CCS336 Cloud Services Management
CCS336 Cloud Services Management
No limit for resources (virtual) – the user having abstract details about the software
It takes
1. Technology
2. Services
3. Applications This turns into self-service utility.
Concepts of cloud computing:
1. Abstraction
- Abstract details of system implementation from users and developers
● No specified details of the physical devices to run the application
● Unknown data storage location
● Outsourced Administration
● Ubiquitous (universal or global) user access
● Platform independent
2. Virtualization
- Virtualize system by using pooling and sharing resources
● Centralized infrastructure for storage
● Cost estimation
● Enabled Multi-tenancy (mode of operation of software where multiple
independent instances of one or multiple applications operate in a shared
environment)
● Dynamic and Scalable resources
a. On-boarding
b. Managing
c. Delivering IT and business services
Performance Parameters:
a. Consistent Performance
b. Security
c. Control
Different Roles within the Cloud Eco System:
Cloud Reference Architecture: With respect to cloud eco-system
Cloud Consumer:
- It is party who uses services offered by cloud providers, cloud brokers and
cloud carriers during the business
- A person or organization that maintains a business relationship with, and uses
service from, cloud providers.
- Steps:
a. Browse the list of services (catalogue of available resources) offered by
cloud service providers or cloud broker’s
b. Request the desired services
c. Negotiates the terms of the service contract with the cloud provider
Cloud Carrier:
Cloud Auditor:
a. On-demand:
- It is an important and valuable features of cloud computing.
- It is enterprise-level delivery model that allows users to easily provision and
deprovision cloud resources when needed or “on-demand.
- Self-service mode: Consume storage and server time as required without
intervening with the service provider. (control the usage, add or delete
services)
- Example: AWS, Microsoft, Google, IBM, Salesforce.com
d. Rapid Elasticity
- It is one of the important and critical characteristics of cloud computing
- Elasticity: Scale the cloud resources as per the need of the consumers
- Resource Provision: Cloud computing can quickly provision resources when
the organization needs and pay for that portion of consumption. (pay-per-use
services)
- Consumers benefit from rapid elasticity because they can expand or reduce their
resources based on their needs.
- Example: ecommerce platform, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and
Google Cloud support rapid elasticity in cloud computing.
- Difference between Scalability and Elasticity:
o Elasticity is used to meet dynamic changes, where the resources need can
increase or decrease.
o Scalability is always used to address the increase in workload in an
organization.
- Advantages:
c. Automation capability
a. High availability and reliability
d. Cost effective
b. Growth supporting
- Disadvantages:
SERVICE PERSPECTIVES
Common Perspective related to cloud services:
b. Need huge initial investment b. Skilled people are required to operate
- Preference of private cloud over Public cloud:
o Private cloud is an easier way (or the only way) to meet their regulatory
compliance requirements.
o Easy to deal with confidential documents
3. Hybrid Cloud
- Combination of multiple clouds (combination of public and private cloud)
c. Fixed amount of data storage and bandwidth is shared among group of
members
d. It is costlier than public cloud
e. Sharing of resources is difficult
5. Multi Cloud : Use the resources from several providers to get the best
benefits from each unique service
6. Gaia–X: (Global Architecture for Interoperable Analytics and Applications)
o It is a modern data infrastructure developed by Germany’s government
which is fast, reliable, secure and competitive cloud model
▪ SERVICE MODELS
- Disadvantages:
a. Security depends on CSP
b. Latency issue (Speed of delivery)
c. Entire services are depends on the internet
d. Switching between different vendors are difficult (Portability)
e. Customer lose control over version
f. Browser based issues
❖ Cloud Reference Model
UNIT -2
CLOUD SERVICE STRATEGY
Syllabus: Cloud Strategy Fundamentals - Cloud Strategy Management Framework -
Cloud Policy - Key Driver for Adoption - Risk Management - IT Capacity and
Utilization
- Demand and Capacity matching - Demand Queueing - Change Management - Cloud
Service Architecture
CLOUD STRATEGY FUNDAMENTALS
❖ Strategy: It involves setting goals and priorities, determining actions to achieve the
goals, and mobilizing resources to execute the actions.
❖ Cloud strategy: It is the plan an organization follows to host its IT infrastructure in a
cloud environment.
❖ Goal:
1. Optimize the business outcomes (speed, resilience [elasticity] and agility) (or)
Ensure Effective performance of the infrastructure
2. Enable distributed based cloud architecture for different services
3. Growing the public to improve the skills internally
4. Minimize the risks and challenges
❖ It refers to the core principles and considerations that organizations should take into
account when adopting and implementing cloud technologies.
❖ Cloud Strategy must supports (cloud management)
a. Cost
b. Service level
c. Functionalities
❖ Main Phases:
1. Strategy Phase
- It is the initial and foundational part of strategy steps.
- It sets the foundation for successful cloud adoption by aligning technology
decisions with business goals and considering the organization's unique needs
and challenges
2. Planning Phase
- Perform the problem analysis & risk analysis for switching to cloud technology
- Steps:
a. Development of Business Architecture
b. Development of IT Architecture
c. QOS development requirement
d. Development of Transformation plan
3. Deployment Phase
❖ Strategy Life Cycle :
1. Planning for utilizing cloud technology
2. Capabilities of an enterprise
3. Target architecture require
4. Transition planning & gap analysis
5. Planning to implement cloud
6. Governance & significance of SOA (Service-Oriented Architecture)
CLOUD STRATEGY MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK
❖ Definition: It is a structured approach that guides organizations through the process of
developing, implementing, and managing their cloud strategies.
❖ It provides a systematic way to align business objectives, technology decisions, and
operational considerations when adopting and utilizing cloud services.
❖ It is essential for providing a structured, consistent, and effective approach to
managing cloud services.
❖ It helps organizations mitigate risks, optimize resources, ensure security and
compliance, and align cloud strategies with business objectives in a rapidly evolving
technological landscape.
CLOUD POLICY
❖ Cloud security policy: It is formal guidelines companies adhere to that help ensure
safe and secure operations in the cloud. (or) set of rules, guidelines, and principles
that an organization establishes to govern the use, management, and security of cloud
computing resources and services.
