Assessment Report: Virtualization and Cloud Computing for Webb Store

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of cloud computing and virtualization for Webb Store, a regional retail industry. It begins with an executive summary and table of contents, followed by an examination of the advantages and disadvantages of Software as a Service (SaaS), including affordability, quick deployment, and zero-level infrastructure. The report recommends NetSuite as a suitable SaaS provider and discusses its benefits over competitors, while also acknowledging its limitations. The report then explores Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) approaches for migrating Webb Store's database to the cloud, considering flexibility, system complexity, and associated advantages and disadvantages. It concludes with recommendations for mitigating cloud computing issues, such as encryption and authentication, to enhance data security and management. The report references various sources to support its findings.

Running head: VIRTUALIZATION AND CLOUD COMPUTING
Virtualization and Cloud Computing: Webb store
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VIRTUALIZATION AND CLOUD COMPUTING
Executive summary
Webb Store, a successful regional retail industry serves secured and effective service to the
consumers. However, the current data management approaches of Webb Store is not that
much beneficial thus, in order to mitigate the data management challenges the company is
willing to migrate their platform from the general one to SaaS model. The benefits of IaaS, PaaS
and SaaS and the infrastructure level issues and their mitigation approaches are represented in
this report.
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Table of Contents
Question 2..................................................................................................................................... 3
a. The advantages that Webb’s can achieve if they uses the SaaS services...................................3
b. The disadvantages that Webb’s can achieve if they uses the SaaS services..............................4
c. The SaaS that could be recommended.......................................................................................5
i. The name of the service..........................................................................................................5
ii. How it is better than other similar services............................................................................5
iii. The specific disadvantages....................................................................................................6
Question 3..................................................................................................................................... 6
i. An IaaS approach to migrate Webb store’s database to the cloud.........................................6
ii. A PaaS approach to migrate Webb store’s database to cloud...............................................7
iii. Advantages and disadvantages of the approaches...............................................................7
iv. Set of recommendations to mitigate the issues of cloud computing....................................8
References..................................................................................................................................... 8
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Question 2
a. The advantages that Webb’s can achieve if they uses the SaaS services
Based on the type of business most of the software development business organizations
uses SaaS, PaaS and IaaS cloud models to offer a much better data management approach to
the employees and secured outcome to the consumers. However, due to lack of management
approaches these companies might face major level issues (Kalloniatis et al., 2014). A great
cost effective alternative and secured service could be served with the help of cloud computing
and virtualization application. The advantages of Webb store’s company after adopting the
cloud computing are as follows:
Affordability: The SaaS model provides affordable subscription based services to the
consumers like CRM. With the help of this application the users will be able to afford the service
(Toosi, Calheiros & Buyya, 2014). With the help of the subscription the employees and users
will be able to get automated upgraded latest system, maintenance and high degree customer
support. SaaS model gives monthly based subscription model to the consumers.
Quick deployment: The SaaS solution requires web browser and internet service
together. The SaaS solution needs extra time to deploy the system in the organization however
no software solution is required to be installed by the company (Zhao, Li & Liu, 2014). The
employees of the company will be able to access data from the server very frequently.
Zero level infrastructures: During the delivery of the business operation and functional
operations. The system IT infrastructure level complexities could be completely minimized with
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the help of the SaaS model (Grover & Sharma, 2014). The SaaS vendor takes care of the system
operation and hardware maintenance as well thus the employees and system developer need
not to take care of any of the application.
Data backup and disaster recovery: The SaaS model is able to provide data backup and
even if any of the data get destroyed then that could also be retrieved easily by the employees
and service providers (Jain & Mahajan, 2017). If the server gets interrupted then SaaS model
cab also provides disaster recovery option to the system developers.
b. The disadvantages that Webb’s can achieve if they uses the SaaS services
Less of control: Each of the in-house software provides higher degree control feature to
the system owners but hosted solution turns much of the control to the third party service
providers (Pahl & Xiong, 2013). Thus, in this case due to lack of trust most of the owners feel
insecure to utilize this platform to serve their application.
Application limitation: Currently due to the presence of high level beneficial outcome
most of the medium to small business organizations are using the SaaS cloud model. However,
still certain software applications are there that is unable to provide hosted platform to the
consumers (Pfaff & Ries, 2014). Still the company will be able to host some of the software if
they found to be using the multiple software solution.
Slower speed: The speeds of the SaaS application are slower than other client server
applications. In order to gain the required service speed the companies need to implement a
much better computing environment to run the application properly.
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Requirement for connectivity: Without the help of the internet connection the users
cannot utilize the SaaS application (Grozev & Buyya, 2014). If the speeds of the internet services
are found to be slower then, the application would also become slower and thus the users will
not be able to access the software and data easily.
c. The SaaS that could be recommended
i. The name of the service
Many SaaS service providers are there and based on the type of the businesses the
owners do select the most supportive and beneficial service providers for their company. After
analyzing the components and service features of Webb Store, it is found that NetSuite is the
most effective Software as a Service (SaaS) provider. The wide ranged business application can
be fluently served by the service providers (Zhao, Li & Liu, 2014). Apart from the general
services it also provides completely featured accounting and financial characteristic, Customer
Relationship Management (CRM), E-Commerce software and inventory to the consumers.
