SCENARIO
I recently joined the IT department of a medium size manufacturing
company and all the company data is currently stored on servers located in
the head office but the IT director wants to investigate whether cloud
technologies would bring benefits to the company. “I have been asked to
implementing a pilot cloud based collaboration solution for a small
department in the
company who write technical manuals for the company products. The
collaboration system needs to allow the 5 people who work in the
department to have cloud based storage areas where they can collaborate
on word processed documents and spreadsheets. They also need to be
able to share calendar appointments. Users should be able to access
the system via at least two different browsers from desktop operating
systems and at least one mobile operating system”.
P3
PLANNING
Purpose of the solution
I am in the IT department of a medium sized company and I am going to
provide a pilot cloud based solution for a small department in the company
and allow multiple people to work on a document at the same time as well
as access them from at least two types of browsers.
Requirements include
1. Multiple browser access
2. Shareable files
3. Collaboration tools
4. Mobile app
The solution I would recommend is google cloud as it has multiple types of
contracts available. Google Cloud provides services that allows the client to
develop their ideal solution be it full SaaS, PaaS and LaaS service delivery
or building blocks into existing programmes which is already stated that the
company does not have. It offers its client full control while the service
provider builds a dynamic, scalable solution to meet the company's needs.
It would also provide identification for cost saving opportunities and
opportunities for improvement.
The core services that google cloud provides are
1. Compute
2. Networking
3. Storage and Databases
4. Artificial Intelligence (AI) / Machine Learning (ML)
5. Big Data
6. Identity and Security
7. Management Tools
What is the client requirements
Implementing a cloud-based collaboration system for a small company
department that develops user manuals for firm items. Furthermore, the
solution will enable members to work more quickly and efficiently, as well
as make data backup easier.
Clients must be able to access, modify and print documents anytime they
want from anywhere depending on the access level.
The workers would access their appointments and meetings on the cloud
calendar.
The files and documents must have file permission settings to prevent the
company from accidentally losing files caused by accidental deletion by
workers in the company.
Specifications for users The collaboration solution should provide cloud-based storage locations for
the department's five employees, allowing them to cooperate and
communicate on word processing documents and spreadsheets. They
should also be able to share calendar appointments. Users should be able
to use the system with at least two different browsers from different desktop
operating systems, as well as at least one mobile operating system.
Quality assurance and performance testing
Testing would be performed and carry out the following service
1. Review, define testing and QA strategy based on current solution
status.
2. Resource, technical budget requirements plan
3. Risk analysis and mitigation plan
4. generation of test governance documentation
5. Analysis of the benefits of test automation and, if necessary, the
adoption of automated test processes.
6. Continuous delivery/integration procedures based on DevOps and
Agile methodologies.
Types of tests that will be carried out:
1. Performance Testing
2. User Acceptance Testing
3. Functional Testing, Load Testing
4. Stress Testing, Capacity Testing
5. Failover Testing
6. Application Security Testing
7. Latency Testing
8. Risk Testing
9. Web Testing
10. System Integration Testing
11.
Code Reviews
12. Mobile & Device Testing
USER REQUIREMENTS
The users should be able to store and save files on the cloud server and
not have to store data on the local server. The users should have multiple
backup options they can select such as auto back up, periodical backups
e.t.c. so that they don’t have to manually do it.
The users should be able to access and make use of the cloud service and
make use of tools and new features that will allow them to focus on the job
they need to complete.
The users should be able to access their calendar and be able to share it
with other users, so they would be reminded of the meeting and
appointments.
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
Technical requirements Technical factors include durability, scalability, compatibility, availability, and
security. Data should be redundantly stored, preferably across multiple
facilities and devices within each site. Furthermore, data loss cannot be the
result of natural disasters, human error, or technical errors. While all data
should be accessible when needed, there is a distinction to be established
between production and archival data. In addition, the right cloud storage
will give you the best balance of retrieval times and cost. All data, both in
transit and at rest, should be encrypted. Permissions and access control
must work in the cloud just as well as they do on-premises storage. Data
storage plans, uptime, and download speed should also be taken into
account. Servers, Network, Database, Client computer/mobile Central
node, RAM (8-64 GB), Microsoft 365, and Operating System is also
required as part of the cloud architecture (Windows). Other technical
requirements required before installing and making use of it are:
Google account
1. You would need a google account or cloud identity account
2. Would need a google workspace or cloud identity super administrator
account
GCDs server
1. A server to run GCDS that has one of the following operating
systems:
● Microsoft windows (window 7,8 and 10 and windows server 2008,
2016, 2019 and 2012)
● Linux - if making use of a 32-bit version of GCDS on a 32 bit linux
then a 32-bit libc must be installed
2. You'll need a GUI installed on the same server or access to another
server with a GUI if you're using a Linux server.