❖ It is an essential part of your cloud security strategy and helps your organization
❖ Not adopting cloud policy: If not adopting a cloud policy can result in a lack of
consistency, security vulnerabilities, compliance risks, inefficiencies, and missed
opportunities.
❖ Policy ensures
a. Confidentiality
b. Integrity
c. Availability of data stored
d. Accessing of data
e. Manipulation of data
❖ Key aspects:
a. Data Security and Privacy: - Access control and authentication
b. Access and Identity Management – user access controls
c. Resource Provisioning and Management
d. Cost Management
e. Vendor Management – selection of CSP
f. Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity
g. Change Management
h. Cloud Service Adoption
i. Monitoring and Incident Response
j. Training and Awareness
KEY DRIVER FOR ADOPTION
❖ It is the strategically move taken by an organization in order to bring the services at
one common platform pertaining to the responsibilities of an organization, with the
motive to clear the cost, access the cloud storage, mitigates the risk factors and deliver
scalable services.
❖ It plays a pivotal role in shaping the strategy, benefits, and outcomes of adopting cloud
services.
❖ Business Drivers:
a. Capacity Planning - Estimates the production capacity (storage, infrastructure,
hardware, software, availability of resources) needed for its products to cope
with the ever-changing demands in the market. It depends on
o Level of demand
o Cost of production
o Availability of funds
b. Cost Reduction
c. Organizational Agility - the process by which an organization will adapt and
evolve to sudden changes caused by internal and external factors.
❖ IT capacity
a. Planning for Capacity - It helps ensure that the organization has the right
amount of resources to handle demand.
b. Resource Provisioning – Over provisioning (allocating more resources than
necessary) and under provisioning (allocating fewer resources than needed)
can both have negative impacts on cost and performance.
❖ IT utilization
- Utilization rates indicate how much of the available capacity is being actively
used.
- Resource monitoring: Tracking metrics such as CPU usage,
memory consumption, storage usage, and network bandwidth
- Optimization: Reallocating resources to achieve better efficiency and
performance.
❖ General Methods:
a. Adjusting capacity to match demands
b. Altering demands to match available capacity
❖ Key aspects define the relationship between demand and capacity matching:
a. Balancing demand and supply
b. Efficient resource utilization
c. Customer satisfaction
d. Revenue generation
e. Cost control
f. Risk management
g. Technology and innovation - Automation, data analytics, and AI-driven
forecasting can enhance decision-making.
❖ Challenges:
a. Uncertainty in demand prediction
b. Investment costs for expanding capacity requires investment
c. Lead Time: Rapidly adjusting capacity might not be feasible due to lead times
for equipment, hiring, or training.
d. Seasonality (fluctuations in demands - maintain consistency throughout the
year is not feasible)
DEMAND QUEUEING
❖ Demand Queuing: It refers to the practice of organizing and prioritizing incoming
requests for cloud resources or services in a systematic manner when the available
resources are currently insufficient to fulfill all requests immediately.
❖ Excessive queuing can lead to long waiting times and user dissatisfaction.
❖ Need for effective queue strategies: It is need to fine-tune their queuing strategies
and ensure that resource capacity is adjusted to meet the overall demand over time.
❖ Balance: Need to create a balance between demand queuing and providing timely
access to resources for effective management.
❖ Essential tool: It ensures fair and organized access to resources during times of high
demand, promoting a balanced and efficient service environment.
❖ Need for Queuing Strategies: It helps to manage the situations when the demand for
resources temporarily exceeds the available capacity.
❖ Size of the Queue: It defines the balance between demand and capacity
❖ Size of the queue is measured by counting the number of requests or tasks that are
currently waiting in line to be processed or fulfilled by the cloud service provider.
CHANGE MANAGEMENT
❖ Definition of change: The addition, modification, or removal of anything that could
have a direct or indirect effect on services.
❖ Definition: It is the methodology and processes used by organizations to plan and
manage these changes (or) the process responsible for controlling the lifecycle of all
changes, enabling beneficial changes to be made with minimum disruption to IT
services (or) deliver critical updates to products while simultaneously minimizing
disruption to user workflow (or) it is a structured process of planning, implementing,
and tracking changes to cloud-based systems, applications, and services while
minimizing disruption to business operations and ensuring the integrity and security of
the environment.
❖ Condition for consistent change management: The changes must be beneficial and
the minimum disruption to IT services.
❖ Managed activities: It refers to a set of policies and actions that ensure change is
properly managed throughout every stage of the process.
❖ Survey report: Effective change management strategy allows 93% of organizations to
successfully achieve predefined objectives.
❖ Complexity of implementing the changes: Complex due to the dynamic and
interconnected nature of cloud services.
a. Change identification and request (new feature / existing, configuration change
or security)
b. Change evaluation – assess the potential impact [Evaluate technical feasibility,
risk analysis, benefits, costs and alignment with business goals]
c. Change planning – develop a plan for implementing the change (it involves
defining the scope, setting priorities, allocating resources and creating
timeline)
d. Testing and validation
e. Communication and stakeholder management - Keep all relevant stakeholders
informed about the upcoming change
f. Change deployment – implement the changes in the production based on plan
(requires careful execution to minimize disruptions to ongoing operations)
g. Monitoring and feedback – identify or detect any anomalies, performance
degradation or security issues introduced due to the changes if any
h. Issue Resolution – Address the issue (rollback needed in necessary)
i. Documentation and knowledge management
j. Post- change review
(or)
❖ Different components of Cloud Service Architecture:
1. Service Consumption 6. Service support
2. Service usage and Billing 7. Service Function
3. Service Security 8. Service Economics
4. Service monitoring and Control 9. Service chain Entity
5. Self-Service
❖ Goal:
1. Efficient Service Delivery - It aims to ensure that cloud services are delivered
efficiently, meeting users' needs and expectations while aligning with business
objectives.
2. Scalability and Adaptability
3. Optimization - Continuously optimizing services to improve performance, resource
utilization, and cost efficiency.
4. Security and Compliance - Ensuring that services meet security standards and
regulatory compliance throughout their lifecycle.
5. Innovation - Encouraging innovation by facilitating the introduction of new
features, technologies, and improvements to the services.
