DISA Cloud Computing Plans

SOA-R!! Another Hit !!

By G C Network | October 9, 2008

Yesterday’s SOA-R event coverage by TECH Bisnow Washington was yet another indication that cloud computing is real in the Federal space. Thanks goes to Mr. Dave Stegon from Bisnow on Business and Pauline Healy from Apptis.  Thanks…

World Summit of Cloud Computing, December 1-2, 2008, Wohl Centre, Ramat Gan, Israel

By G C Network | October 8, 2008

I am proud to announce that I’ve been invited to speak at the “World Summit of Cloud Computing“, December 1-2, 2008, at the Wohl Centre in Ramat Gan, Israel. As…

MIT Survey: What A Response !!

By G C Network | October 7, 2008

We’ve been quite surprised by the number of survey responses we’ve received.  THANK YOU !!  That subset of the cloud computing community interested in national security and public sector applications…

Cloud Auction Business Model

By G C Network | October 3, 2008

The other day I talked about how cloud computing could change the government’s budgeting process. Well what about this! Last week, Google filed a patent application that describes a system…

Oracle: To Cloud or Not To Cloud …

By G C Network | October 2, 2008

First Oracle’s Larry Ellison bashes cloud computing as nothing but hype and then his company announces that it will let customers run Oracle 10g and 11g databases and its Fusion…

Capacity planning in a cloud environment

By G C Network | October 1, 2008

In her post “Cloud computing killed the capacity star“, Ivanka Menken brings up some good points. Just think what changes this could bring to the government budgeting process. The trends…

Cloud Databases

By G C Network | September 30, 2008

Joab Jackson, in his “Cloud computing leaving relational databases behind” article, makes some pretty interesting points on the incompatibility of relational databases with cloud-based infrastructures. He first list the various…

The 6 layers of the Cloud Computing Stack

By G C Network | September 29, 2008

From Sam Johnston’s Taxonomy post Clients (examples) are computer hardware and/or computer software which rely on The Cloud for application delivery, or which is specifically designed for delivery of cloud…

Thank You KMI Media Group

By G C Network | September 26, 2008

In this month’s Editor’s Perspective, Mr. Harrison Donnelly announced the new KMI Media Group collaborative effort. Military Information Technology will be using the blogosphere to get their government and industry…

VMware, Cisco and the Virtual Datacenter

By G C Network | September 26, 2008

Last week, VMware and Cisco announced their latest collaboration for the virtual datacenter of the future. The Cisco Nexus® 1000V distributed virtual software switch is expected to be an integrated…

During last month’s Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Partnership Conference, cloud computing debuted as a “top priority” for senior leadership. Speakers described a future state when users would access computing time from DISA’s “cloud” to run applications without requiring access to a traditional server. John Garing, DISA CIO, said that the Government is looking to only pay for usage. Cloud computing and virtualization were identified as growing business segments and have quickly been adopted by DISA leadership as a service to DoD customers. Led by DISA’s Computing Services unit this new service will provide military users a faster, cheaper source to run applications in an on-demand environment. Called the Rapid Access Computing Environment (RACE) this “cloud” will give warfighters the ability to configure, order and access a server on the network in less than 24 hours.

While I applaud DISA on their rapid adoption of the cloud concept, I am very concerned about their apparent implemetation path. Unless I’m reading this wrong, DISA is focused on deploying a quicker, easier and less expensive model for providing warfigher access to server hardware and storage. If so, I believe they are missing a very key point. Cloud computing is about providing quick, easy and less expensive access to information. To accomplish this, DISA must also provide web services and the means to effectively consume the information provided by those services.

What makes the Google and Amazon clouds worthwhile is their ability to manipulate information. Server hardware and storage aren’t even in the discussion.

Read more about DISA’s plans in the INPUT article 2008 DISA Partnership Conference – Spotlight on DISA’s Strategic Vision and the Resulting Programs

Follow me at https://Twitter.com/Kevin_Jackson

G C Network

3 Comments

  1. Anonymous on August 9, 2008 at 2:41 pm

    Clearly you comments regarding RACE is based upon press releases not on the the studt of RACE architecture. I am refering to your comments that ” am very concerned about their apparent implemetation path. Unless I’m reading this wrong, DISA is focused on deploying a quicker, easier and less expensive model for providing warfigher access to server hardware and storage. If so, I believe they are missing a very key point. Cloud computing is about providing quick, easy and less expensive access to information.

    RACE is a service delivery paltform. The initial service offering is the infrastructure more services will follow.



  2. Kevin Jackson on August 9, 2008 at 11:11 pm

    Unfortunately, I’m not in a position to review the RACE architecture. If RACE is indeed a service delivery platform, then I contend that the press releases should address the planned evolution of RACE. In the Military Information Technology Magazine article “Net-centricity: Adjusting the Focus” Bill Gerety and I actually addressed the need for DISA’s evolution towards information delivery as an end state.

    “DISA should be clearly commended on their rapid adoption of the cloud concept. Its initial focus on deploying a quicker, easier and less expensive model for providing warfigher access to server hardware and storage is a critical first step towards the realization of a truly net-centric military. The next step should ensure that this transition does not stall before completion. Cloud computing is about providing quick, easy and less expensive access to information. Success is only possible with a focused determination to deliver on this final end state. Just think about it. How successful would Google be with its cloud if it were providing the ability to ‘order and access a server’?”

    Services may be an initial first step, but only the delivery of information will address the warfighter’s real requirements. A service platform is OK, but translating those services into actionable information is what a net-centric force requires.



  3. Anonymous on April 30, 2009 at 1:59 am

    ^^Thanks!!

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