I don’t typically write about vaporware, but in this case, I will make an exception not only to finally get to use the phrase “cloud computing is truly vaporware” but also to seriously introduce this new GoGrid feature. Contrary to the definition of “vaporware,” Cloud Storage on GoGrid will be coming soon, so I wanted highlight many of the items in this upcoming release.

First, a picture is worth a thousand words. Below are a few screenshots of what is our vision of GoGrid’s Cloud Storage. Please note that these screenshots represent current ideas and may not actually represent the first implementation or subsequent updates.

Now for the juicy details:

• Technical
  • You will have to request that GoGrid Cloud Storage be added to your GoGrid account. (Details to come)
  • Can be mounted as a drive (e.g., a “D:” drive, “slash mount” or shared mount) on all servers within a GoGrid Account
  • It is shared across all servers
  • You DO have to configure it in order to have it available on your GoGrid servers by using a Private IP. Instructions will be on the GoGrid Wiki.
  • Initial size is 10 GB for FREE (that’s right, the first 10 GB’s are free)
  • Your Cloud Storage will automatically scale as you add more data to it through “thin provisioning”
  • You cannot partition the Cloud Storage
  • With the first release, the GoGrid API will not be able to control Cloud Storage, however, you will be able to control your Cloud Storage via the GoGrid API in subsequent releases
• Billing
  • Each additional GB of storage is $0.15 per GB per month over your free 10 GB
  • Billing for Cloud Storage is done monthly (not hourly)
  • Billing occurs for peak usage during a month. For example, if you start with 10 GB, scale up to 20 GB at some point during that same month and then scale back down to 10 GB, you are charged for that peak. (In this example, that would be $1.50 for the 10 GB over your free 10 GBs)
  • If you are about to go over your 10 GB free allocation, you will be visually notified within the GoGrid portal (e.g., your meter will turn red). You can then simply click ADD > Cloud Storage to initiate billing per GB over your initial 10 GB.
  • In the left-hand column of the GoGrid portal, a new widget will inform you of your total storage utilization and total cost for any overages
• Security
  • Any data stored within the Cloud Storage will be automatically replicated to a Disaster Recovery (DR) infrastructure. Should a failure of the primary storage occur, a backup to within 24 hours of the incident will become automatically available. It is your responsibility, however, to back up any data added to your Cloud Storage within 24 hours or less by some other means.
  • The Cloud Storage tied to your GoGrid Account will not be accessible to other GoGrid users

Other enhancements planned for this exciting release are:

• “On-Hovers” for all objects within the GoGrid Portal UI
  • Cloud Storage will show a meter for storage space used (prior to going over 10 GB) and Total Storage Utilization (after going over the 10 GB threshold)
  • Web/App/DB Servers will show Public IP addresses, Operating System, and RAM allocation
  • Load Balancers will show the real IP addresses and real IP ports, Virtual IPs (VIPs) and Virtual IP ports as well as the load balancing configuration type and persistence type

When this upgrade is released, GoGrid users will have to request to have have Cloud Storage enabled for use, however, the other features mentioned above will auotmatically appear. Do note that the features mentioned above are subject to change. We hope you enjoy this exciting release! Oh, and this should all be available in November 2008!