Cloud Computing and SOA Convergence in Your Enterprise: A Step ...

CHAPTER 3
Defining the Clouds
for the Enterprise
Chapter 3
If the facts don’t fit the theory,
change the facts.
—Albert Einstein
One aspect of this book examines the concept of cloud
computing as a mechanism to create a new enterprise architecture
that is more efficient and effective than the existing
architecture. We are looking to SOA using cloud
computing as the way to approach this concept, extending
SOA outside of the firewall to the platforms, or architectural
options, that cloud computing provides.
While cloud computing is not new, the appearance of
new cloud resources makes it much more viable than it
was in the past. The trick is to understand what resources
are out there, the solution patterns they offer, and how
they can fit with your SOA. In other words, understand
the options you have for leveraging on-demand or clouddelivered
computing resources and use these resources as
a way to make your architecture more efficient and cost
effective. That is the endgame here.
By now, you know that computing is a way to leverage
computing resources you do not own, accessing those
resources over the Internet and paying just for the resources
you need, when you need them. However, the
types of resources, their value to your enterprise, and
their fit within your architecture vary greatly.
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