COMP30231: Service-Centric and Cloud Computing

Lecture Overview

• Title: Service-Centered and Cloud Computing
• Lecturer: Zoheir Ezziane
• Date: 5/3/2025

Topics Covered

1. IS Strategy and Cloud Computing

   • Meeting business needs using cloud computing.
   • Role of Enterprise Architecture (EA) in cloud services.

2. Implementation Lifecycle

   • Initiating planning for EA & cloud.
   • Determining target architecture.
   • Conducting gap analysis and transition planning.

Gap Analysis

• Definition: Identifies the gap between the current state and desired state.
• Uses:
  • Project management: Basis for operational improvement action plan.
  • Software development: Document missing services/functions.
  • Compliance: Compare current practices against required standards.
• Steps for Gap Analysis:
  1. Establish target objectives from mission statement and strategic goals.
  2. Analyze current business processes through performance data and resource allocation.
  3. Compare target goals with current state.
  4. Develop a comprehensive plan.
• Documentation:
  • Can be broad (entire business) or narrow (specific processes).
  • Can be quantitative (e.g., number of calls) or qualitative (e.g., diversity).

Approaches to Gap Analysis

• Business Demand: Various patterns such as predictable or unpredictable bursting, fast growth, and sporadic demand.
• Considerations:
  • Constraints, security, compliance, information sensitivity.
  • Business infrastructure, extensibility, financial advantages.
  • Internal capacity, outsourcing, strategic advantage.

Business Demand Patterns

• Predictable Bursting: Regular demand spikes (e.g., financial applications).
• Unpredictable Bursting: Random spikes (e.g., crises, viral marketing).
• Growing Fast: Rapid demand increase (e.g., cloud-based services).
• On and Off: Sporadic demand (e.g., ticket applications).

Cloud Elasticity

• Definition: Ability to adjust resources in response to demand changes.
• Advantage: Avoids paying for unused capacity and ensures continuous service availability.
• Concerns: Security and control limitations.

Implementation of Cloud Services

• Management: Should be treated as significant IS projects.
• Key Issues:
  • Organizational change, training, legacy systems.
  • Supplier selection and management.
  • Implementation methodologies (Waterfall, Agile, DevOps).
  • Measures of success and integration.

Challenges with Integration

• Ensuring new cloud services integrate well with existing IT systems.
• Importance of a planned approach to integration to avoid chaos.

Summary

• Gap analysis is crucial for determining business needs and suitable cloud solutions.
• Different business demand patterns require tailored cloud service solutions.
• Implementation should be managed as a major IT project, with focus on integration.

Seminar Topic

• Case Study: Tesco
  • Analyze aspects of Tesco's business that would experience different demand patterns.
  • Assess which IT systems need to adapt to demand changes.