The Deployment Gap: Agile Becomes Fragile
DEV
QA
PACKAGE
COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE
REQUEST, NEGOTIATE,
PROVISION, CONFIGURE,
TUNE, CERTIFY, SCHEDULE
UPDATES, ETC.
CONSUME
MONITOR
MANAGE
PRODUCTION
APPLICATIONS
CUSTOM APPLICATION
REPEAT WITH EACH RELEASE
WEEKS, MONTHS, YEARS OF
DELAYED APPLICATION VALUE
=
MISSED REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES,
INCREASED COST AND RISK
The rPath Approach

rPath helps Enterprises and ISVs automate the creation, deployment,
management and maintenance of application images that are ready to
deploy to any traditional, virtualized or cloud-based environment
– Enterprises use rPath to reduce the cost and complexity of
deploying and maintaining enterprise applications
– ISVs use rPath to produce “virtual appliances” that are
sold to end users as complete solutions that run out-ofthe-box
Today’s Tension between Speed & Control
OPS
 Zero visibility
 Zero control
 Unquantifiable risk
[SPEED]
H
OPS
 Defined standards
 Scalable change mgmt
 Managed risk
APPS
APPS
 Streamlined deployment
 Managed innovation
 Self-service scalability
 Rapid deployment
 Rapid innovation
 Self-service scalability
H
L
OPS
 Enforce standards
 Control changes
 Minimize risks
APPS
L
 Slow deployment
 Slow innovation
 Endless request for variance
[CONTROL]
Understanding Cloud
Alternatives
Internal
+
—
External
Hybrid
- High control
- Potentially lower
TCO over time
- Low barriers to
usage and startup costs
- “Arbitrage”
- “Cloud bursting”
- High start-up
costs
- Longer time to
value
- Some security
and uptime
concerns
- Potentially higher
TCO over time
- Switching costs
unless apps are
multi-platform
Leveraging the Cloud to Reduce
Capital Costs
Virtualizing applications makes it easy to deploy
application workloads to cloud services such
as Amazon EC2
Portability Enables Flexible Cloud
Deployments
One more small step enables the use of multiple
external providers to get the best service and
price
The Cloud Computing Adoption Model
Level 5 Hyper- Achieve dynamic sharing of application workload, capacity
arbitrage and self-service application provisioning
cloud
Level 4
Level 3
Level 2
Level 1
Cloud Exploitation
Cloud Foundations
Cloud Experimentation
Virtualization
Select cloud environment and begin broad-based
deployments; manual provisioning and load balancing
Lay foundation for scalable application
architecture
Experiment in Amazon EC2; define
reference architecture
Virtualize infrastructure
and applications
Level 1: Virtualization
Goal: Virtualize infrastructure and applications
Readiness Criteria
• Recognized
need to deliver
applications
more rapidly
• Want to reduce
IT operating
costs and capital
expenditure
Actions/Investments
Metrics/Returns
Risk Factors
• Select build/
lifecycle system
for virtual
applications
• Improved
server capacity
utilization
• Duplications of
effort and VM
sprawl
• Improved
agility, time to
market for new
apps
• VM quality,
consistency and
control issues
• Select
hypervisor
• Platform “lock-in”
Level 2: Cloud Experimentation
Goal: Experiment in Amazon EC2; define reference architecture
Readiness Criteria
Actions/Investments
Metrics/Returns
• IT operational
bottlenecks
and chargebacks
constraining
application
value
• Identify and
deploy select
applications
• Reference
architecture
experience
• Define reference
architecture for
apps and ops
• Baseline
metrics and
anecdotal
returns for
momentum
building
• Educate
stakeholders and
seek sponsorship
Risk Factors
• Fear can kill
projects
• Lack of
business case
or sponsorship
can stall
projects
Level 3: Cloud Foundations
Goal: Lay foundation for scalable application architecture
Readiness Criteria
• Documented
roles, processes,
reference
architecture and
business case
• Definition of
scalable
apps/ops
architecture
Metrics/Returns
Risk Factors
• Deploy build
and lifecycle
management
platform
• Significant
impacts in time
to market for
new apps
• Lack of
codified policies
and practices
can derail
deployments
• Work with
ops and
architecture to
define and
codify release
policies and
practices
• Reductions in
LOB chargebacks
Actions/Investments
• Reduction in
cap ex for IT
operations
• Lack of
maintenance
automation can
lead to
escalating
support
burdens
• Capacity
hoarding
Level 4: Cloud Exploitation
Goal: Select cloud environment and begin broad-based deployments
Readiness Criteria
Actions/Investments
• Established
governance
processes and
policies for VM
development,
deployment
and mgmt
• Actively
solicit apps for
cloud
deployment
• Experience in
production
application
deployment
using this
model
• Build crossfunctional and
management
support by
documenting
ROI
• Merchandise
successes
Metrics/Returns
• Material
reductions in
cap ex
• Material
impact on
business
responsiveness/
agility
• Impact on LOB
profitability
through chargeback reductions
Risk Factors
• As volume
scales, lack of
governance
foundation
derail projects
• Cloud lock-in
Level 5: Cloud Actualization – “Hypercloud”
Goal: Achieve dynamic sharing of application workload, capacity arbitrage and
self-service application provisioning
Readiness Criteria
• Experience
delivering
production
scale cloud
applications
• Management
buy-in
• Significant
organizational
change
Actions/Investments
• Dynamic
provisioning
tools
• Multiple
clouds, internal
and/or external
• Organizational
realignments
Metrics/Returns
• Transformational
impact on cap ex
and op ex
• Material impact
on LOB
profitability
Risk Factors
• Technology
readiness
• Organizational
resistance