Cloud Computing Report: Analysis of Cloud Solutions for VideoDev Ltd

This report provides a comprehensive introduction to cloud computing, outlining its core concepts, key characteristics, and benefits for businesses like VideoDev Ltd. It explores various cloud computing types, including private, community, public, and hybrid clouds, and delves into the architecture, encompassing front-end and back-end components, with a focus on virtualization. The report examines different service models, specifically IaaS and PaaS, comparing their features and recommending IaaS for VideoDev Ltd due to its flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. It addresses potential limitations of IaaS, such as security concerns, and introduces additional architectural patterns like data-centric architecture. Furthermore, the report analyzes Standard Desktop Operating Environments (SDOE), comparing Amazon Workspaces and Windows Virtual Desktop, and concludes that Amazon Workspaces offers a secure and managed SDOE solution for VideoDev Ltd, enhancing its ICT infrastructure, increasing responsiveness, reducing maintenance costs, and supporting heavy video processing for clients.

Cloud Computing

Introduction
What is Cloud Computing?
It is a concept, that has been provided by the ICT (Information and
Communications Technology).
The operation of cloud computing is quite similar to that of web-based email
clients, which allows the user with the access permissions without asking much
for the hardware requirements.
Elasticity and resource pooling are some of its prime features.
This also serves a large number of clients with the same amount of resources

Key characteristics:
Improving the organizational agility by increasing user flexibility,
expanding or adding technological resources.
Cloud providers often claim cost reductions.
Independent in terms of device and location.
The cloud computing applications are comparatively easier to maintain
since they can be accessed from anywhere irrespective of the devices and
locations used.
Multitenancy is another prime characteristic that is provided by cloud
computing.
Enhanced productivity

Key concepts:
The uploaded information can be accessed remotely.
The companies providing cloud services to their clients, allows the users
to remotely store their applications and files.
These applications and files can later be accessed with the help 0f
internet.
Therefore, there is no need to carry personal devices as the files can be
accessed remotely.
All the computer related clustered tasks is moved to the cyber space
with the help of cloud computing.

Major cloud computing types:
Private Cloud- The resources are deployed for a particular organization.
Community Cloud- Specified organizations and communities are
responsible for accessing the resources.
Public Cloud- Government, business or academic organizations govern and
own the resources.
Hybrid Cloud- It can be used in B2C as well as B2B interactions. The
resources here are bounded by several clouds.

Cloud Computing Architecture:
In a cloud, there is always a front and a back end.
The front end comprises of the client part such as specified
applications and interfaces for the purpose of accessing the cloud
platform.
The back end comprises of the cloud itself which includes all the
resources that are required for the purpose of cloud computing
services.
The back end generally comprises of servers, virtual machines,
security mechanisms, data storage etc.

The concept of Virtualization:
It can be stated as the enabling technology for cloud computing services.
A single physical server can be partitioned into various logical servers with
the help of virtualization.
After the partition, each logical server acts as an individual physical server
and can independently run the applications along with an operating system as
well.
Virtualization is provided by many famous companies like Microsoft and
VMware.
In such cases, the company provides their clients to use their dedicated virtual
servers to store the data rather than storing them in the personalized system.

Key Purposes of
Virtualization:
In general, there are three prime purposes of virtualization. They are as
follows:
Network virtualization
Storage virtualization
Server virtualization

Why Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing is a huge shift from the traditional way of perceiving IT
resources. Few of the core reasons, as to why VideoDev Ltd. should move to
cloud computing platform have been mentioned below:
Cost
Speed
Global scale
Productivity
Performance
Reliability
Security

Moving video processing to
the cloud:
Phase 1
Business planning and preparation for migration
Phase 2
Planning and portfolio discovery
Phase 3 & 4
Migrating, designing and validating the application
Phase 5
Operate

Characteristics of PaaS:
The concepts of PaaS is solely built on the process of
virtualization technology, signifying the possibility to scale
resources depending upon the business changes.
A wide range of services is provided by PaaS for the purpose
of assisting testing, deployment as well as development of
the apps.
Several users can access the development application at the
same time.
Integration of databases and web services.

Characteristics of IaaS:
Availability of the resources is on the basis of service.
High scalability of the services.
On the basis of the consumption, the price varies.
The clients have complete control over their
infrastructure.
Flexible and dynamic in nature.
A single piece of hardware is included to be operated
by multiple users