7 Books on the Cloud Every IT Specialist Should Read

Moving to the cloud is something every IT manager needs to consider. In today's environment, firms that have until now steered away from these services because of worries over security, a loss of control or the difficulty of migrating legacy tools to a new platform, will quickly get left behind.

Even if you’ve made efforts to move to the cloud, you may find it a complex and confusing process to make a smooth transition. But happily, there are plenty of resources to help guide newcomers through the experience, from initial planning to long-term management and future upgrades.

Whether you're still looking to be convinced by the business case for the cloud, or want some guidance on the process itself, there are a great range of books out there to help you better understand the technology.

Here are a few of our favorites:

1. Cloudonomics: The Business Value of Cloud Computing

If you need help figuring out how the cloud goes beyond the IT department and translates into business value for all parts of an enterprise, this book will show you how. Joe Weinman's text digs into the expected costs and returns for customers, providers and executives, Cloudonomics offers a range of detailed examples from across industries to show how you need to adapt to compete in a cloud-first world, and establishes the '10 Laws of Cloudonomics' which should be the foundation of any strategy.

2. Cloud Computing: From Beginning to End

Ray Rafaels' book is the ideal place to start for cloud beginners looking for a complete overview of the process, from general concepts to detailed migration strategies. As well as discussing the history of the technology and delivering a great, in-depth explanation of how public and private technologies work, it also highlights all the strategy, technical design and implementation details you'll need to know in order to migrate existing applications to the cloud.

3. Architecting the Cloud

If you're having difficulty determining which of the various cloud models is best for you, Forbes contributor Michael J. Kavis' Architecting the Cloud helps cut through the confusion with a clear discussion of each of the options and spells out what services will be best-suited to different businesses. It takes a critical look at everything an IT manager needs to know before taking the plunge.

4. Cloud Computing: Concepts, Technology, and Architecture

Once a firm has made a decision to move to the cloud, how should it go about putting these concepts into practice? This book by Thomas Erl, Ricardo Puttini and Zaigham Mahmood         is one of the best-selling cloud manuals available. It helps manage this process, offering a range of specific, in-depth advice on how to construct an effective cloud infrastructure, with well-defined building blocks for implementing cloud computing platforms.

5. Cloud Computing Design Patterns

Thomas Erl's second entry on this list - this time co-authored with Robert Cope and Amin Naserpour - Cloud Computing Design Patterns focuses on the design patterns you'll need to know for modern architectures and solutions. A must-read for cloud architects, solution designers, developers, administrators and managers, this features over 100 patterns that offer proven solutions to common cloud challenges, supported by more than 300 diagrams to make everything as clear as possible.

6. CSA Guide to Cloud Computing: Implementing Cloud Privacy and Security

Security and privacy concerns remain among the biggest worries for IT managers when it comes to moving to the cloud, but this comprehensive guide from authors Raj Samani - CTO at McAfee EMEA - executive director of CSA Jim Reavis and Brian Honan, an industry leader in the ISO27001 standard, gives readers access to a huge range of industry experience and expertise. Taking you through everything you need to implement a secure cloud computing environment that protects your business from all types of threats.

7. A Prehistory of the Cloud

Finally, for a more high-level look at the cloud and how it has been changing our world in ways you might not realize, this book from Tung-Hui Hu - who’s an English professor rather than an IT specialist - examines how the reality of cloud relates to people's perception of what it should be, how it grew out of older technologies, from railroad tracks to TV circuits, and how it changes the way businesses and consumers think about technology.