Latest News from James Carlini

Are Your Cloud Computing Platforms Obsolete?

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:45:00 EDT

Every cloud computing platform that is being sold today will be obsolete prematurely unless they can retrofit them with a single-source timing device. If cloud computing is going to be as pervasive tomorrow as some sales executives have hyped them, the need for a more sophisticated platform has to be fulfilled today. It’s not enough to tweak some components or put some functions like I/O on the chip. That will definitely help performance, but we are not looking at just shaving off some latency when it comes to financial and other mission-critical applications. Clocking needs to be totally synchronous and that means getting it from one source. The importance of cloud computing is being “amped up” because manufacturers have to have some battle cry to boost sales of servers as well as next-generation chips. Would you buy this year’s car model if they only had eight-track tape systems in them? Half of you probably don’t even know what an eight-track tape is. The short answer is “No.” You would wait until they made the car with the proper instrumentation.

Cloud Transactions: Timing as a Service (TaaS)

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 17:00:00 EDT

Many organizations are starting to look at cloud computing as a universal solution, but there are many applications that cannot be considered unless the framework of cloud computing includes Timing as a Service (TaaS) as part of its fabric. Mission-critical applications require security measures including encryption, monitoring, and redundancy/resiliency, but that is not enough. If cloud computing is going to spread to more mission critical-type applications, it needs to get more exact and accurate when it comes to transaction-based applications. Trying to keep everything in a structured framework is going to require a more rigorous network infrastructure that includes timing down to milliseconds, if not nanoseconds. Financial transactions that can already be generated by “robotic traders” are being sent across networks at a very rapid rate. When you have thousands upon thousands of transactions being generated in a few seconds, you need to be able to sort them out if something happens and you want to replicate (or re-construct) the event.

Cloud Computing: Understanding Infrastructure

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 15:30:00 EDT

Too many technology leaders and corporate executives like to jump on the bandwagon and use the latest phrases they have read in some business magazine to define their next endeavor in saving or expanding their enterprise. Without understanding anything beyond the key phrase or buzzword, they start to talk about how they are going to implement a new “strategic initiative,” like Cloud Computing, as their next big step in applying technology to their business without even understanding the critical underpinnings of the technology or the pros and cons of that investment.

Cloud Computing Procurement: As Easy as Remembering RFP

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:35:00 EST

When it comes to procurement, any technology or service should be evaluated with a good set of criteria. Executive decisions should not be weighted solely on a single selection criterion such as price. This applies to any cloud computing service as well. The twelve criteria listed below (see Chart 1) forces executives to take a broader review of the many elements of the total cloud computing service, and not just price. Each criteria starts with an R, F, or P which makes it easy to remember the total framework for the Yardstick for Technology Procurement (RFP).

Cloud Computing and Precision Time Protocol (PTP)

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:15:00 EST

If cloud computing is going to spread to more mission-critical type applications, it needs to get more accurate when it comes to transaction-based applications. Trying to keep everything in a structured framework is going to require a more rigorous network infrastructure that includes timing down to milliseconds, if not nanoseconds. One way to accomplish this is to use the IEEE 1588 protocol or “Precision Time Protocol” (PTP), which provides timing. In an earlier article entitled, “Cloud Transaction Synchronicity”, I discussed the need for this type of capability if financial organizations are to look at cloud computing as a real solution for any transactions-based services.

Cloud Computing Connectors: Beware of Counterfeits

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:00:00 EST

If you are a corporate executive contemplating adding some applications in a cloud computing network, be very aware of the vendors as well as your own internal system architects and Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) when they start talking about cost-effective networks, cheaper components and saving you money. What many network pseudo-experts don’t know is that you don’t build cheap networks. There are no “Fire Sales” on quality, especially when it comes to network infrastructures. Like anything else, you get what you pay for when it comes to buying the pieces for your network just like when you buy the parts for your car or materials for your house. There is a growing concern from those in the cabling industry regarding counterfeit and non-compliant components being brought into the country.

Cloud Computing: Beyond Best Practices

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST

“How resilient are the cloud computing solutions being sold today?” This appears to be a question not asked often enough by those who are immediately lured by the hyped positives of the concept before there is enough data to substantiate the claims made by the vendors as well as the documentation of failures of applications. One concept that I have preached and that has held true for decades is “leading-edge organizations do not maintain their position with trailing-edge technologies.” The need to constantly evaluate, assess, select and apply new technology-driven capabilities is a continual process. This holds true for cloud computing and our competitive global markets today. That being said, according to experiences of executive reviews of procurement of Information Technology products and services, which include cloud computing, universal solutions are never universal. There are applications that work and applications that simply cannot be melded into the hyped “one-size-fits-all” solution for organizations that many vendors seem to sell.

Cloud Transaction Synchronicity

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:15:00 EST

High-Frequency Trading (HFT) and secret algorithms have become the new competitive strategy in today’s global financial industry. The faster traders can turn around trades, the faster they can get in and out of quick markets and short time pockets of opportunity. Having accurate records of when a transaction occurs is critical as to processing the trade and valuating the transaction. There are many articles and white papers discussing cloud computing and shared services. New services that are being touted are things like SaaS (Software as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), and IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). What is missing is the ability to sync up transactions coming from various outbound originations. What is necessary is the ability to provide Timing as a Service (TaaS).

The Five Rules of Cloud Computing Litigation

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:59:00 EST

“Cloud computing is the major approach that most organizations should be adapting for their applications in this new era of mobile computing.” You have all read the ads and the articles that hype it, along with all the overnight experts that tout how they know that Cloud Computing is the universal solution for today’s and tomorrow’s organizations. Now, let’s get back on the ground and understand what some of the real potholes and obstacles are on the road to a more efficient and effective IT infrastructure. There are many “experts” out there touting all the positive aspects to Cloud Computing but like anything else, there are issues and concerns to address.