Enterprise vs Public Cloud – VISI

I spend a lot of time talking to business people about cloud computing, and one of the consistent questions I hear is: What’s the difference between VISI’s enterprise cloud platform and something like Amazon’s public cloud?

It’s a question that troubles businesses because both cloud platforms provide a utility-based computing solution. Both companies manage the underlying computing and storage infrastructure powering their platforms. And from the perspective of customers, both types of cloud providers represent an outsourced IT business model. I can understand why businesses are confused, and I’m here to help explain the difference.

Let me start to address this question by looking at two different application architectures. I’ll call them “Architecture A” and “Architecture B”.

Architecture A shows two large computing nodes connected to a storage node containing 10 hard drives. Architecture B shows 10 computing nodes, each containing a single hard drive. Let’s say that the computing nodes in Architecture A are five times as fast and five times as reliable as any of the computing nodes in Architecture B. Now, ignore infrastructure questions related to physical network connectivity and power for the moment. Which of the two computing architectures is the best one for your applications? Which one provides the most application resiliency and performance? The answer to that question depends on how your applications are designed. Stay with me here for a moment.

Enterprise vs. Public Cloud | Colocation & Data Center Blog – Minnesota-based | VISI.

Alex Carroll

Managing Member at Lifeline Data Centers

Alex, co-owner, is responsible for all real estate, construction and mission critical facilities: hardened buildings, power systems, cooling systems, fire suppression, and environmentals. Alex also manages relationships with the telecommunications providers and has an extensive background in IT infrastructure support, database administration and software design and development. Alex architected Lifeline’s proprietary GRCA system and is hands-on every day in the data center.