Adopting a Cloud-Based System by RC Media - Term Paper Example

Running Head: Recommendations for Adopting a Cloud Based System by RC Media Name Institution Course Professor Date Abstract. Cloud computing offers tremendous opportunities for improvement of information services as well as cost cutting. The term cloud computing is often used to describe the distributed and randomn nature of resources in the internet . In this report recommendations for adoption of cloud computing by RC media are outlined. The report discusses fundamental concepts of cloud computing that can be used to design a viable approach to improvement of various information services by RC media. Introduction The emergence of cloud computing has greatly changed the way organizations utilize computing resources over the internet. The most common application of cloud computing is storage of data on the cloud that makes it available to multiple devices at any time. The key distinguishing feature of cloud computing from any other distributed system is virtualization where users have no idea on the location of the service they are accessing and they need not be aware. However cloud computing encompasses many other applications that are discussed in this report. The main benefits and enticements for using cloud based services are their basic features: on-demand self-service, wide network access, efficiency, rapid elasticity, rapid scalability, measured business and service agility. Literature Review What is Cloud Computing? Cloud computing has been coined as an broad term to denote a class of complex on-demand computing services offered traditionally by commercial providers, such as Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. It describes a model on which a computing devices is viewed as a “cloud,” Users (businesses and individuals) all over the world can access these service. The main principle behind cloud computing is offering storage, computing and software “as a service Cloud computing is suitable for traveling remote workers and telecommuters workers, who can use their applications wherever they are by simply logging in(Velt, velt&Elsenpeter 2010) The major benefit of cloud computing is having another company hosting the service handle the costs of servers, software updates and therefore resulting in less expenditure to a company using the service Cloud Types Cloud computing models are broadly categorized into two(Sosinskey, 2012, p26) Deployment models: This refers to the location and management of the cloud's infrastructure. Service models: This consists of the particular types of services that you can access on a cloud computing platform. Cloud Components In a simple, topological design, a cloud computing systems made up of various elements: distributed servers, the datacenter and the clients. These components make up the three parts of a cloud computing solution, (Velt, velt&Elsenpeter, 2010) Clients Clients are, in a cloud computing system, are similar to clients in everyday local area network (LAN). They are, typically, the computers that users are logged in. But they may also be tablet computers laptops, laptops, PDAs, mobile phones, or—all Clients commonly are categorized into three parts (Sosinskey, 2012): Mobile-These devices include or PDAs, smartphones such an iPhone, Blackberry, or even Windows Mobile Smartphone. Thin-Clients are computers that normally have no internal hdd installed, but rather let the main server process the entire workload, but then display the end result or rather information. Thick-This kind of client is a just but a normal computer. It normally uses a web browser such as Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox to connect to the cloud. Datacenter The datacenter is the group of servers that host the application that the user accesses. The term implies the physical locale where the servers are housed probably a conditioned room in some building strictly set aside for server computers. Distributed Servers Often, servers are in different geographical locations. But to the cloud subscriber, these servers act as if they are next to each other. This enhances security and also allows flexibility in options available to the service provider. Infrastructure Infrastructure refers to the hardware in a cloud computing system Terms used in Cloud computing Systems Full Virtualization Full virtualization is a procedure where the entire installation of a given machine is being run on a totally different machine. The end result is a type of a system where all software that enables the server to run is within a virtual machine, (Velt,velt&Elsenpeter 2010) Services The term services when it comes to cloud computing refer to state of being in a position to use reusable, fine-grained components across a dealer’s system or network. According to Velt, velt & Elsenpeter (2010), this is generally referred as “as a service.” Complements of services in cloud computing systems are • Low barriers to entry, implies many businesses can easily join • Large scalability •Multi-tenancy provides for resource sharing by many users • Device independence, allows for diversity in user hardware Software as a Service Software as a Service (SaaS) is used to describe a model where the applications are hosted in a server available to users in the internet. This means that the client does not incur costs of software purchase and updates and the host incurs maintenance costs for only a single version Some other benefits of SaaS include the following (Velt, velt&Elsenpeter 2010): • Familiarity with the World Wide Web owing to familiarity with the World Wide Web and access to it becomes easy for most workers to learn how to use the hardware. • Smaller staff The deployment of local IT systems will lead to many overhead costs as a result staff. SaaS eliminates the need for many in-house IT support staff • Customization. SaaS applications are much easier to customize as compared with older applications that require alteration of code. • Better marketing The