Private Cloud Computing

Book Preface

Is “provisioning a web server in 5 minutes for $5” the most interesting thing about the cloud?

Those responsible for IT in their enterprise are quickly discovering that the cloud is a game-changing trend that offers a completely new methodology for service provision. The cloud not only lets you cut IT costs and be greener—it also accelerates innovation within your enterprise. These are the values driving architects to look at how they can build a private cloud for their enterprise. We are at the start of a decade where network designers will use infrastructure consolidation and virtualization to create next-generation cloud services. Network virtualization is the bedrock for this solution because it can consolidate diverse networks into a single virtual entity, the first step in creating a service-oriented infrastructure. On this foundation, IT resources can be scaled up and down virtually to provision on-demand services (a.k.a. private cloud services) without the addition of new physical devices or entities through server virtualization. From a business perspective, this enables cost savings and increases the ability to rapidly react and adjust to the volatile business climate. This enables more agile balancing of expense reduction with business growth
initiatives.