Cloud Governance: an Overview
IT governance is necessary and difficult. Cloud computing (in the form of public, private as well as hybrid clouds) makes it even more so. It introduces an additional layer of complexity that enterprises need to control in order to make the most of its benefits (including lower cost and on-demand flexibility). However, cloud governance best practices as well as underlying tools are in their infancy, which makes it difficult to strengthen current ALM and SOA governance efforts in areas such as cloud-centric applications and application programming interface (API) management.
SUMMARY
Impact
Ovum view
Key messages
CLOUD GOVERNANCE BUILDS ON IT GOVERNANCE
An IT governance driver, among others
Similar to other disruptive trends
Impacts all three IT domains
A shared and service-centric IT driver, among others
Drives increased resource sharing
Drives service-centric IT
An IT governance federation member, among others
IT governance federates a variety of governance efforts
Cloud computing governance must be woven into all IT governance’s federation efforts
Cloud computing governance federation expands IT governance federation
Like IT governance, cloud governance needs to identify the right objective(s)
Cloud governance should focus on enabling flexibility
Private cloud governance should focus on ease of controlled internal procurement
Public cloud governance should focus on getting rid of the ‘shadow’ IT
CLOUD GOVERNANCE RELIES ON THE SAME INGREDIENTS AS IT GOVERNANCE
Three Ps of governance
People are the main ingredients of cloud governance
Cloud governance requires a center of excellence
Cloud governance is about relationship management
Cloud governance is about empowerment, not just control
Public cloud governance is about managing IT department evolution
Private cloud governance is about enabling private clouds to keep up with public ones
Policies, plans, performance monitoring and processes are the backbone of cloud governance
Policies define the compliance context
Plans define the governance roadmap
Performance monitoring enables governance efforts to adapt
Process automation delivers consistency and enforcement
Cloud governance relies on a paraphernalia of systems, tools and technologies
Foundation for, and managed by, cloud governance
The self-service portal is the core cloud governance system
CLOUD GOVERNANCE, LIKE IT GOVERNANCE, IS A WORK IN PROGRESS
Governance efforts need to improve
Too reactive, technology-centric and piecemeal
Integration standards are a challenge
Best-practice frameworks are missing for cloud
IT governance benefits from best practice frameworks; cloud governance doesn’t
Enterprises are struggling to keep up with best-practice frameworks; cloud computing could help
ALM GOVERNANCE NEEDS TO EXPAND TO THE CLOUD
ALM has migrated to the clouds
ALM is hybrid: it spans public and/or private clouds
Public clouds provide developers with a variety of options
ALM is for – as well as in – the public cloud
ALM in the cloud is a mixed bag
ALM and cloud governance should be woven together
ALM governance should facilitate ALM for and in the public cloud
ALM governance in the cloud is likely to start with tests
ALM governance in the cloud should start small but think big
ALM governance in the cloud is about risk management
ALM governance in the cloud can help weave ALM and ITSM governance together
ALM is expanding slowly to ITSM
Public clouds provides an opportunity to speed up the pace
ALM governance in the cloud must live up to the challenge of cloud-centric applications
Adapting to IaaS and PaaS constraints
Moving out of IT’s comfort zone
Developing the right SaaS applications
ALM governance for hybrid applications
CLOUD GOVERNANCE BUILDS ON SOA GOVERNANCE
Cloud computing is SOA-centric
Same architecture-centric approach and design principles
Present at both SOI and SOA level
Cloud governance helps SOA governance
Cloud governance strengthens the need for SOA governance
Cloud computing governance helps SOA transitions
The SOA governance paraphernalia has yet to move to the cloud
Interfaces are the link between SOA and cloud
APIs to services are at least as important to SOAs as SOA services
APIs are the keys to the cloud computing kingdom
APIs are important to both service providers and consumers
RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendations for enterprises
Cloud computing requires governance
Slowly does it, as part of a wider IT federation governance effort
Towards an increasingly shared and service-centric IT
Cloud governance is in its infancy
Expand ALM and SOA governance to the cloud
Recommendations for suppliers
Help users’ governance efforts
Boost best practice, tools and integration
Weave cloud governance into your ALM and SOA governance tools
Collaboration and testing are the cloud ALM sweet spots
API management is the cloud SOA new frontier
