Unit- III

Management
Cloud Computing Management, Cloud Computing Data Storage, Collaborating via
Web-Based Communication Tools, Collaborating via Social Networks, Collaborating via
Blogs and Wikis.

Cloud Computing Management

It is the responsibility of cloud provider to manage resources and their

performance. Management of resources includes several aspects of cloud
computing such as load balancing, performance, storage, backups, capacity,
deployment, etc. The management is essential to access full functionality of
resources in the cloud.
Cloud Management Tasks

The cloud provider performs a number of tasks to ensure efficient use

of cloud resources. Here, we will discuss some of them:

Audit System Backups

It is required to audit the backups timely to ensure restoring of

randomly selected files of different users. Backups can be performed in
following ways:
 Backing up files by the company, from on-site computers to the
disks that reside within the cloud.
 Backing up files by the cloud provider.

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It is necessary to know if cloud provider has encrypted the data, who has
access to that data and if the backup is taken at different locations then the
user must know the details of those locations.
Data Flow of the System

The managers are responsible to develop a diagram describing a detailed

process flow. This process flow describes the movement of data belonging to
an organization throughout the cloud solution.

Vendor Lock-In Awareness and Solutions

The managers must know the procedure to exit from services of a

particular cloud provider. The procedures must be defined to enable the
cloud managers to export data of an organization from their system to
another cloud provider.
Knowing Provider’s Security Procedures

The managers should know the security plans of the provider for the
following services:

 Multitenant use
 E-commerce processing
 Employee screening
 Encryption policy
Monitoring Capacity Planning and Scaling Capabilities

The managers must know the capacity planning in order to ensure

whether the cloud provider is meeting the future capacity requirement
for his business or not.
The managers must manage the scaling capabilities in order to ensure
services can be scaled up or down as per the user need.
Monitor Audit Log Use

In order to identify errors in the system, managers must audit the logs
on a regular basis.
Solution Testing and Validation

When the cloud provider offers a solution, it is essential to test it in order

to ensure that it gives the correct result and it is error-free. This is
necessary for a system to be robust and reliable.
Cloud Computing Data Storage

Cloud Storage is a service that allows to save data on offsite storage system
managed by third-party and is made accessible by a web services API.

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Storage Devices

Storage devices can be broadly classified into two categories:

 Block Storage Devices

 File Storage Devices
Block Storage Devices

The block storage devices offer raw storage to the clients. These raw
storage are partitioned to create volumes.
File Storage Devices

The file Storage Devices offer storage to clients in the form of files,
maintaining its own file system. This storage is in the form of Network
Attached Storage (NAS).
Cloud Storage Classes

Cloud storage can be broadly classified into two categories:

 Unmanaged Cloud Storage

 Managed Cloud Storage
Unmanaged Cloud Storage

Unmanaged cloud storage means the storage is preconfigured for the

customer. The customer can neither format, nor install his own file
system or change drive properties.
Managed Cloud Storage

Managed cloud storage offers online storage space on-demand. The

managed cloud storage system appears to the user to be a raw disk that the
user can partition and format.
Creating Cloud Storage System

The cloud storage system stores multiple copies of data on multiple

servers, at multiple locations. If one system fails, then it is required
only to change the pointer to the location, where the object is stored.
To aggregate the storage assets into cloud storage systems, the cloud
provider can use storage virtualization software known as Storage GRID. It
creates a virtualization layer that fetches storage from different storage
devices into a single management system. The following diagram shows
how Storage GRID virtualizes the storage into storage clouds:

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Virtual Storage Containers

The virtual storage containers offer high performance cloud storage

systems. Logical Unit Number (LUN) of device, files and other objects are
created in virtual storage containers. Following diagram shows a virtual
storage container, defining a cloud storage domain:

Challenges

Storing the data in cloud is not that simple task. Apart from its
flexibility and convenience, it also has several challenges faced by the
customers. The customers must be able to:
 Get provision for additional storage on-demand.

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  Know and restrict the physical location of the stored data.
 Verify how data was erased.
 Have access to a documented process for disposing of data
storage hardware.
 Have administrator access control over data.
Collaborating via Web-Based Communication Tools

What is cloud collaboration?

Cloud collaboration is a team collaboration method where

colleagues can work together on documents housed in the
cloud, with everyone able to access the same files and edit them
in real-time.

Team members can view and edit the documents at any time, from
any location – including when they are working simultaneously. Edits
are visible to all team members as they are made, and changes are
saved and synced so that every user sees the same version of the
project.

Cloud collaboration eliminates the confusion caused by having

multiple versions of the same documents or the trials of
attempting to merge resulting files.

