As opposed to my last blog post on the Cloud, this post would probably be best categorized as a re-tweet of Dave Durkee, but I think it's a really important item to share on what defines cloud computing. Anyway, I thought this was a great post that I dug up and thought it might help with some of the conversations around cloud computing. Dave Durkee of the ENKI corporation has taken a look at cloud computing and he has identified what he calls the seven essential characteristics that make up cloud computing:
- Access on-demand: one of the key features of cloud computing is that it provides a company with more and more computing power as their needs increase.
- Grow / Shrink: unlike the days in which a company would purchase a server, install it, and then live with it forever, cloud computing allows companies to both add and shed computing power on an as-needed basis. .
- Pay-As-You-Grow: cloud computing allows a company to match its IT expenses more closely to its actual needs. Just like a gas, water, or electric utility, cloud computing is a subscription service that you get charged for based on how much you’ve used. .
- Lots Of Connections: although not discussed as much as it should, running your applications in the cloud assumes that you have reliable high-speed access to other servers and storage in the same cloud that you are using as well as high-speed access to the Internet. .
- Economies Of Scale: since a cloud provider is not only servicing your company, but also other companies at the same time, they should be able to buy in bulk and therefore keep costs lower than you would be able to do on your own. .
- Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: when you use the cloud, you really don’t know where your data or applications physically are. Despite not knowing this, the cloud provider can be expected to provide you with some level of service level agreement. .
- Dating, Not Marriage: just because you pick a particular cloud provider, doesn’t mean that you have to stick with them forever. Instead, you should imagine a future where you move from cloud to cloud based on business needs. .