In this journey, I went through the world of advanced Internet Solutions, where I understand Cloud Computing Power. Which are the companies in this market providing different solutions based on the Client requirements? And understand Cloud Computing and their different
I went through some big players in this field like Microsoft Azure, AWS (Amazon Web Services), Google Cloud Solutions, Red Hat OpenStack cloud, IBM Bluemix Cloud, and many more are present. This market capital is just emerging very rapidly. It provides from Infrastructure to Software level solutions and pricing depends as per the usages.
So, I went a little bit of four Cloud providers AWS, AZURE, GOOGLE CLOUD, and IBM BLUEMIX and understand the basics of cloud services. Then taken AZURE and IBM cloud PaaS services to compare it in deeper and then given my point of view in this Assignment.
Introduction
Cloud computing is a service which we can access anywhere, at any time but with proper Authentication is available over the Internet. Cloud computing is a group of services we get from a Datacenter made by big IT players like Google, Microsoft, IBM, Facebook, etc. because they have the money to maintain it. As per small or Start-Up companies, we talk, then to maintain their own On-premise databases which will definitely increase day-by-day is not possible to maintain it. So, migrating their services through Cloud is not a bad idea.
Here what we get from Cloud Providers:
- 24×7 hours continuous services non-stop.
- All one place portal to manage it.
- Reduce Human Power.
- Also, give the best Security Solutions.
- Providing updates and upgradations of Services.
- Maintenances will be easy.
- Backup and Recovery Solutions.
- Risk assessment and Risk analysis.
- Database security and Recovery Backups.
- And many more.
Figure 1 Cloud computing platforms
So, I went through Cloud Computing, what it is all about?
Well, it is a vast topic to discuss and learn about its various services and solutions. I am just briefing it in very short.
It has three platforms through which it providing Cloud Solutions, let discuss a while;
- Software as a Service (SaaS): It is an application based, where I don’t have the rights to control the backend of any application environment. We just do work on different applications and software. Like ERP solutions, CRM platform, banking, and Ticket booking systems, etc.
Examples: Microsoft Office Suite, Salary.com, Google Apps WebEx, NetSuite, Salesforce.com, etc.
- Platform as a Service (PaaS): It providing an environment of development where the platform was developers who create an Applications, Software and do testing on different platforms, their dependencies on Machine, etc. More part of Machine Learning, IoT and Artificial intelligence.
Examples: Cloud Foundry, Windows Azure, Open Shift, Long Jump, Google App Engine, etc.
- IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service): It is totally based on Infra level, like providing on-demand servers, database storage solutions, networking, security solutions, etc.
Examples: AWS, Terremark, Rackspace IT hosting, Microsoft Azure, Go Grid, etc.
In the below Image you get the idea of different features available for these Cloud platform services. Have a look.
Figure 2 Cloud computing services
So, these are the platform from where we get Cloud services, and we have four types of Cloud Solutions providing system available.
- Hybrid Cloud
- Private Cloud
- Community Cloud
- Public Cloud
Figure 3 Types of Cloud computing
So we have four types of Cloud.
Now, we get an idea of various Cloud and service providers.
As per assignment, I have to compare the IBM Bluemix cloud with one of choice
Cloud, so firstly I chose Microsoft Azure Cloud, then I don’t have the access
of Azure cloud account, so I had taken my friend Account to explore more in
deep and do compare study between Azure and Bluemix Cloud. So let dig in it.
Cloud Service Providers
PaaS is a platform service, which makes a huge difference for developers, they only get the code to deploy it. And rest of the requirement will automatically be done by the cloud. It is a very rapid growth for Cloud provider in market values.
Below is a list of PaaS cloud providers:
- (AWS) Amazon Web Services Elastic Beanstalk: It provides Elastic Beanstalk service which is based on Platform as a service. Provide all development environment and programming languages.
- Oracle Cloud Platform (OCP): One of the key players in IT cloud services, here we can manage, build, develop, run and manage operation on applications easily. The platform gives a self-repairing capability.
- Google App Engine: It gives us to manage fully SSL/TLS certifications for cross verification of the applications. It provides its own Google Cloud SDK, Visual Studio as IDE for developers to integrate their applications seamlessly.
- Microsoft Azure: One of the big giants of Azure service in the market provides standard features like Windows App fabric services.