3. To install GCDS on a Windows server, you must be the server's
administrator.
4. It is advised that you use at least a two-core processor for best
GCDS performance.
5. For log files and data, you'll need at least 5 GB of disc space. If
you're using the DEBUG or INFO logging levels, you may require
more free space to store additional logging data.
6. Free RAM. The amount is dependent on the size of the company.
The company requires at least 1 gb since this service would be used
by fewer than 10,000 entities(users, groups, group members,
contacts, and organizational units).
LDAP server
1. All LDAP versions are supported
2. The user information from the LDAP server must be accessible to
GCDS.
3. Your directory server must be accessible to the LDAP administrator.
4. Access to your LDAP server across the network. GCDS does not
need to be installed on your LDAP server.
5. Read the LDAP server permissions for the organizational units you
want to sync.
6. An LDAP browser that can read and browse your LDAP directory
server data.
Network requirements
1. Access to your Google data across the internet using HTTPS or a
proxy server. Make that ports 80 and 443 are accessible.
2. To allow the SMTP server to deliver email notifications, you must
have access to one of the following ports: 25, 465, or 587. In the
Configuration Manager, you choose how to set up email notifications.
3. For your network, access to Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate
authorities. This ensures that all data in transit, including your
authentication token, is encrypted.
4. Network administrator privileges
5. A network connection to your Google Account that is unhindered by
proxies or firewalls.(recommended)
6. Access to a mail server capable of relaying GCDS notification
messages.(optional)
7.
●
●
●
●
●
GCDS makes use of the following APIs:
Directory API
Cloud Identity API
Groups Settings API
Enterprise License Manager API
Domain Shared Contacts API
Level of expertise
1. LDAP directory—Familiarity with your LDAP data. It’s also useful to
be comfortable with LDAP query language.
2. Network expertise—Experience with your network and security
settings for internal and outbound traffic. Capable of configuring mail
servers to handle notification traffic.
3. Knowledge of your user base—It's possible to figure out which LDAP
entries correspond to existing users and groups.
The amount of storage space is less than 15gb which would cost $0.36 per
month.
Must provide good security and be durable that is to be stored in multiple
places to prevent loss.
Legal and ethical considerations Some of the legal concerns that must be followed include the Data
Protection Act, Computer Misuse Legislation, Copyright, Designs, and
Patents Legislation, Telecommunication Regulations, Fraud Legislation,
Legal Liability, and Contractual Obligations. Ethical considerations include
privacy, integrity, confidentiality, and security.
Risks and how to keep track of them Files on the cloud are exposed and vulnerable to hacking if security
procedures are not in place. Furthermore, the fact that they are stored and
transmitted via the internet is a substantial and high-risk factor.
Furthermore, data can be intercepted en route to its destination even if the
cloud service enables file encryption. Furthermore, the greatest defense
against this threat is to encrypt data and transfer it over a secure
connection, since this will prevent outsiders from reading the data in the
cloud. Furthermore, extra risks, such as data leakage, have stopped many
businesses from adopting cloud computing.
Risks and how to keep track of them Files on the cloud are exposed and vulnerable to hacking if security
procedures are not in place. Furthermore, the fact that they are stored and
transmitted via the internet is a substantial and high-risk factor.