6. Cost Management - Managing costs effectively by optimizing resource usage,
monitoring expenditures, and eliminating unnecessary services.
❖ Different Roles:
1. Service Owner - The individual or team responsible for the overall strategy, design,
and management of the cloud service throughout its lifecycle.
2. Service Provider - The entity that delivers the cloud service, which can be an
internal IT team or a third-party provider.
3. Service Users - The individuals, departments, or external customers who consume
and interact with the cloud service.
❖ Conditions:
1. Alignment with Business Needs
2. Continuous Monitoring and Improvement
❖ Different Phases of Cloud service Life Cycle:
1. Planning and Design – It defines the service's purpose, requirements, architecture,
and design.
- The initial plan includes objectives, scope, resources, and a high-level roadmap.
2. Deployment and Provisioning - The service is deployed based on the design,
utilizing infrastructure resources such as virtual machines, containers, and
networking components.
- Provisioning involves setting up users, access controls, and configurations.
3. Management and Operations - It involves day-to-day management, monitoring,
scaling, performance optimization, security enforcement, and compliance
maintenance.
4. Scaling and Optimization - As usage patterns change, the service may need to be
scaled up or down to ensure optimal performance and cost-effectiveness.
Optimization efforts focus on resource utilization and efficiency.
5. Updates and Upgrades - Regular updates, patching, and upgrades are performed to
enhance functionality, security, and compatibility. This includes testing and
validation to prevent disruptions.
6. Monitoring and Analytics - Ongoing monitoring of the service's performance, usage,
and security helps identify issues and trends. Analytics provide insights for making
informed decisions.
7. End-of-Life and Decommissioning - When a service is no longer needed or becomes
obsolete, it is retired in a controlled manner. Data may be migrated, and resources
are released.
8. Configuration and Customization - Once deployed, the resource may require
configuration adjustments and customization to align with specific business needs
and user requirements.
9. Data Management and Backup
10.Cloud Cleanup
BASICS OF CLOUD SERVICE DESIGN
❖ Goal: To create an efficient, reliable, and scalable solutions that leverage the
capabilities of cloud computing to meet the specific needs of an organization or
application. It supports the users through a service catalog.
❖ Primary objectives:
❖ It helps the balance between customize offering to the users along with tight controls
on the services in the cloud environment.
❖ Attributes of service catalog:
1. Operating systems
2. Middleware stacks
3. Applications offered
4. Networking options – for both simple network configuration and multi-tenancy
support
5. Compliance packages
6. Monitoring tools
7. Service levels
8. Prices associated with each component, if desired
❖ Advantages:
1. Security
2. Cost Saving or cost Efficiency
3. Efficiency
4. Flexibility and Scalability
5. Rapid Recovery
6. Increased Convenience – easy accessing
7. Speed and Productivity
8. Strategic Value [ competitive edge to businesses - business agility and customer
satisfaction]
9. Multi-tenancy (multiple customer share the underlying models)
10.Service and innovation (use many API and use flexible cloud tools and
environments to build new and innovative applications and process)
11.Standards
12.Sustainability
13.Rapid deployment
14.Access to advanced technologies
15.Reduced IT Management Burden
16.Competitive advantage
DEALING WITH LEGACY SYSTEMS AND SERVICES
❖ Legacy systems: It is any outdated computing system, hardware or software that is
still in use. Ex.: Microsoft windows 7 (no longer supported after 2020)
❖ Example for Legacy Systems : COBOL, SAP, Lotus Notes
❖ Primary challenge in legacy Systems: It often built on outdated technologies and
software, which may not be compatible with modern cloud platforms.
❖ Condition for migration of legacy systems into cloud: Data need to be restructured
or reformatted or re-architected before it can be successfully migrated into the cloud.
❖ Criteria to migrate from legacy systems to cloud:
1. Compatibility assessment (restructure, refactoring, reengineering)
2. Business impact
3. Cost benefit analysis
4. Risk analysis
5. Security and compliance
6. Data migration strategy
7. Performance and scalability
8. Integration strategy
9. User experience
10.Training and knowledge transfer
❖ Steps involved to manage legacy systems in cloud:
1. Assessment and Inventory
2. Prioritization (based on goals, technical feasibility, potential impact) – Analyze
for the suitable for migration
3. Refactoring or replatform
4. Integration strategy (API, middleware tools)
5. Data Migration
6. Hybrid approach (local and cloud services in the legacy systems)
7. Security and compliance
8. Testing and validation
9. Monitoring and management (track the performance)
10.Training and support
11.Retirement strategy (migrate from legacy systems to cloud)
12.Documentation
13.Continuous improvement
14.Communication (maintain communication with stakeholders about the
progress, benefits, challenges of the transition)
10.Service and innovation (use many API and use flexible cloud tools and
environments to build new and innovative applications and process)
11.Standards
12.Sustainability
13.Rapid deployment
14.Access to advanced technologies
15.Reduced IT Management Burden
16.Competitive advantage
❖ Solution: Need to identify the best service provider
❖ Cloud Strategy: It helps organizations align their cloud strategy with their
performance, cost, security, and scalability needs, ensuring that they make the best
choices for their unique circumstances.
❖ Basic Requirements:
a. Virtual Machine – instance of OS and associated software run in physical server
b.Storage
c. Networking
d.Database
e. Containers and orchestration (configuration of multiple tasks)
f. AI and machine learning services
g.Analytics and Big data analytics
h.Monitoring and management tools
❖ Scaling of resources: Users can scale resources up or down as needed, enabling
flexibility, scalability, and cost efficiency in managing their applications and services.
❖ Accessing the services or resources: These resources are hosted in data centers and
are made available to users over the internet.
❖ It aims to match demand with available resources.
❖ Situation suitable to implement capacity Planning: It is implemented as an ongoing
and proactive process throughout the lifecycle of your cloud-based applications and
services.
