Topic outline

  • Module Overview

    Module Lecturer

    Associate Professor Dr Muhammad Ehsan Rana

    muhd_ehsanrana@apu.edu.my

    A very warm welcome to the Cloud Infrastructure and Services (CIS) elective module for the Data Engineering pathway.  My name is Muhammad Ehsan Rana and I am your instructor for this module. I hold a master’s qualification in both Computer Science and Mathematics and obtained my PhD in Software Engineering from Universiti Putra Malaysia. I possess more than 20 years of experience in teaching, research, and academic management. I am currently working as an Associate Professor at the Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU), Malaysia. I have authored and co-authored more than 100 journal articles, conference publications and book chapters in the areas of Software Architecture, Cloud Computing, IoT and Blockchain. I am also a reviewer of several indexed journals and have participated in the organization of IEEE and other international conferences.

    Google Scholar LinkGoogle Scholar            logl LinkedIn            Logo ResearchGate

    Please do reach out to me if you have any queries or questions.  Best of luck and I hope you enjoy the module!


    • Module Synopsis

      This modules provides knowledge of digital transformation, role of Cloud to help organizations address the current IT challenges to meet their overall digital transformation objectives. This modules will also help to gain the knowledge on technologies, processes, and mechanisms required to build a cloud infrastructure.


    • Course Leaning Outcomes

      CLO1 Analyze cloud computing infrastructure and models with focus on security concerns and management issues in an organization. (C4, PLO2) CLO2 Demonstrate various aspects of cloud such as applications, services and orchestration, modern infrastructure (physical, virtual, and software-defined infrastructure). (A3, PLO9) CLO3 Debates on how digital transformation drives the adoption of cloud computing. (A3, PLO4)

  • Driving Digital Transformation through Cloud


    • Overview Page

      With Industrial Revolution 4.0 upon us and COVID-19 behind us, there has never been a more pressing need to shift business operations to the cloud for sustainability purposes.  With that, we examine the digital transformation in business through the cloud  from a humanistic as well as technical perspective. For this topic, we will cover the following:

      1. Describe digital transformation
      2. Explain various businesses and IT challenges
      3. Explain digital and IT transformation for cloud adoption
      4. Describe IT transformation key focus areas


    • Discussion Forum

      Study the case study in the link below and discuss the key features of digital transformation you observed. 

      https://edutube.emc.com/Player.aspx?vno=qnk2kiGxZhyS+/ZTgJxY4A==&autoplay=true&t=0h0m0s

  • Cloud Deployment and Reference Models


    • Overview Page

      Now that we have explored the benefits of cloud computing and what it can offer in terms of services, we will explore two models of operationalising these concepts: The Cloud Deployment Model and Reference Model

      Cloud Deployment Model will cover the following

      1.  Public cloud
      2. Private cloud
      3. Community cloud
      4. Hybrid cloud

      Cloud Computing Reference Model will cover the following

      1. Layers of cloud computing reference model 
      2. Entities and functions of each layer
      3. Cross-layer functions of cloud computing reference model



    • Discussion Forum

      Discuss the difference between a traditional data center, and an on-premise private cloud.


  • Cloud Computing Overview and Introduction to Models

  • Options and Considerations for Building a Cloud Infrastructure


    • Overview Page

      Hope you are following the class well.  After exploring the different models for cloud computing, we consider the options and considerations for building a cloud infrastructure.   The topics to be covered include the following: 

      1. Greenfield and brownfield deployment options 
      2. Technology solutions for building a cloud infrastructure
      3. Factors to consider while building a cloud infrastructure

    • Discussion Forum

      Provide examples on the tools to perform test management and automation.

  • Virtualisation


    • Overview Page
      Congratulations to you for progressing to the mid-way point of the module. In this topic on virtualisation, we will cover the following sub-topics:

      1. The virtual layer and virtualization software
      2.  The resource pool
      3. The virtual resources

    • Discussion Forum

      Explain with a practical scenario where having a Bare -Metal Hypervisor is more advantageous than a 

      Hosted Hypervisor.



  • Cloud Services and Orchestration


    • Overview Page

      After describing the functionalities of virtualisation, we will delve into cloud services and orchestration.

      For Cloud services, the following topic will be covered

      1. Cloud services and its functions 
      2. Service catalog and its elements 
      3. Service ordering 
      4. Cloud interfaces 
      5. Cloud portal
      6. Cloud service lifecycle
      7. Service automation 

      For Orchestration, we will cover the following topics:

      1. Orchestration Software or Orchestrator
      2. System Integration using Orchestration software 
      3. Application Programming Interface (API)
      4. Workflow Modeling  
      5. Orchestration use cases



    • Discussion Forum

      Discuss the challenges with the automation of services with a practical example and propose ways to overcome those challenges. 

  • Cloud Security


    • Overview Page

      With increasing investments into cloud computing, there is a need to consider the security features to be constructed in Cloud computing to secure the assets.  There are two parts to this topics. 

      For the first part, we will cover

      1. Cloud security concepts
      2. Key security threats in the cloud

      For the latter part, we will cover

      1. Classification of information security controls
      2. Administrative, physical and technical security mechanism
      3. Governance, risk management, and compliance
      4. Key activities for audits


    • Discussion Forum

      For the setting below, identify the security threat involved and state your reasoning.

      The attackers targeted an unrelated third-party athletic race site for credentials, where many number of race participants including bank employees had registered. The attackers after obtaining the credentials, exposed the names, email, postal addresses, and phone numbers of account holders.
       

    • Tutorial - Security in the AWS Cloud

      1. Create a free account on https://explore.skillbuilder.aws

      2. Subscribe for the free curriculum titled “Solutions Architect Learning Plan - Earn a Learning Badge”

      3. Complete the activities in “Getting Started with AWS Security, Identity, and Compliance” section

      4. Complete the assessment given at the end of security curriculum.


  • Cloud Migration Strategies


    • Overview Page

      With such great potential success in cloud computing, we now consider the strategies for cloud migration.  The topics we will cover include the following:

      1. Considerations for migration to Cloud
      2. The Cloud models suitable for different categories of users
      3. Considerations for choosing applications suitable for Cloud
      4. Different phases to adopting the Cloud


    • Discussion Forum

      Discuss a practical scenario whereby a forklift migration strategy will have more success than a hybrid migration strategy.


  • Topic 9