Cloud Computing for Small & Medium Businesses

Cloud Computing for Business

Al Sabawi, President/CEO

05/02/2023 Cloud Computing for Business – Quantopix Technologies, LLC 2

Provide independent overview of the basics of cloud computing for business.

Target AudienceThis presentation is intended for small to medium size businesses (50-500 employees). It is meant to provide a non-technical and brief overview of cloud computing for business owners and operators. It will most benefit those who currently rely on in-house IT services and back office hardware and networking to manage basic business needs. Business needs such as Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relations (CRM), Human Resources (HRM), Document Management, Internal and External Collaboration, and Customized Vertical Applications.

ScopeDiscussion of cloud offerings & services, and types of cloud structures in the market. It touches on the Benefits, Cost, and Risks of migrating business computing to the cloud. Finally, a cursory review of major cloud service players and their services and cost models.

Objectives

05/02/2023 3

Presentation Overview Cloud Evolution In-House vs. On-Demand ComputingCloud HardwareCloud OfferingClouds in Business Cloud ServicesTypical ApplicationsCloud Building BlocksCloud BenefitsCloud Cost & Cost ModelsCloud Cost ComparisonsCloud RisksCloud Major ProvidersDiscussion and Q&ADefinitions

Cloud Computing for Business – Quantopix Technologies, LLC

05/02/2023 4

Cloud EvolutionLeveraging the collective power of many small and cheap computers to perform large tasks that otherwise needs a mainframe to run

Progression of Cloud Computing

Server Farms: UNIX & Windows servers for hire. No intelligence built into efficient utilization CPUs, Memory, Data Storage, or Networking. Rudimentary sharing of resources.

Distributing Computing: Multiple computers can cooperate to complete a task. A task is broken into multiple operations. Each operation is given to a different computer (node). One designated node will collect and respond with the results. Use of Message Passing Interface (MPI) Technology

Cluster Computing: Multiple computers (nodes) are connected through a high-speed physical network (Typically fiber-optic) in a single location. Managed as a unit. Utilize distributed computing infrastructure to schedule and load balance task among its resources.

Virtualization: Multiple users are allocated a portion of CPUs and Memory. Each can run a different operating system and software stack. This allowed dividing the power of the whole cluster into different logical portions and allocating each to a different computing need/account/software etc.

Software Stack: Operating System + Software Tools + Basic Applications. Pre-Configured ,compatible, and fully tested software to meet a computing objective.

Cloud Instance: A virtual server made up of multiple CPUs, Memory, Disk Storage, and Networking Capabilities. It behaves as a single physical server as far as the software is concerned

Ultra-fast Interconnect: 10Gb Ethernet, InfiniBand. Connecting CPUs in separate physical servers in a very high speed network so that data sharing does not impact performance.

Demand for Supercomputing Capabilities: From US Government (DARPA, NSA, Science Research Facilities, Weather Monitoring & Forecasting etc.) Massive Parallel Processing from racks of CPUs sharing fast memory, storage, and connected via fiber optics. Specialized operating system allowing tasks to run in parallel and scale in a semi-linear way.


Key Technologies

05/02/2023 5

In-House vs. on-Demand•Perpetual Catchup: Fast changing HW & SW. What is best for your business now will change next year•HW will become obsolete within 1 year. Little or no resale value •IRS 5 years depreciation rule•Expertise & Talent renewals cost•Training and re-training of staff•Software licensing and auditing •Inventory management•Capacity Planning: More guessing than science •Security safeguards •Full cost of Backup and Restore•Build vs. Buy Decision: Build a custom system in-house or buy an off-the-shelf solution and mange it in-house. •Timely monitoring and resolution•You are in FULL CONTROL!