❖ It is a continuous and Iterative process
planning decisions)
h. Regular review (planning is ongoing process)
i. Cloud provider services (managed services and tools)
❖ DevOps: The combination of cultural philosophies, practices, and tools that increases
an organization's ability to deliver applications and services at high velocity.
o It defines the
1. overall layout, structure
2. characteristics of pricing options, models,
3. strategies within a particular industry
4. market, or context
o It is dynamic and can vary significantly based on different parameters
o Factors:
1. Type of services
2. Cloud service providers
3. Geographical regions
4. Evolving industry trends
❖ Advantages:
1. Basic free tier – It offers the base version of the service for free.
2. Limited functionality
3. Upgrade to premium version when additional features required
4. Scalable usage
5. Low entry barrier (no financial commitment)
6. User encouragement (make the user to familiarize the services)
7. Customer segmentation
8. Marketing and user Acquisition (attracting potential customers)
9. Trial Period
10. Monetization strategy – providers generate revenue from users who require
additional features or resources.
❖ Examples:
1. Google Workspace
2. Drop box (storage free upto 2GB)
3. Github (provides free code repositories and collaboration tools for open-source
projects, while paid plans offer private repositories, advanced collaboration
features, and security controls)
4. Wordpress.com (free blogging and website creation – limited customization)
5. Zoom – Video conferencing (limited duration – 45mins)
6. Canva – free graphic design
7. Grammarly
8. Jira Software - small teams to track and manage projects
9. Zoho CRM - basic sales and contact management
10.MindMeister - mind mapping tool with limited features
❖ Advantages:
❖ Disadvantages:
❖ Characteristics:
❖ Advantages:
1. Resource assurance
2. No resource contention (not shared. So performance degradation)
3. Predictable cost
4. Stability
5. Simplified processing time
6. Customized reservations
7. Mitigation of Resource Scarcity (customers with reservations would not be
affected by resource shortages)
❖ Disadvantages:
1. Underutilization
2. Rigidity - Adjust the plan if needs changed
3. Complexity increased during decision making process
4. Limited flexibility
PAY PER USER PRICING MODELS
❖ Concept: It is a billing approach where customers are charged based on the number of
users who access and use a particular cloud service.
❖ It is often used in SaaS applications (the service is accessed by multiple users within
an organization)
❖ User count: The cost is directly tied to the user count.
❖ Overall pricing: Each user who has access to the cloud service contributes to the
overall pricing.
❖ Cost and number of users are directly proportional to each other.
❖ Customization of services based on user roles: It offers different tiers or levels based
on the features and capabilities required by different user roles, with higher tiers
offering more advanced functionality.
❖ Active user: The cost is determined by the number of active users within a given
period (monthly or annually)
❖ Total Cost: Total cost is determined by the total number of users who have access to
and use the cloud services.
❖ Suitable situation: It is suitable for organizations seeking a straightforward way to
scale cloud service usage based on their user base. (workloads with fluctuating
demands, where resource requirements vary over time)
❖ Change of demands: It is more flexible for adapting to changing demands.
❖ Characteristics:
❖ Advantages:
❖ Scenario suitable:
1. Stable workloads - consistent workloads and resource requirements
2. Strict budget planning
3. Predictable demand – demand predictable over time
4. Long term projects - defined timelines can subscribe to resources for the duration
of the project
5. Discounted pricing –reduce overall costs
6. Resource guarantees - resource availability
7. Service bundles – Different subscription plans
❖ Advantages:
1. Predictability - Customers can anticipate costs and budget more effectively.
2. Cost Savings - Longer commitments may come with discounts or reduced rates.
3. Flexibility - Plans can often be adjusted as needs change.
4. Access to Features - Higher-tier plans offer access to additional features and
services.
5. Resource Allocation - Guaranteed resource availability even during peak times.
❖ Disadvantages:
1. Underutilization - Customers might end up paying for resources they don't fully
use.
2. Vendor Lock-In - Long-term commitments might make it challenging to switch
providers.
3. Limited Scalability - Sudden resource spikes can lead to issues if not
accommodated in the chosen plan.
4. Complexity - Managing different subscription plans and their changes can be
complex for both customers and providers.
PROCUREMENT OF CLOUD-BASED SERVICES
❖ Concept: It is a systematic process of identifying, evaluating, selecting, acquiring, and
managing various cloud services from providers to meet an organization's computing
and IT needs.
❖ Business Requirements: It encompasses the entire lifecycle of selecting, acquiring,
deploying, and overseeing cloud services to meet business requirements.
❖ Structured process: It is a structured process of selecting and managing cloud
services.
❖ The procurement must align with organization’s strategic objectives and operational
requirements.
❖ Characteristics:
11.Strategy alignment – Align with business needs and strategy
12.Continuous process (continuous evaluation and optimization)
13.Flexibility - Cloud services can be procured on-demand, providing flexibility in
resource allocation.
14.Resource management - The organization can adjust resources as needed,
ensuring cost-efficiency.
❖ Advantages:
- It involves changing the way organizations invest in and budget for their IT
infrastructure and services.
- The shift involves changing the financial model from upfront investments in
hardware and facilities to paying for resources and services on an ongoing,
consumption-based basis.
- Factors influencing the transition or shift:
a. Long-term costs
b. Vendor lock-in
c. security
- Criteria: The following criteria to be considered while evaluating CapEx to
OpEx shit
5. Cost predictability involves more predictable
6. Resource Scalability -CapEx investments might to over provisioning or
under provisioning
7. Financial Flexibility - OpEx eliminates the need for large
initial investments, freeing up capital for other strategic initiatives.
8. Risk Management - OpEx reduces the financial risk associated with
technology obsolescence and asset depreciation.
9. Budget Management - OpEx aligns expenses with actual usage and
provides better budget control.
10.Innovation Focus - OpEx allows organizations to focus on innovation and
core business activities rather than infrastructure management.
❖ Characteristics:
1. Pay-as-You-Go Model - OpEx involves paying for resources as consumed,
promoting cost efficiency.
2. Flexibility - Cloud services offer the flexibility to adjust resources based on
demand, avoiding resource wastage.
3. OpEx Allocation - Cloud services are treated as operational expenses on the
income statement rather than being capitalized on the balance sheet.
4. Resource Ownership - In the CapEx model, the organization owns physical assets,
while in the OpEx model, the cloud provider owns and maintains the
infrastructure.
❖ Advantages:
11.Cost Efficiency - it helps to avoid large upfront investments.
12.Resource Flexibility - It allows easy scalability to match changing demand.
