Scenario 4 (University – Online Learning Platform)

Case: A university is developing an online learning platform for students and faculty, with research projects requiring shared computing resources.

1. Which cloud best supports collaboration and cost sharing?

   1. Community cloud will best support collaboration and cost sharing. The concept of community cloud is to meet the shared needs of multiple organizations. In our case, all the resources related to research projects will be shared amongst all the students and faulty within an organization, so the organization can have on-premise community cloud where the organization itself will be the owner of this cloud and have full control over data and applications.
   2. In brief, the platform is meant for a specific community (students, faculty, researchers). Unlike public cloud, it’s not open to everyone, and unlike private cloud, the costs/resources are not limited to just one university.
   3. Collaboration Support
      1. Shared Infrastructure: Faculty, students, and researchers work on the same platform with shared access to computing resources, datasets, and applications.
      2. Centralized Platform: Enables group projects, joint research, and cross-department activities without needing separate IT setups.
      3. Standardized Policies: Everyone follows the same security, compliance, and governance rules, making collaboration smoother.
      4. Accessibility: Users from different locations (on-campus, partner universities, or remote researchers) can securely access the same resources.
   4. Cost-Sharing Support
      1. Pooled Resources: Instead of each department or project buying separate servers, storage, or software, they share a common infrastructure.
      2. Economies of Scale: Costs of setup, maintenance, and upgrades are spread across the community (university departments, research teams).
      3. Reduced Duplication: Avoids multiple departments purchasing the same tools or licenses individually.
      4. Pay-per-use Model: Costs can be allocated fairly based on actual resource consumption by different groups.

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2. Why Community Cloud is the best fit?

   The Community Cloud is the best choice because it allows universities and research institutions with common objectives to share infrastructure, costs, and computing resources efficiently. It enables collaboration among students, faculty, and researchers on joint projects while maintaining governance tailored to academic and research needs. Unlike public cloud, it offers more control and security, and compared to private cloud, it is more cost-effective since expenses are shared among participants.

   Cloud Model	Collaboration	Cost	Security & Control	Fit for University Case
   Public	Low	Low	Low	Good for online courses only
   Private	Medium	High	High	Good for sensitive data, too costly
   Hybrid	Medium-High	High	High	Flexible, but complex to manage
   Community	High	Medium (shared)	Medium-High (customized)	Best fit: collaboration + cost-sharing + security

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3. What security issues might arise if external researchers join?

   1. Data Privacy Breach – Sensitive student or faculty information may be exposed.
   2. Access Control Issues – Difficulties in ensuring that external users only access authorized datasets/resources.
   3. Malware & Insider Threats – External users could unintentionally (or maliciously) introduce harmful software or misuse computing resources.
   4. Network Security Risks – More external endpoints increase chances of unauthorized entry or cyberattacks.
   5. Compliance Violations – Sharing data with external parties might break university or government compliance rules regarding data storage and sharing.
   6. Intellectual Property Concerns – Research data, projects, or innovations could be stolen or leaked.
   7. Solution:
      1. Implement Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) with strict identity management — ensuring external users only get access to project-specific resources while student records and other institutional data remain protected.

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4. Real-Time Example:

   1. Real-Time Example 1: Jetstream2 (NSF-funded Project – USA)
      1. Who:
         1. Used by universities, researchers, and educators across the United States.
      2. What:
         1. A community cloud infrastructure built for science, research, and education, funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF).
      3. Where:
         1. Operated by Indiana University in collaboration with other academic institutions.
      4. How It Works:
         1. Offers virtual machines, scalable storage, and shared computing resources.
         2. Facilitates collaborative research across multiple institutions.
         3. Supports online learning, data analysis, and scientific computing.
         4. Implements a cost-sharing model where usage is monitored, and resource allocation is tracked per institution or project.
         5. Enables role-based access control (RBAC) for secure user and project management.
      5. Security Measures:
         1. Federated identity management (e.g., through InCommon).
         2. RBAC to control who can access what.
         3. Data governance tools ensure compliance with academic standards and institutional policies.
      6. Why It Fits:Jetstream2 mirrors exactly what a university needs in a community cloud:
         1. Collaborative access to computing tools.
         2. Cost-sharing between departments and institutions.
         3. Security and governance tailored for research and education.
   2. Real-Time Example 2: GARUDA Grid (India’s National Academic Cloud)
      1. Who:
         1. Developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) and used by over 45 universities and research institutions in India.
      2. What:
         1. A community cloud-based grid computing initiative running over the National Knowledge Network (NKN). It enables resource sharing in areas like bioinformatics, climate modeling, CFD, and nanoscience.
      3. Where:
         1. Deployed across India, connecting institutions nationwide.
      4. How It Works:
         1. Provides shared access to high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure, applications, and data.
         2. Supports collaborative research projects and joint development efforts.
         3. Institutions pool computing and storage resources instead of maintaining separate infrastructures.
         4. Researchers and students share datasets and workspaces in a unified academic environment.
         5. A cost-sharing structure ensures all member institutions benefit from common investments.
      5. Security Measures:
         1. Access is restricted to authorized and registered member institutions.
         2. Applies academic-focused governance policies, which differ from generic public cloud policies.
         3. Ensures data confidentiality, integrity, and controlled collaboration among trusted entities.
      6. Why It Fits: GARUDA exemplifies a community cloud built for education and R&D:
         1. Collaborative platform for nationwide academic research.
         2. Cost-efficient model for high-end computational needs.
         3. Security and compliance customized for Indian academic institutions.