- How Things Got Off Track
- SOA to the Rescue?
- What the Heck Is SOA, and Why Should I Care?
- SOA Meets Cloud Computing
- Defining Cloud Computing
- The Components of Cloud Computing
- The Dream Team of Cloud Computing and SOA
- What SOA Can Learn from Cloud Computing
- What Cloud Computing Can Learn from SOA
- Making the Leap
- Being Positively Disruptive
Making the Leap
If you purchased this book, clearly we do not have to sell you much on making the leap to the clouds. The trick is to make sure you leap in the right direction. There are a few things to remember before you embark on the journey of extending your enterprise architecture to the cloud and to keep in mind as you read this book.
First, the switch to cloud computing is not about a quick fix; it is about moving your IT architecture incrementally forward, leveraging approaches around SOA and cloud computing resources when they make sense. Those who want to drive to changes in IT quickly and tactically will find useful information here, but a bit of architectural planning is strongly recommended. So, get excited, but stay on topic.
Second, look at the people and process issues within your enterprise at the same time you look at the technology. Many technologists miss this part and end up doing a very good job of driving toward a new architecture, but if nobody accepts it or pays for it, it is all for naught. Those who are successful with any systemic architecture change take into consideration the people and cultural issues.
Third, make sure to define the business case. We believe so strongly in defining the business case that we devote Chapter 4 to this topic. IT professionals need to get in the habit of working from the business to the architecture and then to the technology. All changes to the existing information systems should be justified as a clear business case, and the IT team should have to sell this change to the stakeholders and sponsors within the organization. If the change does not ultimately bring value to the bottom line, it should not be done.
Finally, do not get caught up in the hype—at least not too caught up. It is not productive when conversations around SOA and cloud computing degrade into debates around technology or standards before the problem is even clearly understood. We love to do that because we love technology.