Dwayne Fritz

Section A – Cloud Storage Question 1 1.1 To specify, there are several significant aspects you should know before making the switch to cloud on behalf of your company. Here are some key factors Business Objectives – However, is is important to understand your business-wide corporate objectives. This enables the alignment of the cloud migration strategy towards a well-established and clear understanding with respect to broader business vision, directions which leads to greater productivity and in turn new heights of performance. Advanced Data Management – Determine the data and its nature in terms of usage frequency. Provide cheap and simple storage for old data to ensure access of hot data into the system. Security and Compliance - Add high level of security to safeguard the important data. This includes encryption, assess control and compliance with the rules of specific industries. The company is global, and obviously keeping data secure and private at a high level. Application Compatibility – It helps to understand which of the existing applications can run on what cloud platform and hence determine the dependencies around those legacy apps, possible issues revolving data migration thus ensuring that moving to a different cloud realm does not halt seamlessly.(14 factors to consider when migrating to the cloud March 25, 2024 in Education and Skills, Tech Insights, Uncategorised) Data Migration Strategy – One of the ways to reduce downtime and data loss is having a clear-cut data migration strategy. This ensures data integrity checks and validation processes are performed both pre- as well post migration to avert business continuity. Connectivity and Bandwidth – Migrating to the cloud requires a robust review of both you network infrastructure and bandwidth capacity so that your data can be securely and reliably accessed. This will allow your business to quickly adapt and thrive on the cloud, benefitting from improved data accessibility, security processes and operational efficiency.(Ten key considerations when moving to the cloud - Lisa Curry - Nov 20, 2020) 1.2 As assessed below are five critical key benefits of the choses enterprise, this will lay down a strong foundation for the business to migrate into cloud - Enhanced Security – Moving to the cloud can greatly improve the company’s data security. Cloud providers provide advanced security features such as encryption, identity and access management, regular security updates. This safeguards private information from data breach and unauthorized access. Cost Efficiency – Migrating to cloud: Which can result in significant cost reductions. Your organization will decrease costs due to discontinued support and upgrade features in on-premises infrastructure by moving them into cloud. Improved Budget Compliance, Predictable and planned costs utilize a PAYG. Model and eliminates the uncertainty of large capital expenses. Scalability and Flexibility – With the clouds capacity to change resources according to demand up or down. With this level of flexibility, you need not worry about over-provisioning – our business will only pay for the resources that it utilizes to perform workloads from time-to-time. It leads to agile in adapting changes as business scenario changes. Collaboration and improved accessibility – Cloud solutions help remote employees access data and application seamlessly from anywhere to enhance collaboration, which in turn boosts productivity. For a workforce that distributed globally, this works wonders as it keeps all the workers in line with zero hitches while operating from remote locations.(What is Cloud Migration) Continuity and Disaster Recovery – Other benefits – In addition to costs, a cloud provide can also provide efficient disaster recovery solutions with data redundancy and fast-recovery in case of outages or disasters. This contributes significantly to improving business continuity by reducing down time and enabling critical operations to be run callous. (Why Migrate To The Cloud - Mike Chen - March 20, 2023) These advantages will contribute towards the immediate requirements of your company as well provide a solid ground. 1.3 AWS provides a number of services and approaches that can help you ease your way into the cloud, allowing for gradual migration in most places which makes it suitable to move as soon as possible. Some listed options are - AWS Migration Hub - AWS Migration Hub allows you to follow the progress of your applications migrations across multiple AWS and partner solutions all in one place. It brings in a controlled phased migration process and aids you to manage the migration effort. AWS Application Migration Service - This service makes moving applications to AWS easier and faster. You can transfer applications from physical, virtual or cloud infrastructure to AWS with little downtime and without changing the applications. AWS Database Migration Service - This allows you to move databases to AWS fast and safely. It supports moving the same type of databases, like moving data from Oracle to Amazon Aurora. AWS Datasync - This option automates and speeds up moving big amounts of data between on-site storage and AWS. It makes data transfer easier making sure you data moves efficiently and securely. AWS Storage Gateway - Through the on-premises access to virtually unlimited cloud storage, AWS Storage Gateway enables this hybrid cloud storage. It allows you to gradually move data to the cloud while maintaining local access to critical data. AWS Snow Family - AWS Snow Family which includes Snow cone, snowball and snowmobile is a collection of physical devices used to transfer big data sets over AWS in case of limited bandwidth. This is especially important for initiating initial bulk data transfer followed by continuous synchronization.