This document discusses hybrid clouds and mini pods that were presented at a JISC conference. It defines cloud computing and discusses the difference between commodity and complexity IT. Large organizations are creating private clouds by consolidating their data centers and applications to reduce costs. The document proposes a hybrid cloud model for Loughborough University using a cooperative cloud and local "mini-pods" to de-risk moving to the cloud. It suggests cheap virtual servers via a hybrid cloud could be a "killer app" for higher education that allows for cost savings while maintaining performance, security and staff roles. Standards for VMs and use of JANET brokerage are also discussed.

1. Hybrid Clouds & Mini PodsJISC Conference 201115 March Dr Phil Richards Director of IT, Loughborough University

2. Overview Definition of cloud Commodity and complexity IT What are large IT organisations doing? Hybrid cloud: de-risking the cloud The killer app for HE FE cloud? VM standards JANET brokerage

3. Definition of cloud “Cloud computing is 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.” (US National Institute of Standards and Technology)

4. Commodity vs complexity IT Complexity ITinsource, innovate Commodity IToutsource, share Dynamic equilibrium

5. Commodity vs complexity IT Cloud for quality Cloud for savings Complexity ITinsource, innovate Commodity IToutsource, share Dynamic equilibrium

6. HP consolidation project Create ‘private cloud’ Data centres: 85 6 (3 x pairs) Applications 6000 3000 Investment: $100Ms to create own JANET Saving: $1Bn per annum revenue (Source: eweek.com) Lesson: industrial scale key to savings Berkeley ‘Beyond the Clouds’ – 10Ks+ servers

7. De-risking the cloud:Loughborough’s Hybrid Cloud Co-operative Cloud Avoid refurb Save £Ms + OJEU competitive dialogue for buy-in Local cloud2 x ‘mini-pods’ Logicalis BOCS Remote cloudvia ‘Traditional’data centreto retire

8. The ‘killer app’ for HE FE cloud? Research tools? Shared administrative applications? Cheap virtual servers (IaaS) via hybrid cloud Organic change: current IT staff retain job and role Cost savings if remote cloud ‘industrial scale’ Performance, security OK if via JANET Brokerage Exit strategy: risk mitigated by migration back to local cloud

9. Standards for VMs and hypervisors:do we need to worry? VHS vs. Betamax? Or CD/DVD/+/-/R/RW/RAM

10. JANET – our ‘national grid’ for hybrid cloud brokerage Remote industrialdata centre 2 Remote industrialdata centre 1 University or College local clouds