“WHY LIBRARIES VIRTUALIZE” Understanding cloud computing adoption and impact Erik Mitchell Assistant Professor University of Maryland [email protected]
May 17, 2015
“WHY LIBRARIES VIRTUALIZE”Understanding cloud computing adoption and impact
Erik MitchellAssistant Professor
University of [email protected]
PART I. HOW CLOUD COMPUTING CHANGES
INFORMATION
“For me the most powerful aspect of cloud computing is that it enables libraries to stop dealing with technical issues that have nothing to do with their day-to-day missions and services”
-- Roy Tennant (Getting Started with cloud Computing)
Wait. . . Don't libraries love technology?http://kplteen.wordpress.com/2010/03/05/teentechweek201, http://plinternetsurvey.org
“Libraries to their benefit and detriment fetishized the book”
--John Blyberg LITA Keynote 2011
Though a radically different kind of setting for a home, the third place is remarkably similar to a good home in the psychological comfort and support that it extends…They are the heart of a community’s social vitality, the grassroots of democracy . . .”
-- Ray Oldenburg
http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub129/pub129.pdf
What can we understand about cloud computing from another organization that also fetishizes the book?
"In the old world you might have put 30% of your energy, dollars and time into building a great product or service and then you would put 70% of your energy, dollars and time into shouting about that service. In the new world that inverts. You better put the bulk of your time, energy and dollars into building great a service."
-- Jeff Bezos
Core services30%
IT resources70%
Core services70%
IT resources30%
The book is such a great technology because it disappears when you use it
-- jeff bezos (Charlie Rose interview )
GROWTH OF THE KINDLE
2008 2009 2010 2011
# of E-books in thousands Price of reader (actual cost)
WHY DO WE LOVE THE BOOK?
“Instant-on”
Fast text-rendering
Easy to use
Single-purpose
No scaling
No synchronization
No version control
WHY DO WE LOVE OUR COMPUTERS?
Multi-purposeEasy to change informationMulti-media Fast storage and retrieval
ExpensiveSteep learning curvePlanned obsolescence
TWO GREAT TOOLS THAT GO GREAT TOGETHER
On-Demand Multi-purposeFast InteroperableScalablePersistentUbiquitousCost conscious
But what about our right to forget?
. . . and our need for security
. . . and our right to privacy?
PART II. DEFINE THE CLOUD
Data
Hosting
Media
Communication
GoogleApps
Devices
“For consumers, the cloud
revolution has already happened”
-- Nicholas Carr
ELEMENTS OF THE CLOUD
pay for what you use
easy to replicate
service-focused
scalable
RELATED CONCEPTS
Cloud computing “is a phrase that is being used today to describe the act of storing, accessing, and sharing data, applications, and computing power in cyberspace” - Pew Internet Trust
A Web service “is a software system designed to support interoperable machine-to-machine interaction over a network” - w3c.org
Application programming interface (API) “is a specification for allowing programs to exchange data”
CLOUD COMPUTING TYPES
Software as a Service “applications designed to be utilized by end-users without IT administrative overhead (e.g. Google Docs)”
Platform as a Service “an IT environment configured to serve a distinct but customized purpose (e.g. web-hosting)”
Infrastructure as a Service “an IT environment that supports a wide range of tools but comes with little pre-configured resources (e.g. Server and disk space)”
NIST definition of cloud computing
CLOUD COMPUTING PLACES
Private cloud An implementation of technology run for a single organization (e.g Internal virtualization)
Public cloud “an IT environment configured to support a number of customers (e.g. Amazon EC2)”
Community cloud “an IT environment restricted to a specific community (e.g. Governmental, Education)”
NIST definition of cloud computing
NIST Cloud Reference Standard - http://collaborate.nist.gov/
AWS COMPONENTS
http://jineshvaria.s3.amazonaws.com/public/cloudbestpractices-jvaria.pdf
INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES
Approach Systems
SaaS OpenURL resolver, Stats manager, research guides, online reference
PaaS Integrated library system, Interlibrary loan, copyright compliance systems
IaaSDiscovery, digital repository, archives management, website, digital storage,
institutional repository
Daas OpenURL database, single-search services
{Service catalog
SERVICE EXAMPLES
YEARLY IT EXPENDITURES
70%1%
29%
Client hardware Local Server IT Cloud Services
CLOUD SERVICE DISTRIBUTION
58%32%
9%
IAAS PAAS SAAS
CASE STUDY: CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
• Service options
• SaaS (outsourcewebsite.com/)
• PaaS (wordpress.org)
• IaaS (aws.amazon.com)
• Traditional IT (no cloud)
CASE STUDY: DIGITAL LIBRARIES
CASE STUDY - THE ILS
WHAT LIBRARIES VIRTUALIZE
0%
13%
25%
38%
50%
ILS IT Infrastructure DAMS Research Guides
Non-Virtualized Virtualize Outsource
WHAT LIBRARIES OUTSOURCE
17%
5%
48%
8%
22%2%10%
20%
17%
51%
Non-Virtualized Private Cloud Outsourced Public Cloud Not Supported
ILS Open URL
WHY LIBRARIES VIRTUALIZE
"more control over environment"
"fast deployment, self-sufficient, cost-reductions"
"to move the least value-add procedures and functions out of the Library so library staff can do more interesting and strategic things."
