Are you thinking about setting up a cloud for deployment in your business or enterprise? Have you planned it out yet? If so, how far have you gotten with it? If you haven’t begun the setup process, check out this list of things to consider before you start deploying that cloud. It might confirm your belief that you’re on the right track — but it could persuade you otherwise.

1: Time is always an issue

The time you spend attempting to deploy a cloud will be time you never get back. Unless you happen to have a spare whiz kid hanging out in your IT department, most likely you (or your department) do not have the time to dedicate to the creation of a cloud. It’s not easy (see #3 below), and you will wind up starting over more than once.

2: Hardware needs are huge

Do you have fast enough disks? Enough RAM? Fast enough network pipes? Clouds are monsters and need monstrous hardware. Attempting to serve up a cloud on a standard server will probably only lead to frustration. And the machines they serve up on can’t be just any old machine, either — even the clients need to have some beef to them.

3: The process is difficult

Creating a cloud is no easy feat. I have spent solid weekends trying get the Ubuntu Eucalyptus cloud set up (only to be burned by #2 above). Not only is it time consuming, it is challenging. Before you begin to enter that first command (or double-click that first button), you’d better read as much as you can to understand the technology behind what you are about to deploy.

4: Network speed can be a pain

If your network isn’t as speedy as you can possibly make it, you might wind up with a lot of frustrated users. You can’t serve up a cloud without some serious bandwidth. And the more users you have, the bigger the pipes you’ll need. Are you ready to shell out the #5 for this?

5: Cost is a deal breaker

New hardware. New software. New networking hardware. It all adds up to a big negatory to many a cloud enthusiast. The server alone would break many SMBs’ IT budgets. You need huge hard drives to hold images, you need tons of RAM to keep the machine going, you need the fastest CPUs you can buy — that’s a hefty server. Amazon can do this because it has huge data farms. Your SMB does not enjoy such a beast. Are you ready to shell out the money?

6: Image(s) is(are) everything

When setting up a Eucalyptus server, you can download plenty of images to serve up. Fedora, Ubuntu, CentOS, and more. Can you (and your server hard disks) cover all of the images you might need within your company? And that doesn’t include apps you might need to serve up. It gets really confusing at this point. Have you done your homework? (See #3.)

7: Reliability will bring you down

I have always said (of thin clients, app servers, and now clouds) a single point of failure… will! Murphy’s Law is highly prevalent when it comes to cloud computing. Think about it. When serving up clouds, you have that much more to fail. Not only can applications and hardware fail, but your network can go down as well. And when your network goes down, your workers aren’t working. That’s bottom line, buddy.

8: Security is not on duty

How do you secure a cloud? It’s taken you how long to get your internal LAN as secure as possible? And now you’re considering the addition of yet another level of complexity to the mixture? What happens if you need to serve up data outside of the company firewall? Can you allow those telecommuters to continue telecommuting? Probably not. And when that happens, you will have a revolt on your hands.

9: It’s not environmentally sound

You know that server you built to serve up your cloud? The one that sounds like an old Pontiac Trans Am being driving by a guy with a mullet named Bud? It’s sucking down megawatts of power, and you can’t just turn that puppy off. Clouds, as they stand right now, are not environmentally friendly. And in an age when many companies are trying to put their greenest foot forward, clouds are about as irresponsible as incandescent lights.

10: Platform agnosticism is not a religion

That Eucalyptus cloud I was referring to serves up Linux. If I wanted to serve up Windows, I’d be using a Windows cloud system. Clouds almost always force you into a single platform. In today’s Windows, Mac, Linux world, a single platform won’t do. True, most SMBs are working on Windows, which means you will be using a Windows cloud platform (which means you will be shelling out plenty of cash). But if you’re lucky enough to have a homogenous environment, a cloud might not be your best bet.

LAMP is a popular open source web platform commonly used to run dynamic web sites and servers. It includes Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP/Python/Perl and is considered by many the platform of choice for development and deployment of high performance web applications which require a solid and reliable foundation.