Furthermore, data can be intercepted en route to its destination even if the
cloud service enables file encryption. Furthermore, the greatest defense
against this threat is to encrypt data and transfer it over a secure
connection, since this will prevent outsiders from reading the data in the
cloud. Furthermore, extra risks, such as data leakage, have stopped many
businesses from adopting cloud computing. Furthermore, because the
cloud is a multi-user system in which all resources are shared, this goal is
possible. Also, because it is a third-party service, data may be accessed or
mishandled by the provider. Data leakage could also be caused by external
threats such as hostile cloud provider breaches or compromises of cloud
user accounts. As a result, rather than relying on the cloud service provider,
the best alternative is to rely on file encryption and stronger passwords.
Meeting schedule
Date
Time
Persons
method
Meeting
First
1/03/2022
meeting
12:00 All
Skype
members
Second 4/03/2022
meeting
14:00 All
WhatsApp
members
Third
19/03/2022 15:30 All
On-site
meeting
members
Communication: for communication we made use of online meeting
methods due to covid pandemic, e-communication services like gmail and
whatsapp. We also created slides for our presentation. The link for the
presentation is
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1D0N_eXiUfuVOxSCUsvuaXTC-mv
r2di3pQoYlRdSh-y8/edit?usp=sharing .
FEEDBACK
Philip:
since it is stated in the scenarios that it is a small department with 5 people
working at a time, 15gb looks too big and expensive since it could be
reduced.
My reply: due to possible future expansion, I made it big and also the data
that might be stored might be in video format and one which might take a
lot of space.
James : Did you check to see if there are any better cloud providers that
google cloud. If not, carry out some research. It might be cheaper
Possible further actions taken:
I won't make changes to the storage space but I would check other cloud
providers to see what they have but most times the price does reflect the
service so I might not consider others.
Task
Task name
Date
Dated ended
1
Planning cloud
based
collaboration
4/2/2022
4/2/2022
2
Purpose of the
solution
4/2/2022
4/2/2022
3
Client
requirements
4/2/2022
4/2/2022
4
Design
specification
4/2/2022
4/2/2022
5
Technical
requirement
6/2/2022
6/2/2022
6
Creating the
cloud design
solution
8/3/22
12/3/2022
7
Presenting the
cloud design
solution to the
client
13/3/2022
14/3/2022
8
Gathering
feedback from
clients
15/3/2022
17/3/2022
9
Updating the
presentation
based on client
feed
22/3/2022
25/3/2022
1o
Justification of
my decision of
the cloud
solution.
1/3/2022
3/3/2022
Activity journal Date
Activity
06/03/2
2
Customers' chosen cloud storage service style and
organisation.
10/03/2
2
Examining the cloud storage service's design.
12/03/2
2
The design standard was updated to make it more apparent
and readable.
14/03/2
2
We tried out several design specifications to evaluate what
works best for our customers.
19/03/2
2
A cloud storage option is being examined and improved.
21/03/2
2
The process of modifying a software system to make it perform
more effectively or consume less resources in some way is
known as solution optimization.
Purpose of
meeting
Time of
meeting
Mode of
meeting
Involved
persons
Targets met
Selection of 10/03/2022
cloud service
provider
Online
meeting
Related
company
members
completed
Feedback
gathering
15/03/2022
Onsite
clients
completed
Creation and 20/03/2022
subscription
to a package
with the
cloud
provider
Online
Related
company
members
Completed
testing
Online
meeting
Clients
Partial
completion.
Continuous
testing
onsite
clients
completed
22/03/2022
Evaluate
28/03/2022
outcome with
clients
design specification
In this design, I've added Management AODOC, application drive app g suite, google cloud functions and notifications, google
cloud CDN, google compute engine, google cloud file store, and 256-bit SSL/TLS encryption and 128-bit AES keys to my
cloud storage design, which is based on google drive and the Kingston university app because of its simplicity.
Users may add Google Drive to a variety of first-party and third-party
external online apps via the Chrome Web Store. These programs allow
users to sign papers, create flowcharts, save audio files, and do other
functions. It's also a lot less expensive than Microsoft.
Google recommends AODocs as the only document management and
business process platform that allows companies of all sizes to easily
govern documents, scale business-critical processes, and meet compliance
requirements while improving user experience. Google Cloud Functions is
a server less platform that allows you to create and integrate cloud
applications.
GCloud Functions enables you to construct single-purpose functions that
are linked to events created by your cloud infrastructure and services. Your
function is called when an event that is being watched occurs. A Cloud
Function reads the message from the subject and sends a push notification
to a webhook.
