Coming Soon: A Cloud Server in Space
Don’t let this latest cloud innovation scare you. It’s time to meet the Jetsons.
The cloud computing revolution has transformed the way we store and access data. It provides individuals and businesses with virtually unparalleled flexibility, scalability, and convenience. But as technology advances, so does the evolution of “the cloud” and how we leverage it.
What was once a centralized system is now becoming more distributed. In fact, some are even taking distribution as far as proposing cloud servers in space for storage and compute. While this may sound like science fiction, it’s closer to reality than you think.
Moving from centralized to ubiquitous
Let's take a step back to understand the shift from centralized to distributed cloud servers. Cloud services have traditionally relied on data centers in various regions worldwide. These data centers house the physical servers that store and process data. When you access a cloud service, your request is routed to the nearest data center (or the data center you designate). Next, the corresponding data is retrieved and sent back to you. This centralized model has served us well but has its limitations.
One of the main challenges with centralized cloud servers is latency. The physical distance between a user and a data center can introduce delays and hinder performance. This is especially true for applications that require real-time interactions. As a result, more companies have opted for distributed servers to help reduce latency.
For similar reasons, many businesses also prefer to use multiple public cloud providers instead of one. The use of multiple clouds to run a workload, application, or parts of an application is an example of a multicloud solution deployed on a cross-cloud platform. As more cross-cloud platforms emerge, the industry is rapidly adapting.
We no longer need to worry about the physical location of a process or storage system. Instead, we should view these virtual servers in the cloud for what they truly are: virtual. If they are easily accessible and optimized for their intended use, it doesn't matter where they are physically located. This could one day include storage and processing services that occur off-planet.
Clouds above the clouds?
Moving some cloud servers to space can significantly reduce latency in certain instances. Satellites in low Earth orbit, with high-speed connectivity, can bring the cloud even closer to the user than servers situated far away on Earth. This can minimize the time it takes for data to travel, and can potentially revolutionize industries such as telecommunications, finance, and autonomous vehicles, where low latency is critical.
Using off-planet servers has the added benefit of providing better global coverage. On-planet data centers are located in particular regions, leading to unequal availability of cloud services worldwide. By deploying cloud servers in LEO, where they orbit the planet every 90 minutes, it is possible to provide coverage to even the most remote areas. This opens a range of new opportunities for connectivity and empowers individuals and businesses in regions that were previously underserved. In addition, it allows for disaster recovery and backup services that are not dependent on land-based infrastructure, resulting in enhanced resilience and data safety.
While using cloud servers in space may sound overly futuristic, it's important to recognize that this is not an all-or-nothing transition. It is simply an evolution of the current cloud infrastructure moving from centralized to cross-cloud and then to universal. Centralized data centers will remain crucial for most data storage and processing tasks. Cloud servers in space could provide added optionality, designed to reduce latency and global coverage for specific applications, such as computing in remote areas, data access during transit, and worldwide data exchange.
And now, the downsides
Space does not come without limitations. In certain cases, sending a signal to a satellite may result in more distance and latency than using traditional ground-based networking. Also, communication technology between space-to-ground and space-to-space will need to improve over time, but what seems impossible now could become achievable in just a few years.
Another aspect that may raise eyebrows is cost. Building and launching satellites is expensive. Nonetheless, the cost of space technology could eventually decrease due to economies of scale. The advantages and potential revenue generated from space-based cloud servers could outweigh the initial investment, similar to the move from on-prem to cloud.
Finally, security and data privacy are critical concerns. Space-based cloud servers will need encryption and security measures just like on-planet servers. But space can offer the benefit of reducing reliance on terrestrial infrastructure, which can minimize the potential risk of physical attacks or natural disasters that affect traditional data centers.
Where to now?
As cloud computing continues to evolve, the move from centralized servers to more widespread and accessible cloud servers, including the potential for space-based servers, seems inevitable.
The reason a ubiquitous service deployment is so attractive is its underlying simplicity. We may no longer build centralized systems. Instead, all those services can be contained within the ubiquitous deployment and thus exist wherever the service exists, all working together in a distributed configuration. Everything can be self-contained and thus require very little human intervention (if any) and be intelligent, self-aware, and completely automated.
This transition to ubiquitous computing will most likely evolve on its own as businesses see the potential for space-based technology and the associated costs continue to drop. Indeed, startups are already emerging (such as LEOcloud and ConnectX, to name just a few examples) with a focus on the value that space-based cloud technology can bring.
The biggest challenge will be to understand that space-based cloud technology is a valid form of cloud computing with core business values that cannot be ignored. Just as space explorers ‘boldly go where no man has gone before’ to forge new paths and explore new possibilities, small successes with space-based cloud computing will likely lead to larger successes. And eventually, space-based cloud computing could be mainstream.
- David Linthicum, Chief Cloud Strategy Officer, Deloitte Consulting LLP