13.Focus on Core Business - OpEx frees up resources to focus on innovation and
strategic projects.
14.Reduced Risk - OpEx reduces the risk of technology obsolescence and
underutilization.
15.Budget Predictability - OpEx aligns expenses with usage, enabling better budget
management.
16.Rapid Deployment - Cloud services enable quicker deployment of resources
compared to traditional CapEx models.
CLOUD SERVICE CHARGING
❖ Concept: The process of determining and applying costs to cloud services consumed
by users or organizations.
❖ Factors: The charges are assigned based on the following factors.
1. Type of resources used
2. Amount of resources consumed
3. The level of services are accessed
4. Subscription plans
5. Additional services
❖ Goal: It aims to ensure transparency, cost efficiency, and alignment between resource
consumption and financial expenditure.
❖ Transparent Billing: It creates an accurate and transparent billing based on the
actual resources used by customers within the cloud environment.
❖ Cloud service Providers: It enables cloud service providers to recover their
operational costs and generate revenue.
❖ Customers: It allows the customer to pay for the resources and services they use,
promoting cost transparency and effective resource management.
❖ Formula for calculation of cloud services charging:
Cost = (Usage Measurement) × (Rate) (or) Resource Usage * Rate
1. Resource Consumption - The amount of resources used directly impacts the cost.
2. Service Type - Different services (e.g., compute, storage, database) have varying
costs.
3. Usage Duration - Longer usage periods result in higher charges.
❖ Inputs:
1. Usage data
2. Price information
3. Resource tagging (Metadata – associated resources with projects, departments or
cost centers)
4. Historical Data - Past usage and cost data to analyze trends.
❖ Outputs:
1. Cost Reports - Detailed breakdowns of cloud spending by resource, project,
or department.
2. Cost Allocation Reports - Allocation of costs to specific entities
3. Cost Projections - Forecasts of future cloud costs based on historical data
and trends.
4. Optimization Recommendations - Suggestions for cost-saving measures, such
as resizing instances or using reserved instances.
❖ Different Cloud Cost models:
1. Pay-as-You-Go (PAYG) / On-demand Pricing
o It is the default pricing model where the user pays for actual resource usage.
o It offers flexibility, scalability, and cost transparency to organizations by billing
them based on actual resource usage.
o Characteristics of PAYG:
1. Usage based billing
2. No need to pay any upfront payments (No initial payments)
3. Granular billing (charged for exact number of hours use a resource)
4. Flexibility (Resource scale up or scale down based on demands)
5. Cost Transparency – Detailed reports
6. Pay-Per-Use Services – It extends beyond compute and storage resources; it
includes pay-per-use services like databases, server less computing, content
delivery networks (CDNs) etc..,
o Suitable Application: It is particularly beneficial for businesses with variable
workloads and resource requirements.
o Formula: Total Cost = Usage (in units) * Unit Price
o Cloud Service Providers: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and
Google Cloud Platform (GCP) follows this model
o Example: if the user runs a virtual machine for 100 hours at a rate of $0.05 per
hour, then what is the total cost?
Total Cost = 100 * 0.05 = $5
2. Reserved Instances (RIs) Model
o It involves reserving resources for a specified term at a lower cost.
o Characteristics:
1. Resource Reservation – The users commit to reserving a specific amount of
cloud resources for a fixed duration
2. Upfront Payment - To secure the cost savings of RIs, users typically make an
upfront payment covering a portion of the total cost for the reserved
resources.
3. Reduced hourly rate
4. Available in peak times
5. Term length
o Cloud Service Providers: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and
Google Cloud Platform (GCP) follows this model
o Suitable Application: It beneficial for organizations with predictable workloads
and a desire to save on their cloud expenses.
o Inputs:
1. Upfront Cost (U) - The upfront payment made when purchasing the RI.
2. Hourly Rate with RI (RI) - The reduced hourly rate for the reserved
resource.
3. Hourly Rate without RI (PAYG) - The standard PAYG hourly rate for the
same resource.
4. Usage Hours (T) - The number of hours you intend to use the reserved
resource during the reservation term.
o Formula: Total Cost = Upfront Payment + (Usage (in units) * Reduced Unit
Price)
o The formula for calculating the cost savings with RIs compared to
PAYG is: Total Cost = (PAYG – RI)*T - U
3. Spot instances (bid)
o It allows you to use spare capacity at lower prices, but they can be terminated
with short notice.
o Characteristics:
1. Dynamic pricing
2. Short term usage
3. Interruptible – The cloud providers can terminate them with short notice if the
capacity is needed elsewhere. Users are typically given a two-minute warning
before termination.
4. Bidding Process - Users can set a maximum price (bid) in which we are
willing to pay for a spot instance. If the spot price remains below the bid price,
the instance runs. If it exceeds the bid price, the instance is terminated. This
bidding system helps users control costs.
o Formula: Total Cost = Usage (in units) * Spot Price
4. Dedicated instances / Hosts
o The customers lease dedicated physical servers or instances from the cloud
provider.
o Not shared: The servers are not shared with other customers, ensuring that the
customer has full control over the hardware and can maintain higher levels of
isolation and security.
o Characteristics:
1. Isolation - Dedicated instances or hosts provide a high level of isolation,
reducing the risk of resource contention with other customers.
2. Security
3. Performance - Dedicated resources often offer consistent and predictable
performance
4. Cost – More expensive than other models
5. Customization – Select suitable resources and configurations
o Suitable Application: It is used when strict compliance, security, or performance
requirements need to be met.
o Inputs:
1. Resource Requirements
2. Duration
o Output:
1. Dedicated Resources
2. Isolated Environment
o Formula for Cost Calculation in Dedicated Instances / Hosts Model:
Total Cost = (Price per Dedicated Instance or Host) x (Number of Dedicated
Instances or Hosts) x (Duration in Hours or Months)
5. Data Transfer Pricing
o It refers to the pricing structure and cost associated with transferring data in and
out of a cloud service provider's network.
o It can vary significantly between cloud providers and often depends on factors
such as the volume of data transferred, the geographic regions involved, and the
type of network (e.g., internet or inter-region) used for the data transfer.
o Ingress: Data flowing into the cloud provider's network (customer on-premises)
o Egress: Data flowing out of the cloud provider's network sent to end-users or
other services outside the cloud provider's infrastructure.
o Characteristics:
1. Variable costs – cost based on data transfer
2. Tiered Pricing - The cost per unit of data decreases as the volume of data
transferred increases.
