Security, certification, and Cloud Computing

[tmetro-blu-5a1Jt6qxUNc at public.gmane.org (Tom Metro)]

David Rosenstrauch wrote:
> You can learn a lot by reading up on the topic on your own -
> especially if you do it in conjunction with try to gain some hands-on
> experience experimenting with coding, kicking the tires on some open
> source cloud software, playing around with Amazon EC2/S3, etc.

After Doc Searls' talk last week he mentioned one such open source 
project that is API compatible with EC2: Eucalyptus
http://eucalyptus.cs.ucsb.edu/

He also wrote about it on page 17 of the April issue of Linux Journal.

I can see this project being useful in larger organizations that have 
scaled back their infrastructure and administration staff in favor of 
putting things in the cloud, but still have an in-house staff of 
developers building customs apps that need to be tested before being 
deployed to the cloud.

It'll also get used by small startups looking to undercut Amazon, or 
provide some value-add that Amazon can't offer, but Rich is probably 
right that being a cloud provider is ultimately the domain of very large 
organizations. (Though that doesn't prevent small organizations from 
using that infrastructure as the foundation for their own cloud services 
(like software as a service). The existence of EC2 makes the barriers to 
a Salesforce.com clone way lower.)


Grant M. wrote:
> Rich Braun wrote:
>> Just my $0.02.  I think Cloud Computing is going to ultimately amount to
>> exactly as much opportunity (zero) for the Little Guy as fiber-optics turned
>> out to be 10 years ago.  This is basically a way for Big Business to control a
>> big chunk of the market, and surely they will succeed.  No question, it's a
>> next Big Thing.  But don't bet your career on making money on it unless your
>> ambition is to join a big company and then get laid off a year or three later.
> 
> I disagree. I think Cloud services offer reasonably measurable benefits.
> And probably moreso for the smaller companies than the larger.

Both good points, but I think you're each looking at the issue from 
different perspectives. I think Rich is referring to the business of 
providing cloud computing services, rather than consuming them.


> That said, as far as a career goes, I don't see learning it as anything
> that would help me in any way. In order for it to be sustainable, I
> think that it will need to be centrally managed, and done so cheaply. My
> suspicion is that it will all be automated, where servers die and are
> disabled automatically, then flagged for repair by a depot. As a
> technician, you'd likely become more of burger-flipper...

I can see at least 3 likely career paths relating to cloud computing 
that go beyond "burger-flipper"...

1. System architect at a cloud computing provider. These jobs will be 
rare, require high qualifications, but will obviously pay very well.

2. Cloud migration consultant. Here you apply knowledge of both
traditional software and cloud services to help a client move their data 
and business processes to the loud. There is going to be some 
opportunity for this within end-user organizations, but longer term this 
is the domain of consulting service companies.

3. Managing cloud services. This could be an add-on skill set for an IT 
manager or a new role. Your responsibility is to make sure your employer 
is purchasing the correct cloud services, that the contract terms are 
optimal, and that the services function to your expectations. In a 
larger organization this gets into "cloud governance"[1][2]. At smaller 
organizations, it might just mean you not only can maintain the office 
PCs, but you also know your way around Google Apps. and can provision 
new accounts.

1. 
http://www.sdtimes.com/TAKING_STEPS_TO_CLARIFY_CLOUD_GOVERNANCE/About_CLOUDCOMPUTING/33287
2. 
http://www.sdtimes.com/FROM_THE_EDITORS_STRONG_GOVERNANCE_AND_THE_CLOUD/About_CLOUDCOMPUTING_and_MICROSOFT_and_SECURITY/33331

  -Tom

-- 
Tom Metro
Venture Logic, Newton, MA, USA
"Enterprise solutions through open source."
Professional Profile: http://tmetro.venturelogic.com/