Transcript Cloud Computing: Trend Watch for Libraries

CLOUD COMPUTING
Trends to Watch for Libraries
Marshall Breeding
Director for Innovative Technology and Research
Vanderbilt University Library
Founder and Publisher, Library Technology Guides
http://www.librarytechnology.org/
http://twitter.com/mbreeding
Oct 26, 2010
Internet Librarian 2010
Summary
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One of the major transitions in technology involves increased
adoption of computing models that involve use of hardware
and software outside the library. It’s a seminal technology
change as important as the shift from mainframes to
client/server architectures. We’re hearing more about
application service providers, software-as-a-service,
storage-as-a-service, and platform-as-a-service. How does
OCLC’s global WorldCat platform fit into the mix? What is
the difference between public and private clouds? What
are the issues for libraries in the deployment of cloud
computing in terms of cost, efficiency, privacy, control, and
security? Marshall Breeding clarifies the concepts of cloud
computing with examples of interest to libraries.
Continuum of Abstraction
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Locally owned and installed servers
Co-located servers
Co-located virtual servers
Web hosting
Server hosting services
Application Service Provider
Software-as-a-service
Infrastructure-as-a-service
Platform-as-a-service
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The Advance of Computing From the Ground to the Cloud
Computers in Libraries, December 2009
http://www.librarytechnology.org/ltg-displaytext.pl?RC=14384
What is Cloud computing?
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Wikipedia:
“Cloud computing is Internet-based computing,
whereby shared resources, software, and information
are provided to computers and other devices on
demand, like the electricity grid.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing
What is Cloud computing?
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VMWare:
“Cloud computing is a new approach that
reduces IT complexity by leveraging the
efficient pooling of on-demand, self-managed
virtual infrastructure, consumed as a service”
http://www.vmware.com/solutions/cloud-computing/
Cloud illustration
http://soacloudcomputing.blogspot.com/2008/10/cloud-computing.html
Cloud computing as marketing term
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Cloud computing used very freely, tagged to almost
any virtualized environment
Any arrangement where the library relies on some
kind of remote hosting environment for major
automation components
Includes almost any vendor-hosted product offering
Cloud computing – characteristics
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Highly abstracted computing model
Utility model
Provisioned on demand
Scaled according to variable needs
Discrete virtual machines
Compute cycles on demand
Storage on demand
Elastic – consumption of resources can contract and
expand according to demand
Fundamental technology shift
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Mainframe computing
Client/Server
Cloud Computing
http://www.flickr.com/photos/carrick/61952845/
http://soacloudcomputing.blogspot.com/2008/10/cloud-computing.html
http://www.javaworld.com/javaworld/jw-10-2001/jw-1019-jxta.html
Gartner Hype Cycle 2009
Gartner Hype Cycle 2010
Local Computing
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Traditional model
Locally owned and managed
Shifting from departmental to enterprise
Departmental servers co-located in central IT data
centers
Increasingly virtualized
Virtualization
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The ability for multiple
computing images to
simultaneously exist on
one physical server
Physical hardware
partitioned into multiple
instances using virtual
machine management
tools such as Vmware
Applicable to local,
remote, and cloud
models
Hosting Services
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Web hosting
 Web
site only
 Standard support for PHP, Perl, and other dynamic
page generation
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Dedicated Server
 Appropriate
for applications that have not been tested
and deployed in virtual environments
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Virtual server
 Requires
software that supports virtualization
Advantages
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Increasing opportunities to eliminate local servers
and tech support
Many libraries cannot support the cost of systems
and network administrators which command higher
salaries than professional librarians
Eliminate hardware replacement, operating systems
upgrades, etc.
