NCOIC Analyses Cloud Computing With SCOPE

Last week, the Network Centric Operations Consortium (NCOIC) Cloud Computing Working Group (CCWG) started it’s work on cloud interoperability in earnest. The first step in their process is the completion of a Systems, Capabilities, Operations, Programs and Enterprises (SCOPE) model. As an analysis tool, SCOPE is used to characterize interoperability-relevant aspects of a system or capability in terms of a set of dimensions. Organized hierarchically, these dimensions (and possible sub-dimensions) represent specific aspects of a system or its surrounding environment. This process enables a quantitative and/or qualitative interoperability assessment of the target system or capability.  With the development of a cloud interoperability best practice as a goal, the NCOIC CCWG is working to identify all significant cloud computing dimensions.

The SCOPE model includes four top-level categories of dimensions:

• Net-Readiness: Ability to deliver capability in a network context. 
• Capability/Domain-Independent Scope: The range of scope or context supported. 
• Capability/Domain-Dependent Scope: The nature, quantity, quality, speed, etc., of capability provided to meet operational needs. 
• Technical/Economic Feasibility: The feasibility or risk associated with providing capability.

Candidate lower level dimensions specific to cloud computing thus far identified by the group include:

• Cloud resource visibility
• Cloud resource control
• Cloud resource responsiveness
• Cloud geographic footprint
• Data portability

SCOPE also allows for the explicit analysis of some important operational “couplings”, such as:

• Cloud geographic footprint and data ownership laws
• Cloud resource responsiveness and cloud resource ownership
• Cloud resource control and resource control granularity

Companies participating in this process include Boeing, IBM, Lockheed Martin, Harris and Raytheon.
The NCOIC CCWG will continue it’s SCOPE anaylsis durning the organizations next plenary session, March 1-5, 2010 in Falls Church, VA.

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