APPENDIX
Further reading
Impact
Ovum view
Key messages
CLOUD GOVERNANCE BUILDS ON IT GOVERNANCE
An IT governance driver, among others
Similar to other disruptive trends
Impacts all three IT domains
A shared and service-centric IT driver, among others
Drives increased resource sharing
Drives service-centric IT
An IT governance federation member, among others
IT governance federates a variety of governance efforts
Cloud computing governance must be woven into all IT governance’s federation efforts
Cloud computing governance federation expands IT governance federation
Like IT governance, cloud governance needs to identify the right objective(s)
Cloud governance should focus on enabling flexibility
Private cloud governance should focus on ease of controlled internal procurement
Public cloud governance should focus on getting rid of the ‘shadow’ IT
CLOUD GOVERNANCE RELIES ON THE SAME INGREDIENTS AS IT GOVERNANCE
Three Ps of governance
People are the main ingredients of cloud governance
Cloud governance requires a center of excellence
Cloud governance is about relationship management
Cloud governance is about empowerment, not just control
Public cloud governance is about managing IT department evolution
Private cloud governance is about enabling private clouds to keep up with public ones
Policies, plans, performance monitoring and processes are the backbone of cloud governance
Policies define the compliance context
Plans define the governance roadmap
Performance monitoring enables governance efforts to adapt
Process automation delivers consistency and enforcement
Cloud governance relies on a paraphernalia of systems, tools and technologies
Foundation for, and managed by, cloud governance
The self-service portal is the core cloud governance system
CLOUD GOVERNANCE, LIKE IT GOVERNANCE, IS A WORK IN PROGRESS
Governance efforts need to improve
Too reactive, technology-centric and piecemeal
Integration standards are a challenge
Best-practice frameworks are missing for cloud
IT governance benefits from best practice frameworks; cloud governance doesn’t
Enterprises are struggling to keep up with best-practice frameworks; cloud computing could help
ALM GOVERNANCE NEEDS TO EXPAND TO THE CLOUD
ALM has migrated to the clouds
ALM is hybrid: it spans public and/or private clouds
Public clouds provide developers with a variety of options
ALM is for – as well as in – the public cloud
ALM in the cloud is a mixed bag
ALM and cloud governance should be woven together
ALM governance should facilitate ALM for and in the public cloud
ALM governance in the cloud is likely to start with tests
ALM governance in the cloud should start small but think big
ALM governance in the cloud is about risk management
ALM governance in the cloud can help weave ALM and ITSM governance together
ALM is expanding slowly to ITSM
Public clouds provides an opportunity to speed up the pace
ALM governance in the cloud must live up to the challenge of cloud-centric applications
Adapting to IaaS and PaaS constraints
Moving out of IT’s comfort zone
Developing the right SaaS applications
ALM governance for hybrid applications
CLOUD GOVERNANCE BUILDS ON SOA GOVERNANCE
Cloud computing is SOA-centric
Same architecture-centric approach and design principles
Present at both SOI and SOA level
Cloud governance helps SOA governance
Cloud governance strengthens the need for SOA governance
Cloud computing governance helps SOA transitions
The SOA governance paraphernalia has yet to move to the cloud
Interfaces are the link between SOA and cloud
APIs to services are at least as important to SOAs as SOA services
APIs are the keys to the cloud computing kingdom
APIs are important to both service providers and consumers
RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendations for enterprises
Cloud computing requires governance
Slowly does it, as part of a wider IT federation governance effort
Towards an increasingly shared and service-centric IT
Cloud governance is in its infancy
Expand ALM and SOA governance to the cloud
Recommendations for suppliers
Help users’ governance efforts
Boost best practice, tools and integration
Weave cloud governance into your ALM and SOA governance tools
Collaboration and testing are the cloud ALM sweet spots
API management is the cloud SOA new frontier
APPENDIX
Further reading
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: IT governance federates a variety of governance efforts
Figure 2: IT governance underpins IT assets lifecycle management
Figure 3: The Ps of governance
Figure 4: Strategic and tactical governance
Figure 5: IT governance connects strategy with projects
Figure 1: IT governance federates a variety of governance efforts
Figure 2: IT governance underpins IT assets lifecycle management
Figure 3: The Ps of governance
Figure 4: Strategic and tactical governance
Figure 5: IT governance connects strategy with projects