Application service provider
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Business applications hosted by software vendor
Standalone application on discrete or virtualized
hardware
Staff and public clients accessed via the Internet
Same user interfaces and functionality as if installed
locally
ASP Library Automation
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Entered library automation industry beginnig
~1997
 Innovative
(INN-Keeper)
 Epixtech (Horizon ASP)
ASP vs SaaS
From: THINKstrategies: CIO’s Guide to Software-as-a-Service
Software-as-a-Service
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Complete software application, customized for
customer use
Software delivered through cloud infrastructure,
data stored on cloud
Eg: Salesforce.com—widely used business
infrastructure
Salesforce.com
SirsiDynix
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Salesforce.com
 customer
relationship management
 Sales force automation
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NetSuite OpenAir
 Professional
services automation
 Project management
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BigMachines
 Management
of quotations and software provisioning
Google Apps
Microsoft Office 365
Enterprise SaaS deployments
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Many universities outsourcing mail
Retain institutional domain names
 Google
Apps Education Edition
 Gmail
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Microsoft Live@Edu
Infrastructure-as-a-service
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Provisioning of Equipment
Servers, storage
 Virtual
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server provisioning
Examples:
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Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2)
Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)
Rackspace Cloud (http://www.rackspacecloud.com/)
EMC2 Atmos (http://www.atmosonline.com/)
Amazon EC2
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Machine Instances
 Red
Hat Enterprise Linux
 Debian
 Fedora
 Ubuntu Linux
 Open Solaris
 Windows Server 2003/2008
Storage-as-a-Service
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Provisioned, on-demand storage
Bundled to, or separate from other cloud services
Platform-as-a-Platform as a Service
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Virtualized computing environment for deployment
of software
Application engine, no specific server provisioning
Examples:
 Google
 SDKs
App Engine
for Java, Python
 Heroku:
ruby platform
 Amazon Web Service
Private vs Public cloud
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Public – multi-tenant provisioning
 Logically
isolated computing environment
 Theoretical security / competitive concerns
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Private – cloud architecture, institutionally controlled
 Enforces
physical segregation
 Leverages cost and scalability
 Institutions may require private clouds from providers
 Institutions may operate their own cloud infrastructure
for internal clients
Library automation through SaaS
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Almost all library automation products offered
through hosted options
Saas or ASP?
ILS Products offered as SaaS
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SirsiDynix Symphony
SirsiDynix Horizon
Innovative Interfaces Millennium
Ex Libris Aleph
EOS International EOS.Web
Evergreen – Equinox Software
Koha – LibLime, ByWater, many others
internationally
…many other examples …
Discovery products offered through
SaaS
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Serials Solutions
 Summon
 360
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Search, 360 Link, KnowledgeWorks
Ex Libris
 Primo
Total Care
 Primo Central
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… many other examples …
Repositories in the cloud
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Dspace – institutional repository application
Fedora – generalized repository platform
DuraSpace – organization now over both Dspace
and Fedora
DuraCloud – shared, hosted repository platform
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Pilot since 2009, production in early 2011
http://www.duraspace.org/duracloud.php
Vendor hosting behind-the-scenes
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Libraries need to have confidence in the reliability
and robustness of service
Different hosting scenarios
 Vendor
manages its own data center
 Vendor leases server space in third party data center
 Vendor relies on cloud-based infrastructure
Caveats and concerns with SaaS
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Libraries must have adequate bandwidth to support
access to remote applications without latency
Quality of service agreements that guarantee
performance and reliability factors
Configurability and customizability limitations
Access to API’s
Ability to interoperate with 3rd party applications
 Eg:
Connect SaaS ILS with discovery product from
another vendor
OCLC Web-scale Management Service
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"the first Web-scale, cooperative library management
service”
New highly scaleable platform for WorldCat
Cataloging
 Interlibrary loan
 Discovery (WorldCat Local)
 Circulation
 Acquisitions
 License Management
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Early deployments underway now – UTC, Pepperdine,
etc
In Challenge to ILS Industry, OCLC Extends WorldCat Local To Launch New Library System
Marshall Breeding, Library Journal 4/23/2009
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6653619.html
Library applications for IaaS or PaaS
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Ability for libraries to use cloud resources for locally
created applications
Inexpensive and quick means for development and
prototyping
Platform for production services
Digital library collections in the cloud?
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Ex: Amazon S3 for storage of digital objects?
 Access
 No
– depending on cost
guarantees for data security
 Preservation
– only as one replicate of broader
preservation architecture
Cost implications
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Total cost of ownership
Do all cost components result in increased or decreased
expense
Personnel costs – need less technical administration
 Hardware – server hardware eliminated
 Software costs: subscription, license, maintenance/support
 Indirect costs: energy costs associated with power and
cooling of servers in data center
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IaaS: balance elimination of hardware investments for
ongoing usage fees
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Especially attractive for development and prototyping
Risks and concerns
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Privacy of data
 Policies,
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Ownership of data
 Avoid
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regulations, jurisdictions
vendor lock-in
Integrity of Data
 Backups
and disaster recovery
Security issues
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Most providers implement stronger safeguards
beyond the capacity of local institutions
Virtual instances equally susceptible to poor security
practices as local computing
Cloud computing trends for libraries
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Increased migration away from local computing
toward some form of remote / hosted / virtualized
alternative
Cloud computing especially attractive to libraries
with few technology support personnel
Adequate bandwidth will continue to be a limiting
factor
Increased pressure
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Library automation vendors promoting SaaS
offerings
 Some
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companies already exclusively SaaS
Software pricing increasingly favorable to SaaS
Caveat
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technologies promoted by companies and
organizations have a vested interest in their
adoption
Critically assess viability of the technology and its
appropriateness for your organization
Questions and Discussion