This appliance includes all the standard features in TurnKey Core, and on top of that:
SSL support out of the box.
PHP, Python and Perl support for Apache2 and MySQL.
PHPMyAdmin administration frontend for MySQL (listening on port 12322 – uses SSL).
Postfix MTA (bound to localhost) to allow sending of email from web applications (e.g., password recovery)
Webmin modules for configuring Apache2, PHP, MySQL and Postfix.

A separate LAPP stack appliance features PostgreSQL instead of MySQL.

this program also available on our VPS images.

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We all have our preferences when it comes to operating systems some people prefer one of the many flavors of Windows, while others prefer one of the several distributions of Linux. It is all the matter of what works best for you. Another aspect that should be taken into consideration when determining which type of hosting you should use Windows or Linux/Unix, is what you intend to do on your website.

There are many differences between the two operating systems. However, when it comes to hosting there are just as many differences. Some people with Windows operating systems choose to use Linux/Unix hosting. On the other side of the coin, some people who use Linux/Unix operating systems choose to use Windows hosting. Do you find this confusing? If so, you are not alone. You may be wondering how this would work.

Well essentially, when you acquire hosting for your website, you are basically paying someone else to host your website on their computer. These computers also have operating systems. Therefore, when you choose Windows or Linux hosting, this will mean that the computer your website is run from is using that chosen operating system.

Windows Hosting

Windows is perhaps one of the most well-known and popular forms of operating systems. There are many advantages to using Windows hosting. Because millions of users have Windows and use the many Microsoft products such, using Windows hosting would allow you to easily integrate any of these products into your website. Windows hosting would also allow you to run ASP (Active Server Pages) on your website, which is placing dynamic content on your website using computer scripts.

What is great about Windows is that it boasts an easy to use interface perfect for beginners. There are usually many options such as ASP mail, Access Database, ASP.NET, and SQL Database, IIS, and PHP. Windows hosting also allows for publishing websites with FrontPage,

As with almost anything in this world, Windows hosting does have its disadvantages. One of the main disadvantages is the costs. One Microsoft server, if buying your own, will cost you a couple of thousand dollars, if you were running the software yourself. You have many choices when it comes to software such as Windows 2003, Advanced, and Windows 2000 server. However, with the competitiveness of the hosting industry, you will find the Windows hosting is extremely affordable when using a remote server.

Linux/Unix Hosting

Linux and UNIX hosting are two different types of operating system that are extremely similar to one another. In essence, the two are closely related something like cousins; therefore, they are generally combined in hosting. Now what is great about Linux/Unix is that you have the ability to integrate unmatched security into your website. There are also many other benefits of the duo that make it the choice for many people.

One such benefit is the fact that Linux/Unix is extremely compatible with PHP, which is the latest craze in programming languages. Cost is another very attractive benefit of the duo. In many cases, the operating system is free. Some distributors have begun to charge for the system, but many are still available for no costs. For little to no cost, additional software can be obtained for Linux/Unix such as BIND, Sendmail, Apache, and APF Firewall.

Security is probably the most popular benefit of using Linux/Unix hosting. The level of security offered by this duo is unmatched by Windows hosting. To add to the benefits, statistics show that this operating system offers more overall stability and control in operation as well.

With Linux/Unix hosting, you have the ability to integrate Chmod permission, Mod Rewrite, Apache Web server, as well as MySQL and PHP.

Of course, as with Windows hosting there are some disadvantages to using Linux/Unix hosting. The main disadvantage being ease of use. Unlike Windows hosting, Linux/Unix hosting does not contain an easy to use, user-friendly interface. Basically, it requires a large list of commands to use and is not recommended for the beginner. This type of hosting requires a great deal of technical knowledge and familiarity to install and control.

Which one is for you?

Well, in short, it depends on what you need. If you need intense security, PHP compatibility, have technical knowledge, and you do not need to have all the latest website features, Linux/Unix hosting may be the right choice for you.

However, if you need a website that offers ASP, an easy to use interface, and the ability to integrate Microsoft products, then Windows hosting is the best decision for you.

As you can see choosing between Windows hosting and Linux/Unix hosting, all depends on what you need on your website, your level of experience, and of course, your overall budget.

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