1. Cloud Computing Standards: Status, Needs and Prospects
Douglas W. Johnson, Ph.D.
OASIS
Cloud Computing Standards Summit
13 July 2009
Overall intent of the presentation is to describe OASIS as a standards organization, noting areas of work that are related to cloud computing standardization.
Structure of talk (35 min slot) is to use no more than 10 minutes to describe OASIS, emphasizing
- XML and web services efforts
- member driven work programs
- ability to include all parties (even individuals)
- attractive and flexible IPR policy
The balance of the talk is looking in more detail at cloud computing needs. High level points include
- clouds are an evolution of existing computing architectures
- existing standards should be aggressively identified and incorporated
- cloud standard needs, once identified, should be developed with multiple stakeholders (for which OASIS is ideal).

2. Standards are like parachutes. They work best when they're open.

3. What is OASIS?
The Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards is a not-for-profit, international consortium that drives the development, convergence and adoption of open standards for the global information society.

4. OASIS Values
All members have a single vote (regardless of company size or contribution).
All contributions, mailing lists, etc. available publicly (searchable and viewable even by non-members).
Community and community values, including open and inclusive participation, are paramount.
Standards are free.

5. “Inclusive” View of Cloud Computing
Notion of everything being included in cloud computing is due to the evolutionary nature of the technology. Only a few aspects of cloud computing are truly new, the majority are continuations of past trends and practices.

6. OASIS Outlook on Cloud Technologies
Evolutionary – not revolutionary
Inherits and depends on:
SOA/Web service approaches
Grid/Utility computing
Virtualization technologies
… and others
Cloud technology is, in many respects, a catch all for a variety of computing architectures that are made possible by Internet access.
- Ubiquitous user access allows Internet delivery of web-based services
- High bandwidth, low latency commercial access allows outsoucing of demanding database and data storage applications
_Cycle
The core attraction of cloud is that companies can avoid buying and running hardware, software and other equipment by contracting with a services vendor to run selected systems or applications on its own infrastructure of virtualized servers. The "services" you purchase are delivered in a standardized, multitenancy fashion that observers say will save one-third to one-half of your current costs.
Key Cloud innovation is user control of a flexible, “pay as you go” infrastructure.

7. OASIS Cloud-Related Standards
Security infrastructures
SAML and XACML
KMIP key management infrastructure
Review/extend WS* standards to be cloud friendly
XML-based cloud instance descriptions (registry and schema)
Cloud data import/export formats

8. Cloud Computing: Standards View
Many standards already exist within the enabling technologies
Leverage existing work with Cloud standards “profiles”
Gap analysis suggests areas of needed standards (e.g. instance import/export, interoperability, management tools, etc.)
Evolutionary view of cloud computing suggests incorporating relevant existing standards.
Needs identified by gap analysis should be brought forward to appropriate standards venues.

9. Challenges for Cloud Standardization
Existing market leaders hesitant
Multiple areas are seeing significant innovation
Various stakeholders have different desires for standardization (both areas of work and timing)
High vendor interest and anticipated large market results in caution
Evolutionary view of cloud computing suggests incorporating relevant existing standards.
Needs identified by gap analysis should be brought forward to appropriate standards venues.

10. Why Users Are Not Adopting Cloud Computing
No perceived benefits beyond existing hosting solutions
Cost
Availability, reliability, speed
Too new, largely untested
Security & compliance concerns
This is the “cold water in the face” for cloud providers.
“Need for more standards” is not explicitly stated but feeds into each of these inhibitors at varying levels.
Most directly affected is cost – since standards prevent vendor lock-in and provide competition among providers.
Source: Rackspace survey of SMBs
January 2009

11. Drivers Supporting Cloud Standardization
User desire for benefits of standards
Interoperability and portability
Cost competition
Avoidance of vendor lock-in
More competitive environments create larger markets following standardization
Many vendors recognize value of standards activities

12. Cloud Computing: Users are Central
Standards
Compliance
Users
Users fill a central role in driving standards creation and adoption -
User insistence on standards and lock-in avoidance are key in moving vendors in that direction. Needs of open source implementers (key need is unencumbered protocols and standards)
The various tensions among these elements are affected by
- current dominant players who may see standards as a competitive threat
- innovation vs. standardization questions are unclear in areas of rapid technology development
Open Source
Implementations
Vendor
Offerings

13. Contact Info:
Douglas W. Johnson, Ph.D.
DWJ Consulting Group