Cloud CDN caches external HTTP(S) load balanced data close to your
visitors using Google's globally dispersed edge points of presence. By
caching content at the margins of Google's network, you may provide
information to your customers faster while minimizing your serving costs.
Google Compute Engine is an Infrastructure as a Service component of the
Google Cloud Platform that is built on the same global infrastructure that
supports Google's search engine, Gmail, YouTube, and other services.
Google Compute Engine allows users to launch virtual computers on
demand.
Cloud File store is a managed file storage solution for apps that require
both a file system interface and shared data storage. Users can use File
store to easily and naturally set up managed Network Attached Storage
(NAS) with their Google Compute Engine and Kubernetes Engine
instances.
Data in transit is encrypted with 256-bit SSL/TLS, while files at rest are
encrypted with 128-bit AES keys. In layman's terms, this means that
Google uses stronger encryption when you publish, download, or read data
kept on Google Drive (256-bit).
P4
Develop a cloud storage and collaboration solution to meet a client’s
needs.
Images to show I have made use of the cloud services and made
necessary modifications. In the screenshot below I made a user account for
a member.
This image is me making use of the server, and accessing the area for
creating user accounts.
The next image is me setting the security for the user. The modification I
made is that the user must change their password after first login.
the next picture is the properties of the local storage
In this picture I created a default password that must be changed after a set
conditions which is the first login.
In this picture i right clicked on the user folder and selected new to create a
new user account.
in the next picture the user tries to login in with their login credentials.
the user receives the condition to complete before logging in.
In this picture I set the permission and access level of the user which is set
to administrator.
In this picture the user successfully changed the password and logged in.
In this picture it shows the number of devices connected to the cloud
server.
To fulfil the demands of my clients in the photos above, I
developed/implemented cloud storage and collaboration solutions. I also
set up a virtual infrastructure, which included installing an operating system
and running virtual server instances on third-party servers. I've also created
a framework for allocating host computer resources. In the same method,
I've installed, deleted, and updated software. I've also added new users,
changed passwords, and set up resource allocations. I've also prepared
cloud clients. Finally, I've made certain that goals have been established,
processes have been agreed upon, and roles and duties for individual team
members have been established.
P5
Test and manage a cloud storage and collaboration solution, confirming
that it meets the client‘s needs.
Test Tests
No.
Expected Result
Actual Result
1
Functional
each feature is
functioning properly.
The solution was
successfully tested to
confirm its functionality
and compliance with
the criteria.
2
User
the user experience is
positive while making
use of our service.
The usability is great,
guaranteeing that the
user experience is
flawless.
3
Performanc
e
The solution's
performance,
responsiveness, and
stability are all
assessed.
Tested to guarantee
that the solution's
performance meets the
client's expectation
4
Stress
Thorough testing to
determine the stability
of the solution
I have testing in
position to identify the
solution's stability.
5
Security
Testing to look into and I've done tests to
find flaws in the security guarantee the optimizer
mechanism of the
security mechanism is
solution
secure
TESTING
1. Go to the Connectivity Tests page in the Cloud console from the host
project.
2. Create a Connectivity Test
3. Give the test a unique name.
4. Choose a protocol.
5. Select IP address under Source IP or instance, and then type in an IP
address.
A. Make sure the checkbox This is an IP address used in Google Cloud
is ticked.
B. If necessary, mark the box labeled I've verified that the source endpoint
is located outside of the RFC 1918 address space.
C. Select the source IP address or instance.
6. Select IP address as the destination IP or instance, and then type in an
IP address
A. Make sure the checkbox This is an IP address used in Google Cloud
is ticked.
B. If necessary, mark the box labeled I verified that the destination
endpoint's address range is not within the RFC 1918 address space.
C. Choose the Service project that has the IP address.
B. In the host (current) project, go to Network and find the IP address.
7. Choose a port for your destination.
8. Choose Create.
9. Following the completion of the test, the main Connectivity Tests page
loads, displaying a list that includes this and other tests.
P6 Review the extent to which the cloud storage and collaboration solution
meets the client‘s needs.