entire world is open to use the application hosted on a server. The internet provides a good marketing platform • Web reliability The web is generally quite reliable making services hosted on the web available most times • Security Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is secure. It is extensively used and trusted. Allows users to access their applications more easily without employing complex backend configurations • More bandwidth implies than applications can be accessed with low latencies and good speeds Platform as a Service PaaS provides all the resources compulsory to for the creation of applications and services entirely from the Internet, without having to download or install software. PaaS services include application design, development, testing, deployment, and hosting. The other obligatory services may include web service integration, team collaboration, versioning, scalability, storage, database integration, security, and state management, (Velt, velt&Elsenpeter 2010). Hardware as a Service HaaS provides hardware to clients whenever needed. HaaS allows users to “rent” such resources as Server space, memory, network equipment, , CPU cycles, storage space HaaS involves several pieces: • Service level agreements: An agreement between the client and the provider providing for a certain level of service delivery • Computer hardware: computer devices whose services will be rented out. • Network: This includes hardware for firewalls, routers, load balancing, and so on. • Internet connectivity: This allows clients to access the hardware from their own organizations. • Platform virtualization environment: This allows the clients to run the virtual machines they want. • Utility computing billing: typically set up to bill customers based on how many system resources they use. Some of the benefits of HaaS are; Reduces financial costs: The organization frees up capital that would have been spent on purchase and maintenance of hardware. The need for constant upgrade of hardware is an ever present challenge in computing. It is a known fact that processing chips are constantly improved and hence the need to catch up with technology. The use of HaaS model eliminates this uncertainty factor and eliminates budgetary complications as a result of unpredicted upgrade and maintenance. Computing devices budgets are reduced to fixed annual or monthly charge hence freeing up capital for other uses. Eliminates Obsolescence: HaaS solutions takes care of frequent technological upgrades to ensure that the devices are up to date. The user is freed from the inconvenience of having to make do with outdated technology as a result of cost constraints. Improved security: Advanced Security is directly proportional to new/upgraded technology. By ensuring that the Computing Hardware and associated software are up to date, HaaS solutions ensures integrity of the security facilities. Also issues such as data security are provided by HaaS based products that provide online cloud backup that can maintain redundant concurrent copies to ensure that options are available in case one of the site fails. Provides for scalability: A HaaS based solution provides an immediate solution for increased demand for technological products as a results of increased business. The business can make adjustments with their service providers easily. This flexibility also implies a reduction in the scale of service provision whenever the market contracts and the elimination of losses as a result of having idle resources. Reliable troubleshooting facilities and maintenance service: HaaS models employ proactive service mechanisms that ensures frequent maintenance and specialized troubleshooting options. The equipment and associated services such as maintenance are outlined in the Service License Agreement hence the inconvenience of unprecedented failures can be avoided. Deployment model A deployment model defines the purpose of the cloud and the nature of how the cloud is located.(Sosinskey, 2011) The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology defines the four deployment models as follows.(Sosinskey, 2011) • Public cloud: The public cloud infrastructure is available for public use alternatively for a largeindustry group and is owned by an organization selling cloud services. • Private cloud: The private cloud infrastructure is operated for the exclusive use by a company. The cloud may be managed by that organization or a third party. Private clouds maybe either on- or off-premises. • Hybrid cloud: A hybrid cloud combines multiple clouds (private, community of public) wherethose clouds retain their unique identities, but are bound together as a unit. A hybrid cloud mayoffer standardized or proprietary access to data and applications, as well as application portability. • Community cloud: A community cloud is one where the cloud has been organized to serve acommon function or purpose. Discussion In this section various ways of implementing cloud computing are discussed following the explanations provided in the literature review. Applications of cloud computing Factors influencing the usage of cloud computing Cost/benefit ratio Speed of delivery Your organization’s corporate and IT structure How much size you will use Whether your data is controlled The way in which organizations implement cloud-computing is different at granular level. However there are three major implementations Compute Clouds Provides computing resources to users over the internet examples are Google App Engine and Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (BOINC), and Amazon’s EC2, Cloud Storage Cloud storage is the most common application of cloud computing. Provides an offsite cloud data backup service. A form of HaaS. Practical ways of implementing Cloud storage By use of powerful cloud computing database services such as Amazon Oracle and MSSQL, a data cloud backup system can be realized with minimal cost. The client is required to pay as per the amount of data stored in their