COMP06255 2018 Cloud Computing
This module will introduce the learner to the fundamentals of cloud computing. The learner will be exposed to the many services employed by cloud providers while understanding the benefits of providing computing services over the Internet. Practical experience will be obtained configuring and deploying appropriate cloud platform services provided by one of the top three cloud providers.
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module the learner will/should be able to;
Describe the evolution, terminology, concepts and costs related to cloud computing
Configure and deploy appropriate cloud services, including a scalable web application
Employ cloud APIs to manage workflow and demonstrate resource-intensive tasks such as speech recognition and language translation
Evaluate cloud storage options and configure and communicate with a NoSQL cloud database
Teaching and Learning Strategies
The one hour lecture will be used to introduce core concepts. The lab practicals will be used to gain experience on a cloud platform. Students will from time to time work in groups of two or three to review concepts and present same to class. Flipped learning will be employed as required.
Heavy use of materials from a specific cloud provider (e.g. Google codelabs and qwiklabs) will be employed to ensure relevance of content and implement best practice when demonstrating concepts.
Module Assessment Strategies
One focused in-lab practical assessment (30%) will take place during week 6, with three MCQs (10 marks each) taking place in weeks 4, 8 and 10. A practical, group-based assessment with presentations will take place over the last three weeks of the semester, for which some lab time will be allocated. Where possible, aspects of this assignment will be shared with Web Programming 2.
Repeat Assessments
Students will undertake an individual repeat project which will cover all learning outcomes.
Indicative Syllabus
Describe the evolution, terminology, concepts and costs related to cloud computing
- The essential characteristics of the cloud computing model (on-demand self-service, broad network access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity, measured service etc.)
- The components of a modern data centre and the data centre as a computer
- Cloud computing providers. Costs of various services and comparison with non-cloud equivalents
- Common cloud terms such as compute and app instances, cloud storage and data stores
- The evolving nature of cloud and the services available from different providers
Configure and deploy appropriate cloud services, including a scalable web application
- Manage accounts and budgets. Set up alerts for billing
- Configuring and communicating with a cloud instance such as a virtual machine via GUI and command line
- Reviewing technical documentation and altering code samples, using code labs and other resources
- Employ APIs to communicate with cloud services via a web app or similar
- Demonstrate IaaS, PaaS and SaaS specifically computing, hosting, storage, networking and big data
- Configure and deploy appropriate services including a scalable web application which employs appropriate data storage and load balancing
Employ cloud APIs to manage workflow and demonstrate resource-intensive tasks such as speech recognition and language translation
- Overview of core APIs available on a cloud platform
- Altering cloud API examples to perform various tasks
- Overview of workflow management including benefits
- Write code to perform processor-intensive tasks such as image analysis and speech recognition via cloud APIs
Evaluate cloud storage options and configure and communicate with a NoSQL cloud database
- Working with data and databases (e.g. big data, NoSQL)
- Review data storage options for various use cases
- The increasing use of semi-structured and unstructured data
- Communicate with a native cloud NoSQL database
- Configure for disaster recovery
- Employing DaaS (e.g. mLab)
Coursework & Assessment Breakdown
Coursework Assessment
Title | Type | Form | Percent | Week | Learning Outcomes Assessed | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Short practical assignment/MCQs | Coursework Assessment | Assignment | 60 % | OnGoing | 1,3 |
2 | Group project - Develop and deploy a web app employing appropriate cloud APIs | Project | Group Project | 40 % | Week 11 | 2,3,4 |
Full Time Mode Workload
Type | Location | Description | Hours | Frequency | Avg Workload |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lecture | Lecture Theatre | Lecture | 1 | Weekly | 1.00 |
Practical / Laboratory | Computer Laboratory | Lab Practical Work | 3 | Weekly | 3.00 |
Independent Learning | Not Specified | Self-directed Learning | 3 | Weekly | 3.00 |
Required & Recommended Book List
2017-02-09 AWS Basics: Beginners Guide CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN 1542885752 ISBN-13 9781542885751
2017-08-31 Google Cloud Platform in Action Manning Publications
ISBN 1617293520 ISBN-13 9781617293528
2017-10-17 Microsoft Azure For Beginners: Getting Started with Microsoft Azure CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN 1978385641 ISBN-13 9781978385641
Module Resources
https://cloud.google.com/
https://codelabs.developers.google.com/
https://google.qwiklabs.com/catalog
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/
https://aws.amazon.com/
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/documentdb/
https://mlab.com/
Virtual machines
This module has been reviewed and approved by lecturers on the Google Cloud Platform Education Grants Recipient Platform.