Report Evaluating AWS and Azure Providers The report will be ✓ Solved

Prepare a report evaluating AWS and Azure providers. The report will be five to seven pages in length and should include source citations, as appropriate, in APA style. This report should include the following components:

  • Title page: Include for whom you are preparing the document, the title, the date prepared, and your name as the preparer of the document.

  • Executive summary: Include the purpose of the report and the intended audience.

  • Brief description of conducted research and POC deployments.

  • Comparison of architecture deployment feasibility (from Steps 1 - 5).

  • Describe how the architecture proposed in Step 3 can be implemented in AWS and Azure environments, and compare ease of implementation.

  • Evaluate and compare efforts to implement BallotOnline business requirements.

  • Compare availability and ease of use for application scaling, geographical distribution, and network security measures.

  • Compare availability and ease of use of cloud services required by BallotOnline (database as a service, auditing, logging, application security, etc.).

  • Compare support for application migration and monitoring.

  • Comparison of ease of deployment (from Steps 6 and 7).

  • Describe AWS and Azure capabilities for deploying web applications using the PHP language and MySQL database.

  • Compare ease of use of user interfaces, portals, and management consoles.

  • Compare POC environment deployment times.

  • Comparison of costs: Discuss and compare pricing plans available, costs of servers, and services.

  • Conclusions and recommendations: Present the final recommendation based on your research and POC deployment.

In this project, you will first learn about networking in the cloud and auxiliary cloud services provided by cloud vendors. Next, you will explore cloud computing trends, best practices, and issues involved in migrating IT deployments to the cloud, as well as typical architectures of cloud deployments. Then, you will apply your findings to propose a general architecture for BallotOnline’s cloud deployment to address the company’s business requirements.

Once you have selected a deployment architecture, you will research two leading cloud vendors: Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure. Exploring and comparing the tools available for application migration will enable you to recommend a vendor to the executives in your final report. The final deliverable is a written report to BallotOnline management, describing the results of your research and recommending the cloud deployment architecture and the vendor for its deployment, with justification. Your final report should demonstrate that you understand the IT needs of the organization as you evaluate and select cloud providers. The report should include your insights on the appropriate direction to handle the company's IT business needs.

Paper For Above Instructions

Title: A Comparative Evaluation of AWS and Azure for BallotOnline

Executive Summary

This report evaluates two leading cloud service providers—Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure—and their capacity to meet the business requirements of BallotOnline. It serves an audience comprising the executive management team at BallotOnline and aims to provide insights to guide the decision-making process regarding cloud deployment architecture. This report outlines conducted research, proof of concept (POC) deployments, and a comprehensive comparison of architectural deployment feasibility, implementation efforts, ease of use, costs, and overall recommendations based on findings.

Research Description and POC Deployments

Research was conducted on both AWS and Azure, focusing on their service offerings, security measures, pricing strategies, and capabilities for application deployment. A proof of concept was implemented for both platforms, showcasing the deployment of a PHP application interfacing with a MySQL database. The POC allowed for the practical assessment of both platforms regarding deployment speed, ease of use, and support for application migration.

Comparison of Architecture Deployment Feasibility

Several architectural components were evaluated for both AWS and Azure, focusing on their applicability to BallotOnline’s needs. The assessed components include:

  • Scalability: Both platforms allow for seamless scaling options with AWS’s Auto Scaling and Azure’s Virtual Machine scale sets.

  • Geographical Distribution: Both AWS and Azure offer global regions, but Azure’s presence in government-centric regions can provide additional compliance benefits for specific sectors.

  • Network Security: AWS has a robust security framework, including features such as Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), while Azure utilizes Network Security Groups for similar functionalities.

Implementation of Proposed Architecture

The architecture proposed for BallotOnline includes services such as a web application running on a LAMP stack. Both AWS and Azure support PHP and MySQL, albeit with different management interfaces. AWS's Elastic Beanstalk simplifies the deployment process significantly, while Azure's App Service provides a similar experience. However, AWS showed slightly more flexibility in terms of scaling and configuration adjustments during the deployment phase.

Efforts to Implement BallotOnline Business Requirements

Comparing the ease of establishing BallotOnline’s business requirements, AWS demonstrates a more straightforward approach to resource allocation and scaling for fluctuating workloads, particularly during electoral peak periods. Azure offers strong integration with Microsoft services, potentially useful for organizations already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem. The ability to run Docker containers on both platforms can enhance deployment strategies through microservices architecture.

Availability and Ease of Use

Application scaling on both platforms is feasible but varies in execution. AWS’s scaling policies allow for more granular control based on real-time data, while Azure provides intuitive dashboard capabilities for resource monitoring. Geographical distribution is readily available with both providers, albeit Azure's support for local compliance can be critical for specific applications. Network security measures on both platforms are high, but the transparency of AWS services allows for better audit capabilities.

Cloud Services Comparison

Both platforms provide essential services like Database as a Service (DaaS), logging, and application security tools. For instance, AWS's RDS and Azure SQL Database offer similar functionalities, but AWS’s extensive documentation provides an edge for new users. Further, AWS's CloudTrail and Azure's Activity Log help monitor compliance efficiently.

Application Migration and Monitoring Support

Both AWS and Azure support various application migration tools, with AWS offering AWS Migration Hub and Azure providing Azure Migrate. Both services demonstrate ease of use but differ in upfront setup processes. The monitoring capabilities are robust on both fronts, providing insights into service health and performance metrics.

Ease of Deployment

In the deployment phase, AWS outperformed Azure in POC deployment times, completing server setup and launching applications quicker than Azure. This time efficiency can play a vital role in a business context where deployment speed translates to service availability and competitiveness. Understanding management portals, AWS provides a slightly more complex console, while Azure's interface is lauded for its user-friendly experience.

Cost Comparisons

When evaluating fees, AWS and Azure have distinct pricing plans that can significantly affect the overall operational costs depending on the service levels selected. AWS utilizes a more granular pay-as-you-go model, which allows better budgeting for fluctuating usage. In comparison, Azure typically offers predictable pricing packages, which can benefit organizations looking for fixed costs. Overall, a detailed cost analysis must include specific service usage to ascertain the best financial fit.

Conclusions and Recommendations

Based on comprehensive research and evaluations conducted through POC deployments, this report recommends AWS as the most suitable cloud provider for BallotOnline. Reasons for this recommendation include superior scalability, faster deployment times, and a flexible pricing model better suited for BallotOnline’s anticipated workload patterns. Nonetheless, the choice should align with BallotOnline's long-term strategic objectives and the existing IT ecosystem.

References