雲計算宣言正式簽署
雲計算宣言這份六頁紙的檔案共包括六項原則。第一個原則就是要求雲計算供應商“確保其所提供的雲計算產品（包括安全、集成、可移植性、互操作性、治理/管理及計量/監控）是基於開放標準的。 ”其他的原則還包括：供應商“絕不能利用其市場地位，鎖定顧客到他們的特殊平台”；應該儘可能地利用現有標準；儘量不要創造新的標準或修改現有標準；應該側重客戶需求而不是雲供應商的技術需求；並且各種雲計算組織、社區和項目要努力協調工作。
參與簽署該宣言的廠商包括IBM、Sun、VMware、思科、EMC、SAP、AMD、Elastra、Akamai、Novell、Rackspace、RightScale、GoGrid等等。但長長的名單列表中卻不見雲計算領域某些關鍵廠商的蹤影，包括以EC2（彈性計算雲）而著名的Amazon，和最近推出Azure平台的微軟。
Amazon公司發表聲明解釋，因為最近才知道雲計算宣言一事，並正在對其進行審閱。微軟的Steven Martin則於上周四在自己的官方部落格上抨擊該宣言存在缺陷、缺乏透明。微軟認為，這樣一份檔案從起草到完成都應該通過公開的機制允許公眾參與評論與討論。
已經簽署雲計算宣言的雲計算互操作論壇（Cloud Computing Interoperability Forum）上周日在其論壇上宣布，決定取消簽署該宣言。該論壇組織者寫道：“這是一個非常痛苦的決定，因為我們完全贊同該宣言的內容和原則，即完全開放的雲計算。但是，由於它缺乏一個開放和公平的過程，所以CCIF不能簽署該宣言。”
第三方的觀察員對該宣言的態度則相對溫和。RedMonk分析師Stephen O'Grady認為：宣言本身“是一種願望，最重要的是方向要正確。” 比起傳統的內部IT領域，雲計算領域的互操作性問題更為緊迫。有別於傳統用戶搭建系統或構建套用是可以分別選擇硬體、作業系統、資料庫和開發工具，雲計算平台往往將這些部分捆綁在一起。“當把這些部分合併起來，用戶便會失去極大的選擇空間。因此，互操作性和鎖定問題是非常敏感和重要的。”
“開放雲計算”的六大原則
目前，Open Cloud Manifesto.org（http://www.opencloudmanifesto.org/）網站已經開通，並公布了雲計算宣言的詳細內容，包括定義什麼是雲計算、雲計算的挑戰、開放雲計算的目標，以及開放雲計算的原則。想弄清楚雲計算到底是怎么回事、雲計算宣言又是什麼的人，以上內容可供參考。其中，“開放雲計算”的六大原則包括：
1. 雲計算供應商必須合作，確定能通過公開合作和適度採用標準，解決採用雲計算可能遭遇的挑戰，包括安全性、整合性、可移植性、互操作性、管理、測量與監測等方面。
2. 雲計算供應商不能利用自己的市場地位，把顧客套牢在自己特有的平台里，並限制他們對其他雲計算供應商的選擇。
3. 雲計算供應商必須在適當情況下，採用現有的標準。IT工業已在現有標準與標準組織投入大量資金，沒必要再重複投資或重新制訂新的標準。
4. 即使需要新的標準(或修改現有標準)時，我們也必須謹慎、務實，以免制定太多標準。我們必須確定標準能促進創新，而不是阻止創新。
5. 開放雲計算社區的任何計畫，都應該以顧客需求為主導，而不只是取決於雲計算供應商的技術需求，而且應該根據實際的用戶需求進行檢測或認證。
6. 雲計算標準組織、雲計算團體與社區，都應該通力合作、互相協調，以確保各項計畫不會互相衝突或重疊。
雲計算宣言被過半公司認同 而微軟持批判態度
3月30日訊息，據《商業周刊》報導，IBM等公司今日正式聯合發布“雲計算行業標準宣言”。據悉，戴爾、EMC、思科、Sun、AT&T等公司均已對該宣言表示認同，但科技公司巨頭微軟卻表示未能達成共識。
雲計算宣言戴爾全球大客戶業務總裁兼前首席信息官史蒂芬·舒肯布羅克(Stephen Schuckenbrock)表示，雲計算以統一標準的開源方式存在，有利於消除在“雲”端運行業務系統的客戶對於系統移植問題的顧慮。
過去，包括戴爾在內，很多客戶在系統部署前，均會考慮日後系統如需轉換平台是否方便，系統能否與運行在其他平台的管理系統兼容，以及使用後會不會受制於提供產品和服務的廠商等問題。有了提倡開源的雲計算宣言後，客戶無需再有這方面的顧慮。因為雲計算宣言所強調的開放性，讓用戶能輕鬆地從一個服務提供商轉換到另一個。
IBM公司首席技術官Kristof Kloeckner表示：“如果整個行業不共同參與，那么結果是各種數據和套用都將各為其主。”分析師和客戶對於雲計算宣言均表示讚賞，認為這是行業間協作的一大進步。市場研究機構Redmonk分析師Stephen O'Grady表示：“如果這些問題能及早被理解及提出，雲計算服務的客戶和供應商都將受惠。”他說，如果行業沒有在開放性上取得一定程度的共識，那么新的技術和服務得到套用的步伐將會放慢。
然後，行業里的政治問題似乎在阻礙新技術的發展。在70間IT公司中，有大約一半的公司，包括戴爾、EMC、思科、Sun、AT&T等，均已對該宣言表示認同，但微軟不在此列。
