The road to utility computing.The concept of utility computing (1) Pay-per-usage processing provided by a service organization that uses its own computers and facilities. Customers access the computers via a private network or over the Internet and are charged according to how much computing time they use, such as CPU seconds, minutes or hours. has been highly visible in the media over the past year and, despite a great deal of discussion, IT managers still lack a clear path past the marketing aspects to gain a clear view of how they can move their organizations toward utility computing and tight alignment of IT with the changing needs of their business. Like weight loss and fitness, enterprise computing Refers to information technology in the larger company. See enterprise data and enterprise networking. has its trends and fads. It would be a mistake, however, to dismiss the concept of utility computing as a passing enthusiasm. Its benefits are undeniable and should not be overlooked in these times of stringent IT budgets. The problem is that the concept of utility computing has many moving parts Moving parts are the components of a device that undergo continuous or frequent motion, most commonly rotation. "Parts" only include the mechanical components which does not include fuel, or any other gas or liquid. , and it can be a challenge to get a clear understanding of the fundamentals--let alone the interaction between storage, computing, applications and networking. The utility computing model requires that data and applications always be available, that services be delivered at specified levels, and that IT processes be automated. On the supply side (the IT department side) it means reduced costs, more efficient use of resources, and the ability to allocate costs to lines of business. On the user side, its full effect is to create a Utopia in which availability and performance are consistently optimal and aligned to the changing needs of the business. Above all, utility computing is based on the principle of creative frugality: Get the most out of what you already have. Don't replace technologies that are working for you; acquire the tools you need to make them more productive and efficient. Utility Computing Defined The definition of utility computing is analogous to the delivery of services via a public utility. We contract with utilities to supply water, gas, or electricity at specified service levels for specified costs. The concept of utility computing enables IT departments to function in a similar way. With more visibility into their IT environment, they can define their services more precisely, measure and report on service levels and usage, and allocate costs to users across their organizations. IT becomes more transparent and more closely aligned with the needs of the enterprise. And IT users across the enterprise quickly become aware of the price tags attached to the services they use. For example: technology exists today that enables an IT department with a complex heterogeneous environment Using hardware and system software from different vendors. Organizations often use computers, operating systems and databases from a variety of vendors. Contrast with homogeneous environment. to inform a business unit that its specified 99.99% availability requirement for a certain application will cost $300,000 a year. The business unit can now make an informed decision. Is that quality of service really worth that much? What would the business tradeoffs look like if availability were reduced to 98% or 97%? To enjoy this user-specific, utility-like approach to IT management, IT needs to consider three primary areas of focus: availability, performance, and automation. Optimized Availability The first requirement of utility computing is that data and applications must always be available. Users should be insulated in·su·late tr.v. in·su·lat·ed, in·su·lat·ing, in·su·lates 1. To cause to be in a detached or isolated position. See Synonyms at isolate. 2. from disruptive events ranging from server failure to a complete site outage out·age n. 1. A quantity or portion of something lacking after delivery or storage. 2. A temporary suspension of operation, especially of electric power. . And despite the fact that eliminating downtime is an industry preoccupation, "always-on" computing remains a challenge. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. IDC, when disaster strikes, enterprises can expect to experience 3-7 days of downtime per event. Falling hardware costs have made it possible for many companies to protect data with layers of redundancy, but that redundancy makes some IT structures more difficult to access. What can IT managers do to take availability to maximum levels? First, is all enterprise data backed up? The data in branch offices, remote offices, home offices, desktops and laptops is unquestionably un·ques·tion·a·ble adj. Beyond question or doubt. See Synonyms at authentic. un·ques  tion·a·bil valuable, but because of costs and logistical problems it is not usually backed up. The utility computing model calls for centralized cen·tral·ize v. cen·tral·ized, cen·tral·iz·ing, cen·tral·iz·es v.tr. 1. To draw into or toward a center; consolidate. 2. , automated, cost-effective backup of these resources. How is data backed up and recovered? Data volumes mirrored at one or more remote sites can now be reliably replicated over IP networks to reduce the amount of data exposed to loss and to speed disaster recovery. Automated server provisioning eliminates error-prone manual recovery techniques. Clustering optimizes availability by automatically detecting application and database performance bottlenecks, or server failure by moving these critical services to other servers within the cluster. Failover should include not only the data application, but also the application state, reducing the effects of a failure to ensure minimal impact to end-users and the business. Under the heading of data availability Refers to the degree to which data can be instantly accessed. The term is mostly associated with service levels that are set up either by the internal IT organization or that may be guaranteed by a third party datacenter or storage provider. the utility computing model includes virtualization An umbrella term for enhancing a computer's ability to do work. Following are the ways virtualization is used. Hardware Virtualization Partitioning the computer's memory into separate and isolated "virtual machines" simulates multiple machines within one physical computer. and pooling of storage resources, which enables IT departments to drive up storage utilization rates and reduce costs. Storage virtualization Treating storage as a single logical entity without regard to the hierarchy of physical media that may be involved or that may change. It enables the applications to read from and write to a single pool of storage rather then individual disks, tapes and optical devices. also reduces administrative costs administrative costs, n.pl the overhead expenses incurred in the operation of a dental benefits program, excluding costs of dental services provided. by providing centralized control 1. In air defense, the control mode whereby a higher echelon makes direct target assignments to fire units. 