The Effect of Cloud Computing on Enterprise Networks - Literature review Example

Cloud Computing and Impact on Enterprise Networks Affiliation: Introduction Over the of history, companies have been employing the latest technology in order to ensure that their business functions are optimized and run efficiently. The end result, after all, this is the achievement of the objective of the company. In the recent past, companies have been employing cloud computing services in order to increase their reach to clients, improve there retailing, increase their efficiency in data mining and analysis and streamline regulatory reporting at the company. Despite these numerous advantages that accrue from all this, it is vital to realize that cloud computing has its set of limitation. This paper focuses on one of the effects of applying cloud service in an organization; that is the effect of Cloud Computing on Enterprise Networks. When organizations employ cloud computing services in their operations, it is usually based on the high number of distributed activities that the companies engage in. Some of these activities have been mentioned above, however, to add on to those it is crucial to mention that companies also use transaction processing as part of their utilization of the cloud systems. For cloud systems to work efficiently, an organization has to link their data center resources to the cloud resources in order to allow for data access (Rittinghouse, & Ransome, 2009). This has a major toll on the organization’s network, however, how those effects the network is dependent on three essential factors. 1. Source data dimension – applications running on the cloud systems require to utilize data in order for them to be accessible. This is usually the most significant factor when it comes to the applications that apply when cloud computing systems are in operation. When an organization has a huge amount of data involved, for instance, a large database or several large ones running on an application, the access to that data has to be fast and reliable or else the runtime for the application will be excessive (Panko & Panko, 2013). This presents the company with the challenge of either having to store their data in the cloud or access a highly efficient network with a sizable QoS to enhance the cloud connections. Having to store their data in the cloud is not an advisable option since security concerns may arise in relation to the data stored there. 2. Source data updates and backup – for an application, that the company might be using, its source data might be highly dynamic. This means that the application may have to be synchronized with other company data or backed up with the other company data. The connection between the cloud data resources and the enterprise data resources would need to be highly efficient, else the impact of the company network would be of little value even if it is highly optimized. In situations whereby the data is more static, network requirements would be less stringent in maintaining the data (Halpert, 2011). 3. Distribution of access – for cloud computing, organizations ensure that the functionality is optimized in a way that it can be accessible from multiple locations. In some cases, from various nations. The applications there are accessed either through the internet of through an internet VPN. It the access was to happen from the company’s facilities, and then it would be vital to ensure that the access took place through the company’s network. In most cases the integration of the company’s resources and the cloud systems is highly optimized (Sosinsky, 2010). This ensures that the performance of the connections is efficient and reliable, a factor that organizations incline to look out for when it comes to their operations. If these connections fail, the risk extends from not only the failing of the application but also the loss of synchronization of the company resources and the application. Such an event would require the organization to go through an expensive restructuring that might have been dodged if better precautions had been taken. In this instance, precautions means, getting reliable data link connections; for instance, private data link connection. What organizations do in this instance is set up data resource links to cloud computing resources through their headquarters in various regions. This increases their options to not only having to use a single link to cloud applications for all their operations across the globe. Enterprises have often ignored the amount of traffic that is usually generated by their employees are they are constantly accessing the cloud applications. Internet can adequately provide the amount of bandwidth that would be required for the smooth access by employees, however, enterprises need to assess the quality of service and whether the availability would be adequate for the needed amount of traffic (Panko & Panko, 2013). In most cases when companies are not paying attention to their employee’s access to cloud applications, the company is usually satisfied by the wireless area network that they have provided through their portals. Due to the efficiently of WANs, cloud computing is increased in the particular areas. For this to work and have a major benefit for organizations, it is advisable for firms to have these kinds of networks employed in areas such as headquarters. In most cases, the most problematic resource to outsource in cloud computing is usually the simple “overflow” or rather what is known as backup applications. This takes place in that the traditional enterprise applications of the company are run in the cloud instead. In such an event, the operations of such a company require a huge usage of data not unless the entire system is backed up in the cloud as well. Here, all that is needed to be assessed is whether or not the application of cloud computing is sustained, if so, then the organization would only have to invest in high-speed connections between the cloud computing data centers and the organization’s data center. One of the simplest methods that can be utilized by a