- Bluemix IBM cloud: Offers a wide range of choices of apps;
- Docker containers on Kubernetes cluster, that will
reduce developer times
- On VMware platform
- On Virtual Machine, run one app at multiple OS at a single instance
- On Cloud foundry apps
So, here we discuss various PaaS cloud provider apart from them we have more provider in a market like. Engine Yard, Sap Cloud Platform, Salesforces software, Red Hat Open Shift, Mendix APAAS and many more are presents.
Select a service provider IBM cloud previously called Bluemix and write two reasons to justify your choice
Now let see IBM Cloud (IBM Bluemix) PaaS:
PaaS service provides by IBM cloud, which has AI and ML integration and environment is wide with lots of languages.
Key features are:
- It is a platform which provides tools for testing an application on the same platform.
- It managed security, server software, OS, Backups.
- It will focus on development to enable organizations without having any problem with infrastructure.
- It facilitates the collection of collaborating.
Now, IBM IoT services:
The internet of things will deliver the data which is empowered with AI insights to give industry intelligence to maximize the value of your connected assets.
Solutions:
- Lease and Real estate management
- Enterprise Asset Management
- Management Needs
- Internet of Things
Microsoft Azure IoT services:
It reduces the complexity, lowering the prices, and speeding the time to all vendors. It is ready industry’s platform which translates your digital goals into action insecure and open platform.
- Secure: It will embrace applications will be safe and secure over the cloud.
- Openness.
- Scalability: It enables thousands of devices in terabyte data all over the world.
Some product names of Azure cloud IoT platform:
- Azure cloud IoT Hub
- Azure cloud IoT Edge
- Azure cloud IoT Solution Accelerators
- Azure cloud Sphere
- Azure cloud Digital Twins and many more.
Now let move to Azure Cloud more in deep, so that we
can compare it with IBM cloud in PaaS platform basis.
Exploring the Microsoft Azure Cloud:
Figure 4 Dashboard of Microsoft Azure cloud
So, the above image shows the Azure Cloud Dashboard, here I explore various services provided by Microsoft. It gives us all type of platform services.
I am gone all services like Resource group, where we can run different Instances, like Windows 10, 8 or Linux Flavor OS. Even Server Operating System also available. This is an IaaS platform service.
Figure 5 Taking Backup in the Azure cloud platform
In the above image, I started the one Instance also known as Virtual Images of a real OS, then I am taking Backup of the Instance.
Then, I went through the App Services, which is a PaaS service, here we have lots of different environment is available to deploy and test our Software and Applications. Like Python, PHP, web development, security testing, etc.
Figure 6 Deploying the Application in Azure cloud
Here in above, you can see the App service, where I deploying an app called “baby smash” in the Azure server Farm.
Then, I went through the Web Application Hosting dashboard, where I host a web app using WordPress CMS platform, and it is available to everyone using its public IP address.
Here, we got three feature to access the Azure cloud,
- GUI Azure Dashboard
- PowerShell
- Command Line Shell
Apart from this, it also provides the Billing of different service usage on a different platform, so it will be easy to for Client to manage their expenses.
Figure 7 Dashboard of the billing system of Azure cloud
Here, in the above image, you can get the idea, the cloud gives us pay-as-you-go service, and it means the usages of cloud services we had taken, only that time period value we have to pay, and no hidden charges are there. So, that’s the reason, before taking any cloud solutions, we have to sign the Service Level Agreement (SLAs) here all the Terms and Conditions are discussed before Migrating on Cloud platform.
Now, see in below image that, where are the regions from which the Microsoft provide their cloud solutions. More than 54 regions in the world they have established their Datacenters.
Figure 8 Microsoft Azure Cloud zones and regions of their Datacenters
And some are their prior services, which are ready to go solutions are;
- Internet of Things
- SAP on Azure
- DevOps
- Gaming
- Modern Data Warehouse
- Big Data and Analytics
- Blockchain
- Artificial Intelligence and many more.
Let talk about the Azure main features, firstly, the first position in Cloud provider is AWS from Amazon Inc. in the world. After that, the Microsoft Azure cloud comes, in the Cloud Market. So, they both provide all type of services that is, IaaS, PaaS and SaaS.
