Cloud Computing is an emerging computing approach where data and services reside in scalable data centers and can be accessed in a variety of ways.
The Department of the Interior's National Business Center (NBC) plans to bring the benefits of cloud computing to both NBC's business services clients and data center hosting clients alike through advancements to the highly efficient NBC shared infrastructure. To gain a better understanding of NBC’s cloud computing strategy & roadmap, please review the NBC Cloud Computing Strategy Playbook.
For additional information on the NBC Cloud Computing strategy or offerings, please visit cloud.nbc.gov or email
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NBCGrid
NBCGrid is NBC's IaaS offering. This service allows the end-user provisioning of a variety of types of servers and operating systems through a single customer portal at cloud.nbc.gov. NBCGrid provides technology-agnostic server hosting, with a variety of pricing models, including metered and pre-paid, based on the customer's usage of RAM or CPU per hour. Other planned Features include:
User-defined server templates
Ability to template complex infrastructures
Access to a dedicated private and public block of IP addresses
Provisioning interface that allows console access via SSH or RDP, server restarts
Rapid (sub 15 minute) provisioning
Configurable storage space, RAM and network bandwidth
API access to allow programmatic creation, restart and deletion of servers
Multiple certification tiers with commensurate pricing. For example, a server certified to hold personal identifying information will cost incrementally more per hour than a standard server. NBC plans to offer Cloud infrastructure that is fully PII, FIPS and OMB 06-16 compliant and certified to contain PII data.
Payment via purchase card or PO
The ability to offer desktop as well as server virtualization
Available: Q4 2009
NBCFiles
NBCFiles is NBC's Cloud storage offering. It allows burstable storage capacity on a metered, pay-per-gigabyte price model. NBCFiles usage and status can be monitored via the unified cloud.nbc.gov customer portal. NBCFiles' capabilities can be leveraged for application storage and content delivery, or as a backup platform. Multiple security tiers drive pricing, similar to NBC's other offerings. NBCFiles also offers the ability to integrate directly with on-site government networks.
Available: Q1 2010
NBC Hybrid Cloud
NBC's Hybrid Cloud capability allows customers to combine NBCGrid and NBCFiles with their existing infrastructure - creating front ends to complex web applications and burstable storage and server capacity in concert with existing NBC or client physical infrastructure.
Available: Q1 2010
NBCStage
NBCStage is NBC's PaaS platform. It allows software developers to build applications with highly scalable capacity, while staying within the bounds of the federal Government's IT regulations and standards. NBCStage has language specific APIs for many common programming languages. NBCStage works in concert with the Federal Government's community of software developers to help make the product reflect their needs. Usage and application monitoring is available from within the cloud.nbc.gov portal.
Available: Q2 2010
NBCApps
NBCApps is NBC's Cloud-based application marketplace. A variety of applications are available, including general knowledge worker tools, as well as more highly specialized applications:
General Purpose: NBCApps offers a variety of software, including messaging, collaboration and web 2.0 tools like wikis and blogs.
Acquisition: The AQD LoB SaaS offering consists of an on-demand version of ESE which can be provisioned and administrated via the cloud.nbc.gov user portal.
HR: the HR LoB SaaS offering includes on-demand versions of HR's Onboarding, LMS, Performance & Competency Management and Time & Attendance Packages. Each application can be provisioned and administrated via the cloud.nbc.gov user portal.
Pricing and service models are similar to other NBC Cloud offerings.
Available: Q4 2009
NBCAuth
NBCAuth is NBC's SaaS directory service, authentication & SSO product. It allows authentication between the different applications in NBC's Cloud product suite to occur seamlessly, and links back to an agency's internal directory services infrastructure, such as Active Directory.
Available: Q4 2009
Contributions
Video:The Director of the National Business Center on Cloud Computing GTSI Technology Leadership Series, October 2009
The Director of the National Business Center, Doug Bourgeois, discusses the service level benefits of Cloud Computing, security in the cloud, and governance and readiness.
NBC's Federal Cloud Playbook - August 2009
This is an overview of the NBC’s Cloud Computing Strategy, Products & Services. NBC understands what it takes for agencies to make Cloud Computing operational within the boundaries of their organization, and will work to help them implement pilots or production Cloud infrastructure. The NBC is offering six cloud computing products: NBCGrid (IaaS), NBCFiles (Cloud Storage), NBCStage (PaaS), NBC Hybrid Cloud, NBCApps (SaaS Marketplace), & NBCAuth.
NBC Gov