To fulfil the demands of my clients in the photos above, I
developed/implemented cloud storage and collaboration solutions. I also
set up a virtual infrastructure, which included installing an operating system
and running virtual server instances on third-party servers. I've also created
a framework for allocating host computer resources. In the same method,
I've installed, deleted, and updated software. I've also added new users,
changed passwords, and set up resource allocations. I've also prepared
cloud clients. Finally, I've made certain that goals have been established,
processes have been agreed upon, and roles and duties for individual team
members have been established.
M2 & M3
JUSTIFICATION
The reason I chose google cloud is because they are among the best cloud
providers in the world and while by feedback i saw that there are better
cloud providers than them, i would stick to them especially because google
services are able to be linked to each other rather easily And the lowest
rating i have seen is 4 stars.
The technical requirements are something that could easily be met due to
the fact that these devices(hardware and software) like windows and ram
are something that is available and already in our devices. Most people
make use of window devices, about 1.5 billion do which makes this solution
very compatible.
Testing would be carried out in order to ensure that once the solution has
been implemented , there would be no errors which could lead to
downtimes, and affect the productivity of the company. The service also
provides documents to help users learn how to properly carry out testing.
My solution would also help1. Make smarter decisions with the leading data platform by Google
Cloud's machine learning and smart analytics capabilities, you can
get the most out of your data. Our serverless data analytics and
machine learning platform aids in the automation of processes, the
making of intelligent predictions, and the streamlining of management
and operations.
2. Run my apps anywhere with Google Cloud's commitment to open
source, multi cloud, and hybrid cloud, you can utilize your data and
run your apps on any cloud or in any environment, avoiding vendor
lock-in. Our open cloud solutions enable organisations to modernize
and developers to build quicker in any environment by providing
consistency between public and private clouds.
3. Allows the company to have their workloads powered by a cloud that
is carbon-neutral. The electricity used to power Google Cloud goods
and services is made entirely from renewable sources. Google Cloud
provides your company a route to sustainability as the only major
cloud provider to purchase enough renewable energy to cover all
operations which could improve their image.
4. The company can Save money, increase efficiency, and optimize
spending. According to a TechValidate report, 86 percent of Google
Cloud users agree that "Google Cloud helps boost their operational
efficiency and optimize IT budget." With our straightforward and
creative pricing model, Google Cloud saves you money. Anthos can
help you save 40 percent to 55 percent on platform management
time. When you shift programmes to Google Cloud instead of running
them on-premises, you can save up to 32%.
5. With advanced security tools, confidently operating the same
infrastructure and security services that Google uses, Google Cloud
secures your data, applications, infrastructure, and customers from
fraudulent behavior, spam, and abuse. Data encryption is available in
Google Cloud's networking, data storage, and computation services
at rest, in transit, and in use. Compliance and data confidentiality are
aided by advanced security tools.
A google account in order to make use of google service so it would be a
compulsory requirement and an administrator account would be needed to
set all requirements the company might have, such as restrictions and
permissions settings. A lot of the specification for running this cloud
solution can be found on its website and have shown that all that I have
listed above are correct and meaningful.
The clients referred to here are the people who work in the small
department in the company
Risks :
1. Downtime: they might be downtime while using the cloud solution
which would make accessing information that's stored online a lot
more harder.
2. There is a risk of exposure of clients data through a security breach
or incompetence on the service providers part.
3. The service could provide the clients information to third parties like
the government and law enforcement agencies.
4. Loss of data
MAINTENANCE:
During the two weeks run of the cloud services, I regularly carried out
updates to ensure that all hardware, operating system, and database
engine are reliable, having high performance, secure, and up-to-date . I
also made important patches to ensure that the cloud server had fast
response time when logging in.
Most updates made do not cause an interruption of service but some do
which is called maintenance. This type of updates provides benefits like
1. Cloud SQL features: this launches new features, the database engine
would be updated with a new database installed.
2. Operating system patches: this is what I did to ensure security of the
server. Once a security vulnerability is found, I make patches to
protest against new risks.
This maintenance is not done just during a set time but done continuously
so I won't provide a table showing how I set the time to carry out this
maintenance.
D2 Evaluate the plan and optimized solution against a client’s needs.
