Virtustream claims the first secure hybrid cloud

A common issue raised when the subject of hybrid clouds is discussed is security, and in particular the security of the public cloud component of any service. Because it is public it is, ipso facto, decidedly flakey.

While there will be scope to doubt the security capabilities of a public cloud service much will, in practice, depend on the service provider and the tools they offer to protect customers and their clouds. This is exactly what Virtustream is aiming at with its latest offering, which it claims is an industry first.

This is xStreamVersion 2.2, a secure hybrid cloud solution that delivers the security, efficiency and control required for production and mission-critical applications. The company hasundertaken the development in response to what it says has been strong demand from enterprise CIOs, government IT leaders and service provider CTOs.

“We are extremely excited to continue leading the industry in the evolution of the Enterprise Class Cloud”

xStream 2.2 is the latest releaser of the company’s cloud management software, and now supports private, public and hybrid cloud deployments. It can support mission-critical and production applications including databases, ERP and custom enterprise applications, and builds on the company’s existing IaaS cloud. It delivers a common cloud management solution that can run on-premise and/or at leading cloud service providers around the world which, the company claims,  removes the barriers that have limited hybrid cloud deployments in the past, including incompatibility, a lack of security/compliance and limited performance SLAs.

Virtustream is keen to point to the many attempts other companies have made at offering hybrid clouds. It suggests that most have failed, due to a variety of technical complexities. Some have been unable to deliver a complete solution due to API incompatibilities or lack of consistent support, while others have tried to package incompatible public and private solutions under the same brand. They have also delivered solutions that failed to properly support or migrate a full range of applications, including mission-critical applications like SAP, the company claims.

“This xStream update meets our customers’ needs for better security and operational capabilities, which are required in order for their cloud projects to be successful,” said Shaw Chuang, executive vice president of engineering at Virtustream. “With xStream 2.2, we are delivering an operational platform that will accelerate their ability to deploy and operate hybrid cloud environments in ways that will make their business more competitive.”

xStream 2.2 cloud management is available for existing datacentres or private cloud deployments, as an IaaS service from Virtustream, or via xStream-powered cloud service providers around the world. This allows customers to deploy cloud computing services at a pace that fits their business needs, and decide where applications should run most efficiently in which clouds.

Managing multiple datacentres or a hybrid cloud needs to be consistent and flexible, and xStream 2.2 allows IT administrators to manage cloud resources, in an xStream powered private or public cloud, through a single, secure portal. This means that resource allocations, resource usage, security policies, role-based access and monitoring of all resources can be done without ever having to leave the xStream cloud management platform.

It integrates policy and risk management with Intel's TXT (Trusted Execution Technology) framework, enabling trusted resource pools that comply with the NIST 7904 Geolocationframework. This capability allows resources to be tagged and monitored for geolocation, ensuring that operational changes don't move computing resources or associated data into a non-compliant environment in another datacentre, city, region or country. xStream also extends security controls for resource pooling across public and private Cloud environments. Integrated policy ensures that workloads are secure and always running in the right location.

It uses Virtustream's integrated xGRC solution to simplify how workloads and customer environments are continuously audited and reported for compliance. Built around threat management technology and pre-built compliance templates, this supports major national and industry regulatory frameworks.

Configurable service offerings, tailored to specific company requirements are provided for end user self-service, and xStream has integrated approval workflow, allowing resource requests to be approved and managed against budgets. It also enables IT organisations to consume or deliver cloud resources on demand but only pay for the consumption of resources used. This creates a framework for internal chargeback that can be consistently applied to either private cloud or public cloud usage models.

It also features embedded micro-VM technology to allow IT organisations to work with assured application-level SLAs. This ensures that even the most demanding mission-critical applications deliver consistent performance levels.