“Hey, You, Get Off of My Cloud” and Other Hosting Jokes

3 Private Cloud Benefits (per VMware)… & Jokes

Mick Jagger always wanted his own cloud. Keith Richards was always hanging out on the couch at the end of his cloud, scaring away all the ladies. Finally, the web hosting world has a cloud available for Jagger. So… What exactly is the private cloud, and why might it be a good thing for the Rolling Stones and everyone else?

Basically, a private host is a melding of dedicated technology with cloud computing. The cloud understandably raises various questions regarding security and privacy. In certain cases, legal or industry compliance can only be attained in certain types of environments. On the other hand, the private cloud gives you the positive features of a cloud environment – its highly adaptive, scalable attributes – in a scenario where you can have full control, rather than having to go along with the parameters of a shared system.

This article will explore what the private cloud has to offer and 3 advantages of using it for your company, per VMware’s solutions. Also, we will get into an exclusive transcript from the moment when Jagger let Richards know that he’d gotten his own private cloud. The first excerpt from that recording follows:

Rolling Stones Cloud Hijinks, Part 1

Jagger: Get up.

Richards: What do you mean? I’m doing my afternoon lounging.

Jagger: This is my cloud now. I’m expecting a woman. Bring your bowl of potato chips with you.

Richards: You want to come over to my garage in a little bit and practice? My parents are on holiday.

Jagger: Dude, we are like 70 years old.

Richards: Oh, right, forgot about that.

Oh, that Keith Richards… What a disoriented, obscenely wealthy man. A little more on the nature of the private cloud, and then we will get into 3 advantages of its use.

Understanding the Cloud

Clouds are – well, let’s face it, they are nebulous. Since the cloud is so vague, different ideas have sprung up related to exactly what the cloud is. In basic usage, there are two distinct versions of cloud computing:

1. Front-End Cloud: Using anything that occurs in real-time, such as Google Drive, Salesforce, or any other online software-as-a-service (SaaS) tool.

2. Back-End Cloud: Looking at the structure on which a cloud system is built. Rethinking the cloud framework and what has prevented its full adoption (concerns with privacy, security, and compliance) has led to developments such as the private cloud.

Typically – at least from the outset – companies are testing a piece of their network with a private cloud. Essentially, many companies are dipping their toes into this technology to run tests, do business development, etc. Wading in allows organizations to stay ahead of the curve, without feeling they have to submerge themselves completely.

Rolling Stones Cloud Hijinks, Part 2

Jagger: Why are you still here?

Richards: I thought you said you were leaving. You said, “May I bring the potato chips with me?” The answer is halves.

Jagger: Again, I need this cloud for philandering purposes. Please leave immediately.

Richards: Don’t we have a song about something like this?

3 Benefits of the Private Cloud

OK, let’s take a look at three advantages of a private cloud for your business or organization. These benefits are via VMware:

1. Control – It’s one thing to have a general sense of trust in a service and the security it provides. It’s another thing to have more control over the system yourself. VMware’s “change-aware” security and “host-based” cloud bolster the hands-on approach. Also, what about automated control? A private cloud can make it easier to achieve compliance with dynamic, automated processes.

2. Automation – Speaking of automation, a private cloud makes it easier to automate processes via an establishment of resource-management policies – allowing you to set different max levels of usage in different scenarios and for different applications. VMware calls this tactic “policy-driven automation.”

3. Pro-Evolution – No one wants to have their hands tied (well… at least not in business). With a private cloud, you don’t have to be stuck in any specific network model. With VMware, for example, you can take advantage of open-source technologies such as Open Virtualization Format (OVS) and the Private Cloud API. If you already have vSphere, place it on top, like a layer cake.

Rolling Stones Cloud Hijinks, Part 3

Jagger: Hi, Bar. Come on in. Welcome to my private cloud.

Refaeli: Hey, who’s that guy?

Richards: Hey Bar, great bod you got there. Did you, by any chance, bring any snacks?

Jagger: He won’t leave.

Richards: I’ll be here if you need me.

Conclusion

So as you can see, the private cloud might be worth looking into. And as stated above, many companies are test-running the private cloud to get a sense of how much of their network they want to fully commit to that model. Here again, are our VPS hosting solutions at Atlantic.Net. Please let us know if you know the whereabouts of Keith Richards. Apparently, he wandered off Jagger’s cloud looking for salty snacks and, as of press time, is missing.

by Kent Roberts

Atlantic.Net also offers HIPAA compliant hosting solutions – contact us today for a consultation.