3. Geographic Considerations - Data transfer costs can vary based on the
geographic locations involved in the transfer
4. Data Transfer Methods - The pricing model may differentiate between data
transferred over the public internet,
o Inputs:
1. Volume of data transferred
2. Geographic Location
3. Data Transfer Method (private network connections, internet, inter-region
transfers)
o Formula for Data Transfer Cost Calculation:
Data Transfer Cost = Data Transfer Volume (in GB or TB) x
Price per GB (or TB) of Data Transfers
6. Storage Pricing
o It refers to the pricing structure and cost associated with storing data in a cloud
service provider's storage infrastructure.
o Cloud service providers charge customers for the storage space they consume in
the cloud.
o Dynamic Pricing : (based on) 1.Volume 2. Type of Storage 3. Duration of the
Storage
o Types of storage Services: Object Storage, Block Storage, File storage,
Database Storage
o Characteristics:
1. Cost is based on capacity used in cloud space
2. Tiered Pricing - The cost per unit of data decreases as the volume of data
transferred increases
3. Type of storage (standard, premium, archival)
4. Data retention period – cost will vary depends on the duration of data storage
5. Data transfer cost – data transfer rate may be different
o Formula for Storage Cost Calculation:
Storage Cost = Storage Capacity (in GB or TB) x Price per GB (or TB)
x Duration (in months or years)
7. Function Execution (Serverless) Pricing
o The developers write and deploy individual functions that are executed in
response to events or triggers, such as HTTP requests, database changes, or file
uploads.
o Characteristics:
1. Granular Billing - Serverless pricing is highly granular, with charges based on
the actual execution time and resource usage of individual functions.
2. Event-Driven - Functions are triggered by specific events or requests, and users
are billed only when functions are executed in response to these events.
3. Resource Flexibility - The cloud provider dynamically allocates resources
(CPU, memory) based on the function's requirements, and users are charged
accordingly.
4. Scalability - Serverless functions can automatically scale to handle varying
workloads, and users pay only for the resources consumed during execution.
o Formula for Function Execution (Serverless) Cost Calculation:
Execution Cost = Execution Time (in seconds) x Memory Allocated (in GB) x
Price per GB-second of Execution Time
8. API calls pricing
o It refers to the pricing model used by cloud service providers for the use of their
application programming interfaces (APIs).
o It enables the developers to access and interact with various cloud services, data,
and functionalities provided by the cloud provider.
o Characteristics:
1. Request – based billing – number of API requests handled
2. Tiered pricing
3. Rates depends on the different API types
4. Geographical considerations
o Formula for API Call Cost Calculation:
API Call Cost = Number of API Calls x Price per API Call
9. Data Processing Pricing
o The cloud service providers to charge customers for the computation and
processing of data within their cloud environments.
o Data Processing Activities: Data Analysis, transformation, querying, machine
learning etc..
o Characteristics:
1. Computation based on billing
2. Type of data processing
3. Resource allocation (user can specify the amount of CPU, memory,
resource allocated)
o Inputs:
1. Volume of data processed
2. Type of data processing
3. Resource allocation
o Formula for Data Processing Cost Calculation:
Data Processing Cost = Volume of Data Processed x Price per GB (or TB) x
Resource Utilization Factor
UNIT - 5
CLOUD SERVICE GOVERNANCE & VALUE
IT Governance Definition - Cloud Governance Definition - Cloud Governance
Framework - Cloud Governance Structure - Cloud Governance Considerations - Cloud
Service Model Risk Matrix - Understanding Value of Cloud Services - Measuring the
value of Cloud Services - Balanced Scorecard - Total Cost of Ownership
IT GOVERNANCE DEFINITION
❖ Definition: It refers to the framework of processes, policies, procedures, and structures
that guide and oversee the strategic planning, management, and use of information
technology (IT) resources within an organization.
❖ Structured Approach: It provides a structured approach for organizations to make
well-informed decisions, manage risks, and maximize the value derived from their IT
resources.
❖ IT governance is essential for organizations to ensure that their IT activities are
aligned with business goals, well-managed, and compliant.
❖ Objectives: To ensure that IT activities,
4. Aligned with the organization's business goals
5. Risks are managed effectively
6. IT investments deliver value
7. Support overall business success
❖ Critical Challenges:
1. Compliance - Ensuring that cloud activities adhere to industry regulations, legal
requirements, and organizational policies.
2. Security - Implementing robust security measures to protect data, applications,
and infrastructure in the cloud.
3. Cost Optimization - Monitoring and managing cloud costs through resource
optimization, budget control, and cost-effective service selection.
4. Resource Management - Efficiently managing cloud resources, including
instances, storage, and networking, to prevent underutilization or over-
provisioning.
5. Vendor Management - Defining processes for selecting, onboarding, and
managing relationships with cloud service providers.
6. Data Governance - Establishing data ownership, access controls, data
classification, and data lifecycle management in the cloud.
7. Risk Management - Identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks associated with
cloud adoption, such as data breaches and service disruptions.
framework:
1. Assessment - Assess the organization's current cloud landscape, identify gaps and
risks, and determine the need for a governance framework.
2. Strategy Formulation - Define the objectives, goals, and guiding principles of the
cloud governance framework.
3. Policy Development - Create policies and guidelines that cover various aspects of
cloud usage, including security, compliance, data management, and cost control.
4. Role Definition - Clearly define roles and responsibilities for individuals and
teams involved in cloud management.
5. Process Establishment - Establish processes for cloud service provisioning,
monitoring, security, incident response, and more.
6. Education and Training - Provide training and education to staff members to
ensure they understand and adhere to the governance framework.
7. Implementation - Roll out the governance framework across the organization,
aligning cloud activities with the established policies and processes.
8. Monitoring and Improvement - Continuously monitor cloud activities, collect
feedback, and make necessary adjustments to improve the framework's
effectiveness.