The rapid growth of cloud computing services and collaboration

technologies has obvious benefits for remote and hybrid
workforces. It enables teams to work together and achieve their
shared goals without being together physically in the workplace.

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86 per cent of respondents in a recent survey believed that lack of
collaboration had caused the failure of projects on which they had
worked. That’s why more and more companies are turning to cloud
collaboration services, with the global enterprise collaboration market
expected to reach $48.1 billion by 2024.

Below, we’ll take a look at some more of the benefits of using cloud
collaboration.

Benefits of cloud collaboration

Cloud collaboration helps to build a sense of community through

teamwork, increases productivity and stimulates creativity.

Using this method makes it easier to make the transition to a remote

workforce. That’s thanks to the associated benefits of reducing
company overheads, minimizing the environmental impact of
commuting, and improving employees’ work-life balance.

Streamlines organization workflow

Cloud collaboration improves productivity by helping teams work

faster and more efficiently. It’s also perfect for flexible work
scheduling since tasks can be shared between collaborators with
varying working hours and colleagues in different time zones.

Using cloud storage means everyone has easy access to all the
documents they need, and they can share files from wherever they
are, at any time. This reduces the amount of time spent waiting for
information and decisions. Plus, there’s no need to send updated
versions to the relevant co-workers.

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Improved communication and participation

Communication is vital to successful projects, especially in a

distributed workforce. Cloud collaboration allows for a higher degree
of employee participation, as the 24/7 accessibility of files gives all
team members an equal opportunity to provide input.

Cloud-based collaboration tools also enable colleagues to

communicate with one another while working simultaneously. As well
as seeing who else is viewing the document, they can use real-time
annotation, group chat and instant messaging functions.

Accessibility to files

The big bonus of a cloud platform is its accessibility. File sharing

and editing are simple, whether a worker is in the office, at home
or out on the road.

Cloud solutions also allow large files to be stored and shared with
ease. Video and audio files are increasingly used in business, yet
most email servers cannot handle documents larger than a few
megabytes. This can cause delays and a disrupted workflow.

Of course, the cloud also reduces worries about losing important

documents and data through mistakes or breaches. Files are
automatically backed up and are retrievable in the event of a
disaster.

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Real-time updates

When a document is edited or updated, the changes appear real-

time and can be accessed by everyone. There’s no such thing
as the “latest version”; there’s just one version, with all team
members working on it.

Collaboration platforms have a system whereby an alert is sent to all

participants whenever the file is changed to make things even easier.
This helps keep everyone on top of new developments and ensures
that colleagues are literally on the same page.

Better brainstorming
Thinking / Suggesting is great for boosting creativity and innovation,
but it can be tricky when it is spread across the country or even the
world. However, the ease of communication within cloud
collaboration software means that team members can instantly
share their ideas via real-time comments, chat, or video
conferencing.

Cloud Collaboration Tools

A cloud collaboration system usually incorporates tools for

communication, document sharing, and project management.
Before choosing a platform for your business, make sure that it offers
full functionality and suits your unique requirements.

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Smaller firms could use a standard unified communications package,
while enterprise-level organizations can utilize modified cloud
collaboration solutions with customization options.

Communication-based

The communications arm of cloud collaboration includes phone

systems, video conferencing, group chat and instant messaging
features. This part of a cloud collaboration offering also features
unified messaging, where a single inbox handles all
communications (emails, voicemails and text).

Apps such as Skype, Google Hangouts, and Microsoft Teams are

useful for simple calls and messaging. Simultaneously, Ring
Central’s communication tools offer a much more diverse range
of handy functions, including Call Park and retrieval and one-
click audio and video calling.

Software
Software tools are programmes used by developers to create,
maintain, debug and support other applications and programmes.

Web-based repository services such as GitHub and Bit bucket

enable developers within enterprises to collaborate on projects,
while Ring Central(RingCentral provides businesses with different cloud-based
business communications solutions that include message, video, phone, and contact
center services) Developers allows you to build your own app.

Documentation

Documentation tools allow the storage and retrieval of documents via

any device, using the collaborative authoring and editing features
mentioned earlier in the article.

Some popular tools include Google Docs and Dropbox, which

ensure files are synced during editing. With Ring Central’s app, you
can add comments to shared files and organize everything by the
project.

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Project management

Project management tools such as Asana, Trello and

Basecamp allow team leaders to monitor progress and track
objectives.

Ring Central messaging lets you assign tasks to individual

colleagues, update stakeholders and move projects forward
with built-in task management.

Tips for successful cloud collaboration

Today’s technology means businesses have cloud solutions at their

fingertips, but even the best collaboration software doesn’t
necessarily bring success! However, there are plenty of tips to help
you maximize its potential.

This includes making sure your team is prepared for the

transition to cloud collaboration. It’s worth investing in some
training to familiarize end-users with new tools so that everyone
knows what’s expected.

Organize teams
The first step towards making cloud collaboration work for your company is to
get organized. The online workspace needs to be administered in the same
way a physical office would, to ensure that employees can always access and
contribute to shared material.

Ensure everyone knows what they’re meant to be doing, and encourage all
colleagues to make their hours of availability known to the rest of the team.

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Delegate tasks

Collaborating as a group may be the overall aim, but team leaders

should have the confidence to delegate tasks to individuals and
set expectations and deadlines. Project management apps let you
assign the right tasks to the right people and tag them so that
everyone knows who’s doing what.

Centralize communication

Using a single application for cloud communications is ideal for

staying connected, particularly for a remote workforce operating
in multiple locations. Unified messaging systems make it simple for
everyone to keep track of discussions and search for information and
solve any problems that might arise.

Visualize data

The amount of analytical data that companies need to manage is

growing ever larger, and it’s not always easy to make sense of
it. Using visualization – such as graphs, charts, and info graphics
– gives the whole team a pictorial image of what’s happening in
real-time, which helps them identify trends and understand how
the data can be used.

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Enforce transparency and accountability

When everyone can view their colleagues’ contributions to a

shared file and access all communications in one place,
transparency and accountability should become the norm. This
helps the entire team to feel more involved and builds trust
between managers and employees.

Managers should always be clear and specific when setting goals

and expectations, while team members should feel happy to raise
ideas, questions or problems.

It’s also worth pointing out that cloud computing, like any internet-
based technology, is not entirely without security risks, especially in
the public cloud. However, transparency of working practices will help
IT departments monitor potential issues while employees can
lookout.

Accountability is also a watchword for data centers; everyone should

be aware of the current regulations and observe best practice when
using data.

How Ring Central supports cloud collaboration for enterprise businesses

There’s no question that cloud collaboration can positively impact

your organization, from improving communication to increasing
productivity. There are plenty of solutions to choose from, but Ring
Central offers a complete package for enterprise businesses.

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Ring Central provides a unified communications system that
provides every tool you need for successful collaboration and
communication, from file sharing to project management to
video conferencing. 96 per cent of organizations have said they
saw an increase in team collaboration by using Ring Central.

Because all the tools are incorporated in one robust platform,

there’s no need for switching between apps. Team members can
access the system anywhere, on any device (Android or iOS) with an
internet connection.

Another benefit is the security included, with firewalls and encryption

that allows you to control your data and protect your systems. Ring
Central has an Enterprise-Ready McAfee Cloud Trust rating – the
highest rating possible.

As an all-in-one solution for your enterprise business Ring Central

should be top of your list.

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Web-Based Communication Tools

Email

The original Internet communication tool, email is still an essential tool every
business should have. In spite of this, with the rise of messaging through
social networking sites and instant messages, email is not quite as important
as it used to be.

Social Networking
Social networking is all about forming groups, sharing online content and exchanging
information. In addition to being a major part of social life in the modern world, social
networking is an invaluable tool for Internet marketing since it provides a user-friendly and
highly accessible platform upon which to exchange information on products and services.
For example, if someone likes an article on your business blog or website, he may decide to
share it with his friends over Facebook or Twitter.

Forums

Forums, like email, have also been around since the dawn of the Internet. Forums provide a
place to exchange messages and participate in conversations. The main differences from
instant messaging are that forums are generally public and the communications are not in
real time. Forums and their regular posters and readers form communities that can be
valuable to your business. Many businesses and individuals advertise their websites in
signatures that are automatically attached to every post they make in a forum.

Collaborating via Social Networks

Social cloud computing, also peer-to-peer social cloud computing, is an area of

computer science that generalizes cloud computing to include the sharing, bartering and
renting of computing resources across peers whose owners and operators are verified
through a social network or reputation system.[1][2] It expands cloud computing past the
confines of formal commercial data centers operated by cloud providers to include
anyone interested in participating within the cloud services sharing economy. This in turn
leads to more options, greater economies of scale, while bearing additional advantages
for hosting data and computing services closer to the edge where they may be needed
most.

Social cloud computing has been highlighted as a potential benefit to large-scale

computing, video gaming, and media streaming.[6] The tenets of social cloud computing
has been most famously employed in the Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network
Computing (BOINC), making the service the largest computing grid in the
world.[7] Another service that uses social cloud computing is Subutai. Subutai allows peer-
to-peer sharing of computing resources globally or within a select permissioned network.