In-House IT Model

•Result oriented: What is best for my business now? Limited or no commitment to HW or infrastructure•Reduce or eliminate CapX (CPUs, Data Storage, Networking, Wiring, Backup/Restore) •Reduce IT Staffing, fixed cost, overhead•Build OR Buy OR Rent Decision: Renting HW, SW, and Network from a Private Cloud Provider for a limited time. No long term commitment•Pay for what you use for the time you use it (By hour, day, week, month, year) •Low migration cost: Scale up or down resources for little or no cost•More Compatibility and low testing cost•Automated Backup & Restore is part of cloud infrastructure •Access to expertise whose core business is Cloud IT•Security tools and safeguards already setup •Analytics for your data, network traffic, resource usage•LIMITED CONTROL over the systems relative to in-house IT

On Demand ModelCloud Computing for Business – Quantopix Technologies, LLC

05/02/2023 6

Cloud Hardware

Rack-Mounted ServersFlexible with more

configuration options. More cost effective for

large/growing computing needs.

Blade-Mounted ServersMostly Plug & Play. Server blades are plugged into a Blade Center where they

instantly connect to power supply, network, and

storage. Minimal configuration required.

Suitable for departmental computing or small

business.

Rack-Mounted Blade-Mounted


Suitable for large data centers & providers

Suitable for small businesses


Cloud OfferingsBare Metal

Dedicated physical servers with dedicated storage. User is fully responsible for all configuration and software installations/setup. Just like renting the

physical hardware. This is not considered a cloud. Private Cloud

Virtualized Servers (Hypervisor) . Not visible to public. Accessed through Virtual Private Network (VPN) protocol

only. No public login or public web. Encrypted and Authenticated Traffic. Requires VPN software support on

user’s devices. Some providers may

Public Cloud Virtualized Servers (Hypervisor). Visible to public (DNS Listed). Open web and mobile applications.

Used for web servers, e-commerce, customer service, publications & news etc.

Hybrid Cloud Virtualized Servers (Hypervisor). Combination of

Public and Private. Allows for a unified administration of data. Internal business apps instantly access public

data for monitoring and analytics.


Clouds in Business

58%29% 7% Private CloudPublicCloud

Hybrid Cloud

*Survey by Right Scale

79% of users are Multi-Cloud users

05/02/2023 9

Cloud Services


•Bare Metal Hardware, Provisioned Public Cloud, Private Cloud, Storage, Networking, IT Support.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): Control over much of

the cloud configurations

•Abstracted and configured to develop and deploy customer applications (Desktop, Web Based, or Mobile)

Platform as a Service (PaaS): Control over the development environment. Programming

Languages Support

•Dedicated and optimized for a specific business software. ERP, CRM, HR, Accounting, Financial, Project Management, Collaboration, etc. Examples: Office 360, SAP Business One)

Software as a Service (SaaS): Control over

specific software

•Database Engines and File Repositories with Analytics tools

Data as a Service (DaaS): Managing and

Analyzing Data

05/02/2023 10

Typical Applications External Use

Company Website Customer Applications : Web Apps/e-Commerce, Mobile/Tablet Apps, Social Apps News Feeds: For other sites to extract articles Data Feeds/Sharing: Structured or Unstructured data files External Application Program Interface (API): Third party Apps can call to

interact with your service Marketing Campaigns

Internal Use (Company Intranet) Company Software Applications: ERP, CRM, Accounting, HR, Email, Calendar,

Project Management, Resource Management etc. Data Crunching: Analysis, Computation (Scientific/Engineering) Batch Processing Development and Test Databases Repository Collaboration and File Sharing

Limited/Special Use Two or more organizations or businesses can share apps or data while working on

joint projects typically for a limited time.


05/02/2023 11

Cloud Building BlocksThe Instance

A cloud instance is a “virtual” server. It is equivalent to a back office server. Most providers offer a menu of Instances. Options include CPU Types, CPU speed, number of CPUs/Instance, Cache Memory, etc.)

Instances offered are typically configured for Large, Medium, or Basic Business needs. Also specialized for Data Storage, Web Servers, or Computation Intensive needs.

Instances can be customized with storage, networking capabilities, and software stack/tools. A customized instance’s image (compressed file) can be saved for re-installation

Resource Sharing Multiple instances of the same image can be created to distribute the workloadMultiple instances can share same file systems and networking Multiple instances can run same software

Load BalancingA load balancing software monitors the CPUs and invoke the least busy instance to handle incoming workload.

