So, here I am excited to attend the HP Master the Cloud event as I’m getting ready to land in Montreal. Coming from the United States, I am expecting my experience to be similar to the private environment I am used to in my daily life. Bon Jour!, says the Immigration Officer. Signs in French and English are all around me. I have landed in a hybrid environment from the cloud!
Montreal is a symbolic city for the HP Master the Cloud event. Hybrid applies not only to the underlying theme of this conference but also to the demographics of this locale.
And hybrid also applies to cars as well. Remember -- Applications are like cars. So, is it just coincidence that the term hybrid is used for both cars and the cloud? Perhaps not and here’s why:
- Multiple sources. Hybrid cars use multiple sources of power for the vehicle in addition to the traditional source. Just like hybrid cloud computing offers access to multiple sources for compute, network and storage across the private and public clouds.
- Phased transition. First, we realize the challenges of the traditional private (gas) environment. Next, we identify a multitude of public alternatives (electric, solar, etc). We then enable the execution of the right application components (parts) using some of these public resources.
- Best of all worlds. As Joe Mckendrick mentions in a Forbes article, the hybrid approach incorporates both off-site and off-site services and provides a “failsafe” model for enterprises (cars). This allows to maximize the benefits from all sources – private (gas) or public (electric, solar).
- Cautious Consumption. Hybrid technology in cars involves the reuse of renewable energy sources. The hybrid cloud environment allows a wider expanse of unused resources to be repurposed for their intended purpose.
- Right Technology. Requirements for the hybrid cars -- fuel efficiency, power, driving range etc. – determine the enabling technology. Application requirements determine their suitability for the private or the public cloud.
Thus, the hybrid characteristics are strikingly similar across the cloud and cars. Enterprises (automobile owners) must determine the optimal combination of private/public clouds (energy sources) that best address their unique requirements.
As an aside, it is also intriguing to see that Cloud Computing could transform car interiors. A recent CNET article discusses the plug-in-hybrid concept vehicle complete with cloud-based technology. I wonder if these automakers are using a hybrid cloud computing environment within hybrid cars?
Welcome to Montreal -- the city where all things hybrid intersect -- whether it be language, culture, cars, applications or the Cloud!
There will no doubt be some great hybrid cloud computing discussions that come out of the HP Master the Cloud event today in Montreal. If you’re attending, hopefully we’ll have a chance to meet in person. If you can’t attend but want to stay updated on the latest coverage, follow me on Twitter and the HP Enterprise Services’ blogs and join the discussion with your own thoughts:
