DoD IT experts open up about cloud deployment

Cloud computing is getting a lot of attention from federal agencies lately, but how does one go about deciding to actually move to the cloud?

On this month's Federal Executive Forum, host Jim Flyzik spoke with three IT experts working for the Defense Department.

Henry Sienkiewcz is the technical program director of computer services at the Defense Information Systems Agency.

Mike Krieger is deputy chief information officer of the U.S. Army.

And Robert Carey, chief information officer of the U.S. Navy.

Each talked about cloud computing and gave insights into unclassified concerns.

Sienkiewcz talked about how DISA is helping other DoD entities.

"DISA is providing these services from a bit of a unique position. We're the provider of the services. We're the provider of the private cloud offerings, so we are supporting a large number of applications for the DoD as an enterprise. What we're trying to do is help our users -- the warfighter community -- figure out what applications they need to on-ramp into the cloud. So, as opposed to figuring out what agency applications we're trying to bring in, we're trying to help our users decide what applications have to be brought in."

He added that there are a number of things to keep in mind in terms of components as one migrates into the cloud.

"First of all, can the applications run in a paralyzed environment? It's a little bit of a different approach to the technology. Are they suitable for running in a virtualized environment? There are organizations . . . [thinking about] how they're trying to ensure that their applications are baked in with virtualization technologies at the onset. Are they written for mulit-tenant? That aspect of the cloud is completely and totally integral to that delivery of these cloud offerings. When you look at commercial security applications, some of them don't have that level of security inside the application to be able to deliver it in a DoD security-centric approach."

Krieger explained where the Army is right now when it comes to using the cloud to help with the Base Realignment and Closure transition.

"We're in a good partnership with DISA now to support this hosting for BRAC. . . . Probably the hardest one up front is -- we've been very decentralized in the Army, and so our resources are very decentralized. The resources are somewhat artificial, because a lot of people that are paying folks to host applications with OMA dollars, it hasn't been a fully burdened cost. On many garrisons, the garrison commander pays the electric bill . . . and so we've been able to provide hosting for folks at a very small cost because we didn't have to pay for all that; whereas, on the industry side, where most of the efficencies are is to be more efficient in power. . . . So, as we ask folks in this BRAC move to move this application that you're paying X dollars for and move it to the cloud, we end up having this big resource discussion because it's not a fair comparison."

Thus, the U.S. Army is having to work through the polarity of paying for enterprise-level services off the top line, versus the more decentralized negotiating that occurs at the post level. That, however, isn't the only concern.

"What's the customer experience going to be? Does the customer have enough bandwidth at their post camp and station, or redundant communications, to realize the economies of hosting it on the cloud?"

Krieger added that the Army is currently also exploring what is called the 'tactical cloud', "What does a tactical cloud look like? . . . There's opportunities on the tactical side, but there are different constraints on the tactical side."

The Army currently has about 85 percent completeness with DISA on Service Level Agreements about sharing applications in the cloud.

Navy CIO Carey said there has always been a consistent message throughout the military, though different factors apply today, especially when it comes to cloud computing.

"In my world, I'm concerned about the data, it's security. Remember, public clouds are not necessarily appropriate for Army or Navy information to be just sitting out there; therefore, the models that you would use to describe the security of that information might have to and probably have to change a great deal."

He explained that knowing as much as possible about the application life cycle is of utmost importance.

"When you decide that cloud is appropriate, and you want to decide which apps and which data you're going to now put in the cloud -- where is that app and where is that data in its lifecycle? Have you thought through where you are with this thing? Are you at the tail end of its life? Is it suitable to be consumed by something else to be moved to a Web service? Yes or no? If the answer is yes, then you might get a green light to go move further. If it's just come through a development cycle -- we've just deployed the app -- you might think another way would be appropriate."

Carey said there is a great deal of information out there concerning public and private clouds and it is essential to understand the difference in order to take advantage of the DoD cloud.

"Does it make sense? There's got to be a cost benefit. As we're illuminating what resources are being spent to provide computing services to the warfighter, we find that it's not the same business case that Booz might have or EMC might have, so that applies to what moves in [to the cloud]."

He added that not everyone in DoD is moving to the cloud because it simply doesn't make sense for some offices or applications.

To listen to the entire program, click on the audio link at the top of the page.

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