IT@Intel Client Blog

Does Thin = Cloud? Not necessarily

catherine.spence@intel.com — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 21:33:03 GMT

In a recent TechRepublic article, Jason Hiner asks: Are Netbooks quietly driving us to Thin Clients and Cloud Computing?

Of course, the article is primarily about netbooks and how wonderful they are. No argument here. But the question of thin versus cloud has popped up in an interesting way. Thin is important because of the nature of the netbook but what does that have to do with cloud computing? Not all cloud applications are thin.

Perhaps the logic is as follows:

If cloud then we are delivering services over the internet
If internet then we must be using a browser
If browser then the computing must be taking place in the backend with only the UI distributed to the client device
Therefore all cloud devices must be thin

So what about rich clients? We happen to think that they are perfectly suited to cloud computing. Maybe our latest whitepaper on Better Together: Rich Clients and Cloud Computing can help set the record straight – or at least prompt some alternate thinking.

Cloud & Consumerization

catherine.spence@intel.com — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 16:57:07 GMT

As we abstract IT services and increase the use of SaaS and Cloud Computing, we contend with the force of consumerization. We are seeing a fundamental shift from enterprise focus to internet; and a shift from standardized offerings to user selection and personalization in choice of applications and client devices.

How can we improve agility and manage emerging complexity while balancing quality of service with innovation for different types of applications? For some, large scale abstraction leads to efficiencies for commoditized functions, whether they are hosted in house or outsourced. Other applications benefit from a more ad-hoc approach and might be more easily sourced from the cloud. IT will not be successful if we too tightly control services. Instead we must create a framework for our users to make smart choices.

SaaS - Software as a Service - Client Implications

catherine.spence@intel.com — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:59:45 GMT

Information Week recently released an excellent Special Report on Software as a Service (SaaS). A poll of 374 business technology professionals showed that 50% of organizations are considering or running one or more enterprise applications over the Internet as a service. I actually participated in the survey and you can probably guess which quote is mine in the “Our Readers Weigh In” section of the article.

The analysis goes on to conclude that SaaS is maturing and becoming part of enterprise IT strategy. The recommendation is that “SaaS should be looked at as just one more delivery method that may or may not fit your specific organization’s need.” How true!

If you take the standpoint of an individual client system, services can be delivered to it in an increasing number of ways. The service can come from the Internet cloud or from within the Enterprise. The application processing can take place on the client or be hosted on a server somewhere. It might run within a virtual machine or natively within an OS. The client GUI might be installed locally or streamed or hosted with a web interface. The service could be mashed up or self contained. With all of these evolving service delivery mechanisms and options, it will be interesting to see how we arrive at the correct balance at the client.

Software On-Demand Case Study

catherine.spence@intel.com — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:41:39 GMT

A Proof-of-Concept (POC) conducted by Intel IT evaluated OS and application streaming in call center and manufacturing environments. The four-part study included performance, usability, IT support and cost. The POC successfully identified streaming as a novel, feasible technology in the tested scenarios. The biggest benefits were related to locking down the client, improving security and eliminating service calls. Challenges were encountered related to the learning curve and software maturity of application packaging and troubleshooting.

A technical brief is available for downloading:

Software On Demand: OS/Application Streaming Client Study

Could Streaming Apps run faster than traditionally installed?

catherine.spence@intel.com — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:02:58 GMT

It seems counter-intuitive to think that applications streamed over the network could run faster than the same applications installed locally. If the circumstances are right, it could happen!

Here is a Systems Manufacturing example. We ran a series of key tasks across a variety of configurations to collect performance metrics. Our script opened a work order in our ERP system, created packaging labels using a bar code generation program, looked up label part numbers for our product bill of materials and ran work order activity reports in three custom web-based applications.

Our baseline was a Pentium 4 desktop system (3.0 GHz). Our trial system was a Celeron 215 desktop system (1.33 GHz). Both had 1 GB RAM. The baseline system had applications installed locally on its hard drive. Applications and the OS were delivered to the trial system via streaming. Throughput time of our script on baseline system was 6 minutes 15 seconds. The same script executed on the trial system for 2 minutes and 45 seconds.

Two things come to mind to explain the difference. First, our script contained a good mix of local and remote processing to maximize our trial processor. Second, the nature of the computing model provides explanation. Applications are broken up into execution blocks so we only need to load and execute the portion of the application that we need. Further, since virtualization was used in conjunction with the application streaming, the virtual software layer makes things like registry settings easier and faster to access.

Compute Models and Enterprise Streaming

catherine.spence@intel.com — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 18:58:30 GMT

One of the emerging compute models is enterprise streaming. With streaming applications and/or operating systems are downloaded to clients for temporary local execution. End-users access software on-demand.

Intel IT has been evaluating streaming as a way to boost productivity and lower costs. Streaming can streamline IT operations by consolidating backend infrastructure, while preserving user experience.

Listen to the podcast for a brief introduction to the work taking place in Intel IT.

http://www.podtech.net/home/4890/itintel-software-as-a-service

Streaming Impact on the Server and Network

catherine.spence@intel.com — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 16:33:31 GMT

Several Intel IT folks (and others!) have expressed concern over the back-end implications of hosting a streamed computing solution. How many clients can be supported by a server? How will streaming affect the network? Well, we had the same questions so we constructed a lab experiment to find out.

Streaming was more efficient than we expected. We demonstrated that server utilization remained low and network utilization improved over time. We successfully executed a variety of applications including audio and video. We also encountered a few challenges.

Want to know more? Read our full report: Streaming and Virtual Hosted Desktop Study

Decentralized or centralized client computing?

catherine.spence@intel.com — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 17:42:49 GMT

It seems like the pendulum is always swinging. First all computing was centralized on a mainframe with users connected via terminals. Then, over time, computing became more and more distributed with individual PCs and peripherals. Is it now time to consider a more centralized computing model?

Networking continues to become more robust. Users have an expectation of connectedness, whether working within the enterprise, at home or on the road on a wired or wireless network. If you are always connected then you can reconsider how to make the best use of your computing power, locally or on the network, as long as it is fast enough.

Thick, thin or something in between: what are your thoughts?

On-Demand Software in the Enterprise

catherine.spence@intel.com — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 16:25:00 GMT

In a large enterprise like Intel, there are many different ways that software is provisioned for specific usage models. The general business user's client build contains common applications to support day-to-day tasks. On top of that build, other software applications are installed by the user using a repository of installation kits. The current self-service model works but it could be improved by taking a page from the Software as a Service (SaaS) approach.

With SaaS, services are delivered on-demand over the internet using a consolidated backend infrastructure. Typically, SaaS application usage is metered and billed on a per-use basis. If we take some of these concepts into the enterprise, we can explore benefits of boosting productivity and lowering costs. Productivity from the user standpoint is improved by automatically providing application updates and patches. Users no longer have to download new versions from the repository and take the time to install them. Lower costs could include a new strategy to manage licenses. For example, better tracking of application usage could lead to a plan to reclaim unused licenses. Information generated by application usage ensures that the correct licensing is purchased during supplier negotiations for renewals.