❖ Advantages: The advantages of implementing cloud governance framework
1. Risk Mitigation - Minimizes security vulnerabilities and reduces the risk of
data breaches and other cloud-related risks.
2. Cost Savings - Optimizes cloud costs by preventing wastage and
ensuring efficient resource utilization.
3. Alignment - Aligns cloud strategies with overall business objectives,
ensuring technology investments deliver value.
4. Compliance - Helps maintain compliance with regulations, industry
standards, and internal policies.
5. Efficiency - Streamlines cloud management processes, leading to
improved operational efficiency.
6. Transparency -Provides transparency into cloud activities, decision-making
processes, and resource utilization.
7. Data Protection - Ensures data security, privacy, and proper data handling
practices in the cloud.
8. Adaptability - Allows organizations to adapt to changing cloud
technologies and requirements effectively.
CLOUD GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE
❖ Definition: It refers to a structured framework of policies, processes, roles, and
responsibilities that guide the planning, implementation, operation, and management
of cloud services within an organization
1. Strategic Alignment - It aligned with the cloud strategy and objective (clear
understanding of how technology contribute to achieving business goals)
2. Security and Governance - It measures the guarantee that data and applications are
secured and that regulatory requirements are met.
3. Resource Optimization - Governance practices should lead to optimal cloud
resource utilization and cost-effectiveness.
4. Vendor Management - Effective governance facilitates the selection, negotiation,
and ongoing management of cloud service providers.
5. Data Management - Cloud governance ensures proper data handling, storage, and
privacy measures
6. Performance and Availability - Governance should result in consistent
performance and availability of cloud services.
7. Change Management - Governance should accommodate changes in cloud
technology, services, and organizational needs.
8. Risk Management - Governance strategies should identify and mitigate risks
associated with cloud adoption. [cyber security threats, data breaches, operational
disruptions, and compliance issues]
9. Monitoring and Reporting - Effective governance includes mechanisms for
monitoring cloud usage, performance, and compliance, with clear reporting
mechanisms.
10.Continuous Improvement - Governance practices should be adaptable and evolve
with changes in technology and business requirements.
1. Strategic Alignment - It aligned with the cloud strategy and objective (clear
understanding of how technology contribute to achieving business goals)
2. Security and Governance - It measures the guarantee that data and applications
are secured and that regulatory requirements are met.
3. Resource Optimization - Governance practices should lead to optimal cloud
resource utilization and cost-effectiveness.
4. Vendor Management - Effective governance facilitates the selection, negotiation,
and ongoing management of cloud service providers.
5. Data Management - Cloud governance ensures proper data handling, storage,
and privacy measures
6. Performance and Availability - Governance should result in consistent
performance and availability of cloud services.
7. Change Management - Governance should accommodate changes in cloud
technology, services, and organizational needs.
8. Risk Management - Governance strategies should identify and mitigate risks
associated with cloud adoption. [cyber security threats, data breaches, operational
disruptions, and compliance issues]
9. Monitoring and Reporting - Effective governance includes mechanisms for
monitoring cloud usage, performance, and compliance, with clear reporting
mechanisms.
10.Continuous Improvement - Governance practices should be adaptable and evolve
with changes in technology and business requirements.
CLOUD SERVICE MODEL RISK MATRIX
❖Definition: It is a tool used to assess and prioritize risks associated with different
cloud service models (IaaS, SaaS, PaaS).
❖Purpose: It helps the organizations understand and manage the unique risks inherent
in each service model and assists in making informed decisions about cloud adoption
and risk mitigation strategies.
❖Category of Risks: It categorizes risks based on their severity and likelihood,
allowing organizations to allocate resources and prioritize risk mitigation efforts
accordingly.
❖Need for Risk Matrix: Organizations must understand and manage the risks to
ensure
1. Balanced approach to cloud adoption,
2. Effectively allocate resources for risk mitigation
3. Align cloud strategies with business goals.
❖Inputs:
1. List of cloud service models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS).
2. Identified risks associated with each service model.
3. Assigned severity and likelihood levels for each risk and service model.
❖Risk Severity Levels: Low, Moderate, High, Critical
❖Likelihood Levels: Low, Medium, High
❖ Formula: The calculation of composite matrix is
calculated by, Risk Score = Severity Level ×
Likelihood Level
❖ Advantages:
1. Provides a structured approach to understanding and comparing risks across
different cloud service models
2. Assists in making informed decisions about adopting specific cloud service
models based on risk tolerance and business needs.
3. Facilitates resource allocation for risk mitigation efforts by identifying high-
priority risks
❖ Limitations:
1. Subjectivity - Assessing severity and likelihood can be subjective and influenced
by individual interpretation.
2. Complexity - Calculating composite risk scores might oversimplify the complexity
of some risks.
3. Incomplete Picture - The matrix might not capture all possible risks, particularly if
new risks emerge over time.
4. Static Nature - The matrix might not reflect changes in risk profiles as
technologies evolve and cloud landscapes shift.
UNDERSTANDING VALUE OF CLOUD SERVICES
❖ Purpose of value estimation: A value curve can analyze and compare the unique
benefits and advantages of different cloud service providers (or) It is used to measure
cloud service management to ensure that organizations are achieving their intended
goals, optimizing resources, and making informed decisions.
❖ It helps the organizations to demonstrate the tangible benefits of cloud services,
optimize resource usage, and make informed decisions about cloud strategies.
strategies:
1. Strategic Decision-Making - A clear grasp of the value of cloud services enables
informed decision-making about whether and how to adopt cloud solutions in alignment
1. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) - It compares the total costs of using cloud
services with the costs of traditional on-premises solutions. It includes direct costs
(e.g., subscription fees, hardware, personnel) and indirect costs (e.g., maintenance,
training, and downtime).
- This analysis helps organizations understand cost savings and make informed
decisions.
2. Return on Investment (ROI) - It calculates the return gained from cloud
investments compared to the costs incurred.
- It considers both the financial benefits (revenue growth, cost savings) and the
costs of adopting and maintaining cloud services.
- ROI is often expressed as a percentage of the initial investment.
3. Cost-Benefit Analysis - It weighs the monetary benefits gained from cloud services
against the associated costs.
- It helps organizations assess whether the benefits outweigh the costs and
whether investing in cloud services is justified.
