Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
14.3.2 Supporting Implementation Activities
14.3.2.1 Adjustment of IT Governance
In general IT governance is considered as specification of
“… the decision rights
and accountability frameworks to encourage desirable behavior in the use of
IT”
(Weill & Ross 2004). In this sense, effective IT governance must address the
following three main questions (Weill & Ross 2004):
• What decisions must be made to ensure effective management of IT?
• Who should make these decisions?
• How will these decisions be made and monitored?
Thus, Grid and Cloud IT governance involves policies and rules guiding the usage
of IT resources in companies and a description of the management structure of the
Grid or Cloud. On the path of a company from traditional computing to Grid and
Cloud Computing substantial organizational changes result that require an adequate
change in both parts of the IT governance.
The scope of adjustment of the company's IT governance concept depends on
the level of introduction of Grid and Cloud Computing. On the Cluster Grid level
there is almost no need for changing the IT governance policy. The Cluster Grids are
integrated in one IT domain and are not connected outside the domain. The change
towards Cluster Grids affects therefore a limited number of applications and users
and basically does not affect the existing governance structure.
The IT governance situation changes on the level of Enterprise Grids and
requires its considerable adjustment. On the Enterprise Grid level the following
adjustments are necessary:
• Which part of the existing infrastructure and under which rules is made available
to the Enterprise Grid at each of the involved domains
• Clear division of IT management tasks among the involved organizational units
• Clear rules which processes with which priority can run on the Grid
• How is the usage metered and how is the usage paid for
• New security and privacy policies.
When Utility and Cloud Computing gets involved, the necessary IT governance
changes concern mainly rules for sourcing and deployment of external IT infrastruc-
ture and adjustment of security and privacy policies. These changers are described
in detail below:
• Adjustment of IT Governance with policies regulating the sourcing and deploy-
ment of IT infrastructure:
-
Definition of rules for choice and decision making regarding the ques-
tion which processes and resources might by outsourced, i.e. supported by
external infrastructure.
-
Definition of rules for assessment when, how and why access to external
resources is needed.
