Table of Contents
Description of Current Infrastructure. 4
Proof-of-Concept Report
The proposed project is meant to cater for the need for a cloud platform to be employed by Don & Associates. Cloud technology is a constantly growing technology that enables an organization to use resources that are not physically within it. It reduces the amount of money allocated to purchasing the resources. The efficiency of cloud platforms high and matches or surpasses the efficiency that could have been attained if the organization had purchased the physical resources. Cloud platforms allow the organization to grow as much as possible while minimizing the costs. I considered the top cloud service providers and decided to settle on the most favorable for Don & Associates. I picked the one which matches the needs of Don & Associates and the pros and cons are favorable. We will use virtual private cloud (VPC) which maintains client’s information private.
The project aims at offering the best cloud platform for the Don & Associates organization. It focuses on the most efficient, affordable, secure, and easy to use platform. Expansion of the organization means more computing power, more storage, more people accessing the information, need for a larger network, more customers in the database among other elevated needs. The project looks for a solution that provides all the given needs efficiently while still maintaining a budget-friendly range for paying for the services. The solution will be both economically and logistically beneficial to Don & Associates.
Don & Associates wants to expand their company to the surrounding states. The company can minimize the costs by employing a cloud platform. This is due to the unnecessity of physical infrastructure such as technicians to install and maintain the equipment, servers, and racks, which can be realized through employing cloud services. The company also requires to have a method to maintain the privacy of their customers’ information.
I assumed that Don & Associates require to have a method to expand at a reasonable cost. They might also require to reassure their clients that their information is kept private even when in the cloud.
The company has an infrastructure that is designed to work with a system that is geographically located close to each other. There are servers which efficiently provide server services. The organization has only one physical location which makes it easy for all the components to work efficiently since they are few and located close to each other. The network is efficient and properly maintained. When cloud is incorporated, there won’t be the need for new equipment or additional technicians.
The three best cloud providers that were considered were Amazon (AWS), Google cloud platform, and Microsoft Azure. The Pros and cons of each provider were looked into and used to settle on the provider that best suits Don & Associates’ needs.
AWS is a cloud service provided by Amazon. It is an on-demand cloud platform application programming database that provides services to individuals, organizations, and governments. It gives the users a variety of technical infrastructure such as a virtual cluster of computers that are always available as long as there is an internet connection. The off-site computers provide all computer hardware resources such as central processing units, graphics processing unit, RAM, storage devices, and a choice of operating systems. The service is provided on a pay as you go basis and does not have an upfront fee. The users only pay for the resources used and does not has additional subscriptions and bills. It also comes with additional services such as software as a service, platform as a service, and infrastructure as a service. The service also provides network services and cloud storage services, Additionally, AWS is user-friendly. However, it also has a few cons. Billing is confusing if the users are not properly conversant with how it works but once explained, it is easy to follow once it is elucidated. As the norm with most cloud providers, users do not have control on backup infrastructure. The security of information stored in the backups can leak private information.
Azure is the platform provided by Microsoft. It also offers platform as a service, software as a service, and infrastructure as a service. Other services provided by azure include computer services, identity, mobile services, storage services, data management, messaging, media services, management services, azure AI, Azure Blockchain Workbench, and Internet of Things. It supports many different programming languages, frameworks, and tools making it favorable for different organization systems. Its billing is also on a pay as you go basis which keep it competitive in the cloud providers billing structure. Azure cloud infrastructure has been faced with major outages in the past which is a negative trait for its reputation.
Google cloud platform offers serverless computing environments, infrastructure as a service, platform as a service, and data storage. Other services include big data storage, management tools, identity and security, and internet of things. It is divided into twenty-two regions through sixty-six zones globally. It offers a large variety of software, learning platforms, and testing centers. They offer virtual private cloud which is good for protecting private information. It also employs a pay as you go pay scale which is very flexible.
Building a VPC on AWS
Launching a Web Server on AWS
AWC platform is ser-friendly. Most challenges encountered while using the platform are easily solved through a query search in google. Configuring the subnets was the most difficult task although I eventually managed to get through.
In conclusion, the best platform that Don & Associates should employ is AWS. AWS is affordable yet it is packed with a long list of pros. It is the best option to help the company, although still small, to expand to the other states. It is a good option since it relieves them of the high costs for new equipment such as physical servers and storage devices. However, the risk of data leakage remains an issue attached to the use of cloud platforms. The reward is worth the risk.