Moreover, it can be said that, NetSuit is able to provide an integrated service to Webb Store.
ii. How it is better than other similar services
Financialforce is another SaaS software service provider that possesses the CRM
features as well. However, considering the number of staffs and their ability to run the system
application properly, it are determined that NetSuite s one of the most beneficial software
service provider (Jain & Mahajan, 2017). The company will be able to get commercial benefit
from the competitive market after the adoption of this software vendor. Email marketing is not
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required for this particular company thus; they should adopt the NetSuite over Financialforce.
The software application could run properly with lesser time and cost as well. Even the
marketing ROI also increases after the implementation of SaaS service as their business
application platform.
iii. The specific disadvantages
Though the service provides high range benefit to the users but still the most
highlighted issue associated to this is the variable functionality and features. The hosted
applications are completely limited to serve the desired software functionality however, due to
lack of some of the application level features and functionalities, the application become
limited (Furuncu & Sogukpinar, 2015). Additionally, the critical business solution cannot be
served with the help of this service.
Question 3
i. An IaaS approach to migrate Webb store’s database to the cloud
The Webb Store has three data centre in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and the
company uses 2012 R2 database for managing their confidential data. However, the company is
facing data management challenges for using this application and thus in order to mitigate
these challenges the company is willing to migrate their platform from the general to IaaS
based cloud (Selvam & Kannan, 2015). The IaaS platform has enough flexibility and scalability
thus for gaining on premise and on demand scalability, Webb store is migrating their service
platform.
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ii. A PaaS approach to migrate Webb store’s database to cloud
The PaaS cloud platform is very much cost reduced and compared to other service
providers, the companies those are using the PaaS cloud platform are able to save more than
50% of operational savings to the owners. The technology stacks could be managed by the
project teams properly (Manuel, 2015). The capital expenditure could be minimized with the
help of some of the database elements like server, storage, network components etc. Even the
operational expenditure also gets reduce with the help of these elements.
iii. Advantages and disadvantages of the approaches
Factors Advantages Disadvantages
Flexibility Due to the presence of extreme
level flexibility, the operation
capabilities of the systems get
increased and the overall
investment cost also gets
reduced with this approach.
System flexibility is beneficial but
at the same time extreme
flexibility, interrupts the security
of the system.
System complexity If the system is found to be
complex, then the security of
the system get enhanced and
due to this none of the external
If the system is found to be
complex enough then the
employees will not be utilize the
application properly. Then, in
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users will be able to access the
server without proper
authentication (Alhamazani et
al., 2015).
order to utilize the platform
properly, training and
development program is required
to be arranged by the
management authority of the
company.
iv. Set of recommendations to mitigate the issues of cloud computing
Encryption: With the help of proper encryption the server and the information
transmission channel will be secured from the external attackers.
Authentication: With authentication none of the unauthorized users will be able to
access data from the server.
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References
Abdelmaboud, A., Jawawi, D. N., Ghani, I., Elsafi, A., & Kitchenham, B. (2015). Quality of service
approaches in cloud computing: A systematic mapping study. Journal of Systems and
Software, 101, 159-179.
Alhamazani, K., Ranjan, R., Mitra, K., Rabhi, F., Jayaraman, P. P., Khan, S. U., ... & Bhatnagar, V.
(2015). An overview of the commercial cloud monitoring tools: research dimensions,
design issues, and state-of-the-art. Computing, 97(4), 357-377.
Anselmi, J., Ardagna, D., & Passacantando, M. (2014). Generalized nash equilibria for saas/paas
clouds. European Journal of Operational Research, 236(1), 326-339.
Bhoyar, R., & Chopde, N. (2013). Cloud Computing: Service models, Types, Database and ssues.
Chandramouli, R., Iorga, M., & Chokhani, S. (2014). Cryptographic key management issues and
challenges in cloud services. In Secure Cloud Computing (pp. 1-30). Springer New York.
Furuncu, E., & Sogukpinar, I. (2015). Scalable risk assessment method for cloud computing using
game theory (CCRAM). Computer Standards & Interfaces, 38, 44-50.
Grover, J., & Sharma, M. (2014, July). Cloud computing and its security issues—A review.
In Computing, Communication and Networking Technologies (ICCCNT), 2014
International Conference on (pp. 1-5). IEEE.
Grozev, N., & Buyya, R. (2014). Inter Cloud architectures and application brokering: taxonomy‐
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Gupta, K., Beri, R., Behal, V., Gupta, K., Beri, R., & Behal, V. (2016). Cloud Computing: A Survey
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