VMware Cloud Foundry

In April, 2011 VMware announced own PaaS-platform with the open code Cloud Foundry which will simplify and will accelerate development and deployment of applications 'in a cloud' using different development environments (Spring, Rails, node.js) based on different cloud infrastructures (including on Amazon Web Services, in a private cloud or on the local computer). Emergence of Cloud Foundry throws down a serious competitive challenge to a number of the companies: Google, Microsoft, IBM, Red Hat. Cloud Foundry will compete also with the domestic Hivext PaaS-platform which developers also think of disclosure of source texts^[1].

It is the first 'loud' OpenSource-initiative in a PaaS segment: still known cloud platforms with the open code, such as OpenStack and Eucalyptus, mainly mentioned an IaaS segment (infrastructure as service).

Cloud Foundry will allow programmers of a message development and deployment of the applications based on the different popular systems of development (such as Spring, Ruby on Rails, node.js) using different additional services (MySQL, Redis, MongoDB, RabbitMQ). At the same time the cloud of Cloud Foundry can be placed on the specialized platform CloudFoundry.com, on the corporate server, on infrastructure of the supplier of public IaaS-services (for example, Amazon Web Services) or even on the notebook of the developer (in the latter case the adapted version of Micro Cloud is used). Both application deployment in a cloud, and transfer of a cloud from one environment in another when using Cloud Foundry is taken away from developers at least of time.

According to Ruslan Sinitsky, the head of the domestic project on creation of the PaaS-platform Hivext, Cloud Foundry will make the serious competition to the existing PaaS-solutions: 'VMware has in an arsenal of SpringSource as a part of which, in turn, the broad spectrum of popular frameworks is available to developers. And the stated openness of Cloud Foundry can strengthen even more a customer loyalty'.

Architecture of Cloud Foundry

During the webinar devoted to the announcement of the new platform, the chief manager of VMware on division of SpringSource Rod Johnson noted that in the last several years in the field of IT applications there were two significant changes. First, there was a set of the innovative systems of development with the open code created by developers for developers – these systems allowed to achieve radical simplification and increase in efficiency of programmers in comparison with the traditional systems. Secondly, there was a revolution in the field of virtualization allowing to untie the application from the physical equipment on which it is executed. However revolution on upper (the systems of development) and on lower (virtualization) levels did not affect intermediate level in any way – so-called software of the center to which Java application servers belong, in particular. Recently in this area there were no changes, and the Cloud Foundry project is designed to meet this lack.

The publication of source texts Cloud Foundry under the open license – a conscious step of VMware: 'The open code is the price for an input for the market of cloud computing today', – Charles Fitzgerald, the strategist according to platforms of VMware in an interview to the GigaOM edition reported.

The emergence of the qualitative solution with the open code guaranteeing independence of the supplier upon transition to cloud computing will hit in the most unpleasant way at the interests of other suppliers which do not open source codes of the platforms and therefore cannot provide similar guarantees. First of all, it concerns Google App Engine and Microsoft Azure. In the conditions of the competition from VMware other suppliers of PaaS probably will also accelerate the publication of source texts of the solutions.

'I consider that sooner or later, we will open the source code of our developments. The openness of technologies is strategically important point', – Ruslan Sinitsky says. However Hivext priority at the moment is, nevertheless, not disclosure of source codes, but creation of the mature version of service and its start in commercial operation.

According to Fittsdzherald, start of Cloud Foundry will seriously hit at the commercial interests of IBM which earns billions of dollars today, rendering services in integration of cloud services (it is supposed that when using Cloud Foundry need for such services will disappear). However the most direct competitor of Cloud Foundry are not listed companies, and Red Hat which also aims to advance the cloud PaaS-platform with a possibility of creation of scalable Java applications based on JBoss and recently purchased Makara startup. However the offer from Red Hat did not purchase in the market of essential popularity yet.

Creation of the Cloud Foundry project became possible for VMware as a result of acquisition of SpringSource, the developer of a popular framework Spring allowing to simplify and accelerate considerably development of Java applications. Quite recently the development team of a cloud service for reserve data storage of Mozy which was transferred to VMware from EMC parent company also joined VMware. During creation of Cloud Foundry service resources of both commands were used.

For April, 2011 the CloudFoundry.com service is already available in the mode of trial operation (until the end of testing the payment for use of service will not be collected), the website for community CloudFoundry.org where it is possible to receive source texts of the platform is also started. The version for start by local machines of Micro Cloud developers can be loaded in several weeks.

The Cloud Foundry platform has three dimensions. The first measurement is connected with the choice of platforms, the second – with the choice of applications and the third measurement – with deployment type selection. Below we will look what can be selected.

Choice of the platform

Cloud Foundry supports the following Spring platforms for Java, Rails and Sinatra for Ruby, Node.js and the Groovy, Grails and Scala JVM languages. It also supports Microsoft. net Framework and became the first platform which was not created by Microsoft company with support of .NET. The choice of the platform is made by Cloud Foundry rather interesting product for developers of cloud applicaions.

Choice of applications

Developers of a cloud era need support of a reliable message exchange system, support of databases, so-called NoSQL together with relational DB. Cloud Foundry includes support of RabbitMQ as a message exchange system, MongoDB and Redis as NoSQL and MySQL used as a relational database. The list of the supported services grows and Cloud Foundry began to support PostgreSQL.

Deployment type selection

Cloud Foundry can be unrolled in a public cloud and even on notebooks using Micro Cloud Foundry. Micro Cloud Foundry is the version of Cloud Foundry intended for installation on PC or Mac virtual machines. It can be also unrolled in a private cloud within the company, or in a public cloud like Amazon Web Services. It does Cloud Foundry extremely flexible and the interesting platform.

Deployment of applications in Cloud Foundry

Developers can unroll applications using plug-ins of Spring Source Tool Suite (STS) or Command line Ruby Gem under the name VMC. A message exchange system, it is possible to tell is nervous system of Cloud Foundry. It is the central system of interaction which allows all components to communicate with each other.

Routers process all HTTP traffic going to applications. They select the URL addresses for applications and also executes uniform distribution of traffic between copies. Cloud controllers are the main components which execute configuration and placement of applications. They tie various services to applications. With their help REST API is displayed.

Health Manager (the manager of technical condition) controls a status of all working applications. In case of refusal applications, it informs on it cloud controllers.

DEA designates Droplet Execution Agent. Each element of executable code is represented as a droplet (droplet) in Cloud Foundry. This droplet abstracts the basic code and shows an element of patrimonial executable code.

The Cloud Foundry platform quickly gains popularity as open service Open PaaS. Many suppliers express the support of this cloud platform. Cloud Foundry will be able to create strong competition to other suppliers of PaaS services.

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