此前有媒體報導，史提芬·馬丁（Steven Martin），微軟的高級總監，稱公司於22日收到宣言檔案，並被告知只有48小時的時間去簽署，並且不能修改內容。馬丁表示，宣言中有部分字句描述模糊，讓人無法辯駁。他說：“我們的前提是，行業標準可以公開，但在標準制訂的過程中，也需要有公開的對話。”（安祖）
而Amazon.com也在27日表示，他們不會簽署這份檔案。
Amazon的聲明寫道：“如同其他有關標準和(商業)行為的構想，我們將檢審這一份宣言。關於網路服務之開放與標準的想法已經討論多年，而我們確實相信，標準會繼續演進到雲計算領域。但目前為止，我們從雲計算愛用者顧客得到的意見是，實踐開放與顧客靈活度的最好方式，是你實際提供給他們哪些東西。”
Amazon強調，過去3年來，該公司的網路服務已陸續支持不同作業系統和程式語言。
雲計算宣言的發起人之一、Enomal的Reuven Cohen曾說，該宣言會在30日發布。Cohen在一篇部落格文章寫道，該宣言至少有十幾家公司簽署，包括“幾家最大的科技公司”。
Cohen說：“(雲計算)宣言不是針對軟體程式代碼或授權，而是網際網路奠基的基本原則，一個為所有人提供的開放平台。這是對全球雲計算社群投入並接受開放雲計算原則的一個行動呼籲。”
Cohen也在後續的部落格文章中，感謝微軟的拒絕讓該宣言得到關注。他寫道：“只是一個舉動，微軟為我們這個雲計算互通計畫帶來的能見度，遠超過我們以往所有的努力。”
雲宣言：引發雲計算之戰
近日，一份所謂的《雲計算宣言》（The Open Cloud Manifesto）在IT業內引起了軒然大波。有關此宣言的原文請見：http://www.opencloudmanifesto.org/。其實筆者看了整個宣言的內容，主旨就是開放和互用性，應該是沒有什麼太值得爭議的地方，之所以引得人們的關注，是因為該宣言是由IBM發起的，而後微軟、亞馬遜等對此宣言的部分內容提出了質疑，並聲稱目前不會簽署此項協定。目前該宣言簽署的廠商包括了IBM、AMD、EMC、Sun、SAP、VMWare等在業內知名的晶片、存儲、虛擬化、軟體等廠商，但卻沒有微軟、亞馬遜、Google、Salesforce等IT和網際網路的大佬。儘管目前業內對此宣言褒貶不一，但筆者認為，所謂的開放也好，互用性也罷，除了為了今後客戶的利益，這之中廠商尋求自己在未來雲計算市場的領導地位和商業利益更可見一斑。
其實筆者看到這份宣言是由IBM發起的時候，第一就是聯想到了前不久IBM併購Sun。誰都知道，在雲計算領域，Sun是首先將雲計算落地實用化的IT廠商，而支撐這一切的是Sun的伺服器、存儲和相關的解決方案。相比之下，IBM也是雲計算的主張和倡導者，目前也有相應的雲計算的產品和服務，從這個意義上看，IBM併購Sun之後，在滅掉一個雲計算的對手的同時，也增強了自己在雲計算領域的實力。其二就是筆者想到了IBM之前在刀片伺服器推廣之初一手建立的Blade.org的行業組織，感覺與今天的《雲計算宣言》很是類似，誰都知道，IBM憑藉當年的Blade.org以最小的代價攫取了最大的利益，在目前的刀片伺服器市場，其與惠普占據了該市場80%以上的絕對市場份額。難道此次的《雲計算宣言》是當年IBM的Blade.org的如法炮製嗎？筆者認為二者具有很高的類似性。如果真是這樣的話，那么微軟、亞馬遜等出來質疑，甚至最終決定不簽署這個協定也自在情理之中了。
誰都知道，微軟在去年發布了自己的“Windows Azure”雲計算計畫。，其目的是創建一個允許用戶在使用Windows時有更大靈活性的作業系統，讓企業既能在自己的電腦網路上運行某些程式，也可以委託微軟在其大型數據中心處理某些任務。對此，微軟首席軟體架構師雷•奧茲(Ray Ozzie)稱，Windows Azure標誌著微軟軟體將全面向雲計算轉型。而按照當時美國《商業周刊》的評論是：如果Azure取得成功，Windows無疑將成為微軟手中的一柄“利器”，因為許多公司和個人消費者已經熟知如何製作和運行基於Windows的軟體，而Azure能引導他們很輕鬆地將這些軟體拓展到網路領域。從微軟的Windows Azure可以看出，微軟希望憑藉自己在軟體領域和產業界的影響力及已有的大量的企業客戶來開拓自己的雲計算市場。那么此時IBM牽頭的《雲計算宣言》無疑是對於微軟自家Windows Azure的挑戰。鑒於目前雲計算市場仍然在起步的階段，也許IBM最直接的目的是想通過此宣言，以聯合的形式稀釋或者延緩微軟進軍雲計算市場的步伐才是其真正的目的。
對此，微軟微軟開發者平台產品管理高級總監史蒂芬•馬丁（Steven Martin）發表部落格文章對《雲計算宣言》進行抨擊，並呼籲以更加開放的方式來制定行業標準也是再正常不過的反應。
