Assignment 4: Virtualization and Cloud Computing World

Assignment 4: Virtualization and Cloud Computing World
Due Week 7 and worth 100 points

The popularity and rapid adoption of Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) by a number of organizations has impacted internal IT / IS departments. These services provide a virtualization infrastructure that covers data storage, networking, desktop computing, mobile computing, and so on.

Write a two to three (2-3) page paper in which you:

1. Describe at least three (3) items that an organization’s IT / IS department should consider when an organization’s strategy calls for the use of SaaS, PaaS, or IaaS. 
2. Evaluate the ways that SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS are used to reduce Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and increase Return on Investment (ROI).
3. Create SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS architectural diagrams using Microsoft Visio or an equivalent such as Dia. Note: The graphically depicted solution is not included in the required page length.
4. Examine the impact to the IT support personnel when an organization embarks on the strategy stated in Question 1.
5. Analyze three (3) considerations that the organization’s management should be aware of. 
6. Examine three (3) security issues that could arise from this type of an infrastructure.
7. Use at least three (3) quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources. 

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.
• Include charts or diagrams created in Visio or an equivalent such as Dia. The completed diagrams / charts must be imported into the Word document before the paper is submitted.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Describe the process of administering enterprise systems, including the use of virtualization and monitoring, power and cooling issues.
• Evaluate the total cost of ownership and return on investment for enterprise architecture alternatives
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in enterprise architecture.
• Write clearly and concisely about enterprise architecture topics using proper writing mechanics and technical style conventions.

Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic / organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric.

Click here to view the grading rubric for this assignment.