Learn how can you map the options for running Big Data across clouds in just 4 simple steps.

1. August 13, 2014
How-To: Compare Cloud Infrastructure Options for Running
NoSQL Workloads
© 2014 GoGrid

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 How can you map the options for running Big Data across clouds?
Just follow these 4 steps:
 Step 1: Decide What Access You Need
 For a specific workload, NoSQL customers may want to have the following:
1. Access to mass storage servers for files and objects (not to be
confused with block storage).
2. Access to High RAM options for running in-memory with the fastest
possible response times.
3. Access to high-performance SSDs to run balanced workloads.
4. Access to general-purpose instances for dev and test or for workloads
that don’t have specific performance SLAs.
Comparing Cloud Infrastructure Options for NoSQL
© 2014 GoGrid

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Comparing Cloud Infrastructure Options for NoSQL
© 2014 GoGrid
 Step 2: Compare Compute Instance Footprints
 The graphic below illustrates the options currently available. It relates the
maximum amount of RAM that can be provisioned on a single virtual
machine to the maximum number of cores and the total number of
compute instance options available by some of the major infrastructure
providers, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), GoGrid, Google (GCE),
Microsoft (Azure), and SoftLayer.

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Comparing Cloud Infrastructure Options for NoSQL
© 2014 GoGrid
 The data that generated this chart was collected from the providers’
websites. Below are the details.

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Comparing Cloud Infrastructure Options for NoSQL
© 2014 GoGrid
 Step 3: Answer 3 Key Questions
 This data helps you answer 3 key questions:
1. Which cloud providers offer an on-demand high memory instance?
AWS and GoGrid offer the largest amount of RAM available
on-demand.
2. How many cloud providers offer on-demand mass storage server
options?
Of the five providers included, only two offer on-demand mass storage
options: AWS and GoGrid.
3. Which providers can I go to for general workloads?
You can run a general workload on any of the providers, and this is
where the Compute Instance Footprint becomes important.

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Comparing Cloud Infrastructure Options for NoSQL
© 2014 GoGrid
 Step 4: Compare Solutions
 Once you’ve determined the instance options that best meet the needs of
your particular NoSQL workload, the next step is to do a “bake-off”
between two or more solutions.
 At GoGrid we’ve made this process as easy as pushing a button. Check out
our solutions page for details on a 1-Button Deploy™ of Cassandra,
Hadoop, HBase, and others. Then you can trial a full cluster for 14 days for
free and have it up and running in less than 10 minutes.

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 Conclusion
 Beyond trialing a cluster and understanding the instance options for running
NoSQL workloads, price and ease of use always come into play when
choosing a cloud provider.
 Learn More
 This “how-to” is based on a blog post by Kole Hicks, Senior Director of
Product Management at GoGrid:
http://blog.gogrid.com/2014/04/11/comparing-cloud-infrastructure-
options-running-nosql-workloads/
Comparing Cloud Infrastructure Options for NoSQL
© 2014 GoGrid