To summarize what I've said so far, the planning will result in the full
integration of PAAS, SAAS, and IAAS, resulting in a strong solution which
will guarantee a great customer experience as well as good client feedback
that can be used to bring about new updates for the solution or to use it on
a different project. Furthermore, good planning will save you a lot of money
and time, as well as optimize your IT procedures and boost productivity. In
the same way, elasticity in cloud computing is only acceptable and useful
when the execution strategy is excellent. Additionally, while additional
capacity is easily procured, it is vital to understand and know what your
customer is currently using and will require in the future. Furthermore,
adequate capacity planning saves you money by preventing you from
paying for resources that aren't being used properly or efficiently. As a
result, when correctly utilized, the cloud is simply a less expensive option.
Furthermore, it is vital to recognize the need of managing acquired
resources since, while a large amount of capacity may appear appealing, it
is critical to determine whether the current infrastructure can handle it. As a
result, if the purchased cloud capacity exceeds the infrastructure's
capabilities, the system may need to be modified or rebuilt.
D3 Demonstrate individual responsibility, creativity and effective
self-management in the design, development and review of cloud storage
and collaboration solutions.
I have designed a pilot-based cloud storage and collaboration solution for a
specific field within the firm that creates technical documents for the
company's business, in response to the client's request. Second, the
collaboration solution required that the 5 department employees have
virtualized storage areas where they could collaborate on word-processed
documents and spreadsheets as well as share calendar appointments. In
addition, I outlined the technical requirements, user demands, user
requirements, solution purpose, legal and ethical considerations, and
dangers, which aided me in developing the solution's design and ensuring it
met the client's expectations.
In addition, I designed and generated a reasonable and appropriate design
for the solution for which I completed my research, ensuring that it met the
criteria. Similarly, I sought feedback from the customer in order to have a
better understanding of their viewpoint on the design and to use the
feedback to make any necessary changes. Furthermore, I scheduled and
videotaped meetings with the customer to discuss optimizer design,
evaluation, and optimization. In addition, to keep track of the development's
start and finish dates, I built a project timetable for the solution. In addition,
I kept a diary of each work assignment.
In addition, once the solution was complete, I created project evidence in
the form of snapshots and provided an explanation at the end of the steps I
followed. In addition, by examining the solution, I can determine whether it
met the client's requirements and whether it has any similarities to the
model. In addition, for the design, I utilized Draw.io.
In addition, I did a variety of tests (functional, user, performance, stress,
and security) to look for flaws that might be addressed if necessary.
Similarly, I looked at how well the client's requirements were addressed by
the cloud storage and collaboration service. Furthermore, after receiving
additional input from the client, I investigated what changes or patches
could be made to improve the solution's usability, functionality, and other
vital or key components in order to provide a better user experience. In
general, the program is going well, as I was able to give an effective and
successful solution in line with the specifications of the client.
EVALUATION/OUTCOME
The google cloud service that is run for the organization is rather
successful as it allows the clients to share and work on documents at the
same time be it word , spreadsheet or presentation documents. Google
cloud service is able to be accessed by other and almost all mainstream
browsers like google chrome, Firefox and internet explorer. It is able to be
used on pc, laptops and mobile devices. This cloud service also provides
service that while not requested for can be accompanied like sharing
photos and videos. The service allows things like sharing calendar
appointments, for this is part of the main needs of the organization. To
summarize, I designed, built, and assessed the pilot-based cloud storage
and collaboration solution to see how well it matched the customer's needs.
I also evaluated the risks, along with ethical and legal considerations.
Similarly, I examined the feedback I received and made the necessary
changes to ensure a positive user experience and a successful project.
SUGGESTION
Due to the success and practicability of this cloud service, I suggest this be
expanded to all parts of the organization as this would improve efficiency of
the organization as a whole. The organization isn't currently making use of
any cloud services and in this age where it is becoming more and more
popular, the organization should get on that boat instead of being left
behind.
Extra:
A problem faced was that a user once forgot their password and i had not
made any plans for that so i set it up so the users could request a default
password and login
But be required to create a new password immediately after login.
Ref
https://www.digitalmarketplace.service.gov.uk/g-cloud/services/6062908297
71382