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 Cloud collaboration is a method of sharing and co-authoring computer files via cloud
computing, whereby documents are uploaded to a central "cloud" for storage,[1] where
they can then be accessed by other users. Cloud collaboration technologies allow users
to upload, comment and collaborate on documents and even amend the document itself,
evolving the document.[2] Businesses in the last few years have increasingly been
switching to use of cloud collaboration.

Collaborating via Blogs and Wikis.

Blogs and wikis are two great tools for instructors looking for new ways to interact
with and support students. Wikis are powerful (but easy to use) online collaborative
tools. Blogs are a simple way to place content online and communicate with students.
Blogs and wikis are websites that can easily support multiple authors or collaborators
and no software is required – just a web browser. The number one question to
consider when using these tools is: what are you trying to accomplish?
What is a blog?

Blogs in their early form were called “web logs,” a simple means of annotating
shared links found on the web. Today, blogs serve a wide variety of functions from
interesting opinionated blogs on subjects like politics or science to commercial
blogs posting news or promotions.
Blogs typically consist of frequent posts organized chronologically that are usually
written by an individual whose personality or perspective emerges through their
writing. Group blogs consist of multiple authors writing on a given subject that are
also identified clearly. Blogs are usually public, but can be made private to be viewed
by select readers. Space for comments from readers can make blog posts a site for
discussion.

Twitter is an example of a popular microblog where posts are restricted to a

specified number of characters. It is designed for quick and concise updates,
reflecting immediacy.

Blogs are good for projects requiring constant updates consisting of independent, self-
contained stories – such as news updates or magazine-style posts.
Recommended blog tools: wordpress.com or blogger.com
Benefits of blogging

Democratic: The blog equalizes voices and allows students to learn more about
themselves and other students by the process of writing about course material.
Within the space of the blog they can also collaborate and share ideas.

 Critical thinking and writing development: Blogs are great for students who are
not used to articulating their thoughts, as a starting point in a first year seminar or
larger class: it can become an ideal space for criticizing, questioning, and reacting
to course material and/or readings. Devoted blog writers will eventually develop
improved skills in effective self-expression and confidence in their written abilities.

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 Record keeping about the course will allow students to have a document to refer back
to for future paper writing and related courses. They can also workshop papers or run
brainstorming ideas past their readers – expanding learning beyond the single
instructor-student relationship.
 Transferable skills: Beyond the scope of the course students will be able to acquire
skills such as online knowledge about the application, some aspects of html, social
collaboration with public and peers, and writing for a wider audience.
 Potential difficulties with blogging

 The need for back-up possibility plans in case of students not wanting to
participate, software issues, or other related mishaps.
 The length and/or level of a course possibly being a factor in the usefulness of a blog.
 Other issues include: whether to keep the blog public or private, how to organize
and preserve information, to motivate students to post, to grade individual or group
contributions, and the need to get feedback on the entire process from students.
What is a wiki?

How to use wikis/blogs in the classroom

Set up a blog or wiki that:

 You publish for students to read and comment on – space to communicate important
ideas and resources related to the course to the students
 Both you and the students publish content – students help to gather useful content and
resources that will benefit everyone
 Students publish content individually or as part of groups – space for students to
display ongoing work or collaborate and display group work
Wiki ideas

Wikis are a great platform for collectively updating information, and are therefore
very useful in a classroom setting where the material is constantly changing or there
are new developments in the industry, e.g. business, media studies, science or social
sciences.

 Course and assignment FAQ

 Course glossaries and media libraries
 Perpetually updated lists or collections of links, including subject resources, news,
articles, media, or academic literature
 Online study group or spaces for brainstorming and/or planning • Platform for group
assignments or assignment collaboration among peers
 Pages for collaborative writing between students and faculty or students and teaching
assistants

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 Blog ideas

Students can use blogs to organize class notes and provide summaries of readings. If
organized correctly through blog tags, all of the entries will simply file themselves –
in turn creating a detailed archive of the course and powerful study aid.

 For weekly assignments or student commentary: blogs can expand the conversation
by enabling student to easily share ideas and reactions among peers. It is easy for
students to post hyperlinks to course-related content found online to add to the
richness of discussion.
 Supplementary learning tool: showcase a wide variety of course-related online
resources or post examples of good writing done in class to allow students to discuss
what makes it successful.
 Source of feedback: blogs can be a valuable platform used to learn about the students’
reactions to your own teaching and presentation of course content.
 Research tool: blogs can be used to aid in amassing research on a topic, getting
students to search out information and asking them to summarize what they have
learned.

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