With Open Cloud Technologies we refer to cloud computing platforms and tools based on open-source software. This means that the source code for these technologies is freely available for users to modify and distribute, as opposed to proprietary solutions which have closed source code and are only available for use as is. Open cloud technologies are designed to be more transparent, flexible, and customizable than proprietary alternatives, as users have the ability to access and modify the underlying code.
Some examples of popular Open Cloud Technologies include OpenStack, a cloud computing platform that provides infrastructure as a service (IaaS), Cloud Foundry, a platform as a service (PaaS) for building and deploying cloud-native applications, Kubernetes, a container orchestration platform for managing containerized applications at scale, and Terraform, a tool for building and managing infrastructure as code.
Adopting open cloud technologies offers several benefits, such as the ability to customize and extend the functionality of the platform to meet specific needs, the ability to leverage a large and active community of users and developers who contribute to the development and improvement of the platform, and the potential for cost savings compared to proprietary solutions. However, it is essential to note that using open cloud technologies can also require more technical expertise and resources to manage and maintain the platform, as users are responsible for managing updates and security patches.
During our face to face meetings and webinars our experts guide you further, with best practices.
Kris Buytaert from Intuits in his testimonial on best practices using Open Cloud technologies :
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OpenCloudification follows the state-of-the-art of cloud developments and deployments, focusing on a broad range of technologies that companies might want to consider for their Cloudification or their applications developments, here is a list of some of the categories discussed:
- Private cloud. Private clouds are a cloud computing environment dedicated to a single organization and not shared with any other organization. They are typically deployed on a company’s servers or within a data center owned or leased by the organization. Private clouds offer many of the same benefits as public clouds, such as scalability, cost savings, and agility, but with the added security and control of a dedicated environment. Private clouds can be deployed in various ways, such as on-premises, in a colocation facility, or through a hosted service provider. They are often used by organizations with strict security and compliance requirements or who need to maintain a high level of control over their data and infrastructure.
- Containerization. Containerization is a method of packaging and deploying applications and their dependencies in a lightweight and portable container. Containers allow applications to be easily moved between different environments, such as from a developer’s laptop to a staging environment or from a staging environment to production, without the need to worry about differences in the underlying infrastructure. Containers are typically built using containerization software, isolated from the host operating system and from other containers, which helps to ensure that applications are portable and do not interfere with each other. Often used in conjunction with microservices architecture, modular components can be independently developed, deployed, and scaled. This allows organizations to build and maintain more complex applications more efficiently and with greater agility.
- Edge & IoT. Edge computing refers to the practice of processing data at or near the source of data generation, rather than in a central location such as a data center or the cloud. This allows for faster data processing and lower latency, as data does not have to be transmitted over long distances. The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the interconnected network of physical devices, such as sensors, cameras, and actuators, that are embedded with electronics, software, and connectivity to exchange data with each other and with external systems. IoT devices generate large amounts of data that need to be processed and analyzed in real-time, making edge computing a key enabling technology for IoT applications. By bringing computing power closer to the edge of the network, edge computing enables organizations to analyze and act on data in near real-time, enabling a wide range of applications such as predictive maintenance, real-time analytics, and autonomous decision-making. Edge computing is particularly useful for IoT applications that require low latency or operate in environments with limited connectivity
- Monitoring & Visualization. Monitoring and visualization are important aspects of managing and operating cloud environments. Monitoring involves collecting and analyzing data about the performance and health of cloud resources and applications, such as CPU and memory usage, network traffic, and error rates. This allows organizations to identify and address issues before they become serious problems, optimize resource utilization, and ensure that their applications are meeting the needs of their users. Visualization involves presenting data in a graphical or graphical form, such as charts, graphs, and maps, to make it easier to understand and analyze. Visualization tools can help organizations to identify trends, spot anomalies, and make informed decisions based on data. Tools and services available can range from simple monitoring and visualization tools that are built into cloud platforms, to more complex and customizable solutions that can be used to monitor and visualize data from multiple sources and across different cloud environments.
- Orchestration. Cloud orchestration refers to the process of automating the deployment, management, and scaling of cloud resources and applications. It involves coordinating and automating the various tasks and processes required to build, deploy, and operate cloud-based systems, including provisioning and configuring infrastructure, deploying applications and services, and managing and scaling resources. Orchestration can be performed at various levels, such as at the infrastructure level (e.g., provisioning and managing virtual machines and storage), at the platform level (e.g., deploying and scaling applications using a platform as a service (PaaS)), or at the application level (e.g., using microservices and containers to build and deploy cloud-native applications). There are many tools and services available for cloud orchestration, including cloud management platforms, infrastructure as code (IaC) tools, and container orchestration platforms. Cloud orchestration can help organizations to automate and streamline the deployment and management of cloud resources and applications, increasing efficiency and reducing the risk of errors. It can also enable organizations to scale resources and applications more quickly and easily, enabling them to respond to changing business needs and demands.