Cloud Service Level Management

We learned about Cloud Service Level Management this week.

Service Level Management (SLM) essentially negotiates and controls service levels that are agreed upon within certain parameters. With the growth of virtualized respurces across several domains, IT service delivery expectations increase as well. For the IT service delivery professionals this means that proper SLM of cloud computing need to be provided. SLM ensures that certain services that have been promised are delivered up to expectations and for prior agreed upon cost. A Service Quality Plan (SQP) addresses certain managerial objectives and helps with implementing the SLM.

References:

http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/security-governance/service-level-management-of-cloud-computing-42536

     There are many cloud based applications out there, offered by a variety of vendors and they can be used by anyone who has a device that is able to connect to the Internet. That includes, desktop computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones. Different cloud apps are offered for different types of businesses, ranging from very small businesses, such as sole proprietors to large enterprises with thousands of employees in all types of fields. They can also be customized to each individual business’ needs. Cloud apps are usually set up by the provider and do not require any or very little IT knowledge.












References:
https://www.infostreet.com/cloud-desktop/what-are-cloud-based-applications/

This week we learned about Service Level Agreements. They are important, as they provide a reference of what the customer can expect from the provider. The agreement offers rules, measures of the service and responsibilities of customer and provider. SLAs are often generic standard SLAs in favor of the provider. Sometimes providers negotiate a custom agreement with the customer, but that's not always the case. Just as any other contract, the Service Level Agreement is an important contract that should be read and comprehended carefully before agreeing to it.

Virtualization should be seen as a strategy to modernize IT. It implements attributes of a cloud computing provider - service-based, elastic, scalable and metered by use. Though not the only avenue to cloud computing, virtualization does play the most important role and has a common on-ramp in cloud computing style. Virtualization enables IT to become more service based and to provide fast, scalable and elastic resources. 

 

 

References: 

https://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/analysts/Gartner-server-virtualization-leads-to-cloud-computing.pdf

With cloud computing on the rise, offering Software as a Service and Infrastructure as a Service and so on, we are moving closer and closer to a hardware-free, totally virtual IT world. That includes gaming. My husband is not a full blooded gamer, but he does have his game or two that he is passionate about. He also tried several newer games. In the "old days" he would wait for the game to be released, run to Best Buy and grab the box with the discs to install the game. Sometimes he would have to stop and check if his machine meets the requirements. Thanks to the wonderful cloud, all that is a thing of the past... well maybe not quite yet, but it's going to be. Games are accessible through the cloud. No discs needed, no installation needed, no system requirements, no device or console confinement. All you need is an internet connection (and who hasn't one these days). Gaming as a Service (GaaS) is in the works with first services offered already.








References: http://www.nvidia.com/object/cloud-gaming.html