SOA notes for Cloud Computing Expo

Cloud computing requires a focus on architecture -- still

I just competed my talk at the Cloud Computing Expo, which was very well attended, and clearly the hype is full steam ahead.

My talk was on “Winning with Cloud Computing...Step-by-Step.” Brenda Michelson did some live blogging during my talk, and at the entire event. I urge you to read her blog.

Some of the key points I was attempting to make, that Brenda captured in her blog:

Cloud and SOA lets us mix an enterprise architecture cocktail. [works for me]

You can't replace enterprise architecture with cloud computing. You can't replace SOA with cloud computing. You always need an architectural strategy. Adding cloud computing allows you to cash in on SOA. Saving money because you are using other people's work.

If you want to boil cloud computing down, it's switching the use of resources that are currently available in your enterprise, out in the cloud, but in a virtualized, reliable, secure manner via a subscription model.

The purpose of my talk was to again marry cloud computing with good architecture -- call me crazy. In addition, I was looking to provide a reasonable approach to for cloud computing work within the traditional enterprise (such a troublemaker). This is the topic of my forthcoming book.

My larger concern is that there is so much hype in the cloud computing space that those looking to implement cloud computing ignore the fact that we're in essence extending the architecture to outside platforms, nothing much more than that. Thus, architecture is still the focus. I think that many get that, but most don't. Many are looking for a replacement strategy -- very scary.