(Choosing AWS migration services and tools) Question 2 1.1 a. EC2 Instances b S3 Storage c Elastic Load Balancing d RDS Instances 1.2 AWS pricing estimates based on the following configurations- Amazon EC2 Upfront Costs - $685.00 Monthly Costs - $57.09 Annual Costs - $1,370.08 S3 Storage Service Upfront Costs - $0.00 Monthly Costs - $3.39 Annual Costs - $40.68 Elastic Load Balancing Upfront Costs - $0.00 Monthly Costs - $2,955.48 Annual Costs - $35,465.76 Amazon RDS Custom for Oracle Upfront Costs - $0.00 Monthly Costs - $1,502.50 Annual Cost - $18,030.00 1.3 The decision between using either an Application Load Balancer (ALB) or Network Load Balancer (NLB) for your application should factor in: Traffic Type - ALB: Operates at the application layer (Layer 7) and is ideal for HTTP/HTTPS traffic. It can handle advanced request routing based on the content of the request, such as URL paths, host headers, and HTTP methods. NLB: Operates at the transport layer (Layer 4) and is designed for TCP/UDP traffic. It is suitable for applications that require low latency and high throughput, such as real-time gaming or financial applications. Scalability - ALB: Automatically scales up to cope with varying traffic loads. This makes it appropriate for web applications experiencing fluctuating volumes of traffic while routing requests according to application-specific logic. NLB: It also automatically scales and can manage millions of requests per second. Its design serves high-performance applications requiring stable connections that are low in latencies . Performance - ALB: Offer SSL termination, WebSocket's support and HTTP/2 among other features that enhance web application performance. In addition, there are built-in health checks which ensure that traffic is routed to healthy targets. NLB: Offers extremely low latency and high throughput, making it suitable for performance-critical applications. It also keeps the client’s source IP address which may matter for certain applications. Advanced features - ALB: Has advanced routing features like path-based routing and host-based routing that are useful in microservices architectures. It integrates with AWS Web Application Firewall (WAF) for enable enhanced security. NLB: Has static IP addresses and Elastic IPs which can be advantageous to applications needing such types of fixed IP addresses; it supports TLS termination too hence; encrypted traffic can be handled as well. Use Cases - ALB: Best tailored for web applications, microservices and APIs requiring complex request routing as well as advanced features at application layer1. NLB: caters well for high performance, low latency kind of solutions that would benefit from transportlayer load balancing like gaming, media streaming among others. In conclusion, by evaluating these aspects you will get to know what load balancer best serves your specific application requirements.(Choosing the Appropriate AWS Load Balancer: ALB vs. NLB Satrajit Basu · Sep. 14, 23) Question 3 – VPC 3.1 The number one recommended AWS service is Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC). It is used for deploying resources in a logically isolated virtual network, my suggested service is Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC). If we talk about traditional data center with the benefits of scalable infrastructure provided by AWS, then Amazon VPC can create a virtualized network that is almost similar to it. Here are five benefits of Amazon VPC Complete Control Over Network Environment Subnets - You can make subnets for segmenting your network inside VPC. This gives you an ability to organize resources and regulate traffic flow between different sections of your application. Route Tables - You have the option to adjust route tables which help determine how traffic flows within your VPC. This way you can manage your traffic flow based on individual demands prevailing. Network Gateways - It enables you to establish internet gateways, NAT gateways, as well as VPN connections that join the VPC with outer networks like the internet. Enhanced Security Security Groups and Network ACLs - VPC is outfitted with numerous levels of protection such as security groups and network access control lists (ACLs) that serve to regulate inbound and outbound traffic into your resources.(Amazon VPC Features) Flow Logs: By utilizing VPC Flow Logs, it is possible to observe as well as collect data regarding the IP traffic directed towards network interfaces in your VPC and that which is moving away. This assists in noticing any irregularities while fixing network problems. Scalability and FlexibilityElastic IP Addresses - VPC allows you to assign Elastic IP addresses for your resources that make sure they have permanent IPs suitable for maintaining uniform endpoints2. Support for IPv4 & IPv6 - This option allows the use of both IPv4 as well as IPv6 addresses for one’s resources thereby making the system compatible as well as safeguarding it against future eventualities. Cost Efficiency PAYG - VPC saves significant costs as it only charges for the resources you utilize. Indeed, compared to supporting an ordinary in-house network operating under traditional methods this may result into huge savings. Reduced Hardware Costs - AWS infrastructure helps to reduce the requirement for physical hardware, translating into reduced capital expenditure. Integration with Other AWS Services Seamless Integration - Other AWS services such as EC2, RDS and S3 integrate completely with VPC thereby allowing you build a complete cloud computing environment. VPC Endpoints - These are distinct resources you can make in order to create private connections between your VPC and supported AWS services without utilizing any type of internet gateway, NAT device, VPN connection or even AWS Direct Connect.