CLOUD COMPUTING

Task

DSI is starting to migrate some of its applications and services to a public cloud. Many of the technical staff have had no experience in the Cloud and are concerned about this process. You have recommended to DSI management that they should consider the use of microservices as part of their application architecture. DSI now want you to redesign one of their monolithic applications as a microservice application DSI has an old and image and video processing application. This is used by a number of DSI customers to upload images and videos for inclusion in spatial layers for their own use. DSI create the specialised layer for each customer and supply it to them when complete. The application has a number of modules as shown in Figure 1, below. Some of these modules may not need any development work done on them for long periods of time as their functions and outputs are relatively stable. Other modules though can be modified quite frequently as changes occur in the Industry. Other modules experience great peaks in workload which often slows services to DSI customers. 

1. You are to assess each of the modules shown in Figure 1 above, and determine:

a. Which modules are likely to be relatively stable, a together with the reasons for this

categorisation,

b. Which modules are likely to require frequent modification, together with the reasons

for this categorisation,

c. Which modules are likely to experience workload peaks, together with the reasons for

this categorisation.

2. DSI wants to transition to a microservice approach with the Image and Video Processing Application. But they want to move in a phased approach so that they can handle the workload peaks first.

a. Which modules should be refactored first?

b. Discuss how a move to a microservice approach for these modules would resolve

issues around workload peaks?

3. Discuss how a move to a microservice approach will improve DSI’s ability to maintain high availability for this application.

4. Draw a diagram that shows the architecture of the Image and Video Processing Application after the transition to a microservice approach.

RATIONALE

SUBJECT LEARNING OUTCOMES

This assessment task will assess the following learning outcome/s:

• be able to compare and evaluate the ability of different cloud computing architectures to meet a set of given business requirements.

• be able to evaluate a set of business requirements to determine suitability for a cloud computing delivery model.

• be able to identify and design an ICT Risk Management strategy for a cloud computing delivery plan to meet business requirements.

• be able to critically analyse business requirements to plan a migration to a cloud model.