Challenges and Opportunities for Utilizing Cloud Computing at NASA/JSC

When: Monday, November 14, 2016
Where: F 154
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:15 PM

Speaker: Mr. Michael Koester, NASA JSC

Host: Dr. Larry Weidong Shi

The Federal Government and NASA, in particular has been working on the integration of cloud computing services into the NASA IT infrastructure. Cloud computing provides opportunities that have not existed in the information technology arena including self-provisioning, automation, mobility, on-demand pricing, etc. The changing paradigm associated with cloud computing presents challenges including factors such as cultural, governance, re-tooling, service management, etc. Additionally, determining the best service and delivery models to use in order to find a return on an investment is difficult. For example, when is it economical to rebuild an application for the cloud leveraging all of the features provided?

Cloud computing represents one of the more disruptive technology changes in many decades and will provide interesting opportunities to the computer science community for years to come.

Bio:

Michael Koester is a computer engineer at NASA who has worked with most major programming languages, operating systems, and database and web technologies. He has been a part of the NASA community since 1990. He has experience with a broad range of technologies - including IBM mainframes with Adabas, Natural, MVS, VM and JCL, local area networks, system and database administration as well as web design, implementation and maintenance. Mike has helped JSC adopt new technologies as they became available throughout the evolution of the Internet and the web. His current technology focus is to innovate ways to deliver IT solutions, including integrating Cloud Computing services into the NASA/Johnson Space Center environment, in support of the primary mission of JSC to lead human space exploration. He received his B.S. in Computer Science from Texas A&M University with a minor in electrical engineering.