system or overall amount of space allocated to a user. The advantages of such databases include; improved availability, improved performance, price reduction and flexibility Overview of common cloud database services Amazon Was one of the first companies to implement DaaS. The DaaS products made available by amazon include; Simple Storage Service (S3)(Amazon’s virtual storage service) and SimpleDB(A web service for running queries on structured data in real time) MS SQL A cloud extension MSSQL Microsoft SQL Server Data Services (SSDS) was available in 2009. SSDS integrates with the Sync Framework of Microsoft, which is basically a .NET library for coordinating different data sources Cloud Applications Applications are hosted on a server and delivered to users by some web service. They disregard the necessity of installing and running the applications on the computers that belong to the clients, thus evading the liability of ongoing operation, support and software maintenance. There are several examples of cloud computing applications and they comprise of Software plus services (such as Microsoft Online Services), Web applications (such as YouTube or MySpace), Peer-to-peer computing (such as Skype and Bit Torrent), SaaS (such as Google Apps) Advantages of Cloud Computing The advantages of cloud computing are many. Most of the advantages have already been discussed with associated specific models of cloud computing such as HaaS and SaaS. The overall advantages of cloud computing are as follows; In cloud computing, a user only pays for what they utilize (pay per use model). This pay-as-you-go model means usage is measured and you pay only for what you use. This helps keep costs down as no paying for bundled unnecessary items Another advantage is mobility. Users access the services wherever they are. Related to this is improved accessibility as services can be accessed anywhere anytime. Services in the cloud can be scaled up easily in accordance with the needs of the user. Cloud computing provides an immediate option for expansion at minimal cost. Specific Recommendationsfor RC Media 1. Implementing a Database as a Service (DaaS) Cloud backup mechanism will be the most secure way data storage for the small organization. The benefits surpasses the cost of renting cloud storage. Also data privacy and security have been adequately addressed by DaaS providers such as Google and Amazon. As compared to the daily moving of external storage, the option of cloud storage is much more convenient and secure. Also the cost of cloud storage is low as compared to maintaining a backup server and an additional external storage device 2. By use of various cloud applications (SaaS) such as skype, meetings can easily be conducted without requiring the physical presence of all the workers and clients. 3. The company should also consider migrating their email services to the cloud by using some free, easy to use, reliable email service like Google mail. This can reduce the time and resources required to maintain an in-house email server as is the case. Circulation and sharing documents can be easily achieved using a cloud SaaS such as Drop box. Accounting can be done using Xero. A SaaS such as Vend can be used to handle all sales. Most of these platforms are free and the most expensive would require little insignificant subscription. Requirements concerning IT Infrastructure maintenance will be significantly reduced and the transition time will be very short. Implementing the entire adoption will take only a few weeks with minimum over-head expenses. A similar case of retail stores in New Zealand recorded impressive results (Keper, 2011, p. 8). 4. RC Media can also consider hosting some services online such as access to the database to enable the sales team work offsite. This can facilitate data access, entry and manipulation through a web-service and therefore increase daily throughput. This will also enable the sales team to adequately handle the customers who often require them even when they are offsite. The deployment model being used in this case is a private model intended for use by the organization alone. 5. The company should consider hosting the adobe creative suit on a single server as a SaaS to the mac computers which can be accessed possibly via a web-service. This will make maintenance of the software easy as updates have to be installed on only one computer. Also in case expansion is required, the service is still available to an increased number of users without any cost involving changes. Conclusion This report has clearly discussed the tremendous possibilities offered by cloud computing to IT companies such as RC Media. By implementing the solutions outlined in the recommendations the company can stay ahead of its competitors in terms of efficiency. Customer satisfaction will increase as a result of immediate attendance by the sales team through a cloud based SaaS. References Bowers, L 2011, “Cloud computing efficiency”, Applied Clinical Trials, Vol. 20(7), pp 45-51. Buyya R, etall 2010, Mastering Cloud Computing, McGraw Hill, New York. Buyya, R, James, B &Goscinski, A 2011, Cloud Computing Principles and Paradigms, Wiley New Jersey Cloud Computing-Insights from 101 Implementation projects, IBM, New York. Curie, M 2013, “Cloud Computing-A Case Study for the New Ideal of the IS/IT Implementation”, Management, Knowledge and Learning International Conference, Croatia. Kepes, B 2011, Cloudonomics the economics of cloud computing, Retrieved from http://broadcast.rackspace.com/hosting_knowledge/whitepapers/CloudonomicsThe_Economics_of_Cloud_Computing.pdf Landis, C &Blacharski, D 2014, Cloud Computing Made Easy, Virtual Global Inc, USA. Sisinskey, B 2011, Cloud Computing Bible, Wiley, Indianapolis. Velte, AT, Velte TJ &Elsenpeter, R, Cloud Computing A Practical Approach, McGraw Hill, New York. Vouk, MA 2008, “Cloud Computing-Issues, Research and Implementations”, Journal of Computing and Information Technology, Vol. CIT 16, pp 235-246. Read More