Justification of my Choice to choose AZURE CLOUD over IBM cloud
Why anyone chose Microsoft Azure Cloud service reason are;
- Collection of hybrid solutions: Nowadays hybrid solutions are high on demand, it is easy to deploy and develop where it gives whatever you want as per on-demand service.
- Intelligent: Using the power of Artificial Intelligence, Azure integrates its to cloud services to give a better performance to the clients.
- Trusted: One of the largest cloud platform solutions, means lots of information, so to secure them is also a big task, that will maintain by the Microsoft, that make a trust between providers and the clients. Even joining the startups, governments and Fortune 500 businesses also run on Azure Cloud.
Areas, where they provide solutions, are;
- Healthcare: One of the largest and big growing industries, which required automate solutions and applications that will enhance their productivity. Their Azure plays an important role by developing solutions for proactive and personalized Healthcare solutions.
- Financial Services: Providing the best automate and easy to use Application, to grow the businesses. It serves the customers, empowers the employees and reduces the Risk Assessments.
- Government: By collaborating with government, it builds secure platform solutions to provide better services and protect their citizens
- Retail Marketing: Step into this market to give a personal and seamless experience to the client and their customers.
- Manufacturing: They will respond quickly to the customer and give fast feedback so that maintain their market trends.
Now, let discuss PaaS services in Microsoft Azure that I will compare with IBM Bluemix cloud in the next section.
Advantages of PaaS as per Azure Cloud:
- Reduce the coding time
- Adding staff automatically in the development of Apps
- Provide multiple platforms for testing the same Applications
- Use sophisticated tools and software at a very affordable cost.
- Also, support geographical distribution for their teams to develop the Apps.
- Very efficiently manage the Lifecycle of Applications.
- Provide Analytics and Business intelligence for better Business growths.
So, here we go through the Microsoft Azure Cloud services
and explore the features and all PaaS platform services, even seen the IoT
platform features. Now, let compare it with IBM cloud PaaS and justify which
gives better solutions to the clients as per their requirements.
Contrast and comparison with IBM cloud PaaS
This assignment, I choose the Azure Cloud versus IBM Bluemix Cloud and what are the various features they are providing in the field of IoT, AI, and Machine learning?
Figure 9 Service distribution architecture
So in the above image, we can understand how PaaS can work? Which enables the deployment, development, controlling, managing and maintaining the services.
Now, below I had done a deep comparison of all services provided by IBM and Microsoft through their cloud services.
Services offered for smart applications development such as the Internet of Things (IoT) applications, Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications and so on
Note: Here “X” symbols represent that it is not available in that cloud providers and “✓” shows that it is also available in that cloud provider.
Table 1 Comparison between IBM CLOUD and AZURE CLOUD
| IBM Cloud | Microsoft Azure |
| Application Services | |
| Blockchain | ✓ |
| Blockchain as a Service | |
| Business Rules | X |
| Cloud Automation Manager | |
| Applications | |
| Cloud Foundry | Web Apps Cloud Services |
| Kubernetes | Container Service |
| OpenWhisk | Functions / WebJobs / Logic Apps |
| Application Security | |
| App ID | Azure AD/Role-based control |
| Application security | Security Center |
| Single Sign-On | Azure Active Directory |
| Activity tracker | X |
| Key Protect | Key Vault |
| Compute | |
| Virtual servers | ✓ |
| Virtual machines | |
| Dedicated virtual servers | X |
| Bluemix private cloud | X |
| Bare metal servers | X |
| VMware solution | X |
| Hardware security module | ✓ |
| Azure key vault | |
| Intel TXT | X |
| NVidia GPU | X |
| Storage | |
| Block storage | Premium storage |
| File storage | File storage |
| CDN | CDN |
| IBM cloud object storage | Blob storage |
| Mass storage servers | X |
| Quantastor storage appliances | X |
| Network | |
| DNS | DNS traffic manager |
| Local Load Balancing | Load balancer Application Gateway |
| Dedicated Netscaler VPX/MPX | X |
| Vyatta gateway appliance | X |
| Private Network | Virtual Network |
| Backup | |
| Veeam | X |
| Evault | Cloud Backup |
| r1soft | X |
| Data & Analytics Services | |
| Apache Spark | X |
| BigInsights for Hadoop | X |
| Compose Enterprise | X |
| Elasticsearch | ✓ |
| Search | |
| MongoDB | DocumentDB |
| MySQL | Azure Database for MySQL |
| Watson Services | |
| Conversation | ✓ |
| Bing speech API | |
| Discovery | ✓ |
| Bing Autosuggest API | |
| Document conversion | X |
| Language translator | ✓ |
| Natural language classifier | ✓ |
| Speech recognition API | |
| Personality insights | X |
| Retrieve & rank | X |
| Speech to text | ✓ |
| Bing speech API | |
| Text to speech | ✓ |
| Bing speech API | |
| Tone analyzer | ✓ |
| Linguistic analysis API | |
| Visual recognition | ✓ |
| Computer Vision API | |
| Internet of Things (IoT) | |
| IoT Platform | ✓ |
| IoT Hub / Event Hubs | |
| Context mapping | X |
| Driver behavior | X |
| IoT for electronics | X |
| IoT for insurance | X |
Now, here you get the idea which is the services is provided from which cloud services.
