Cloud Computing and the Linux Job Market
According to an article which recently appeared on LinuxInsider, “the biggest change and impact to the Linux landscape and market to date has been the advent of cloud computing”. The IT industry is headed towards a centralised data centre model once more with cloud computing gathering momentum and a swagger of big integrators and small start ups alike are offering services in this arena. Open source solutions such as Linux naturally thrive in the current environment where multiple platforms seek solace under the same apparent cloud.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology defines cloud computing as: “a model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.” Cloud computing offers the user a seamless and simple entry point to their applications using a desktop, laptop, smart phone and other connectivity devices via a web interface. It’s a truly mobile solution in that the user can connect to their desired system via the cloud from anywhere and is no longer tied down to a specific desktop location.
Most of us have dabbled with using Cloud computing without batting an eyelid. Have you ever purchased a book through Amazon? Do you have a Hotmail or a Gmail account? Do you use Facebook? All of these are applications that run on Cloud technology concepts to manage their customer or user access requirements. Cloud computing, simply put, is computing on-demand, accessed through a web interface.
The cloud provides various aspects of traditional IT infrastructure services remotely including:
Platform as a Service (PaaS), which facilitates organisations running their applications on Cloud infrastructure.
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), which provides on-demand scalable services via the net, enabling the utilisation of infrastructure to meet the real time work loads of an organisation. During peaks, many servers may need to be available to meet an organsiation’s processing needs, while troughs see server space being freed for other users’ needs.
Software as a Service (SaaS), which enables organisations to adopt a pay per use model for the right to access and utilise software that sits in the cloud (e.g. Google Docs).
In a nutshell, cloud computing enables organisations to outsource the challenges and expense of offering IT infrastructure in-house to a cloud provider. The cloud provider, much like an ISP, manages and maintains the server power that is required to manage the provision of processing and storage services to the organisation's computer users. The user pays for the processing power, software and storage space that their organisation uses, and the cloud provider is able to manage the processing load of the subscribing organisations in such a way that economies of scale are achieved and the dilemma of server underutilisation during off peak times may be overcome.
It’s a great time to be an Open Source guru. To meet the dynamic and complex needs of today’s business world, a Cloud needs to have all sorts of platforms coexisting in harmony under the same umbrella, and so interoperability concepts are key. Linux virtualisation concepts are integral to enabling these sorts of mixed platform management scenarios.
Jay Lyman of the LinuxInsider comments, “Linux is popular in cloud computing infrastructure largely thanks to its flexibility and source code availability for customization and fine-tuning. Similarly, the open source OS is used by supercomputer system engineers as a resource that can be expanded or stripped down like no other option”. In this article, Lyman notes that he periodically monitors the Top 500 Supercomputer List and says there is a growing trend that organisations utilising these supercomputers are turning towards Linux as their platform of choice.
Community Linux distributions such as CentOS, Debian, Gentoo offer significant cost savings and are effective alternatives to the likes of Red Hat and Suse, the Novell distribution of Linux. These community Linux distributions are vital pieces for the cloud computing puzzle and featured favourably on the June 2011 Top 500 Supercomputer list. These community distributions offer scalability without the need to juggle the costly licensing issues and being open source, they can be changed programmatically and are constantly being enhanced and contributed to by creative technical geniuses, giving freely of their expertise, time and talent to better the OS and create awesome free tools.
Now cloud computing seems to be on path of exponential growth, with the Gartner Group predicting that the IaaS market alone is set to grow from $3.7 billion in 2010 to $10.5 billion in 2014. An article recently posted on Cloud Computing Today states “Within the first half of 2011, Dell, HP, IBM, Oracle, Red Hat, Apple, Go Daddy and Microsoft have made increased commitments to cloud computing deployments in ways that promise to significantly impact the existing market share balance”. This is an arena where the big integrators as well as some entrepreneurial start ups already have a presence. Match this with the expected growth and the fact that Linux is such a prevalent feature of Cloud solutions; it’s a GREAT time to be pursuing a Linux career.
Will cloud computing effect the size of required IT workforce in the future? According to an article published on InformationAge, “The high degree of virtualisation used in cloud environments makes them ripe for automation, which by its nature removes the need for staff”. If an organisation chooses to outsource its IT department and utilise the services of a Cloud provider, then the question remains: what will happen to the redundant IT personnel? And given that the whole value proposition is that a Cloud provider reaps economies of scale by the virtualisation of a gargantuan network of servers, file servers etc., then it would seem reasonable to argue that those jobs won’t necessarily be able to be reabsorbed by the Cloud providers. It’s a safe bet to say that “movement of IT work to the Cloud, may have a more destructive impact on employment levels than traditional IT outsourcing”.
On a more positive note, technical folk have tenacity and creativity. This isn’t the only time outsourcing has occurred, in fact, outsourcing has been a risk factor for decades in the IT domain: outsourcing to IT service providers; outsourcing to IT resources in India. The IT jobs market has withstood these challenges in the past and has risen with grace to find new and exciting challenges and possibilities for career growth and development. This may be just another opportunity to embrace the challenges and changes and see potentials for future growth.
Cloud computing also lends itself to assisting organisations ponder and execute shift in the way they do business. Given that the cloud provides a flexible and mobile remote access to an organisation’s IT systems, surely this will lead to an increasing number of “virtual office” scenarios where staff can work from wherever they choose - in the park on a nice sunny day or at the cafe where there might be a WiFi connection. There are truly no boundaries as long as there is an internet connection and a laptop, and this has the potential to offer greater flexibility of work arrangements for employees.
With more and more organisations taking advantage of the Cloud, the future is far from cloudy for Linux career professionals!
