Comments on: Explaining the Cloud http://daveyshafik.com/archives/648-explaining-the-cloud.html As close to my brain as you can safely get... Sat, 13 Feb 2010 05:32:28 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Mark Essel http://daveyshafik.com/archives/648-explaining-the-cloud.html/comment-page-1#comment-161 Mark Essel Mon, 08 Jun 2009 10:58:18 +0000 http://daveyshafik.com/?p=648#comment-161 Thanks gents for the cloud explanation. Although familiar with the concepts, I hadn't spent much time considering the real players/carriers. The example scenario was magnificent in its simplicity for getting a feel for the power of "the dial" for adding additional computing/storage/bandwidth. Some related posts I enjoyed on the subject (I'm sure I'll add my own once I read a few dozen more posts): Creating the cumulus, Software will be transformed into a combination of services http://www.economist.com/specialreports/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12411908 Cloud control http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c9e3bf12-1973-11de-9d34-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1 Cloud Computing: A System of Control http://gigaom.com/2009/05/29/cloud-computing-–-a-system-of-control/ Dark cloud computing (very curious of what we can learn from pirates) http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=36648918-1A64-67EA-E461198F86B38016 Thanks to pj from HackerNews for pointing these out Thanks gents for the cloud explanation. Although familiar with the concepts, I hadn’t spent much time considering the real players/carriers. The example scenario was magnificent in its simplicity for getting a feel for the power of “the dial” for adding additional computing/storage/bandwidth.

Some related posts I enjoyed on the subject (I’m sure I’ll add my own once I read a few dozen more posts):

Creating the cumulus, Software will be transformed into a combination of services
http://www.economist.com/specialreports/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12411908

Cloud control
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c9e3bf12-1973-11de-9d34-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1

Cloud Computing: A System of Control
http://gigaom.com/2009/05/29/cloud-computing-–-a-system-of-control/

Dark cloud computing (very curious of what we can learn from pirates)
http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=36648918-1A64-67EA-E461198F86B38016

Thanks to pj from HackerNews for pointing these out

]]> By: Rob La Gesse http://daveyshafik.com/archives/648-explaining-the-cloud.html/comment-page-1#comment-159 Rob La Gesse Mon, 08 Jun 2009 02:43:35 +0000 http://daveyshafik.com/?p=648#comment-159 Davey - I think you hit the nail on the head in many respects. A couple of additions I would add to to your initial data points about what cloud is - it is also contract free. And it is instant, or near instant (I just checked, it took me 38 seconds to spin up a new 1024K Cloud Server running Ubuntu.) Availability and accessibility are a huge part of this discussion. You also didn't hit on support at all, which I think deserves a lot more focus than it is getting - for Cloud to permeate, customers need an SLA they can believe in (and people they can talk to). We think we offer a differentiating advantage there. A lot of people are good at racking servers and writing code - few companies are known as great service companies. We aim to be one of those well known great service companies. We also happen to be racking more servers for customers than anyone else on the planet. We are a support company though. First. Another note - we have three cloud product offerings (so far!) - Cloud Sites, Cloud Files, and Cloud Servers. Note the spaces - two words - important to us :) Finally - we agree with you - the hosted database is a huge issue. How can we scale databases in the cloud, yet build something open, and shared with the community - so everyone can benefit? We're actually investing in third party database software (read more here: http://blog.mosso.com/2009/05/a-key-to-cloud-standards-the-cloud-database/). We believe the community can build a better cloud over time - and for now, this early in the game, building open source platforms is probably at least as important as building open API's. Thanks for the time you spent on this. Rob La Gesse Director of Customer Development The Rackspace Cloud 210-845-4440 Davey -

I think you hit the nail on the head in many respects. A couple of additions I would add to to your initial data points about what cloud is – it is also contract free. And it is instant, or near instant (I just checked, it took me 38 seconds to spin up a new 1024K Cloud Server running Ubuntu.)

Availability and accessibility are a huge part of this discussion.

You also didn’t hit on support at all, which I think deserves a lot more focus than it is getting – for Cloud to permeate, customers need an SLA they can believe in (and people they can talk to). We think we offer a differentiating advantage there. A lot of people are good at racking servers and writing code – few companies are known as great service companies. We aim to be one of those well known great service companies. We also happen to be racking more servers for customers than anyone else on the planet. We are a support company though. First.

Another note – we have three cloud product offerings (so far!) – Cloud Sites, Cloud Files, and Cloud Servers. Note the spaces – two words – important to us :)

Finally – we agree with you – the hosted database is a huge issue. How can we scale databases in the cloud, yet build something open, and shared with the community – so everyone can benefit? We’re actually investing in third party database software (read more here: http://blog.mosso.com/2009/05/a-key-to-cloud-standards-the-cloud-database/).

We believe the community can build a better cloud over time – and for now, this early in the game, building open source platforms is probably at least as important as building open API’s.

Thanks for the time you spent on this.

Rob La Gesse
Director of Customer Development
The Rackspace Cloud
210-845-4440

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