DECIDE - Making Multi-Cloud Solutions Practical II

As more and more application solutions are being developed to take advantage of the flexibility and scalability offered by Multi-Cloud environments, the deployment and operational challenges faced by both Cloud Service users and Cloud Service Providers have increased in significance. The DECIDE project was conceived to both support users in designing, deploying and operating their choice of applications as well as enabling CSPs to enhance their offer and simplify the onboarding process.

The DECIDE project is using three diverse model use cases to demonstrate how it can provide a ‘one- stop’ solution to users whose business model requires deployment utilising differing potential Multi–Cloud suppliers from the private sector. It takes careful account of the diverse range of large International Corporations, including internationally recognised entities such as Amazon (AWS), worldwide Cloud Service- Providers (CSPSs) in Arsys and niche SME CSPs in AIMES, all of which offer individual Cloud Solutions. The three use cases have been selected to represent and illustrate the generic solutions to the common challenges in the markets.

DECIDE defines Multi-Cloud as an encompassing concept with a number of approaches including, but not limited to

  1. The utilisation of one or more Cloud Service Providers
  2. The utilisation of one or more Cloud technologies
  3. An application which has one or more components, served by different Clouds

With the objective of creating ‘win-win’ solution, DECIDE project partners are utilising the requirements of the use cases to inform the development of an effective, coherent, toolset which empowers clients to identify and effectively utilise Multi-Cloud solution providers to meet their business needs. However, it is also intended to enable CSPs to collaborate to deliver efficient, scalable and cost competitive services, regardless of whether co-located or across the EU and, potentially, beyond.

Progress on the development of both use cases owners and technology providers is on target and initial testing of the utility of individual elements of the toolset is about to commence, with each use case selecting the most relevant tool for their purposes. Use cases are in the medical, financial and commercial sectors and, having their own, regulation dictated, stringent requirements, will provide early ‘fail fast’ indicators on the initial versions of the selection, architecture, deployment and monitoring tools.

2018 has started at a swift pace and DECIDE looks set to deliver some exciting early insights in the second half of the year.