RackForce vCloud FAQs

For clarity and common understanding we would like to explain the definition of cloud computing that RackForce supports.

• RackForce's cloud computing is an approach to computing that enables the delivery of IT services on demand while significantly reducing IT complexity. Caught between shrinking resources and growing business needs, organizations are looking to cloud computing to provide a more efficient, flexible and cost-effective model for computing.
• There are three generally accepted deployment models for cloud computing:
  • » Private Cloud: The cloud infrastructure is operated solely for an organization. May be managed by the organization or a third party. May exist on-premise or as a "virtual private cloud" within a service provider's facilities (RackForce's cloud ready colocation for example).
  • » Public Cloud: The cloud infrastructure is made available to the general public or a large industry group and is owned by an organization selling commodity cloud services. Commodity public clouds are useful for new applications/workloads with great variance in resource requirements but typically do not offer the ability to migrate easily between multiple clouds.
  • » Hybrid Cloud: The cloud infrastructure is a combination of two or more clouds (private and public, or private and virtual private) that remain unique entities, but are bound together by standard technology that enables data and application portability (e.g., cloud bursting for load-balancing between clouds). Hybrid clouds provide a way to increase capacity or add capabilities on demand without the need to re-architect existing applications or invest in new infrastructure, training, or software licensing.

RackForce delivers cloud ready infrastructure and expertise and leverages VMware's position world leader in virtualization and virtualization is the heart of any cloud initiative, whether it's at an on-premise datacenter or an off-premise service provider. For applications to work on cloud (internal or external), the underlying cloud platform has to be compatible and consistent with the internal virtualization platform. VMware is already delivering, and will continually enhance, the most comprehensive set of enterprise-class technology, delivering the greatest breadth (across IaaS, PaaS, and Saas), and depth (security, performance, management, and virtualization) of capabilities in cloud computing.

To do this RackForce incorporates the following VMware-powered solutions:

• vCloud Director
• vCloud Connector
• vCenter Chargeback
• vShield Product Family
• vCenter Server
• vSphere

If you have already deployed VMware-based environments you have already done much of the work. This is because RackForce's vCloud Powered services use the same technology stack you use. This means IT manager can manage services in a centralized, consistent way.

Through RackForce's vCloud Powered services, you get the enhanced cloud benefits and capabilities you want as well as flexibility, security, and availability that other service providers can't match. You get a familiar, centralized management model that applies regardless of where the applications actually run. Using cloud services from other providers means you need to re-architect existing workloads and invest in new technologies.

VMware's cloud computing strategy, which drives RackForce's vCloud Powered services, leverages the investment in VMware technology that you have already made. You can drive down OPEX costs through provisioning and automation of activities such as backup/data recovery and chargeback. And because RackForce's cloud-based services will be more responsive and scalable, you will generate a better outcome for your end users- meaning higher worker productivity for internal services, and a better customer experience for external services.