Once you have identified the cloud capabilities you want to enable in your private cloud, you need to map them to the Microsoft product functionality available to implement them. The following sections provide an overview of the cloud capabilities available with Windows Server "8" Beta and System Center 2012.
The capabilities introduced in the upcoming Windows Server "8" product release go well beyond virtualization to deliver a dynamic, multi-tenant infrastructure and provide users with flexible access to data and applications while simplifying management and maintaining security, control, and compliance. A cloud infrastructure uses a combination of Hyper-V, failover clustering, storage, and networking technologies to more easily create IaaS-based clouds. Windows Server “8” Beta introduces a significant number of new features that provide all of the required capabilities for building an effective IaaS cloud solution in an open platform. By using automation, having an open platform, and being standards based, a Windows Server “8” Beta-based IaaS cloud decreases the total cost of ownership and reduces susceptibility to failures due to interoperability issues. The Windows Server “8” Beta open platform allows partners to extend the functionality beyond what is in the platform. To get started in mapping your infrastructure cloud capabilities to the Windows Server 8 beta functionality, go to Building Your Cloud Infrastructure.
Microsoft System Center 2012 cloud and datacenter management solutions empower you with a common management toolset for your private and public cloud applications and services.View the picture below to better understand how the product components align to the System Center 2012 capabilities. The following figure maps the System Center 2012 components to three key cloud capabilities: