At 2014's Cloud Expo Europe exhibition, C4L's Marketing Manager Gary Barter gave a thought-provoking presentation on why physical infrastructure shouldn't hold back cloud innovation. Gary delivered an insightful presentation on why it's important to understand the basics of physical infrastructure and the questions you should be thinking about when considering purchasing a cloud service, In the slideshow, you can discover the questions that should be on your mind when looking for a cloud provider and why it's so important to ensure your cloud provider is solid and trustworthy.

1. Fit for purpose?
Physical infrastructure shouldn’t hold back cloud innovation
Gary Barter
Marketing Manager, C4L
Gary.Barter@C4L.co.uk
07775 840830

2. About C4L
• Founded 2000, privately owned
– Year on year growth since the company was formed
– 58 employees
– Bournemouth data centre
– coreTX National 1-100Gbps capable network
– Access to over 100 data centres across the UK
– Customer retention exceeding 95%
– ISO9001 & 27001 certified
• Colocation Connectivity Cloud Communications

5. Cloud Infrastructure - ?AASYoumanage
Networking
Storage
Servers
Virtualisation
O/S
Middleware
Runtime
Data
Applications
Packaged
Software
Networking
Storage
Servers
Virtualisation
O/S
Middleware
Runtime
Data
Applications
Infrastructure
(as a Service)
Networking
Storage
Servers
Virtualisation
O/S
Middleware
Runtime
Data
Applications
Platform
(as a Service)
Networking
Storage
Servers
Virtualisation
O/S
Middleware
Runtime
Data
Applications
Software
(as a Service)
Youmanage
Managebyvendor
Networking
Storage
Servers
Virtualisation
Youmanage
Managebyvendor
Networking
Storage
Servers
Virtualisation
O/S
Middleware
Runtime
Managebyvendor
Networking
Storage
Servers
Virtualisation
O/S
Middleware
Runtime
Data
Applications

6. No more hardware worries?
• In theory yes..
– IAAS and cloud removes the need to worry about Hardware
• BUT, you ignore the basics at your peril!
– Trust?
– Reliability?
– Understanding?
– Where is your data?
• Can you get it back!

7. Key areas of focus
Servers Storage Security SLA

8. Servers
• Questions you should be asking?
– Equipment vendors?
– Location?
– Redundancy/resilience?
– Scalability?
• Server Innovation?
– ‘Pizza boxes’ vs Blade servers
– Micro-servers, (HP Moonshot, Dell, etc)
– Low power System on a Chip technology
– On-board SSD integration

9. Storage
• Not just about IOPS
– Types of devices?
– Location?
– Connectivity?
– Resilience/redundancy?
• Storage Innovation
– Deduplication and compression
– Thin Provisioning
– Adoption of SSD
– Tiered storage models

10. Security
• Security – physical and data
– Basic network essentials in place?
– Protected from the Internet?
– Physical access to the facility?
– Monitored/controlled/recorded access?
• Security Innovations
– Protection against DDoS
– Securing online transactions and ecommerce
– Remote CCTV and monitoring systems
– Biometric security systems

11. SLA / Support
• SLA complexity
– What do you want to offer?
– Physical infrastructure?
– Can you contact providers directly?
– Are ALL of your services covered
• SLA & Support Innovations
– Services, processes and suppliers
– EG. A new support ticket system
– Tightening/enhancing an SLA
– Reducing complexity

12. Connectivity
• Bandwidth, connectivity and contention
– Internet Connectivity?
– Private Interconnects?
– Latency vs bandwidth?
– Ecosystem of providers
• Innovation?
– Procurement and support
– Software Defined Networks & IPV6
– Monitoring & reporting
– Growing bandwidth 110100Gb?

13. Summary
• Cloud does not remove the need for infrastructure
– You still need to understand the physical hardware
• Data Centres are probably the most logical choice
– Directly or selecting an IAAS provider that fits you
• Challenge your vendor to deliver innovation across all 4 S’s
– Servers, Storage, Security, SLA/Support
– Don’t forget Connectivity
Servers Storage Security SLA Connectivity

14. The end game?
• Goal of innovation at the IAAS layer?
– PREDICTABILITY
• At acceptable price and performance levels
• More important than performance or cost
• IAAS providers delivering reliable and consistent performance
– Enable Innovation in the upper layers
• Now ask yourself
– Is your IAAS partner Fit for Purpose?

15. Thank you
Any Questions?
Gary Barter
Marketing Manager, C4L
Gary.Barter@C4L.co.uk
07775 840830