However, for those customers not using web based applications like RealityServer, use of the cloud in the HPC environment can pose a problem. Firstly, do customers have the bandwidth available to take receipt of the data (which can be multiple Terabytes or Petabytes once processed)? Second, does the cloud service provider, which could have hundreds (potentially) of customers each generating multiple Terabytes of data, have the bandwidth available to send the data back to their customers? Finally, does the customer have the appropriate infrastructure to store the data created during the process?

These problems can be overcome – certainly integrators like OCF can provide adequate storage facilities for customers – but none the less, customers must consider these questions before proceeding with a cloud service for HPC related problems.