Episode 15, Cloud Computing.
One of the most significant changes faced by information technology professionals in
schools and in other organizations recently has been the widespread adoption of cloud-based
data and productivity systems.
Whereas previous generations of IT professionals configured servers that were physically located
on campus to provide necessary services like file storage and print management and they
installed applications on those hard drives and on the hard drives of individual computers,
current generations often configure virtual servers and manage user accounts that are
on these cloud-based systems.
Schools make significant use of software as a service or SAS tools for productivity purposes,
for educational activities and for business services.
Google Workspaces is the dominant example of software as a service that we find in
schools but other educational tools such as the student information system and the library
card catalog as well as business services such as your accounting system are also provided
by SAS providers.
There are other instances in which schools will contract with vendors such as Amazon
Web Services or AWS to provide highly configurable systems that can be used to replicate many
of the same functions that used to be configured on physical servers.
Some of these services are referred to as Platform as a Service or PAAS.
For example, AWS allows subscribers to deploy databases on platforms that they host.
AWS provides and manages the operating system and the database engine so the subscribers
are only responsible for building and managing their database.
Schools and other subscribers can also purchase access to highly configurable services during
the cloud.
These resemble the physical servers in traditional data centers as they can be assigned private
internet protocol addresses so they can be accessed only by internal users just like your
local area network or they can be made public like your website.
This type of technology is commonly called Infrastructure as a Service or IAAS and it
requires the most maintenance and configuration and the user or the subscriber must have their
own licenses for applications that are installed on these virtual servers.
All of these can be labeled cloud based as the virtual location is clear but the physical
location of these systems is not.
In fact, many of these systems are replicated in multiple data centers across the globe.
In general, we recognize four benefits of using software, platform or infrastructure
as a service model for providing our IT infrastructure.
First, security. Cloud providers employ legions of security professionals to protect their
data centers and we share responsibility for securing the other systems. When using software
as a service, the provider secures the operating system and the applications. When using platform
as a service, the provider secures the operating system and we secure the applications and
our data.
When using infrastructure as a service, the provider secures the servers and we secure
everything else.
Second, scalability. System administrators can log on to their administrative dashboard
of a cloud based platform and request additional capacity which is usually available within
minutes. That additional capacity does of course increase our fees but the systems are
provisioned very quickly and without capital expense.
Third, redundancy. The data and systems that are stored on cloud based systems can be easily
duplicated. Depending on the exact configuration, systems can be copied with just a few mouse
clicks. This allows both duplicate services and automated backups. As a result, essential
systems can be restored immediately if any service is interrupted.
Fourth, minimizing capital expenses. Data centers are very expensive to build, maintain, and
secure.
These expenses can be larger than we anticipate because it's always necessary to build extra
capacity into the system. We'd like to make them future proof. Plus, it's necessary to
provide air conditioning, janitorial services, and other supports to ensure the servers operate
as expected.
When using cloud based systems, IT professionals can spin up servers without the need to purchase,
unpack, configure, or protect additional hardware. While cloud systems do remove hardware from
school data centers, the system administrators employed by schools do continue to manage
users and applications. Among the most important responsibilities is user management. Typically,
user users in a school are grouped into organizational units, which has been the standard practice
for generations of school IT administrators. And the schools want to ensure that only current
students, faculty, and staff can access the systems. They also identify the tools and features
that are available to the different organizational units they manage.
Cloud based systems are built on very sophisticated databases. School IT professionals are often
involved in managing the interoperability of different systems. For example, they may
manage a learning management system that is connected to a student information system
so that grades reported in the LMS that hosts the virtual classrooms are automatically sent
to the student information system. This does require the participation of programmers from
the vendors as the data must be accurately mapped to ensure interoperability. But once
these connections have been established, local administrators can manage them.
From the user's perspective, using a cloud based system is not unlike using files and
applications that are installed on a local hard drive or a local area network. The difference
of course is that all cloud based computing starts with the web browser. When using cloud
based systems, the workflow is the same for all users. First, connect to the internet.
Cloud based systems are available on every device that is connected to the internet.
Second, point your web browser to the URL of the platform. Most schools provide a portal
or web page where students, faculty, and staff and others can find links to the cloud platforms
they support. This facilitates users finding the exact links they need to network locations
of their cloud systems. These can vary depending on how the school's web domain is configured
and how the vendor permits naming. That's why we use portals.
One of the potential challenges for users of cloud systems is that different web browsers,
things like Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Safari handle the code used to create
cloud based systems differently. This means systems may function differently on different
web browsers and some services may even fail on certain web browsers.
When connecting to a cloud system using the web browser on a mobile device, some users
find that not all the features work. That's why many providers of cloud platforms offer
apps that allow full functionality on mobile devices.
Once users get to the correct URL, they log on to the cloud. Access to cloud platforms
requires you to have an account on that platform. System administrators have several options
for managing users. They can create or manage users one at a time or they can do a batch
upload in which the information for multiple users is uploaded in a single spreadsheet
or CSV file. Most system administrators opt for one of many single sign on options. This
allows the system administrator to manage a single database of users and then use that
database to sign on to multiple systems. Because Google Workspaces is so widely used, many
system administrators will create customer keys and shared secrets. That's actually what
they're called. So the students, faculty and staff can use their Google Workspaces credentials
to log on to other platforms. Once they have authenticated themselves, users have access
to the data and the tools that they have been authorized to use. One of the most interesting
tools at least to me for the users of cloud based computing systems is the ability to
spin up virtual desktops. This will find the user pointing their web browser to the URL
logging on and then having access to a virtual desktop computer that's out on the web. When
they use a system, they have access to a real computer with an operating system and full
applications that can be accessed through any web browser. This is a fantastic way to
give users access to a full operating system when they might not have one available otherwise.
Consider the student who's learning how to create access databases. That application
is not available to users of Macintosh or those who are using Chromebooks or other mobile
devices to access their education. But when they connect to a virtual desktop, they can
have access to a Windows operating system and access rate in their web browser.
Cloud computing has refocused the work of network administrators. We no longer spend
our time ordering, unpacking and provisioning servers. We do spend lots of time managing
users and we spend lots of time securing our systems and we spend lots of time ensuring
that different systems are integrated for our users. But these systems do tend to increase
access to our IT systems as long as folks have a connection to the internet.