14 DAY TRIAL // There has been a lot of talk about the 'cloud' lately and, though the term is largely misused and perhaps a little too hyped, there's definitely something to this new way of thinking about online applications and the infrastructure to serve them, the so-called cloud computing. Canonical, the company behind the very popular Ubuntu Linux distribution, recognizes the potential of the emerging market and has partnered with Intel and Eucalyptus to promote its Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud (UEC) offering as part of Intel's Cloud Builder program.
"The Intel Cloud Builder program is intended to develop some best practice information for businesses and institutions looking to take advantage of the promise of cloud computing," Nick Barcet, Ubuntu Server product manager, explained.
A couple of Ubuntu representatives traveled to an Intel facility, where, with help from Intel engineers and a couple of people from Eucalyptus Systems, maker of the eponymous open-source cloud-computing platform, they started working on a "proof of concept whitepaper on the use of Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud on Intel Xeon processors (Nehalem)."
The paper is now published and available from Intel. Barcet said that, "The results were good. We documented them and the whitepaper gives numerous code and scenario examples to help anyone new to cloud to get up to speed really quickly and the make the most of the capabilities of the Xeon processor in supporting an internal IaaS infrastructure."
Ubuntu Server Edition and Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud
Ubuntu has been focusing more on its server releases in the recent years looking to capitalize on the success of its general-purpose, desktop versions like Ubuntu, Kubuntu, and so on. Ubuntu Server Edition has been seeing some success and adoption, but, as expected in this market, progress has been rather slow.
But, now that Ubuntu Server Edition is becoming more known and recognized, Canonical is looking to take it to the next step with the Ubuntu Enterprise Cloud. With UEC, companies can deploy Ubuntu Server on several machines and then have them work together seamlessly. For companies, this approach means that they can take all of the advantages of deploying their own computing infrastructure while also enjoying the benefits of a 'cloud.' For Canonical, the server and enterprise market is very important, as support services for these clients fetch a much higher price and are in much higher demand. With the operating system being offered for free, this is one of the few ways and likely the best one for the company to generate revenue.
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