除了微軟之外，其實亞馬遜和、Google和Salesforce也都有各自的雲計算的計畫和方案。例如亞馬遜的彈性計算雲（Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud, EC2）就是一項在雲里提供可變大小計算能力的web服務。而Google的Google Apps也是風頭正勁。對此，亞馬遜稱，如同其它有關標準和（商業）行為的構想，我們將檢審這一份宣言。關於網路服務之開放與標準的想法已經討論多年，而我們確實相信，標準會繼續演進到雲計算領域。但目前為止，我們從雲端顧客得到的意見是，實踐開放與顧客靈活度的最好方式，是你實際提供給他們哪些東西。從亞馬遜對於《雲計算宣言》的言論看，顯然亞馬遜認為自己的解決方案是針對客戶需求而量身定製的，自己的雲計算解決方案已經足以滿足用戶的需求。
從IBM發起的《雲計算宣言》到微軟、亞馬遜等廠商的反應，與其說是讓雲計算走向標準、開放和互用性，不如說雲計算之戰已經箭在弦上，一觸即發，這也證明了雲計算將是未來產業的發展趨勢，誰都希望在開始就能夠站到有利的位置，以奪取雲計算的制高點和主動權，因為這背後不但關係著各自用戶的利益，更是廠商們自己商業利益之所在。但筆者認為，在一個新的產業發展的初期，大家齊心協力，求同存異，先將這個市場的餅做大才是根本。
宣言英文全文
Introduction
The buzz around cloud computing has reached a fever pitch. Some believe it is a disruptive trend representing the next stage in the evolution of the Internet. Others believe it is hype, as it uses long established computing technologies. As with any new trend in the IT world, organizations must figure out the benefits and risks of cloud computing and the best way to use this technology.One thing is clear: The industry needs an objective, straightforward conversation about how this new computing paradigm will impact organizations, how it can be used with existing technologies, and the potential pitfalls of proprietary technologies that can lead to lock-in and limited choice.This document is intended to initiate a conversation that will bring together the emerging cloud computing community (both cloud users and cloud providers) around a core set of principles. We believe that these core principles are rooted in the belief that cloud computing should be as open as all other IT technologies. This document does not intend to define a final taxonomy of cloud computing or to charter a new standards effort. Nor does it try to be an exhaustive thesis on cloud architecture and design. Rather, this document is intended for CIOs, governments, IT users and business leaders who intend to use cloud computing and to establish a set of core principles for cloud providers. Cloud computing is still in its early stages, with much to learn and more experimentation to come. However, the time is right for the members of the emerging cloud computing community to come together around the notion of an open cloud.
