Enabling Interoperable Cloud Application Management through an Open Source Ecosystem

Cloud computing enables on-demand provisioning of computing resources to IT solutions, following a utility-based approach. Technology and standardization developments in traditional public utilities enable customers to seamlessly migrate across utility providers without being required to make changes to their home appliances. Dubbed as the fifth utility, cloud computing customers should have user-friendly tools and mechanisms at their disposal, which preserve application deployments across different resource providers. Here, the authors present current efforts to develop an open source Cloud Application Management Framework (CAMF) based on the Eclipse Rich Client Platform. This framework facilitates cloud application lifecycle management in a vendor-neutral approach.