As the basic components of cloud computing hit the mainstream, we’re seeing a second generation of application stack components emerge—cloud databases, load-balancers, messaging queues, caches, workers, and so on. They’re much more than just rented metal, and they’re what makes clouds much more than just on-demand hardware. In this session, we’ll look at the latest and greatest trends in the “cloud stack”, looking at where this technology is headed, why it holds so much promise, and what the major challenges and risks are.

1. The Cloud Application Stack
Geva Perry
CloudConnect
February 2012

2. Follow Me
• Blog: ThinkingOutCloud.com
• Twitter: @GevaPerry
@GevaPerry

3. What I’ve Been Up To
@GevaPerry

4. Cloud Adoption Drivers
• Obvious
– Agility
– Cost Savings / Capital Efficiency
– Increase Scale & Reliability
• Less Obvious
– Best Practices / Automation
– Ecosystem / Integration
@GevaPerry

5. Big Picture
App Stack
“Cloud OS”
Virtualization
Data Center
@GevaPerry

6. Cloud OS
• Server Operating System
• Virtualization Layer
• Provisioning Model
• API
@GevaPerry

7. Cloud OS Choices
Amazon RAX/Citrix/OpenStack VMWare SFDC/Heroku Microsoft
•Eucalyptus for
Private/Provider

9. Approaches to the Stack in the Cloud
• Run Traditional Components in the Cloud
• Stack Assemblers
• Mix ‘n Match Cloud Services
• Curated Stack
• Blackbox
@GevaPerry

10. Control
Ease
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11. First Approach
TRADITIONAL COMPONENTS
RUNNING ON THE CLOUD
@GevaPerry

12. @GevaPerry

13. STACK ASSEMBLERS
@GevaPerry

14. Auto Assemble & Deploy to Cloud
Web
Server
Database
OS
@GevaPerry

15. Higher Level Stacks
@GevaPerry

16. MIX & MATCH CLOUD SERVICES
@GevaPerry

17. Cloud Services Mix-n’-Match
Component Examples Amazon
Database RDS, DynamoDB, SImpleDB
Messaging/ SQS
Queues
Caching ElastiCache
Big Data Pre-Launch Startups Elastic MapReduce
Analytics
@GevaPerry

18. …and Peripheral Services
• Run-Time:
– APM/Monitoring
– Log Analysis
– Security
• Pre-Production/Application Lifecycle:
– Testing
– IDEs
– Binary Repositories
@GevaPerry

19. PLATFORM-AS-A-SERVICE
@GevaPerry

20. PaaS: The Curated Stack
@GevaPerry

21. Multiple “Exhibits”
@GevaPerry

22. Non-Developer PaaS
BLACKBOX
@GevaPerry

23. Non-Developer PaaS
• Quickbase
• WorkXpress
• Salesforce.com/Force.com
• Zoho Creator
• LongJump
• IS Tools
• Wavemaker (Java, acquired by VMWare)
• Atlas (based on Cappuccino)
• ApplicationCraft (JavaScript)

24. ECOSYSTEM WARS
@GevaPerry

25. The Importance of Ecosystem
• Rapid Product Maturity
– Stability, core features
– Even if driven by only a few actual contributors
• “Whole Product”
– Advanced features
– Professional Services and Support
– Integrations
@GevaPerry

26. “Lock-iness”
Openness
U
De Facto Adopted
b Standard Standard
i
q
u Dead
i Standard,
t Proprietary
Unadopted
y OSS
@GevaPerry

27. Flexibility
Ease
@GevaPerry

28. Ecosystem Benign Lock-In
@GevaPerry

29. WHERE IT’S HEADED
@GevaPerry

30. @GevaPerry

31. CHOICES
@GevaPerry