company would be to link the cloud computing applications to the organizations’ data resource center through an internet/ internet VPN. This, however, works efficiently if the synchronization being carried out is little between the cloud host and the company. In such a case, the advantage is that the success of this brings about the little impact on the stress placed on the network while, at the same time, all this has its disadvantage. In this case, the company has to address security concerns since the synchrony poses a security threat to their information (Halpert, 2011). To remedy this, the enterprise would have to enter into a contract with the host company requiring them not to reveal any of the information while at the same time the enterprise would have to invest in security technically. A lot of factors have to be considered before a company decides on whether or not they should employ cloud computing services from a cloud host. Among the most crucial one covered above so far; what happen to be technical in nature, the company should also look at the financial aspect of it. Most companies, when deciding whether to acquire equipment for their operations, they do run regression models that prove whether buying or making is the better option. In this case, the company in question should consider doing the same. Outsourcing cloud computing services is a huge and recurrent cost for the company, therefore it should only be sought whether and when it is highly essential (Brender, & Markov, 2013). If the organization can use servers as it was the tradition in the past, well and good, business continues as usual. Cloud services should only be employed when it is highly relevant and when the cost of running normal servers is higher than the cost of employing these systems. For cloud computing services to be efficient, the organization has to realize that they will then and again require the services of expatriates in this field. These are professionals who charge a huge amount of money for their services. To meet their demands, the cloud computing services have to be as effective to generate enough and substantial amounts of money to keep the sector sustainable. There would be no need to have a service that is not sustainable and that will in the end be detrimental to the company; financially. It is also critical for one to realize that the restructuring of a cloud computing stem once synchrony has been lost is as complex as it is expensive. One of the functions of cloud computing as mentioned earlier is the utilization of big data for the company. Currently, companies and various organizations are also requiring service given out by quants in order to collect and analyze the data they receive through these online platforms (Panko & Panko, 2013). Recent studies have shown that the use of big data might be a highly hyped factor that would end up costing the companies utilizing it significant amounts of money all for what? The information they could have accessed with ordinary means of research. The pint here is that for an organization to consider using cloud computing in their operations, there is more to reflect than just the specific and the stretch that the services will have on their network. Additional costs of having to outsource quants for more research might not be necessary. In addition, over-reliance on quant data leads to reluctance of the people of the significant processes, at a managerial level, the bosses stop doing their work and completely rely on the quant algorithms to solve their production and relevant processes (Sosinsky, 2010). This leads to a situation where the employees are required to give only specific kinds of results other than the overall objectives of their work description. Nevertheless, cloud computing and its functions is effective and makes business transactions to be simpler and improves the quality of output that businesses can achieve and make in a limited amount of time. The biggest toll that applies to cloud computing when it comes to the network is the availability of an effective and well-functioning process for the integration of the cloud computing services and the data resource center of the particular company in question. This is because, the company requires high performance on its cloud services while there is just so much that the cloud host can do, the rest, especially when it comes to the network connections is up to the organizations. This makes an organization/enterprise have to outsource these services from the best service providers in their region (Rittinghouse, & Ransome, 2009). This comes with an asset of its challenges as well. This is because, in some connections, the company might require them to invest heavily in the security of the company technically, while this might also stretch to the entering of an agreement with the cloud computing host. Conclusion This paper has covered extensively Cloud Computing and Impact on Enterprise Networks as an area of study and one that requires extensive research. It is vital to mention that companies that can meet efficient Internet connections can use and access the cloud services efficiently, the vice versa is also true. It is critical for one to note that effective network on the part of the enterprise is the line between effective usage of the cloud computing applications or continuous and recurrent expenditure on restricting. As mentioned in the paper, an enterprise should engage extensive research before employing cloud computing services. References Brender, N., & Markov, I. (2013). Risk perception and risk management in cloud computing: Results from a case study of Swiss companies. International journal of information management, 33(5), 726-733. Halpert, B. (2011). Auditing cloud computing: A security and privacy guide (Vol. 21). John Wiley & Sons. Panko, R. R., & Panko, J. L. (2013). Business data networks and security. Boston, Mass: Pearson. Rittinghouse, J. W., & Ransome, J. F. (2009). Cloud computing: implementation, management, and security. CRC press. Sosinsky, B. (2010). Cloud computing bible (Vol. 762). John Wiley & Sons. Read More