(What is Amazon VPC) 3.2 1)Open up AWS Management Console Sign in with your AWS credentials. 2)Go to VPC Dashboard: On the top navigation bar of the AWS Management Console, click on “Services”. From “Networking & Content Delivery” section choose “VPC”. 3)Access Your VPCs: In the VPC Dashboard on the left-hand side navigation pane, click on “Your VPCs”. This will show a list of all the VPCs that are linked with your account. 4) Select a VPC: Click on the VPC ID of the VPC whose details you want to view. You will be directed to the VPC details page. Revealed Information VPC ID and Name-Unique identifier and name for a given VPC. CIDR Block-Assigned to this particular VPC, it signifies IP address range (Classless Inter-Domain Routing). Subnets-Information on subnets that exist within the VPC such as their CIDR blocks as well as availability zones. Route Tables-Details surrounding associations between the VPC with route tables including their routes plus related subnets. Network ACLs-Data related to network access control lists (ACLs) in relation to the VPC including rules pertinent to inbound/outbound movement of data. Security Groups-Information regarding security groups linked with the VPC with rules governing movements of people entering or leaving it. Internet Gateways-Details concerning internet gateways linked to a specific VPC allowing connection via Internet. NAT Gateways-In these cases, NAT gateways within the VPC provide internet access to instances located inside private subnets. VPC Peering Connections-Information regarding any VPC peering connections that enable routing of traffic between two or more VPCs. Flow Logs-Additional pieces of evidence regarding IP traffic flow logs in your VPC whereas it captures all data moving towards and away from its network interface. (Amazon VPC – View Information About Your VPC - ritikapandey - 27 Mar 2023) 3.3 AWS has a detailed plan of various security interventions that secure organizations’ operations by all means. The strategies integrate security, compliance and identity aspects from time to time, such that they protect both data and infrastructure at the same moment. The main strategies include these ones: Identity and Access Management (IAM)AWS IAM- The AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) service allows you to securely manage access to AWS services and resources. For instance, it enables the creation and management of AWS users and groups, while controlling their access to AWS resources through permission roles. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)- An additional level of security is offered when using AWS’s multifactor authentication (MFA). To enhance account safety, users need to present two identification forms. Data Protection Encryption- AWS provides encryption for data at rest and in transit1. Services like AWS Key Management Service (KMS) and AWS CloudHSM help manage encryption keys securely1. AWS Secrets Manager- This service helps you protect access to your applications, services, and IT resources without the upfront cost and complexity of managing your own hardware security module (HSM) infrastructure. Infrastructure Protection Network Security- AWS offers various tools to secure your network, including Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), security groups, and network access control lists (ACLs). These tools help you control inbound and outbound traffic to your resources. AWS Shield- AWS Shield provides protection against Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, ensuring the availability and reliability of your applications.(Choosing AWS security, identity, and governance services) Detection and Monitoring AWS CloudTrail- This service enables governance, compliance, and operational and risk auditing of your AWS account. It provides event history of your AWS account activity, including actions taken through the AWS Management Console, AWS SDKs, command-line tools, and other AWS services. Amazon Guard Duty - A threat detection service that continuously monitors for malicious activity and unauthorized behavior to protect your AWS accounts and workloads(AWS Cloud Security-Anshu Bansal- 15 January 2024) Governance and Compliance AWS Config- This service gives your account a comprehensive understanding of your AWS resources configurations. You can audit and analyze your AWS configurations with this service. AWS Audit Manager- This service continuously audits your AWS usage to make it easier for you to assess risk and determine compliance with regulations and industry standards(how-the-unique-cultureof-security-at-aws-makes-a-difference -Chris Betz- 17 April 2024) Question 4 – Cloud as solution 4.1 The best suited platform in AWS It is Amazon EC2 – Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2). Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) is the AWS service I would recommend for hosting virtual machines where you can run your gaming servers or any application server, computing server as well as file storage services on it. Through this software we are able to take advantage of scalable computing capacity provided by Amazon within its cloud infrastructure called AWS that allows launching of virtual servers (instances) with different configurations that meet specific needs of clients. Benefits of Amazon EC2 Scalability and FlexibilityElasticity- The ability to scale up or down depending on demand is one of the most important features that makes it attractive for game hosting and such applications which may have sporadic traffic patterns. Instance Types- EC2 offers various types of instances which are optimized for different uses such as those that are compute-oriented, memory optimized or storage optimized. Cost EfficiencyPAYG- When using EC2 you pay only when you use computing resources hence eliminating huge initial costs related with hardware purchase. Reserved Instances- By choosing Reserved Instances, one can save money compared to normal hourly rates charged on demand since they offer considerable price reductions for users who are willing commit themselves over time periods ranging from 1 year up until 3 years. High Availability and ReliabilityMultiple Availability Zones- EC2 instances can be set up across different geography locations called Availability Zones in order ensure high availability and fault tolerance. SecuritySecurity Group- Groups of security protect EC2 instances, acting like firewalls that control both incoming and outgoing traffic. IAM Integration- EC2 integrates with AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) to provide finegrained access control to your instances. Integration with Other AWS ServicesAmazon S3- Easily store and retrieve data using Amazon S3, which can be integrated with your EC2 instances for file storage. Amazon RDS- Host your databases on Amazon RDS and connect them to your EC2 instances for a complete application stack. Use Cases Gamer Servers- Take advantage of EC2 instances to keep multiple game servers hosting that are engaging in the online gaming genre with less than 1 millisecond latency alongside high reliability levels. You may also optimize game server management further by using services like Amazon Game Lift. Application Servers- You can have web applications as well as APIs installed on EC2 instances where you will choose from a variety of types of instances depending on what fits your workload best. Computing Servers- You can utilize EC2 instances to carry out compute-intensive operations that include data analysis, machine learning, and scientific simulations which have been tailored for maximum performance. ((AWS Game Development Services) (Free Remote Cloud Servers - About, assessed2024) 4.2 1) Create an AWS AccountYou need to go to the AWS management console. If you do not have one, sign-up for an AWS account. 2) Launch an EC2 InstanceNavigate to EC2- Click on “Services” and select “EC2” under “Compute” in the AWS Management Console. Launch Instance- Click on “Launch Instance.” Choose an Amazon Machine Image (AMI)- Select an appropriate AMI (e.g., Amazon Linux 2, Ubuntu). Choose an Instance Type- Select a type of instance based on your application’s requirements (e.g., t2.micro for small applications). Configure Instance Details- Configure the instance details, such as the number of instances, network settings and IAM roles. Add Storage- Specify storage requirements for your instance. Add Tags- Add tags to help you identify your instance easily. Configure Security Group- Set up security groups to control inbound and outbound traffic by opening necessary ports (e.g., port 80 for HTTP, port 443 for HTTPS). Review and Launch- Review your settings, then click “Launch.” Select or create a key pair for SSH access. 3) Connect to Your EC2 InstanceGet Public IP Address- Find out public IP address of your instance from EC2 dashboard. SSH into Instance- Connect to your instance with an SSH client, with# ssh -i /path/to/your-key-pair.pem ec2-user@your-instance-public-ip # 4) Update Packages- Update the package lists. For Amazon Linux: # sudo yum update –y# Install Web Server- Install a web server like Apache or Nginx. For Amazon Linux# sudo yum install httpd –y# Start Web Server: Start the web server and enable it to start on boot. # sudo systemctl start httpd# # sudo systemctl enable httpd# 5) Deploy Your Application Transfer Files: Use SCP or SFTP to transfer your application files to the EC2 instance, with#scp -i /path/to/your-key-pair.pem /path/to/your-app-files ec2-user@your-instance-publicip:/var/www/html/# Configure Application- Configure your application as needed (e.g., setting up environment variables, database connections). 6) Set Up a Database (Optional)Amazon RDS- If your application requires a database, consider using Amazon RDS. Create RDS Instance- In the AWS Management Console, navigate to RDS and create a new database instance. Configure Security Groups- Ensure the security group allows connections from your EC2 instance. 7) Configure DNS (Optional)Route 53-Use Amazon Route 53 to manage your domain name and route traffic to your EC2 instance. Create Hosted Zone- Create a hosted zone for your domain. Create Record Set- Create an A record pointing to your EC2 instance’s public IP. 8) Monitor and ScaleCloudWatch- Deploying CloudWatch by Amazon to enable performance monitoring and setting up your instance’s alarms. Auto Scaling- Set up auto scaling which will automatically change the range of instances according to present need. Hence, you can easily host your application in EC2 if you follow these steps thus you get the benefits of scalability among others like flexibility or cost-effectiveness etc. (Rinku, 13 Mar),(https://aws.amazon.com/getting-started/hands-on/build-web-app-s3-lambda-api-gatewaydynamodb/) Bibliography (N.d.-a). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjKhQoYeR4Q (N.d.-b). 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