[SLS] For Information: [CESG] CSS Area statement on use of cloud computing resources for CCSDS prototyping

[Gian.Paolo.Calzolari at esa.int]

For your information.
Regards
Gian Paolo
----- Forwarded by Gian Paolo Calzolari/esoc/ESA on 06/03/2015 11:01 -----

From:   "Barkley, Erik J (3970)" <erik.j.barkley at jpl.nasa.gov>
To:     "Nestor.Peccia at esa.int" <Nestor.Peccia at esa.int>, 
Cc:     "CESG -- CCSDS-Engineering Steering Group 
\(cesg at mailman.ccsds.org\)      \(cesg at mailman.ccsds.org\)" 
<cesg at mailman.ccsds.org>
Date:   04/03/2015 21:32
Subject:        [CESG] CSS Area statement on use of cloud computing 
resources for CCSDS prototyping
Sent by:        cesg-bounces at mailman.ccsds.org



CESG Chair,
 
Below please find the CSS Area statement on cloud computing resources 
which has been discussed by the CCS WG chairs and co-chairs for those WGs 
in the area with a need for prototyping.
 
Best regards,
 
-Erik
 
 
CSS area statement with regard to question on cloud computing resources 
for interoperability prototyping:
 
Although not opposed to the use of cloud computing resources for 
interoperable prototyping and testing, there are questions and concerns 
that tend to call into question whether or not there are benefits. The 
questions and concerns are along the following lines:
 
1)      we may have extra work to do and or considerations that need 
addressing if a particular piece of software used in a prototype is not 
ready for a cloud type license. For example, the CSTS work relies on ASN.1 
compiler which as we understand it is licensed and bound to a particular 
CPU and not necessarily licensed for cloud computing usage. It seems 
likely that both NASA and ESA would likely have this type of concern based 
on the compiler vendors being used.  To the extent that cloud computing 
continues to grow and evolve this issue may lessen but in the immediate 
future is not clear that the CSTS prototype work could be moved directly 
to the cloud without further licensing negotiations.
2)      If prototyping includes not just functional testing but 
performance testing there could potentially other issues such as 
connecting an agencies resources to the cloud for real-time output; in 
this case use of cloud resources not represent testing vs a typical 
operational deployment.  However it does seem possible to do some 
performance testing for certain types of protocols (not involving the 
space link directly). 
3)      Our understanding is that agencies that are utilizing cloud 
computing resources may in fact have restrictions as to which cloud 
vendors they can and cannot work with. It's unclear as to whether or not a 
single cloud provider can work with all CCSDS member agencies or whether 
negotiations between cloud providers would in fact have to occur (driven 
by the member agencies). It seems possible that this could negate a 
potential cloud computing advantage relative to the ?traditional? approach 
of negotiating interoperability testing involving agency DMZ 
considerations as that problem potentially reemerges in negotiating 
between how secure various cloud vendors may or may not interact, etc.
4)      The general sense is that for CSS area prototype testing it tends 
to be point-to-point, one implementation communicating with another. There 
may be an advantage here in terms of not having to purchase  hardware but 
there is also a consideration that most of the agencies have a fair amount 
of hardware already in place. If it the case that prototype testing needs 
to scale for many different nodes in the prototype tested etc. then it 
likely a good fit for cloud computing.
5)      If there is a need for a long-running inter-agency test bed for 
several recommendations, it may make sense to do this in the cloud.
 
Bottom line: there does seem to be a potential advantage in being able to 
quickly procure computing resources as opposed to buying a particular 
hardware platform, etc. but there are also questions and concerns which 
suggest that this advantage is not necessarily immediately realizable.
 
Potential alternate approach: it seems like it may be in fact reasonable 
to consider the use of cloud computing resources to be at the discretion 
of the agency involved in doing a prototype interoperation rather than 
have CCSDS as a whole considering which cloud vendors etc. to utilize.
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