This is the 2nd in a 3 part series of video blogs that looks at Virtualization, Grids and Cloud computing. Follow this link for the first part: Part 1

The videos explore these concepts first individually and then try to show that taken together the combination is greater than the sum of individual deployments of the techologies. In reality, all three are required to begin to realize the vision of the dynamic, efficient datacenter but I would caution that these are necessary but not sufficient to realize this full vision ... well ... is a topic (set of topics?) for another day.

As you view the video please bear in mind that there are a couple of underlying assumptions in the statements I make in the video - unfortunately these got eliminated in the editing in trying to meet video duaration constraints. A quick recap of the assumptions:

a) the target environment is the enterprise (both enterprise IT and enterprise data centers) - some of the thoughts apply to SMBs but may not always.

b) the discussion on clouds is really focussing, primarily, on "Internet" clouds and not "Private" clouds (there is a reference to and a motivation for "Private clouds" when the technologies are brought together but in this discussion on clouds the focus is on Internet clouds unless mentioned otherwise).

c) The perspective on Grids in the video is broad - Most folks are used to associating Grids with HPC - it would be very helpful in this video to suspend this association (at least while watching the video and if I can get you to, maybe, into the future as well). This association with HPC is very limiting and represents a use of Grids and does not illuminate what Grids really are or, more importantly, their potential.

This and the previous video introduces the concepts as I see them. Some tangible examples in how they may come together is presented in the next video ... promise ...

So here is the video:

Now that you have heard and seen the video .... a few more observations not discussed in the video ...

• Grids represent an infrastructure management paradigm - actually once you step beyond the base machine virtualization (where the opportunities for real differentiation are fast dimnishing) you will find that solutions that most vendors have or are developing to manage these VMs borrow heavily and, in some cases, almost entirely from Grid technologies - but they won't tell you that. (Once you take the "broader view" it becomes apparent that many Intel platform technolgies become very relevant to Grids and so Intel platforms can be deployed as more than just the "simple and commodity" hardware that they are currently viewed and deployed as)

• Another point to note is that Clouds and Grids are closer than one may think. In many cases a cloud is realized by a simplification of a Grid that is made possible by application to a defined context determined by the cloud service offered. Furthermore some of the complexities of Grid computing (under the covers) have been masked by the introduction of a portal or some other simplifying assumptions and implementations. Many of the well known clouds are implemented using Grids. Nonetheless it is very important to keep Clouds and Grids distinct so that one can understand these paradigms and extract maximum value. The moniker cloud represents a use paradigm (against an highly elastic service) whereas Grids represent an infrastructure paradigm.

• On a larger note: One way to bring these topics together conceptually is to see virtualization as the paradigm to substantiate the entities (resources or otherwise) that can be/are visualized in a context, Grids as the paradigm to manage these virtualizations and Clouds as the paradigm for use of these managed virtualizations.

I will build on these assertions in my next video ... In the meanwhile am looking for discussion on these topics -

• What do Grids and Clouds mean to you?

• Do the views represented here make sense or are there other ways in which one may approach these topics?

• What are some interesting ways you have used these technologies in your line of work? What are some problems that were solved or new usages created?

• Are Grids as a topics of discussion dead/passe or are they as relevant today as they were a few years ago - why?