What is Cloud Computing and Why is it Important?In order to understand the core principles of an open cloud, we need to first agree on some basic definitions and concepts of cloud computing itself. First, what is “the cloud”? The architecture and terminology of cloud computing is as clearly and precisely defined as, well, a cloud. Since cloud computing is really a culmination of many technologies such as grid computing, utility computing, SOA, Web 2.0, and other technologies, a precise definition is often debated. While definitions, taxonomies and architectures are interesting, it is more important to understand the value propositions for cloud computing. We need to understand how suppliers of cloud technology will come together to deliver on the promise of cloud computing.The key characteristics of the cloud are the ability to scale and provision computing power dynamically in a cost efficient way and the ability of the consumer (end user, organization or IT staff) to make the most of that power without having to manage the underlying complexity of the technology. The cloud architecture itself can be private (hosted within an organization’s firewall) or public (hosted on the Internet). These characteristics lead to a set of core value propositions: Scalability on DemandAll organizations have to deal with changes in their environments. The ability of cloud computing solutions to scale up and down is a major benefit. If an organization has periods of time in which their computing resource needs are much higher or lower than normal, cloud technologies (both private and public) can deal with those changes. The organization pays for the IT resources it actually uses; it does not have to maintain multiple sets of artificially high levels of resources to handle peak demands.Streamlining the Data CenterAn organization of any size will have a substantial investment in its data center. That includes buying and maintaining the hardware and software, providing the facilities in which the hardware is housed and hiring the personnel who keep the data center running. An organization can streamline its data center by taking advantage of cloud technologies internally or by offloading workload into the public.
Improving Business ProcessesThe cloud provides an infrastructure for improving business processes. An organization and its suppliers and partners can share data and applications in the cloud, allowing everyone involved to focus on the business process instead of the infrastructure that hosts it. Minimizing Startup CostsFor companies that are just starting out, organizations in emerging markets, or even “Skunk Works” groups in larger organizations, cloud computing greatly reduces startup costs. The new organization starts with an infrastructure already in place, so the time and other resources that would be spent on building a data center are borne by the cloud provider, whether the cloud is private or public. Challenges and Barriers to AdoptionAlthough the cloud presents tremendous opportunity and value for organizations, the usual IT requirements (security, integration, and so forth) still apply. In addition, some new issues come about because of the multi-tenant nature (information from multiple companies may reside on the same physical hardware) of cloud computing, the merger of applications and data, and the fact that a company’s workloads might reside outside of their physical on-premise datacenter. This section examines five main challenges that cloud computing must address in order to deliver on its promise.SecurityMany organizations are uncomfortable with the idea of storing their data and applications on systems they do not control. Migrating workloads to a shared infrastructure increases the potential for unauthorized access and exposure. Consistency around authentication, identity management, compliance, and access technologies will become increasingly important. To reassure their customers, cloud providers must offer a high degree of transparency into their operations.Data and Application InteroperabilityIt is important that both data and applications systems expose standard interfaces. Organizations will want the flexibility to create new solutions enabled by data and applications that interoperate with each other regardless of where they reside (public clouds, private clouds that reside within an organization’s firewall, traditional IT environments or some combination). Cloud providers need to support interoperability standards so that organizations can combine any cloud provider’s capabilities into their solutions.Data and Application PortabilityWithout standards, the ability to bring systems back in-house or choose another cloud provider will be limited by proprietary interfaces. Once an organization builds or ports a system to use a cloud provider’s offerings, bringing that system back in-house will be difficult and expensive.Governance and ManagementAs IT departments introduce cloud solutions in the context of their traditional datacenter, new challenges arise. Standardized mechanisms for dealing with lifecycle management, licensing, and chargeback for shared cloud infrastructure are just some of the management and governance issues cloud providers must work together to resolve. Metering and MonitoringBusiness leaders will want to