The Open Group Cloud Computing Work Group exists to create a common understanding among buyers and suppliers of how enterprises of all sizes and scales of operation can include Cloud Computing technology in a safe and secure way in their architectures to realize its significant cost, scalability, and agility benefits.
The Work Group has over 500 participants from more than 70 companies. They are currently working on eight projects. Most of the work is conducted by web collaboration and teleconference. This meeting provided an opportunity for some of the members to meet face-to-face to discuss general Work Group activities and progress some of the projects.
The meeting comprised four sessions:
- To discuss the input that the Cloud Computing Work Group is giving to The Open Group Board on Cloud Interoperability
- To progress the project on Use of TOGAF for Cloud Ecosystems
- To progress the project on Cloud Computing Architecture
- To explain The Open Group technical procedures and how they apply to the Cloud Computing Work Group
Interoperability
The World Economic Forum has conducted a two-year study, the results of which were presented in Davos earlier this year. The study identifies cloud computing as a way to develop global GDP, and identifies interoperability as a key principle for stimulating and driving economic benefits. This presents a challenge to industry bodies such as The Open Group to promote Cloud Interoperability to enable economic growth. The Cloud Computing Work Group is developing a position paper for The Open Group Board, to define the current scope of interoperability and the possible actions that The Open Group might take to contribute to interoperability in the industry.
The meeting discussed the nature of the requirement, and achieved a clearer understanding. It agreed that the report produced by the Work Group should include a set of high-level principles for Cloud Interoperability, and that these should be at the architecture rather than the implementation level. It should also identify community resources, such as certification programs, interoperability test facilities, and procurement guidelines, that are needed to support Cloud Interoperability.
TOGAF® for Cloud Ecosystems
TOGAF-CE is a newly-established joint project of the Cloud Computing Work Group and the Architecture Forum. Its goals and objectives are to explain how to use TOGAF to develop an enterprise architecture for the cloud ecosystem, and to provide architectural information to drive decisions necessary to evolve the cloud ecosystem. Its scope includes any enterprise that plans to use or uses TOGAF to create and evolve enterprise architecture for the cloud ecosystem.
The meeting agreed that the project should proceed by identifying the gaps in TOGAF that impact on its use for cloud. In the course of doing this, needs to set up other projects – for example, on governance – may be identified. The review should consider different viewpoints, including those of cloud service providers and consumers. The output of the project should be aligned with the next version of TOGAF, and interim project recommendations will be input to development of that version.
Cloud Computing Architecture
The objectives of the Cloud Computing Architecture project are to describe cloud architecture, produce a reference architecture for Cloud Computing, and describe architecture, security, and network requirements to support the cloud. It has taken The Open Group SOA Reference Architecture as a starting point, and is now considering further reference architecture inputs specifically related to Cloud Computing.
Four sets of reference architecture material have been submitted for consideration by the project team, by Boeing, Capgemini, IBM, and Kingdee. The meeting agreed that a gap analysis of these submissions should be conducted in order to produce a common Reference Architecture, and that use-cases should be developed in parallel with this, in order to validate the common Reference Architecture. The Cloud Business Use-Cases project team should be asked whether it can provide these use-cases.
Technical Procedures
The Cloud Computing Work Group works within The Open Group technical procedures for Forum operations. In addition, further specific procedures for the Work Group are defined in its charter. The meeting reviewed these procedures, and discussed the role of the consensus process, and its application to the recent approval of two projects.
The Work Group will develop its report on Cloud Interoperability in accordance with the action plan agreed at the meeting.
The next steps for the TOGAF-CE project are to consider what is needed from a Cloud Reference Architecture, and what are the gaps in TOGAF.
The TOGAF-CE project will conduct a gap analysis up of the input reference architectures and identify use-cases to validate the reference architecture that it will produce.
