The Virtual Data Center

I’m a simple guy: I like to define things in tiny, digestible chunks and build up from those bite-sized morsels. I see a pie, take a bite, and think “This must be where pies go when they die” with every amazing chew (actually I’m more of a doughnut guy than a pie guy but it works for this analogy). I’m insanely lucky in that I work with people who typically think differently than I do: in this case they think about the whole pie and how the pie impacts the rest of the meal. I’d say we’re a good balance, except on those days where I’m so stubborned I can’t move out of the basic definition phase of a problem and we discuss the gap in thinking rather than the actual problem. “Why does the way this one bite tastes have any impact on my wine choice for appetizer?”

Well over the past two weeks I’ve hit two of those issues with virtualization: How do you define and categorize cloud computing and application virtualization? Today let’s stick to the clouds (it’s a murky, rainy day in Bellingham and I have a great view of the cloud party over Bellingham Bay, so why not keep it local).

Where I’m stuck is how do you define the cloud and classify a cloud service? Let’s start with an example: Gmail. Is Gmail a cloud service? If so, why? If not, why not? I’m not concerned yet about answering whether or not Gmail is a cloud service but instead HOW to decide either way and WHY. I have a short list of cloud qualifiers that I use to determine if something is a cloud service:

• It’s got to be a service that accepts input and returns output in the form of a workload, AND
• It has to have an integration overlap between the running service and the local “management” piece, typically via a transparent management component like an API, but I’m open to other implementations.

For me the above works really well to define larger services such as those from Service Providers, such as Amazon S3. But one area where my criteria falls short is when we start talking about end-users. Is the cloud consumer-able, meaning can do/would consumers every touch the cloud? I’m leaning towards no right now. But does it matter HOW I access and use Gmail as a consumer? That’s one of the criteria I’m looking at.

My co-workers and friends are 20 steps ahead of me in defining the cloud itself; they’re talking about the cloud with terms like existential and invoking Plato, don’t get me wrong, which is great. But that doesn’t work for me; I need to start way, way down at the bottom of everything and figure out how I’m going to apply a criteria to the cloud before I can discuss it’s philosophical place in life. Lori and others have suggested that the cloud comes down to how a service is delivered rather than what is delivered, and I’m fine with that as a long term definition or categorization. I don’t think it’s narrow enough, though, to answer the question “Is Gmail a cloud service?” because if Gmail is delivered over the web, my internet connection is my work infrastructure, so therefore…Gmail is a cloud service for me? As I’ve said before, just because I send a packet outside my house doesn’t mean I’m invoking a cloud service. So does it really come down to Gmail is only a cloud service if I use it as part of the cloud? Curse you, recursion!

So what I need is a Cloud Criteria: a method for evaluating any computing service or technology in the data center to determine if it’s a cloud service or cloud-able. Maybe a Cloud Algorithm: Pass in a technology and out pops the solution. But what is that algorithm? That’s just the way my tiny brain works: I need classifications and organization (you should see how organized my records and CDs are ). I’m not opposed to non-linear classifications, but I at least need that framework. And unfortunately with cloud computing and service I’m at a stand-still until I can get that order straight in my head. Thoughts? Feel like helping a brother out? What’s the check-box criteria for a service being part of the cloud?