Cloud computing and Citrix C3June 2009Feedback welcome-- MichaelCloud Computing and Citrix C3Dr Michael HarriesCitrix Labs© 2009 Citrix Systems, Inc. — All rights reserved

The term cloud computing has been much hyped in the recent past. Is it real or just hot air?Just hot air?

Indeed everyone seems to mean something different when they talk about cloud.

For one, the cloud graphic has long represented ‘any network’ connecting two computers.

Some see it as the culmination of a long line of contributing technologies.VirtualizationUtility ComputingWOASOAAutonomicComputingSaaSBPMHPCPaaSIaaSITILClusteringWeb 2.0Data MiningRACMeshGrid5

Others, like Nicholas Carr, have a ‘utopian’, user oriented view of cloud computing. Cheap, utility-supplied computing will ultimately change society as profoundly as cheap electricity did

Some vendors, like SalesForce, argue that cloud is the whole future of IT.Cloud is web based SaaS +web based, hosted dev platform

Others, like Google, define cloud as just – what they do. Google IS the cloud

For the end user, cloud is synonymous with a ‘nice web application’Cloud is ease of useIt’s every cool web pageIt’s Google mailIt’s SaaSIt’s EASY

For Enterprise IT, cloud promises to make IT ‘easy’Cloud is flexibility of resources, available on demandCloud is dynamically scalableCloud is automatedCloud is IT nirvana!

But it’s just not that simpleCloud is not secureLoss of IT controlLimited SLAsA Threat

So why so many disparate views? Cloud computing is an idea ‘made to stick’SimpleUnexpectedConcreteCredibleEmotionalStories

Here are some categories that help with thinking about cloud computing.CloudPhase IPhase IIPhase IIIInfrastructure as a ServicePlatform as a ServiceSoftware as a ServiceAzure

Citrix has offerings in each of these areas.CloudPhase IPhase IIPhase IIIInfrastructure as a ServicePlatform as a ServiceSoftware as a ServiceCitrix OnlineCitrix Cloud CenterC3 Labs ...C3 labs is early stage, but is intended to become a “delivery platform as a service”

The area that has the most impact on Enterprise IT is Infrastructure as a Service.IaaSInfrastructure as a Service

At it’s core, IaaS is about bringing the economics of web companies to the enterprise

The most critical part of how this is achieved is through standardizing computing components. Standardization

fOne of the masters of such standardization is Amazon, with their Elastic Compute Cloud and Simple Storage Service. The Amazon cloud has enabled a new wave of innovation.Elastic Compute Cloud from $0.10 per VM hourSimple Storage Service $0.15 per gig stored $0.17 per gig transferred

from $0.10 per VM hour

$0.15 per gig stored

$0.17 per gig transferred

Like virtual infrastructure by SmugMug, who have been able to scale tremendously without any of their own infrastructure through using Amazon Servers and Storage.“30 employees. More than 300,000 paying customers. 288,000,000 photos.”NO INFRASTRUCTURE

And burst computing by the New York Times in converting historical images for use on a ‘retrospective’ web site. New York Times4TB of TIFFsTo 1.5TB of PDFs100 EC2 Xen VMs

New York Times

4TB of TIFFs

To 1.5TB of PDFs

100 EC2 Xen VMs

Sound good so far? The trap is that every vendor has a different set of capabilities in mind when they utter the phrase “cloud computing”

Some emphasize base level virtualization – virtual servers, virtual storage, and virtual networks.

Others emphasize resource management, multi-tenancy (in all its forms), usage monitoring, and optimizing across the farm.

Still others are mainly about application management, which components work where, and how they need to interact.

And some are mainly about providing access and automation in the cloud.

So where does Citrix fit?And why does Citrix have any part of this discussion?

Citrix has long been about turning Windows applications into a service. In a very real sense, bringing delivery abstraction to every application.Where Does Citrix Fit? Citrix Delivery CenterDelivering Enterprise IT as a ServiceXenDesktop · XenApp · NetScaler · XenServer

Citrix is also the fifth largest SaaS vendor globally with Citrix Software as a Service offerings.

75% of Internet Users Each DayCitrix’s NetScaler technology is also very heavily used by Internet companies globally. To the extent that 75% of all Internet users touch our technology daily.

