COMP3xxxx Service Centered and Cloud Computing Lecture Notes

Overview

• Course Title: Service Centric and Cloud Computing
• Instructor: Zoheir Ezziane
• Date: 5/3/2025
• Main Focus: Governance in cloud services, with a specific example of Microsoft Azure.

Key Topics

IS Strategy & Cloud Computing

• Importance of IS strategy to meet business needs.
• Role of cloud computing in strategy implementation.
• Enterprise Architecture's role in implementing cloud services.

Governance in Cloud Services

• Definition: Framework of authority and accountability controlling outputs, outcomes, and benefits.
• Key Functions:
  • Decision-making authority.
  • Responsibility allocation.
  • Expenditure authorization.
  • Accountability and change control policies.

Components of Governance

1. Principles and Policies

   • Decision-making hierarchy.
   • Types of business rules: Coordination, Qualification, Decision.

2. Organisation

   • Executive ownership and leadership roles.
   • Levels of accountability.
   • Use of RACI Matrix (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed).

3. Financials

   • Funding models and financial stability.
   • Types and decision-makers in funding.

4. Processes

   • Management processes: Risk management, vendor contract management, compliance, and communication.
   • Use of CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration).

5. Metrics and Tools

   • Aligning metrics with business goals.
   • Types of metrics: Predictive vs. Reactive.

Governance in Microsoft Azure

• Azure Policy: For managing policy definitions and ensuring compliance.
• Azure Cost Management: For tracking cloud usage and expenditures.
• Key Azure Services for Governance:
  • Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Fine-grained access management.
  • Resource Locks: Protection against accidental data modifications.
  • Tags: Organizing resources via metadata.
  • Azure Blueprints: Rapid environment setup with built-in components.

Azure Identity and Compliance

• Azure Active Directory:
  • Provides authentication, SSO, application management, and device management.
• Conditional Access: Uses signals for policy enforcement.
• Security, Privacy, and Compliance:
  • Compliance offerings like CJIS, HIPAA, CSA STAR, ISO/IEC 27018, and NIST.
  • Microsoft's privacy statement and compliance documentation.

Seminar Topic: BBC Digital Media Initiative

• Objective: Analyze governance failures in the BBC's Digital Media Initiative.
• Approach: Use the five components of governance to suggest improvements.

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This lecture emphasized the importance of governance in cloud computing, particularly in managing transitions from traditional to cloud-based systems with an example of Microsoft Azure. Governance is crucial for ensuring compliance, security, and efficient resource management in cloud services.