CLOUD COMPUTINGTrends to Watch for Libraries

Marshall BreedingDirector for Innovative Technology and ResearchVanderbilt University LibraryFounder and Publisher, Library Technology Guideshttp://www.librarytechnology.org/http://twitter.com/mbreedingInternet Librarian 2010Oct 26, 2010

Summary

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

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-serviceThe Advance of Computing From the Ground to the CloudComputers in Libraries, December 2009http://www.librarytechnology.org/ltg-displaytext.pl?RC=14384

What is Cloud computing?

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?

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

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

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 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

Traditional model Locally owned and managed Shifting from departmental to enterprise Departmental servers co-located in

central IT data centers Increasingly virtualized

Virtualization

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

Web hosting Web site only Standard support for PHP, Perl, and other

dynamic page generation Dedicated Server

Appropriate for applications that have not been tested and deployed in virtual environments

Virtual server Requires software that supports virtualization

Advantages

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

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

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

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

Salesforce.com customer relationship management Sales force automation

NetSuite OpenAir Professional services automation Project management

BigMachines Management of quotations and software

provisioning

Google Apps

Microsoft Office 365

Enterprise SaaS deployments Many universities outsourcing mail Retain institutional domain names

Google Apps Education Edition Gmail

Microsoft Live@Edu

Infrastructure-as-a-service

Provisioning of Equipment Servers, storage

Virtual server provisioning Examples:

Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) Rackspace Cloud (

http://www.rackspacecloud.com/) EMC2 Atmos (http://www.atmosonline.com/)

Amazon EC2

Machine Instances Red Hat Enterprise Linux Debian Fedora Ubuntu Linux Open Solaris Windows Server 2003/2008

Storage-as-a-Service

Provisioned, on-demand storage Bundled to, or separate from other cloud

services

Platform-as-a-Platform as a Service

Virtualized computing environment for deployment of software

Application engine, no specific server provisioning

Examples: Google App Engine

SDKs for Java, Python Heroku: ruby platform Amazon Web Service

Private vs Public cloud

Public – multi-tenant provisioning Logically isolated computing environment Theoretical security / competitive concerns

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 Almost all library automation products

offered through hosted options Saas or ASP?

ILS Products offered as SaaS 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

Serials Solutions Summon 360 Search, 360 Link, KnowledgeWorks

Ex Libris Primo Total Care Primo Central

… many other examples …

Repositories in the cloud

Dspace – institutional repository application

Fedora – generalized repository platform DuraSpace – organization now over both

Dspace and Fedora DuraCloud – shared, hosted repository

platform Pilot since 2009, production in early 2011 http://www.duraspace.org/duracloud.php

Vendor hosting behind-the-scenes 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 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

"the first Web-scale, cooperative library management service”

New highly scaleable platform for WorldCat Cataloging Interlibrary loan Discovery (WorldCat Local) Circulation Acquisitions License Management

Early deployments underway now – UTC, Pepperdine, etcIn Challenge to ILS Industry, OCLC Extends WorldCat Local To Launch New Library System

Marshall Breeding, Library Journal 4/23/2009http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6653619.html

Library applications for IaaS or PaaS

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?

Ex: Amazon S3 for storage of digital objects? Access – depending on cost

No guarantees for data security Preservation – only as one replicate of

broader preservation architecture

Cost implications

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 IaaS: balance elimination of hardware investments

for ongoing usage fees Especially attractive for development and prototyping

Risks and concerns

Privacy of data Policies, regulations, jurisdictions

Ownership of data Avoid vendor lock-in

Integrity of Data Backups and disaster recovery

Security issues

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 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

Library automation vendors promoting SaaS offerings Some companies already exclusively SaaS

Software pricing increasingly favorable to SaaS

Caveat

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