The quality of design and navigation of the PaaS system.
The quality of
Azure Cloud is better as compare to IBM Cloud in PaaS services, as they have
more physical regions to provide the services very fast and accurate. The
design architecture you can understand in the next section of this document between
IBM Watson IoT model and Azure IoT model with price comparison.
The level of difficulty for the development and deployment process of the cloud environment.
Watson IoT Platform in IBM:
Figure 10 IBM Watson IoT Architecture
IBM Watson IoT basic architecture.
It has three editions available:
- Connection Services
- Analytics Services
- Blockchain Services
It creates new opportunities for innovation:
- It connects and manages all devices.
- Networks and gateways.
- It gains insights from information used in real-time streaming and predictive, edge and cognitive.
- It visualizes and manages your IoT landscape end-to-end connections
Costing model offered by the providers
Pricing of IBM Watson IoT platform:
Table 2 Pricing table of IBM cloud Watson IoT platform
| IBM IoT editions | Pricing on instance per month |
| Service of connection | Starts at $500 |
| Service of analytics | Starts at $300 |
| Service of blockchain | Starts at $200 |
Now IoT in Microsoft Azure Cloud:
Figure 11 Basic Architecture of Azure IoT platform
Price of Azure Hub in IoT:
Table 3 Basic Tier pricing tally
| Editions Type | Price per month on per unit | Message per day per unit no. | Size meter |
| Base1 | $10 | 400k | 4 KB |
| Base2 | $50 | 6 million | 4 KB |
| Base3 | $500 | 300 million | 4 KB |
Table 4 Standard Tier pricing tally
| Editions Type | Price per month on per unit | Message per day per unit no. | Size meter |
| Free | Free | 8k | 0.5 KB |
| S1 | $25 | 400k | 4 KB |
| S2 | $250 | 6 million | 4 KB |
| S3 | $2500 | 300 million | 4 KB |
So, here I discuss the IoT architecture and pricing between IBM Watson IoT versus Microsoft Azure IoT platform (PaaS).
How easy is it to manage the application in the context of the following
Explanation: For resources of Microsoft Azure performance is best as compare to IBM Cloud because the Azure has more resources and services available.
If we talk about Hosting URL or hosting on data center the Azure will win the side, but if we talk about program/code application deployment the IBM cloud will be preferable as its interface and process of the step is less as compare to Azure Cloud.
Now, let’s take one more Service to compare both the cloud services, Machine Learning.
Microsoft Azure ML services
Azure provides
Pros:
- Easily scalable to compute power for a business’s flexibility.
- Security will combine the Detect model and security standards
- Incredibly high availability and redundant in services.
IBM Watson
One of the mature cognitive compute Platform and environment provided by IBM Watson, which offers a powerful data machine learning and ingestion engine as a service. The component is focused on helping developers to get their models to be productive only.
Pros:
- The developers do want they want to do in one place.
- Has access to Watson Data Platform over 30 plus data stores types.
- It is community support, where we can share lots of resources very easily.
So, here we went through the services of both cloud provider, now I had a scope to differentiate the features and services providing by Azure and IBM cloud, which is better and why?
Before giving my opinion I will go through the “Hello World” program and try to deploy on both the clouds and check which is easy to deploy for the first time Cloud user.