Job Scheduling Scheduling of tasks/workload to run by time and sequence

AdministrationSingle point of administration. Auto turn on/off of instances. Management console

CostCharges for use by instance by the hour/day/month etc.


05/02/2023 12

Cloud BenefitsRelegation of IT to specialists at the Cloud Provider Technology Options: Mix & Match performance, bandwidth,

memory, storage, tools, and servicesScalability on Demand: Scale up and down on short notice to

accommodate business needsPredictable Cost & Performance. Providers have historical

data to use as guide. Allows for much accurate prediction of performance and cost

Little or No Downtime.Services for Backup, Restore, and Tuning are typically offered

in many packagesVirus and Malware protection is usually, but not always, built

into base services. Most offer “Analytics” services to monitor traffic and

databases or collect data from users clicks and inputs.


05/02/2023 13

Cost by Instance Type: CPU Speed, Number of CPUs, Provisioned Memory , Image Type

Charge Per Instance Running. Minimum charge for off Instances Instance Run Time based charge:

Business Hours (e.g. On at 8pm, Off at 5pm) 24/7

Storage Cost Per Gigabyte Networking Type (IP4, IP6) and Band Width (Basic, Medium, High) Security Safeguards (Encryption Type, Security model, etc.) Provisioning Time Management: The right instance for the right task running for the

time needed.

Cloud Cost & Cost Models



Cloud Cost Comparisons• Accurate comparison between offerings is never is simple:

• Pre-Packaged instances are different among providers• Performance can vary widely • Storage cost varies

• Use 3rd party tools to estimate/manage cost: • PlanForCloud.com: http://www.planforcloud.com/• RightScale.com: http://www.rightscale.com/

http://www.planforcloud.com/

http://www.planforcloud.com/

05/02/2023 15

Cloud RisksSecurity

Trusting the Provider to protect your data. Check the provider’s policies and safeguards against “snooping” by employees and contractors. Check how access is monitored and audited.

External hacking safeguards: Encryption levels, Authentication of users, enforcing for user privileges

Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks: When hackers overload your servers with requests resulting in degradation or halting of response.

Undetected Software BugsHappens when performance in not monitoredCan lead to high consumption of CPU time (runaway

processes) or filling up allocated disk space.


05/02/2023 16

Cloud Major Providers Infrastructure as a Service (Iaas)

Amazon Web Services (AWS): Biggest and most versatile services Rackspace IBM SoftLayer Microsoft Windows Azure Google Compute Engine (GCE) HP Enterprise Converged Infrastructure

Platform as a Service (PaaS) Engine Yard Red Hat OpenShift Amazon Web Services (AWS) Google App Engine (GAE) Microsoft Windows Azure Heroku

Software as a Service (SaaS) SAP: ERP, CRM, Inventory, Financials, Operational Tracking, Human Resources SalesForce: ERP, CRM, Inventory, Collaborations, Projects NetSuite: ERP, CRM, Financials Oracle Cloud: Databases, ERP, CRM, HR, Analytics Microsoft Dynamics

Data as a Service (DaaS) Oracle: Databases, Document Repository, Management and Analytics tools



Discussion Q&A

05/02/2023 18

DefinitionsHypervisor or Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM): Allows the hardware to emulate multiple computer systems at the same time by creating Virtual Machines. It can partition the physical CPU usage, Memory, Networking, and other resources to emulate separate systems. ERP (Enterprise Resources Planning): Integrated Business Management software package for managing product manufacturing, inventory, sales, delivery and service etc.CRM (Customer Relationship Management): Integrated Customer Relation software package for managing customer contacts, leads, proposals, sales and maintenance history, contracts, issues and resolutions etc. Software Stack: Integrated Software Package that includes a level of the Operating System, File System, Networking, and Database Support. It also includes admin and trouble shooting tools. A software stack is typically made up of compatible releases of software intended to work together.


Cloud Computing for Small & Medium Businesses

Business

Transcript of Cloud Computing for Small & Medium Businesses