I've been in cloud computing since the very start, and I'm here to help you on your journey to understand the cloud. Consider me your tour guide. I'll be with you every step of the way, but not in a creepy way. This is a short book on purpose. I don't want to overwhelm you with technical detail. I go slow and easy, so you can build up an intuition about what cloud computing really is, one idea at a time. When you finish reading, you'll understand cloud computing. When you hear some...

A solid introduction to the practices, plans, and skills required for developing a smart system architectureInformation architecture combines IT skills with business skills in order to align the IT structure of an organization with the mission, goals, and objectives of its business. This friendly introduction to IT architecture walks you through the myriad issues and complex decisions that many organizations face when setting up IT systems to work in sync with busi...

An expert guide to selecting the right cloud service model for your businessCloud computing is all the rage, allowing for the delivery of computing and storage capacity to a diverse community of end-recipients. However, before you can decide on a cloud model, you need to determine what the ideal cloud service model is for your business. Helping you cut through all the haze, Architecting the Cloud is vendor neutral and guides you in making one of the most c...

Up until now, no one has attempted to lay out the entire blueprint for architecting a complete IT service management supporting infrastructureuntil this book. What are the supporting toolsets and technologies that need to support an IT service management infrastructure? What databases need to be put into place? What are all the IT service management roles and responsibilities to effectively operate this infrastructure? What kinds of IT support services does almost any IT organization deliv...

What services does the IT organization really deliver? Rather than discuss the theory around what a service catalog or service portfolio is, this book gives you the actual IT service descriptions for running, operating, and managing an entire IT infrastructure. Its all herecomplete service descriptions, catalog and portfolio templates, service implementation plans, service governance processes, and much more all packed into this one handbook! Just about every IT support service is describe...

You may regard cloud computing as an ideal way for your company to control IT costs, but do you know how private and secure this service really is? Not many people do. With Cloud Security and Privacy, you'll learn what's at stake when you trust your data to the cloud, and what you can do to keep your virtual infrastructure and web applications secure.Ideal for IT staffers, information security and privacy practitioners, business managers, service providers, and investors a...

The book is designed so that it can be used by either an existing Change Management Manager who wants to improve the way changes are introduced to their environment or by an organization that is planning to introduce a formal Change Management Process within the information technology group or any other business group.The book provides the following:A framework that allows for the initial creation of a Request for Change (RFC) and all the steps required for a successful imp...

Cloud isn't simply a marketing term. It's not technology or hype either. Cloud is a new way to look at how organizations operate. From finance to marketing, from operations to IT, using cloud methodology can help make your organization more nimble, streamlined, innovative and more profitable while better enabling your employees to work more effectively and less restrained by your current IT systems.Unfortunately such a great leap in innovation comes with a steep learning curve. So ...

Turning good ideas into marketable software quickly is now a business imperative for every enterprise. Delivering software features faster and with high quality is the first critical step. The subsequent step is to rapidly collect feedback from users to guide the next set of ideas for further improvements. Critical software development objectives such as these set the stage for The IT Manager’s Guide to Continuous Delivery: Delivering Software in Days, Instead of Months. The book champions...

The Only Complete Technical Primer for MDM Planners, Architects, and ImplementersCompanies moving toward flexible SOA architectures often face difficult information management and integration challenges. The master data they rely on is often stored and managed in ways that are redundant, inconsistent, inaccessible, non-standardized, and poorly governed. Using Master Data Management (MDM), organizations can regain control of their master data, improve corresponding ...

Why does poor software quality continue to plague enterprises of all sizes in all industries? Part of the problem lies with the process, rather than individual developers. This practical guide provides ten best practices to help team leaders create an effective working environment through key adjustments to their process.As a follow-up to their popular book, Building Maintainable Software, consultants with the Software Improvement Group (SIG) offer critical lessons based o...

Massive, disruptive change is coming to IT as software as a service (SaaS), SOA, mashups, Web 2.0, and cloud computing truly come of age. Now, one of the world’s leading IT innovators explains what it all means—coherently, thoroughly, and authoritatively.Writing for IT executives, architects, and developers alike, world-renowned expert David S. Linthicum explains why the days of managing IT organizations as private fortresses will rapidly disappear as IT inevitably becomes a global...