to help make sense of the cloud as I continue strive for cloud computing enlightenment. I’ll also get you the inside scoop on the cool stuff happening at BlueLock. Feel free to email me if you want to connect. If you have any questions, I can’t promise I’ll know the answer, but I’ll do everything I can to find someone that does and point you in the right direction. Until next time…