Xen and the Art of the CloudFinally, Citrix Xen is broadly used and is the engine behind most large commercial clouds globally. Citrix is a major player in cloud computing.“XenCitrix XenServerXenCitrix, Intel, AMD, IBM, HP, Fujitsu, Unisys, SGI, Samsung, Sun, VA Systems, Red Hat, Novell, VA Linux, DoD, NSA (42 orgs)”100% compatible with Microsoft Hyper-V

Citrix sees System Virtualization at the heart of the IaaS cloud revolution.Along with other industry major players we have been working to ensure cross compatibility of virtualization platforms. Virtualization

One major area for these efforts has been our involvement in the Distributed Management Task Force to enable the Open Virtualization Format standard. OVF is a standard way to express information about a given virtual appliance to allow automated import and execution on any virtualization platform.Open Virtualization Format => VM freedom

OVF = Multi-VM AppliancesCitrix Project KenshoOVF not only allows for virtual appliance portability, but also enables multi-VM Virtual appliances. Image: Trio of nested Klein bottles (source http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/images/I046/10314758.aspx)

Let’s get to the point.Citrix Cloud Center has caused some degree of confusion, but it’s actually pretty simple ...Citrix Cloud CenterC3

C3 is the same technology that Citrix sells for the Enterprise, packaged for cloud scenarios, with a cloud appropriate pricing model.Citrix Delivery Center [but for the cloud]

Here’s a simple schematic showing how C3 might be deployed for cloud use (inside or outside the datacenter)Repeater NetScalerWorkflow StudioXenAppXenDesktopcloud bridgeXenServer

Recent additions to C3 include:A virtual appliance version of our celebrated NetScaler appliance.NetScaler VPX

Recent additions to C3 include:A virtual switch (announced but not yet released)Virtual SwitchCompany ACompany CCompany B

Recent additions to C3 include:XenApp and XenDesktop, as we’ve recognized that application delivery is an important cloud task. All of these contribute to the broader picture. Repeater NetScalerWorkflow StudioXenAppXenDesktopcloud bridgeXenServer

C3 Reference ArchitectureHere’s one way to think about IaaS cloud computing.Customer Application / VM ManagementCustomer / Consumer App Transactions cloud bridgeWorkload Distribution System (grid engine)Web Application Delivery FabricVirtual Server ContainersCommodity Hardware InfrastructureDistributed Virtual Switch

C3 Reference ArchitectureAnd here’s how the Citrix Cloud Centercould be delivered in such an architecture.Customer Application / VM ManagementNetScaler MPX cloud bridgeWorkload Distribution System (grid engine)NetScalerVPXNetScalerVPXNetScalerVPXNetScalerVPXRepeaterWeb Application Delivery FabricXenAppXenDesktopVirtual Server ContainersDynamic Workload ProvisioningXenServer Commodity Hardware InfrastructureDistributed Virtual Switch

We’ve also recently announced a Service Provider program.Citrix Service Provider ProgramCitrix newest partner programDesigned for service providersMonthly “active subscriber” pricing & licensing model Route-to-market for customers inclined to leverage hosted services

So what does all this enable?Enterprise cloud is about enabling enterprise to take advantage of web economies EnterpriseCloud

An obvious possibility is to take images of all servers in the datacenterand be prepared to start them in the cloud in the case of a disaster. Disaster Recovery

The combination of cloud computing and the Citrix Delivery Center capabilities enables Windows applications to fully participate in the cloud.Windows Apps

“Cloud-burst”An example of enterprise Cloud-burst might be when a physical XenApp farm is at its limit, the farm could be configured to automatically transfer new sessions to the cloud.

In the scenario of running in the cloud, many want to keep data on premise – Citrix Branch Repeater provides a way to do this.BridgeApps in cloud; Data stays on premise

Citrix C3 Labs provides an easy way to explore these ideas at very low cost using Amazon EC2Citrix C3C3 Lab

We’ve provided blueprints (recipes) on the Citrix community site.Citrix C3 Lab BlueprintsCommon ScenariosCommunity DrivenArchitectural OverviewsDeployment GuidesBest Practices

Did I mention that it was easy?http://community.citrix.com/C3Lab

Citrix sees the Cloud as a direct evolution of the datacenter, and part of the future of every IT shop.Pay-goAutomationCloud-extended Data CenterData Center VirtualizationSelf-ServiceData CenterFlexibilityDynamic Data CenterServer ConsolidationEconomicsTime

Cloud is not just hot air. Now is the time for exploration.