IT strategy to deliver cloud computing values

In my earlier article “IT Strategy to deliver cloud computing values” (http://nandiamit.blogspot.com/2009_04_01_archive.html), I mentioned I will discuss about approach of implementing cloud computing at enterprise level. Here I would like to discuss about potential stapes or approach to implement the cloud computing. According to IDC in 2010 about 14.4% of Enterprise’s IT budget allocated for private and/or public cloud computing. So enterprises are already started working on or planning to transform their IT infrastructure into cloud computing model. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Information Technology Laboratory has already defined Cloud computing as a model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction. This cloud model promotes availability and is composed of five essential characteristics, three service models, and four deployment models.

Business challenges and IT priorities are the two major factors that will set the direction of the cloud computing initiative for most enterprises. Mapping enterprise’s characteristics like competing on time to market and quality, with business challenges like must keep space with rapid change in market place, and with IT priorities like non functional requirements are the best place to start. Cloud computing from architecture perspective has five distinct layers: Infrastructure Services, Platform Services, Application Services, Business Services, and People Services or Standard Internet Services. Most enterprises do not have any distinct layer definition or supporting structure. Now the question is do we need to work on this area to adopt Cloud computing model. I will say you do not have to but keep the big picture in mind and create a tactical plan for immediate steps that will help cloud computing implementation.

Therefore, we should first complete the mapping of business challenges and IT priorities. Create all architecture documents as a next step. Challenge comes when you have to make decision about application migration to cloud computing model. Output of Analytic Hierarchy Process of all potential applications can help to make decision about application identification and migration strategy. Please contact me for how to develop IT Strategy, road map, and identifying projects for transforming your enterprise into cloud computing model.

Products selection comes after completing SOA design work

Choosing right SOA vendor/products is very challenging and difficult task. Implementing SOA products is not implementing SOA, because you cannot buy SOA. As we all know that SOA is an approach and style of architecture design. Enterprise needs to separate architecture design from the implementation. We need to remember architecture is product agnostic. Productivity, agility, responsiveness, software reuse, and easy to support business growth are among the benefits that an enterprise gains through successful adoption of SOA at enterprise level. Enterprises set its business objectives and technology objectives. SOA helps to achieve the objectives through its service orientation approach. As mentioned above the principles of the service oriented architecture design style or characteristics are modularity, loose coupling, separation of concerns, encapsulation, and single implementation. These characteristics make the IT Environment agile, increase responsiveness, and focused. Therefore, IT environment can sustain change and dynamic nature of today’s business world. The SOA style of design provides several benefits to an enterprise that include both IT and Business community.

Implementation of SOA at enterprise level should be done in small steps. Implementing at single LOB at a time may be easy and less complication. Think about big picture and execute at smallest level.

Primarily SOA should be implemented in an organization adopting an approach that most appropriate for the organization. This can be achieved by creating an Enterprise Architecture framework using TOGAF, FEA, FSAM, and existing EA or any other framework. Creating Governance module upfront can make the process easy. Using COBIT, ITIL, and existing Governance module may be the right approach for most organization to create a new Governance module that support SOA.

Selection of the right software, and hardware should be done after creating a operational module. Selecting products or using existing products are the real challenge in this step. Most vendors try to sell their SOA supported products in very early stage of Architecture Design Cycle. Enterprise needs to go through product selection process carefully and select the right one for their enterprise as specified in the Architecture document. At this step they need to map the products with their physical operational model.

In summary do not select the products before designing the architecture. You design a SOA and then map products to the operational model. If you have any questions please call me.