According to an article which recently appeared on LinuxInsider, “the biggest change and impact to the Linux landscape and market to date has been the advent of cloud computing”. The IT industry is headed towards a centralised data centre model once more with cloud computing gathering momentum and a swagger of big integrators and small start ups alike are offering services in this arena. Open source solutions such as Linux naturally thrive in the current environment where multiple platforms seek solace under the same apparent cloud.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology defines cloud computing as: “a model for enabling convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction.” Cloud computing offers the user a seamless and simple entry point to their applications using a desktop, laptop, smart phone and other connectivity devices via a web interface. It’s a truly mobile solution in that the user can connect to their desired system via the cloud from anywhere and is no longer tied down to a specific desktop location.
Most of us have dabbled with using Cloud computing without batting an eyelid. Have you ever purchased a book through Amazon? Do you have a Hotmail or a Gmail account? Do you use Facebook? All of these are applications that run on Cloud technology concepts to manage their customer or user access requirements. Cloud computing, simply put, is computing on-demand, accessed through a web interface.
The cloud provides various aspects of traditional IT infrastructure services remotely including:
Platform as a Service (PaaS), which facilitates organisations running their applications on Cloud infrastructure.
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), which provides on-demand scalable services via the net, enabling the utilisation of infrastructure to meet the real time work loads of an organisation. During peaks, many servers may need to be available to meet an organsiation’s processing needs, while troughs see server space being freed for other users’ needs.
Software as a Service (SaaS), which enables organisations to adopt a pay per use model for the right to access and utilise software that sits in the cloud (e.g. Google Docs).
In a nutshell, cloud computing enables organisations to outsource the challenges and expense of offering IT infrastructure in-house to a cloud provider. The cloud provider, much like an ISP, manages and maintains the server power that is required to manage the provision of processing and storage services to the organisation's computer users. The user pays for the processing power, software and storage space that their organisation uses, and the cloud provider is able to manage the processing load of the subscribing organisations in such a way that economies of scale are achieved and the dilemma of server underutilisation during off peak times may be overcome.
It’s a great time to be an Open Source guru. To meet the dynamic and complex needs of today’s business world, a Cloud needs to have all sorts of platforms coexisting in harmony under the same umbrella, and so interoperability concepts are key. Linux virtualisation concepts are integral to enabling these sorts of mixed platform management scenarios.
Jay Lyman of the LinuxInsider comments, “Linux is popular in cloud computing infrastructure largely thanks to its flexibility and source code availability for customization and fine-tuning. Similarly, the open source OS is used by supercomputer system engineers as a resource that can be expanded or stripped down like no other option”. In this article, Lyman notes that he periodically monitors the Top 500 Supercomputer List and says there is a growing trend that organisations utilising these supercomputers are turning towards Linux as their platform of choice.
Community Linux distributions such as CentOS, Debian, Gentoo offer significant cost savings and are effective alternatives to the likes of Red Hat and Suse, the Novell distribution of Linux. These community Linux distributions are vital pieces for the cloud computing puzzle and featured favourably on the June 2011 Top 500 Supercomputer list. These community distributions offer scalability without the need to juggle the costly licensing issues and being open source, they can be changed programmatically and are constantly being enhanced and contributed to by creative technical geniuses, giving freely of their expertise, time and talent to better the OS and create awesome free tools.
Now cloud computing seems to be on path of exponential growth, with the Gartner Group predicting that the IaaS market alone is set to grow from $3.7 billion in 2010 to $10.5 billion in 2014. An article recently posted on Cloud Computing Today states “Within the first half of 2011, Dell, HP, IBM, Oracle, Red Hat, Apple, Go Daddy and Microsoft have made increased commitments to cloud computing deployments in ways that promise to significantly impact the existing market share balance”. This is an arena where the big integrators as well as some entrepreneurial start ups already have a presence. Match this with the expected growth and the fact that Linux is such a prevalent feature of Cloud solutions; it’s a GREAT time to be pursuing a Linux career.
Will cloud computing effect the size of required IT workforce in the future? According to an article published on InformationAge, “The high degree of virtualisation used in cloud environments makes them ripe for automation, which by its nature removes the need for staff”. If an organisation chooses to outsource its IT department and utilise the services of a Cloud provider, then the question remains: what will happen to the redundant IT personnel? And given that the whole value proposition is that a Cloud provider reaps economies of scale by the virtualisation of a gargantuan network of servers, file servers etc., then it would seem reasonable to argue that those jobs won’t necessarily be able to be reabsorbed by the Cloud providers. It’s a safe bet to say that “movement of IT work to the Cloud, may have a more destructive impact on employment levels than traditional IT outsourcing”.
On a more positive note, technical folk have tenacity and creativity. This isn’t the only time outsourcing has occurred, in fact, outsourcing has been a risk factor for decades in the IT domain: outsourcing to IT service providers; outsourcing to IT resources in India. The IT jobs market has withstood these challenges in the past and has risen with grace to find new and exciting challenges and possibilities for career growth and development. This may be just another opportunity to embrace the challenges and changes and see potentials for future growth.
Cloud computing also lends itself to assisting organisations ponder and execute shift in the way they do business. Given that the cloud provides a flexible and mobile remote access to an organisation’s IT systems, surely this will lead to an increasing number of “virtual office” scenarios where staff can work from wherever they choose - in the park on a nice sunny day or at the cafe where there might be a WiFi connection. There are truly no boundaries as long as there is an internet connection and a laptop, and this has the potential to offer greater flexibility of work arrangements for employees.
With more and more organisations taking advantage of the Cloud, the future is far from cloudy for Linux career professionals!
