This one of the most important posts on this group Re: [ Cloud Computing ] Re: Amazon enterprise management solution
Miha Ahronovitz
Dale,
Your posting is a landmark on this group. This is for the first time that someone (you, Dale) documented the NEED for a billing system in Private Clouds. As Product manager, we avoid to have the customers tell us how to design our software (although we always listen). We want to decipher the real NEED.
- Keep track of who in the company is using the service
Solution: Internal billing (even if bills are not paid). However in Sun Grid Engine we have an external Data Base ARCo (Accounting and Reporting Remote Console), that can report the exact historical usage report with all the fields you specify. We call this 'Observability", which is just one step below billing. See the documentation on line:
http://wikis.sun.com/display/gridengine62u3/Accounting+and+Reporting+Console
- Manage the bill centrally instead of everyone submit their usage for reimbursement
This names the solution. Brilliant request
- Set permissions to a group of people on what S3 data they can read/write and what EC2 instances they can run.
This is achieved today by cloud resource managers like Sun Grid Engine and its internal module Service Domain Manager. It is not a billing issue, it is an access rights issue. See how Sun grid Engine manages user access here:
http://wikis.sun.com/display/gridengine62u3/Managing+User+Access
- Set budget limit on what each user can use.
I have already commented on this one. Brilliant!
Bottom line: There are very interesting threads on this group: PaaS, Saas, Database Scalability, Security, etc. But all these threads, while valid in any Data Center discussion, have total secondary role in defining a Private cloud.
I belong to the small group of people here who said 8 months ago, that without billing, there is no cloud. Now our number grew considerably.
Over 90% of the CIO's want the information you requested, without giving up control. There are 0% companies or start ups, in spite of the claims of many, that can offer a private cloud with billing solution today.
Doesn't this sound to us ALL as a hell of an opportunity? Yes it does. Except that 99% of the people on this group never did or design billing. The most superb software architects considered (until now) this subject beneath them.
cheers,
Miha
--- On Wed, 6/17/09, Dale <dale...@gmail.com> wrote:
> From: Dale <dale...@gmail.com>
> Subject: [ Cloud Computing ] Re: Amazon enterprise management solution
> To: "Cloud Computing" <cloud-c...@googlegroups.com>
> Date: Wednesday, June 17, 2009, 9:48 PM
>
> I am unfortunately is one of those asked, and the best
> solution we
> came up is to post here :-)
>
> Dale
>
> On Jun 17, 9:02 pm, "Rao Dronamraju" <rao.dronamr...@sbcglobal.net>
> wrote:
> > Dale,
> >
> > I am NOT being serious here, but ask them to charge on
> their personal credit
> > cards and when they come for reimbursement, ask them
> to get together and
> > come up with a solution:-)...home grown, team worked
> solution.
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: cloud-c...@googlegroups.com
> >
> > [mailto:cloud-c...@googlegroups.com]
> On Behalf Of Dale
> > Sent: Wednesday, June 17, 2009 6:14 PM
> > To: Cloud Computing
> > Subject: [ Cloud Computing ] Amazon enterprise
> management solution
> >
> > Hi, All,
> >
> > I have been looking for a way for an enterprise to
> manage their Amazon
> > usage. I have not found a good solution, so I though I
> will tap into
> > your collective knowledge.
> >
> > What I am looking for is a way to put some control
> back into an IT
> > department's hands, including:
> >
> > - Keep track of who in the company is using the
> service
> > - Manage the bill centrally instead of everyone submit
> their usage for
> > reimbursement
> > - Set permissions to a group of people on what S3 data
> they can read/
> > write and what EC2 instances they can run
> > - Set budget limit on what each user can use.
> >
> > Is there any third-party vendor solution, or am I
> stuck waiting for
> > Amazon to introduce these features. If I have to wait
> for Amazon,
> > anyone has ideas on if and when they will provide
> these enterprise
> > friendly features? Thanks.
Miha Ahronovitz
product is called UniCloud and OEMs Sun Grid Engine as one of the
modules.
http://www.univaud.com/hpc/products/unicloud.php
Miha
On Jun 18, 10:09 am, Miha Ahronovitz <mij...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> Dale,
>
> Your posting is a landmark on this group. This is for the first time that someone (you, Dale) documented the NEED for a billing system in Private Clouds. As Product manager, we avoid to have the customers tell us how to design our software (although we always listen). We want to decipher the real NEED.
>
> - Keep track of who in the company is using the service
>
> Solution: Internal billing (even if bills are not paid). However in Sun Grid Engine we have an external Data Base ARCo (Accounting and Reporting Remote Console), that can report the exact historical usage report with all the fields you specify. We call this 'Observability", which is just one step below billing. See the documentation on line:
>
> - Manage the bill centrally instead of everyone submit their usage for reimbursement
>
> This names the solution. Brilliant request
>
> - Set permissions to a group of people on what S3 data they can read/write and what EC2 instances they can run.
>
> This is achieved today by cloud resource managers like Sun Grid Engine and its internal module Service Domain Manager. It is not a billing issue, it is an access rights issue. See how Sun grid Engine manages user access here:
>
> http://wikis.sun.com/display/gridengine62u3/Managing+User+Access
>
> - Set budget limit on what each user can use.
>
> I have already commented on this one. Brilliant!
>
> Bottom line: There are very interesting threads on this group: PaaS, Saas, Database Scalability, Security, etc. But all these threads, while valid in any Data Center discussion, have total secondary role in defining a Private cloud.
>
> I belong to the small group of people here who said 8 months ago, that without billing, there is no cloud. Now our number grew considerably.
>
> Over 90% of the CIO's want the information you requested, without giving up control. There are 0% companies or start ups, in spite of the claims of many, that can offer a private cloud with billing solution today.
>
> Doesn't this sound to us ALL as a hell of an opportunity? Yes it does. Except that 99% of the people on this group never did or design billing. The most superb software architects considered (until now) this subject beneath them.
>
> cheers,
>
> Miha
>