NWRDC: Community Cloud Data Center

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By: Tim Brown, Assistant Vice President of NWRDC & FLVC, Florida State University

 

Mainframes to Cloud

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In the days of the mainframe, “big iron” provided a shared computing environment that was relatively easy to manage. You could track a user’s consumption of resources, such as CPU time, I/O, or storage. However, these large mainframes were much too large and expensive for everyone to have one and the shared-use model offered a logical alternative. 

 

With the evolution of the microchip and the advent of personal computers, the computing workload became disbursed.  Client-server computing provided the opportunity for distribution of some tasks to local systems, thus reserving the central computer for heavy calculation, specialized applications, and data distribution. Over time, the use of web-based applications grew, where computing is handled by a mixture of back-end servers. Easy to create, this approach created silos, each containing individual systems.  This also led to “system sprawl” and the filling of data centers with many small, underused systems.

 

The next step in systems evolution took a lesson from the past. Mainframes had long been able to create virtual logical partitions within one physical server and this rediscovery of virtualization allowed for the useful optimization of underused servers. Virtualization also let us create generic platforms that could easily move between different hardware platforms and operating systems alike. This greater portability led to the next “rediscovery,” known as cloud computing. In that past when we connected to the mainframe for services, we did not usually care, or even know, where the mainframe sat. Virtualization (and high-speed networks) gave us the same freedom and it no longer mattered where the servers and compute cycles physically sat.

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Cloud Environments

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There are four basic types of cloud environments:

• Public. The term “cloud computing” usually refers to public cloud, which can contain many customers from many different organizations. Large public clouds can be distributed globally, involving multiple data centers. This model maximizes resource sharing; however, given its geographically dispersed nature, many government-based organizations have concerns as to the whereabouts of their data.

• Private. Some people argue that private clouds are not really clouds at all, in that they belong to a single organization. While the owner can rearrange resources and direct them where most needed, the organization still has purchased or acquired all the resources, creating a strong likelihood of underused resources. This means that any resources not currently used are an expense without benefit to the organization. On the positive side, the customer knows where all data is stored, and tighter organizational control could be implemented if needed.

• Community. A community cloud leverages the best features of public and private clouds. Resources are shared but among organizations with a common function. Multiple customers provide for more effective use of resources, and the common focus allows for a greater level of control and security. Furthermore, the community cloud gives a greater level of specialization and control while still sharing resources and costs. “GovCloud” is often used in reference to a public cloud setting exclusively for the use of government organizations and can be considered a type of community cloud.  

• Hybrid. A hybrid cloud is any combination of the above models that allows sharing resources between local sites and a community-based cloud. This model recognizes the need for greater availability and access to resources in a shorter timeframe.  For peak usage, customers could augment local resources by tapping into another cloud.

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Community Cloud Data Center

An example of a community cloud exists as the Northwest Regional Data Center (NWRDC) at Florida State University (FSU).  Established in 1972 as one of four regional data centers for the State University System of Florida, NWRDC initially offered mainframe services to universities across the state. Today, NWRDC provides a wide range of services to public sector entities across the State of Florida.  

 

A common concern over cloud computing — especially community cloud technology — is loss of control. To address this concern, NWRDC and FSU adopted a shared governance model to give all participants a sense of ownership. This move has essentially alleviated the trust issue and has been key to the community cloud service's success. By working together, the member-customers have access to enterprise-level services and facilities that would be difficult and expensive to implement individually.

 

As a self-funded auxiliary of FSU, NWRDC receives no funding from the university or the State of Florida — it is 100 percent funded by its charges for services to its customers. As a nonprofit state entity, NWRDC cannot charge more for a service than what it actually costs to provide. Each service or cost center must be self-supporting and operate within the guidelines of the Charter of Operation.

 

For its Community Cloud, NWRDC provides a resource-on-demand model. The core component of NWRDC's General Computer cluster (vCB-G), allowing customers to subscribe to dedicated resource pools and run multiple virtual machines as needed. This flexibility empowers customers to dynamically allocate resources based on their current needs and prioritize them within the dedicated environment.

 

NWRDC’s hybrid cloud architecture collaborates with its partners in the public and GovCloud space, including Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure to provide customers with extensive support and a variety of options. Leveraging the purchasing power of its entire user base, customers benefit from competitive pricing, discounts, and streamlined purchasing directly through us. Its holistic cloud computing solutions are designed to enhance compliance with the State of Florida’s Cloud First Initiative.