Editor of the Cloud Computing Journal and the first-named Java Champion in the UK, Alan Williamson shares his views on the cloud with Sun staff writer Janice J. Heiss in an interview entitled Seeding Cloud Computing: A Conversation with Java Champion Alan Williamson.

Running against the grain of the prevailing optimism about cloud computing, Williamson told Heiss in response to a question about potential problems with the cloud, he said, "Overexpectations and underdelivery. People are being sold the idea that the cloud will solve all their problems. It won't -- it merely moves the problem to another domain."

Yet another comment of Williamson's demonstrates his reserved view of the possibilities inherent in cloud computing. "... cloud computing as a complete end-to-end stack hasn't really offered anything new -- it's merely a collective term for outsourcing all types of resources. We can now look upon all our computing needs, including CPU time, as buy-on-demand resources that historically have not been so readily available," he conceded, adding that he expects 2009 to be the year when users move beyond the early adopters phase of cloud computing and develop a recognition of the cloud's potential that leads to a wider level of adoption.

And, contrary to the expectations of Illuminata Analyst Gordon Haff, Williamson sees the cloud as providing opportunities for open source rather than the liabilities that Haff predicts. Still, he advises against relying on a single basket for one's eggs. The same assumptions that govern writing hard-coded configurations within an application won't play in the cloud, he said.

Williamson sees no problem in the requirement to monitor the cloud and any applications in it, contending that Java Management Extensions (JMX) provides exactly the tool for the job. Some of the readers of Heiss's interview take issue with this point in their comments, however.

Ultimately, it will be the users who decide the prevailing technologies in the cloud, whether they be proprietary or open source, Williamson said.

He makes another interesting point in his remark that, "I wouldn't necessarily say that cloud computing makes it easier for developers. Cloud providers merely remove the need to worry about physical hardware, and instead of waiting days for a new server to be available, it's up and running in minutes. But that's where they stop. You still have to manage the process of loading, distributing, backup, and so on."

This point is consistent with his concluding comment on cloud computing, which is that, "I think people have to understand that the ultimate responsibility still lies with them. Just because you've outsourced your resources to the cloud, it's down to you to manage the worst scenarios.

"Some people are probably putting a little too much faith in the cloud space, which will at some point leave a bitter taste, should something go wrong, that may discourage them from using it further," he cautions.

More Information

Sun Microsystems Unveils Open Cloud Platform

A Guide to Getting Started with Cloud Computing (Access requires login or registration.)

Java Management Extensions (JMX) [...read more...]

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