The global demand for cloud computing resources continues to surge, and with it a dizzying profusion of new tools, new technologies, and changing expectations from workload operators of all levels of technical proficiency. Open source tool chains and easy access to community and free-tier commercial cloud resources have lowered the ARC barrier to entry significantly, but there are significant challenges in data governance, cybersecurity, and rapidly-evolving cost models which complicate the picture moving forward. Come hear an overview of these emerging trends, real-world case studies of Canadian research projects engaging with them, and a model for hybrid commercial/community cloud architecture which can offer tools for mitigating risks in each environment.

Speaker

Jeff Albert
Senior Systems Administrator | University of Victoria

Jeff Albert is a Senior Unix System Administrator at the University of Victoria with over 12 years of experience. His national team responsibilities include a lead role on the Arbutus national team, operating Compute Canada’s largest cloud environment in production, as well as a related role on the Cloud National Team, collaborating with other cloud sites across Canada to standardize on best practices, and a further commitment to the Cloud Operations National Team, directly serving the researchers who conduct their work on the Compute Canada cloud services.