use multiple cloud providers in their IT solutions and will need to monitor system performance across these solutions. Providers must supply consistent formats to monitor cloud applications and service performance and make them compatible with existing monitoring systems. It is clear that the opportunity for those who effectively utilize cloud computing in their organizations is great. However, these opportunities are not without risks and barriers. It is our belief that the value of cloud computing can be fully realized only when cloud providers ensure that the cloud is open.The Goals of an Open CloudCustomers expect that the cloud services they use will be as open as the rest of their IT choices. As an open cloud becomes a reality, business leaders will benefit in several ways.ChoiceAs an organization chooses a provider or architecture or usage model, an open cloud will make it easy for them to use a different provider or architecture as the business environment changes. If the organization needs to change providers because of new partnerships, acquisition, customer requests or government regulations, they can do so easily. If the organization deploys a private cloud, they can choose between providers as they extend their capacity and/or functional capabilities. Resources that would have been spent on a difficult migration can instead be spent on innovation.
FlexibilityNo matter which cloud provider and architecture an organization uses, an open cloud will make it easy for them to work with other groups, even if those other groups choose different providers and architectures. An open cloud will make it easy for organizations to interoperate between different cloud providers.Speed and Agility One of the value propositions of cloud computing is the ability to scale hardware and software as needed. Using open interfaces allows organizations to build new solutions that integrate public clouds, private clouds and current IT systems. As the conditions of the organization change, an open cloud will let the organization respond with speed and agility.SkillsA side effect of an open cloud is the availability of skilled professionals. If there are many proprietary programming models, a given IT professional is unlikely to know more than a few of them. With an open cloud, there will be a smaller set of new technologies to learn (especially when existing technologies are utilized), greatly enhancing the chances that the organization can find someone with the necessary skills. Principles of an Open CloudOf course, many clouds will continue to be different in a number of important ways, providing unique value for organizations. It is not our intention to define standards for every capability in the cloud and create a single homogeneous cloud environment. Rather, as cloud computing matures, there are several key principles that must be followed to ensure the cloud is open and delivers the choice, flexibility and agility organizations demand:1. Cloud providers must work together to ensure that the challenges to cloud adoption (security, integration, portability, interoperability, governance/management, metering/monitoring) are addressed through open collaboration and the appropriate use of standards. 2. Cloud providers must not use their market position to lock customers into their particular platforms and limit their choice of providers.3. Cloud providers must use and adopt existing standards wherever appropriate. The IT industry has invested heavily in existing standards and standards organizations; there is no need to duplicate or reinvent them.
4. When new standards (or adjustments to existing standards) are needed, we must be judicious and pragmatic to avoid creating too many standards. We must ensure that standards promote innovation and do not inhibit it. 5. Any community effort around the open cloud should be driven by customer needs, not merely the technical needs of cloud providers, and should be tested or verified against real customer requirements. 6. Cloud computing standards organizations, advocacy groups, and communities should work together and stay coordinated, making sure that efforts do not conflict or overlap. ConclusionThis document is meant to begin the conversation, not define it. Many details (taxonomies, definitions and scenarios, for example) will be filled in as the cloud computing community comes together. We have outlined the challenges facing organizations that want to take advantage of the cloud. These issues lead to a call to action for the IT industry around a vision of an open cloud. We as industry participants must work together to ensure that the cloud remains as open as all other IT technologies. Some might argue that it is too early to discuss topics such as standards, interoperability, integration and portability. Although this is a time of great innovation for the cloud computing community, that innovation should be guided by the principles of openness outlined in this document. We argue that it is exactly the right time to begin the work to build the open cloud. Companies and organizations that support the open cloud manifesto are listed at: www.opencloudmanifesto.org
參考文獻
http://tech.it168.com/a2009/0331/270/000000270141.shtml
http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_4cab48ba0100co5z.html?tj=1
