The Meta Cloud - Flying data centers enter fourth dimension • The Register

The Meta Cloud - Flying data centers enter fourth dimension

Or do they?

By Cade Metz in San Francisco • Get more from this author

Posted in Developer, 24th February 2009 01:51 GMT

Free whitepaper – Capacity management in virtual infrastructures

The Meta-Meta-Cloud

Tony Lucas has spent months calling for cloud open standards, and he now says that the several high-profile cloud operators are working closely to make them happen, hinting that some sort of announcement is imminent. But even with standards in place, you have to wonder if a meta-cloud makes sense.

Transfer costs will always be a problem. And then there's a larger conundrum.

When trumpeting the idea, Delve's Alex Castro and RightScale's Michael Crandell argue that the meta-cloud avoids "vendor lock-in" - market-speak for "putting all your eggs in one basket." But if you opt for RightScale's meta-cloud, aren't you then locked in to RightScale?

"I just don't see why you would want an extra level of abstraction," says Intel's Jason Waxman. "I don't see where it gets you."

To avoid meta-cloud lock-in, you could build a meta-meta-cloud. But then you're locked-in again. We could go on. But we won't.

The Meta Cloud is wonderful thought. But perhaps that's it. ®