Step by step process required to create and deploy a “Hello World” application
Deploy a Hello World webpage to IBM Cloud
- Step 1- Create
a TOOLCHAIN for your new app
- Logged in to IBM Bluemix cloud
- Then go to DevOps Dashboard
- Then click to > Create > Toolchain
- Now, go to Develop a Cloud Foundry App
- Now give the name and other details
- Click Create and select the Git Repos.
- Step 2- Make a
simple webpage
- Click Eclipse Orion a Web IDE
- Select File and do name “index.html”
- Now code a simple code in the file
- And save it.
Code is:
<html>
<body>
Hello, IBM Cloud World!
</body>
</html>
- Step 3- Makes
a Manifest
- Click on Web IDE >> File
- Edit in manifest.yml
- And paste the below code;
Code is:
—
applications:
– buildpack: https://github.com/cloudfoundry/staticfile-buildpack.git
host: simple-website-${random}
name: simple-website-${random}
memory: 64M
stack: cflinuxfs2
Figure 12 First Application of “Hello World” in IBM cloud
- Step 4- Deploy
the app and then open it.
- Step 5- Commit to changes the repo.
That’s it our Application is built and run in IBM cloud.
Deploy a Hello World webpage to Azure Cloud
- Step 1: It will install the Windows Azure SDK
Figure 13 Windows SDK process
- Step 2: The
develop the first program with Azure Web
Application
- Name as “c” on Azure website to display
Figure 14 Azure App service is created
- Step 3: Then deploy the application in Storage Fabric
Code the below:
<HTML>
<Body>
Hello World
</Body>
</HTML>
- Step 4: Now register for free Windows Azure portal
Figure 15 Azure App services is Manager
- Step 5: Deploy the Application.
Figure 16 First Application of “’ Hello World” in the Microsoft Azure Cloud platform
That’s it our Application is built and run in Azure Cloud.
My Opinion
As far as I went through both the cloud services and feature. Even I also read about the different cloud services also and compare with them also.
If we talk about IBM cloud, so it provides the best AI-based and cognitive-based solutions for the developers and the other clients.
Now, if we talk about the Azure cloud, so it provides the best-trusted ML and AI platform to develop and do testing faster than the IBM cloud.
As we all know, both are good in their place and trying to solve their issue arises to give the best experiences to the clients.
Which service provider performed better and why?
As far right now, I prefer Microsoft Azure Cloud to anyone, as they have great maintained datacenter and 54 plus region in the world, so the service will be nonstop services. They are working with a very strong and smart company to collaborate and give a larger community for a developer to build their applications in a very short time.
One area of improvement, that you would like to see over their current services and why?
Well, I know that IBM Watson is the best AI based solution available in the market, as it the top of all others. But if we talk about the other services which are integrated with IBM Watson in the cloud it takes times and lots of features are not available if we compare with Azure clouds.
Yes, we know about that in both some feature and
services are not available but, they are doing their best to provide the best
solutions. As per my point of view, they
both need enhancement in some area of services.
Conclusion:
I conclude here that, it is a long study part, where I learn lots of new things. Understand the cloud computing concept and their types of cloud. How the cloud provider distributing their services and maintaining their market values? How they are improving the lack of areas?
Understand the differences between IBM Cloud and Microsoft Azure Cloud. At last, I only say that it’s all depend on the costing and company profile that which Cloud service provider
References
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Berg, J. (2018). Getting Started with Microsoft #Azure Cloud #Security Center | Argon Systems. [online] Argon Systems. Available at: https://argonsys.com/microsoft-cloud/library/getting-started-with-microsoft-azure-cloud-security-center
Computerweekly.com. (2018). The difference between Saas, Paas, and Iaas – The Computer Weekly guide to Cloud Computing. [online] Available at: https://www.computerweekly.com/photostory/2240109268/The-Computer-Weekly-guide-to-Cloud-Computing/2/The-difference-between-Saas-Paas-and-Iaas .
computing, C. (2019). Deploy a Hello World webpage to IBM Cloud. [online] Ibm.com. Available at: https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/cloud/library/cl-deploy-a-hello-world-webpage-to-bluemix-app/index.html
DevTeam.Space. (2019). 10 Top PaaS Providers for 2019 – DevTeam.Space. [online] Available at: https://www.devteam.space/blog/10-top-paas-providers-for-2019/
Ibm.com. (2018). [online] Available at: https://www.ibm.com/cloud/garage/architectures/iotArchitecture .
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