4. Performance Metrics - It assesses the impact of cloud services on factors like
application response times, service availability, and user experience.
- Monitoring tools provide data on metrics such as latency, uptime, and
transaction speed to evaluate the service quality.
5. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) - It’s a specific, quantifiable metrics that align
with the organization's goals.
- Cloud-related KPIs might include metrics like time-to-market for new
services, cost per transaction, and application performance benchmarks.
6. Business Outcome Metrics - It involves assessing how cloud services impact
key business metrics such as revenue growth, customer retention, market share,
and operational efficiency.
7. Customer Satisfaction and User Experience - Surveys, feedback mechanisms, and
user experience metrics provide insights into how cloud services impact customer
satisfaction and overall user experience.
8. Risk Assessment and Mitigation - Assessing risks associated with cloud services
and measuring the effectiveness of risk mitigation strategies is another
methodology.
- It involves identifying potential risks, calculating their potential impact, and
determining the cost of avoiding or mitigating these risks.
9. Time-to-Market Analysis – It evaluates how quickly new services or features can
be deployed in the cloud compared to traditional approaches. It helps assess the
agility and flexibility gained from cloud adoption.
10.Benchmarking - It involves comparing an organization's performance against
industry standards or competitors.
- Cloud benchmarking can help assess whether the organization is achieving
similar or better outcomes with cloud services.
11.Surveys and Feedback - Gathering feedback from stakeholders, users, and teams
using cloud services can provide qualitative insights into their perceived value and
impact.
12.Case Studies and Success Stories - Reviewing case studies and success stories
from similar organizations can provide qualitative evidence of the value realized
from cloud services.
13.Balanced Scorecard - It measures value from multiple perspectives, including
financial, customer, internal processes, and innovation and learning.
❖ Limitations: There are some limitations to consider when measuring the values of
cloud services.
1. Complexity - Cloud services' impacts can be multifaceted, making it challenging to
capture all aspects accurately.
2. Subjectivity - Some value aspects, such as improved customer satisfaction, can be
subjective and harder to quantify.
3. External Factors - External factors, such as market changes or regulatory shifts,
can influence measurement outcomes.
4. Data Availability - Access to comprehensive and accurate data might be limited,
affecting the accuracy of measurements.
5. Time Lag - The full impact of cloud services might take time to materialize,
leading to delayed measurement results.
6. Interdependencies - The value of cloud services might be influenced by other
organizational initiatives or external factors.
BALANCED SCORECARD
❖ Concept: It is a strategic management system maps an organization's strategy into
clear objectives, measures, targets, and initiatives.
❖ Definition: It provides a structured approach to measuring cloud value by
considering a balanced set of metrics that encompass various aspects of the
organization's performance and strategic goals.
❖ Comprehensive view: It provides a comprehensive view of how cloud services
contribute to the overall business objectives.
❖ Tool: It is a tool for monitoring the strategic decisions taken by the company based
on indicators previously established
❖ Translator: It acts as a translator of strategy and a performance communicator.
❖ Key Performance Indicators (KPI) (or) Four Perspectives in Balanced Scorecard
Framework: Divide the strategic management into 4 perspectives.
1. Financial Perspective
2. Customer
3. Internal Business Processes
4. Learning and Growth
❖ Characteristics of Balanced Scoreboard:
1.Balanced Approach - The framework balances financial and non-financial KPIs,
providing a holistic view of performance.
2.Alignment -The KPIs align with the organization's strategic goals and objectives.
3.Cause-and-Effect Relationship - The KPIs are interconnected, showing how
improvements in one area can positively impact others.
4.Measurement Variety - The framework includes both quantitative and qualitative
measures.
5.Long-Term Focus - It considers both short-term and long-term objectives for
sustainable success.
6.Continuous Improvement – It helps to tracking KPIs in multiple dimensions, it
encourages continuous improvement in all areas of the organization.
7.Adaptability - The KPIs can be adjusted based on changing business needs and
goals.
❖ Example1: Balanced Scorecard to cloud value measurement in a software-as-a-
service (SaaS) company
❖ Advantages:
1. Comprehensive View - The Balanced Scorecard provides a holistic perspective
2. Alignment with Goals - It ensures that cloud value measurement aligns with the
organization's strategic objectives and goals.
3. Multiple Metrics - By using a variety of metrics, it offers a well-rounded evaluation
of cloud services' impact.
4. Cause-and-Effect Relationship - The framework establishes a cause-and-effect
relationship between different performance indicators, allowing organizations to
understand how improvements in one area affect others.
5. Strategic Focus - It assists in focusing on long-term goals.
6. Communication and Alignment - The Balanced Scorecard facilitates communication
and understanding across different teams and stakeholders about how cloud services
contribute to the overall success of the organization.
❖ Limitations:
1. Complex Implementation
2. Subjectivity – KPIs associated weights are related to the scenario.
3. Dynamic in nature (metrics and benchmarks may adopt to changing
business conditions)
4. Data availability is less
TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP (TCO)
❖ Definition: It refers to calculating all the direct and indirect costs of implementing,
operating and maintaining a cloud environment (or) the complete estimation of all
direct and indirect costs associated with adopting, implementing, and managing
cloud services over their entire lifecycle.
❖ Direct costs: It includes compute, storage and network resources costs.
❖ Indirect costs: It includes personnel, training and maintenance costs.
❖ Other Parameters:
1.Time Horizon -The period over which the TCO is calculated.
2.Discount Rate - The rate used to adjust future costs to their present value.
3.Growth Rate - If applicable, the projected growth of cloud usage.
❖ Formula:
TCO = Initial Costs + Ongoing Costs + Maintenance Costs + Downtime Costs + Upgrade
Costs + Expansion Costs
❖ Advantages:
1. It helps the organization to take better informed decisions.
2. It helps for accurate budget planning
3. It helps to reduce the potential hidden costs (Risk assessment)
4. It provides better communication and alignment with vendor selection.
❖ Limitations:
1. Difficult to collect accurate data
2. Dynamic Nature - Cloud costs and technology change over time, making long-
term TCO predictions less accurate.
3. Complexity - The calculations involve various parameters, leading to potential
complexity in analysis.