2. In joint air operations, placing within one commander the responsibility and authority for planning, directing, and coordinating a military operation or group/category of of heterogeneous resources from a single GUI (Graphical User Interface) A graphics-based user interface that incorporates movable windows, icons and a mouse. The ability to resize application windows and change style and size of fonts are the significant advantages of a GUI vs. a character-based interface. . Effective data lifecycle management further reduces the costs of data availability by automatically migrating data to the most cost-effective storage medium and allowing enterprises to access it selectively for regulatory compliance. Optimized Performance Utility computing includes the ability to scale compute resources to the needs of the business, optimize end-user response times, improve the overall quality of service, and detect and remedy causes of performance degradation--all in real time. This requires tools that can instrument the entire application stack The set of applications typically required by an organization. A typical "enterprise" application stack would include the basic office functions (word processing, spreadsheet, database, etc.), as well as a Web browser and e-mail and instant messaging programs. , from the Web browser The program that serves as your front end to the Web on the Internet. In order to view a site, you type its address (URL) into the browser's Location field; for example, www.computerlanguage.com, and the home page of that site is downloaded to you. or client application to the storage device, even in complex heterogeneous environments. If end-user response times are lagging, IT staff can break them down tier by tier to pinpoint problems. IT staff should utilize a dashboard-type client to send alerts and reports, giving them early warning of developing problems along with pointers to appropriate remedial action A remedial action is a change made to a nonconforming product or service to address the deficiency. Rework and repair are generally the remedial actions taken on products, while services usually require additional services to be performed to ensure satisfaction. . Or if a database is running too slowly, storage management and storage networks can accelerate access to data to make it run faster. As networks, applications and data continue to grow, performance optimization tools will become more significant and valuable to IT departments. Automation With the continuous commoditization Commoditization 1. A situation when illiquid financial contracts are changed or modified in a way that promotes trading and results in a more liquid market. 2. Making a product into a commodity. Notes: 1. and decline in hardware costs, people are more than ever the greatest expense in any IT department. Handling routine tasks in today's evolving heterogeneous environments is a costly, unnecessary hassle. Automating processes releases IT from routine tasks to focus on more strategic activity and application development. Automation should enable IT resources to adjust to changing needs without operator intervention. But automation does more than free-up costly staff members for more productive work, it also speeds up processes to improve availability, ensures that things are done right the first time, and saves costs through more effective management of resources. Here are examples of what automation technology can do to bring the enterprise closer to the utility computing model: * Virtualization and pooling of storage devices, driving up storage utilization and reducing hardware costs. * Simplification of storage management by automating common tasks from simple graphical interfaces. * Virtualization and pooling of compute capacity. Server utilization is notoriously low (at best, 20%) and applications vary over time in their need for processing. Drawing processing resources from a pool of servers drives up server utilization to align the needs of the business. * Provisioning a second server anywhere in the world when a server, an operating system operating system (OS) Software that controls the operation of a computer, directs the input and output of data, keeps track of files, and controls the processing of computer programs. , or an application fails. Automated migration of the application makes the failover practically unnoticeable to users. The Road to Utility Computing The key question for many companies is: How do we get from where we are today to the utility computing model? How do we put the focus areas of availability, performance, and automation in place? Discover. Inventory your IT assets and their utilization. This may sound fundamental, but many IT departments lack a single, straightforward inventory of storage, server, and application resources with utilization estimates. This is essential for the steps that follow. Consolidate. Once you have a clear picture of the organization's assets, you can begin to architect the environment to create enhanced availability. The first goal is to build a storage utility with software that allows you to virtualize To cause a virtual technique to be performed. See virtualization. and consolidate resources to improve administrator productivity and storage utilization. Consolidating processing resources will drive up server utilization in the same way. Standardize. Classify your applications, and then standardize on a set of integrated software Separate software components or applications that have been combined into one package. See integrated software package. tools and on a reasonable number of storage platforms, each providing different qualities of storage service. Automate. Now you can start to drive down the amount of time and labor required to request, provision and manage the environment with automation. Effective automation drives down cost, improves service levels by reducing intervention, and makes interaction with IT Allocate costs. Finally, move to a utility-computing, service-provider model by accurately reporting the costs of service level delivery. The costs may be allocated or charged back to business units on a usage basis. As these steps are taken, IT moves closer to the utility computing requisites: data and applications that are always available, performance that is maintained at specified levels, and IT management that is highly automated to reduce costs. Efficiency rises, and hardware and administrative costs drop. Ultimately, allocating costs helps align IT with business operations Business operations are those activities involved in the running of a business for the purpose of producing value for the stakeholders. Compare business processes. The outcome of business operations is the harvesting of value from assets . These are achievable benefits that are being enjoyed today by progressive enterprises. www.veritas.com Brenda Zawatski is vice president, product marketing, at Veritas (Mountain View, CA) |
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