IaaS Cloud Architecture Implementation: Regional Gardens Ltd Case

This report provides an overview of cloud computing, detailing its advantages and different cloud architectures such as Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). It discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each architecture, focusing on flexibility, disaster recovery, cost-effectiveness, and security concerns. The report then assesses the current IT infrastructure of Regional Gardens Ltd, which includes Windows and Linux servers, Active Directory, SQL Server, and Exchange Server. Based on this assessment, it recommends implementing an IaaS cloud architecture to enable flexible deployment of Microsoft SharePoint 2010, improve scalability, and reduce costs. The document concludes by referencing relevant research on cloud computing security, performance, and challenges.

Architecture of Cloud
Computing
In Regional Gardens Ltd.

Cloud Computing
• The service of cloud computing is a service that is
used by the organizations and businesses usually
depends on the resources of computer that is shared
in the organization.
• There is no as such personal devices to handle the
application of the cloud architecture. Local Servers
are also not available to cloud computing.
• The cloud computing takes help of cloud services
and also moves the data into firewall outside of the
organization.
• The storage applications of the cloud are accessed
by web in cloud computing and all other services
are also accessed through web.

Advantages of Cloud Computing
There are many advantages of Cloud Computing that helps an organization to increase their productivity.
• Flexibility
• Disaster recovery
• Automatic software updates
• Capital-expenditure Free
• Increased collaboration
• Work from anywhere
• Document control
• Security
• Competitiveness
• Environmentally friendly

Types of Cloud Architectures
• Software as a service (SaaS)
• Development as a service (DaaS)
• Data as a service (DaaS)
• Platform as a service (PaaS)
• Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)
The architectures that are detailed in this presentation are SaaS, IaaS, and PaaS.
(Source: Ibrahim, Hamlyn-Harris & Grundy,, 2014)

IaaS Cloud Architecture
• The IaaS architecture is a cloud service,
which carries the infrastructure of cloud in
an outsourced basis because the services of
IaaS supports all the operations that are to
be carried out by the organization that has
the IaaS infrastructure.
• Main aim of IaaS architecture is providing
the storage to the organization, hardware
that are involved in the business, space and
the network for the data centers, software
and the servers that are included in the
software.
• IaaS is known by Hardware-as-a-Service.
(Source: Sadiku, Musa & Momoh,, 2014)

Advantages and Disadvantages of IaaS
Advantages
• IaaS saves your IT staff time
• Help the environment
• Free from limitation
• Allows you to focus on priorities
• Subscription Based
Disadvantages
• Organization is responsible for upgrading the software.
• The database system, and the infrastructure is also responsibility of the organization.
• There are legal reasons for data storage out of the country.
• The IaaS service many not secure enough.
• IaaS mainly rely on the high speed internet connection. (Source: Rittinghouse & Ransome, 2016)

PaaS Cloud Architecture
• The cloud architecture of Platform-as-a-service
is one of the important architectures among all
three cloud architectures.
• The PaaS software use different types of tools,
middleware, or software to coding the sources
and deploys applications that are included in
business.
• The application and the software is done with
PaaS and the software delivery is delivered on
the web browser when the user needs.
(Source: Rahimi et al., 2014)

Advantages and Disadvantages of PaaS
Advantages
• Quick testing as well as deployment
• Dynamic allocation
• Increased the focus on business
• Boost the internal entrepreneurship
Disadvantages
• Data security
• Limited flexibility
• Customer captivity
• Problems of integrating the in-house applications and systems
(Source: Hashem et al., 2015)

SaaS Cloud Architecture
• The SaaS users are connected with each
other and the applications that are involved
in the infrastructure are utilized by the users.
• The maintenance of the software and
installing the software are involved in SaaS
service as well.
• The users has to run the required software
from cloud client through the internet.
(Source: Bruneo, 2014)

Advantages and Disadvantages of SaaS
Advantages
• Lower cost of up-front
• Quick deployment and set up
• Easy upgrades
• Accessibility
• Scalability
Disadvantages
• No control
• Security as well as data concerns
• Limited application range
• Connectivity requirement
• Performance
(Source: Almorsy, Grundy & Müller, 2016)

Current Infrastructure of Regional Gardens
Presently the Regional Gardens uses
• There are two Active Directory domain controllers on Windows Server 2008 R2
• There are three SQL Server 2003 database servers on Windows Server 2003
• Exchange 2007 email server on Windows Server 2008 R2
• Four Windows Server 2003 File and Print servers
• Two Red Hat Enterprise 5 Linux servers running Apache and TomCat

Recommended Infrastructure of Regional
Gardens
The recommended cloud architecture for Regional Gardens Ltd is Infrastructure-as-a-
Service architecture.
With the IaaS, the company can deployed Microsoft SharePoint 2010 in a flexible manner.
The service of IaaS helps the users to complete all the tasks very easily.
• The IaaS service is flexible.
• The IaaS infrastructure provides scalability to their service.
• The system if IaaS is very cost-effective.