[Info-vax] OpenVMS servers and clusters as a cloud service

[Arne Vajhøj]

On 12/31/2017 10:15 AM, Kerry Main wrote:
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Info-vax [mailto:info-vax-bounces at rbnsn.com] On Behalf Of Arne
>> Vajhøj via Info-vax
>> On 12/30/2017 9:15 PM, Kerry Main wrote:
>>> Outsourcing (aka Public Clouds) has been around for decades in many
>>> forms - just as many forms of XaaS cloud models.
>>
>> How could I go in over the internet and spin up 1000 VM's with my
>> own image within hours many decades ago?
>>
>>> The concept is the same i.e. give the mgmt. of your IT to a vendor
>>> that specializes in IT Mgmt and you will have a more efficient IT at
>>> lower cost than your current outdated IT.
>>
>> Nonsense.
>>
>> The vast majority of cloud does not provide IT management at all.
>>
>> It is still your own responsibility.
> 
> Ok, so who manages the storage, physical servers, network, external firewalls?

The cloud provider replaces defect hardware.

The rest is self service via automated tools.

>> Unless you outsource that to someone offering that service - and
>> none of the big cloud providers offer such service.
>>
> 
> You are looking at this from a VM perspective only. IT management is
> a much larger scope than simple VM's mgmt.

Larger. But not much larger.

Most of the work is from OS and up.

I can refer you to some guy named Kerry Main that suggested
getting quote for 1 Phys 10 VM vs 10 Phys.


>>> In some cases e.g. where your IT really is pretty standard stuff and
>>> it likely does not provide a strategic differentiator for your
>>> business.
>>>
>>> As Bill mentioned earlier, the issue is that an increasing number of
>>> companies recognize today that IT really does need to be a
>>> differentiator for their business. His University adopted Banner
>>> (suite of university specific apps) with the idea of standardizing on
>>> an "industry standard" offering. Btw, many Universities were running
>>> Banner on OpenVMS.
>>
>> ????
>>
>> A given application whether COTS or custom does not become neither
>> more or less competitive differentiated by being hosted in
>> an IaaS or PaaS cloud instead of on premise.
>>
>> COTS vs custom application has nothing to do with (IaaS and PaaS)
>> hosting.
> 
> It absolutely does when you need to integrate lower levels of IT
> infrastructure with applications to provide an overall top to bottom
> proactively managed solution whereby issues are addressed before they
> impact the business.

"overall top to bottom proactively managed solution" sounds pretty
cool, but does not really relate to COTS vs custom or on premise vs
IaaS.

>>> Of course, the cloud/outsourcing vendors use the time proven and very
>>> successful sales methods of low balling the initial costs to the
>>> Customer as they know their real money will kick in when the
>> Customer
>>> starts asking for changes.
>>
>> Nonsense.
>>
>> IaaS and PaaS providers operate with a totally fixed price model.
> 
> Wow .. not sure who you are talking to, but that is certainly not
> the case with most IaaS/PaaS providers.

Try call Amazon, Google or MS and ask them for a special configured VM.

>> You can not even ask them for service outside of the menu.
> 
> That may be true for the little / SMB Customers, but most large
> companies would never adopt a simple cloud (outsource) model because
> there are always exceptions for them. The standard response from
> almost all IT vendors to a custom request from a large Customer is
> never say no, but rather "we will review your request and come back
> to you with an estimate of cost and proposed schedule for
> implementation"
Some companies that consider themselves large are in for a big
surprise.

Amazon, Google and MS will not consider them big.

Obviously money talks, so if you call Steve Bezos and want to
buy for XX B$ cloud services then you may get an exception.

That works for the US federal government and probably noone
else.

Those It people that want customization has a few options:
* they can change their ways and go standard
* they can stay 100% on the "we are unique and need
   custom throughout" an go the way of the dinosaurs
* try to find a balance that still provide most of
   benefits of going standard at a minimum uptick
   in cost:
   - establish own cloud
   - go for smaller cloud providers offering more specialized solutions
   - go for a Amazon/Google/MS cloud reseller that provides additional
     services on top of those

Arne