Things I'm hoping to hear in tomorrow's AWS Cloud Event

AWS is making big noise about tomorrow's "AWS Cloud Event" webcast. They are marketing it as "Find out what's next in the AWS Cloud". So marketing and hype aside, here's a short list of things I'd like to hear them announcing:

• Rails/.Net/Python BeanStalk containers




• They need to if they want to compete against Google App Engine and other PaaS providers




• Multi-Region services




• So far all their services are region-specific, which has its advantages but it also adds lots of complexity to the resource management code, so, for example, it would be nice if they allowed to have a VPC span two or more regions while each of the subnets remain region and AZ specific




• Ability to launch RDS instances inside a VPC




• RDS sounds like a promising service to use, but the inability to launch instances inside a VPC makes it a deal breaker for many




• MS SQL Server as an option for RDS




• Again, RDS sound like promising server but there are many applications and customers who work on a SQL Server backend DB. Having this option would add a strong selling point to RDS




• Region-to-region direct connection




• Even if they don't announce any multi-region service support, having region-to-region (with no internet hops) fat pipe would be huge. It would make Disaster Recovery replication and redundancy much simpler and faster

 

While AWS currently has a dominant position in the "Cloud Computing" arena (and much deserved, btw) , the above suggested features would make it even more of a no-brainer for developers to use and for managers to appreciate.

 

A Humble Proposal to the Tech Industry (and its Buzzwordsmiths)

The Tech world, apparently, thrives on buzzwords and cliches. The one buzzword  that's been pervading all conversations and most articles is "Cloud".  "Cloud" is a particularly hazardous one because it's both blurry and nebulous (both puns intended). Unlike many other buzzwords, "Cloud" has many different meanings to different people (and not in a good way). Marketing folks sure LOVE this one because it's so metaphoric and evocative yet intrinsically meaningless, but what about your product and project managers? Your non-technical directors?   Your developers?  Your Operations personnel? How do they define and understand the word "Cloud" (in the technical context)? Do they see it a Holy Grail or panacea? Do they see it as a "nice to have, but not required"?  As a threat to their jobs? It is precisely why this buzzword can be and is dangerous.

So, my humble proposal is to get rid of it, in as much as possible, from our technical vocabulary. Instead, I humbly suggest, you use words or phrases like Utility-Priced Scalable Computing (UPSC)? Or more simply Scalable Virtual Computing (SVC)? How about the existing phrases like IaaS or SaaS or PaaS (wherever appropriate) ? Or use phrases or words that have a very specific, to-the-point meaning. Everyone in your organization, your customers, associates, etc. should unequivocally understand the same terminology. The less ambiguity in buzzword semantics, the better decisions can be made, better conversations can be had and, ultimately, the simpler it'll become to think, talk and do something about it.