8.1.1 Consumer Self-Service Portal
From a consumer perspective, vCloud computing is driving the following new expectations:
Self-service.
Flexibility
and granularity of choices.
Instant gratification.
On-demand services.
A private or public vCloud provider can meet these expectations by providing an online, consumer self-service capability. For a private vCloud, this capability is deployed internally. When using a public vCloud, consumers might have access to the public vCloud self-service, online service catalog. By providing access, the provider expects to benefit by being able to deliver vCloud services quickly and inexpensively, while still maintaining control over the process. The consumer’s expectations are met by automating the provisioning process.
Initially the online, self-service capability must provide an easy way for the consumer to provision resource-based services in the form of vApps. Ultimately, this must be extended to offer self-service access to any and all IT services, whether as a wholly contained development environment, Software as a Service-based applications, or applications for mobile devices. Providing this addresses consumer expectations regarding flexibility and granularity of choices.
The online, self-service portal should provide the ability to:
Get secure access.
View available services, costs, and service tiers.
Request vApps and other services based on organizational maturity.
Obtain any required approvals through automated workflows.
Track request status.
View items successfully provisioned.
Perform tasks such as start, stop, and add capacity
(at least this minimal
set).
Receive notifications.
Decommission items.
View basic consumption reports.
View the “health” of provisioned items.