"Virtualization lets us quickly create prototypes, do test configurations, and do quick recoveries in case of problems."
"Lower cost, deeper expertise, need for expanded services"
“let vendor deal with publishers, metadata, etc.”
. . .AND WHY THEY DO NOT
“no support for virtualized service by those providing it”
Cost is the primary factor”
“the ease of implementation given limited IT resources (staff, time and money).
“no virtualizing needed, full resources dedicated to single use”
“Cost/benefit analysis for change. Lack of robust customization options”
“Small IT staff, nothing has been "virtualized" on campus”
PART III. HOW CLOUD COMPUTING CAN HELP
LIBRARIES
1. LIBRARIES ARE FORWARD-THINKING, SERVICE-ORIENTED INSTITUTIONS
Within five years, all library collections, systems, and services will be driven into the cloud. . .
-- Taiga provocative statements 2011
2. LIBRARIES SERVE REAL USERS AND REAL INFORMATION NEEDS
The future of cloud computing - Janna Anderson, Lee Rainie 2010
3. LIBRARIES ARE A PUBLIC SERVICE AND NEED RESOURCES TO FILL THAT ROLE
Funding and Priorities:The Library Resource Guide Benchmark Study on 2011 Library Spending Plans
4. THERE IS ROOM TO USE CLOUD COMPUTING TO IMPROVE RESOURCES AND IMPROVE SERVICE
Funding and Priorities:The Library Resource Guide Benchmark Study on 2011 Library Spending Plans
CONTRASTING VIEWS OF CLOUD SOLUTIONS
Opportunities Challenges
Forward thinking serviceNetwork foundation adds
complexity
Serving actual patron needsCollaboration with partners is
key
Finding new resources through efficiency savings
Sustainability, security, connectivity, contingency plans
are key
TRENDS AND CHALLENGES
•Understand your organizational capabilities, where are your available resources?
•Rely on automation and economies of scale
•Seek to consolidate services rather than fragment them
•Organizational, financial, strategic impacts - Does CC strengthen your organization or weaken it?
EXPERTISE NEEDS
• Ability to consider technical, legal, operational issues
• Ability to combine different technologies and services
• Flexibility in service support, manage migration when cloud services change
• Experiment with different service methods
• Identify and launch a test service (blogs, community forums, archival database)
• Connect with organizational IT to explore cloud opportunities
ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS
• Ability to control some IT resources
• Specific use-cases of cloud computing enhance public service
• A willingness to explore alternative solutions
• Explore back-office solutions like Google calendar, docs and sites
• Consider cloud-based file sharing systems (eg. box.net, dropbox, spideroak)
• Explore cloud based tools to enhance public service
ADMINISTRATIVE NEEDS
• Support for new IT models and their impact on organizational structure
• Support for cloud subscription, SLA and privacy/security needs.
• Understanding of legal, economic, and privacy issues
• Support a pilot project using a technically simple cloud tool
• Connect with community to explore needs, leverage cloud computing
• Provide safety nets - time, training, support for staff
THANK YOU!The Tower and the Cloud - http://www.educause.edu/thetowerandthecloud
Amazon EC2 tutorials for libraries - http://erikmitchell.info
Library funding priorities - http://libraryresource.onlineinc.com/Downloads/ResearchReports
ECAR Studies - http://www.educause.edu/Resources/
Future of cloud computing - http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/The-future-of-cloud-computing.aspx, http://www.pewinternet.org/Press-Releases/2008/Cloud-computing-takes-hold-as-69-of-all-internet-users-have-either-stored-data-online-or.aspx
http://erikmitchell.info