Project Deliverable 6: Final Project Plan

Running head: CLOUD TECHNOLOGY AND VIRTUALIZATION

CLOUD TECHNOLOGY AND VIRTUALIZATION 7

Project Deliverable 4: Cloud Technology and Virtualization

Section 1: Design Document

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Introduction

Any organization must first determine whether a new technology will positively influence its operations before committing to using it. An organization's success depends on its ability to provide outcomes that help its customers streamline their processes and save costs wherever possible. Cloud computing and virtualization are examples of technological applications that may assist businesses in gaining a competitive edge in the marketplace.

Need for Cloud Technology and Virtualization

An organization that chooses to adopt the use of cloud infrastructure gets to have computing resources delivered to them at a price and investment much lower than if it was done traditionally. All of the computing resources are accessed by the company from the internet through a web browser. (Haugen & Musser). As for virtualization, the hardware that an organization owns gets to be maximized to support more computing operations.

Among the characteristics shared by cloud technology and virtualization is that they present organizations with enhanced solutions for operational efficiency. Cloud technology delivers computing resources from applications, storage, computing power, and data processing. These services can be accessed from any internet-enabled computer device and can be from anywhere at any time. (Haugen & Musser). Once applied on existing servers, virtualization will avail more computing environments that are not just distinct but also able to support many different operations within those distinct environments.

An organization like Amazon is constantly growing its operations. This requires that its systems be as scalable as possible to support this growth. Scalability will also be essential when two organizations of equal size get to merge. Cloud technology and virtualization are just about the most scalability-friendly technologies available. Cloud resources are available as the organization needs them. Should the data that needs to be stored increase, space can be availed easily. Should data processing need to have enhanced capabilities to handle more data, this will be made possible under cloud technology. The same goes for virtualization, but this is on a much lesser scale given the need for investment in hardware, which will still be a small one (Ali).

Every customer who visits Amazon or the merging company's website will require access at all times. In the event of an emergency, this 24-hour availability may be jeopardized. The availability of services to clients will be seriously impacted if the systems collapse and there is downtime. Disaster recovery and business continuity initiatives, however, will be considerably aided by cloud technologies and virtualization. It will be possible to switch to a backup system if the primary system fails for whatever reason unexpectedly. As the system continues to operate, other cloud sites may be installed to help with recovery capabilities. Some of the different environments created by virtualization may be used just as backup solutions. The immediate environment's failure will have no impact on the backup, allowing the latter to be installed as quickly as feasible if the former fails. It is (Ali).

Cost Savings in Hardware Infrastructure

Cloud technology's physical architecture saves money in a variety of ways. In addition, cloud technology does not need investment in hardware by the company using it. Thin client terminals with internet connectivity will be all that is needed for cloud resource access for the most part. Computers with CPUs and other essential hardware components will be superfluous. Using virtualization, a single server may host as many environments as several physical servers. The firm does not have to spend money on many servers (Haugen, & Musser). There is no additional cost to customers of cloud service providers to manage their systems in the cloud. In most cases, a cloud service provider will provide its products and services via a network of data centers located worldwide. Hardware implementation in these data centers is at the cutting edge of innovation. The customers do not have to worry about purchasing or keeping the newest hardware technologies. (Haugen and Musser) cite this research. It is not unusual for cloud service providers to upgrade their hardware without charging their customers for the privilege.

There are expenses associated with making room for a data center in your building. The more servers you have, the more money you will spend on everything from electricity to labor. Nevertheless, if an enterprise decides to go virtual, it may have a small and easily maintained data center. With just a limited amount of space needed, less money will be spent on purchasing and maintaining servers, which will result in lower operating costs. Despite having a cloud presence, a business might still have a modest data center that serves as an in-house backup solution while storing sensitive data (Ali).

Reduction in Human Capital

The cost of labor is one of the most significant expenditures for every company. Although human resources are one of the most precious assets, corporations are always looking to save costs. Culling personnel must be done in a manner that does not deprive the company of essential talents. An organization may utilize technology to ensure that the remaining staff is only essential (Ali).

Cloud technology and virtualization may help a business save money by only paying for the resources it needs. When it comes to saving money on human resources, these two systems have a significant advantage since they need relatively few people to maintain them. Cloud service providers will do most of the labor, and just a few individuals will be required to care for and maintain virtualized servers. As a result of the automation enabled by these two technologies, the work formerly performed by a large workforce may now be performed by a single network administrator. It is (Ali). Having fewer staff also makes it simpler for the company to comply with regulations.

Aligning Cloud Technology to Business Processes

Solution Providers

Cloud and virtualization service providers offer a wide range of alternatives to choose from. Cloud and virtualization are not mutually exclusive; some companies provide both. If you want to keep things as essential as possible, go with option 2. In this business, Microsoft is one of the most prominent participants. Microsoft Azure is the name of their product. Web application administration, cloud-based development and testing environments, database management, and so on are among its services. A virtualization tool, Hyper-V, is also included in Windows Server 2012. Multiple virtual machines may be supported, as can live migration, using this technology. While the systems of the previous two organizations are being brought together, the amalgamated company will have a live presence. It is best to use a single vendor for both cloud computing and virtualization to ensure compatibility and integration, according to (Stanek).

Conclusion

Organizations in their initial stages need reliable computer systems capable of meeting the demands of day-to-day business operations. This is since the most challenging times occur during the early phases of a company's existence. Everything might be at peril at this moment if anything goes wrong, which would put the whole company in danger. The usage of cloud computing and virtualization technologies may help you run your business more efficiently.

References

Haugen, D. M., & Musser, S.  Technology and the cloud.

Ali, E. Optimizing Server Resource by Using Virtualization Technology. Procedia Computer Science, 59, 320-325.

Stanek, W.  Windows Server 2012 R2 Inside Out Volume 2: Services, Security, & Infrastructure. Microsoft Press.