Exploring Cloud Solutions And SDLC Approaches For The Headspace NewAccess Project Essay.

The Headspace NewAccess Project.

The project is considering cloud based solutions which should be investigated. Consider various aspects of cloud based solutions such as: data security, which includes data ownership (by Headspace, the young person, medical professionals, the Emergency Department etc). As well as other relevant aspects of cloud solutions.

Write brief description of the Pros and Cons to approaching the project using the 'Predictive' SDLC, then the Pros and Cons to approach the project as 'Adaptive' SDLC. Then recommend either Predictive or Adaptive to the SDLC for the project and briefly describe why.

New Access is a new project that is being launched by the organization of Headspace in New South Wales. It an information system that would be storing the details of young people, who are having severe mental illness (Jain & Paul, 2013). The patients are repeatedly asked about their illness stories and hence they are extremely disturbed with this type of story narration. This New Access project will be provide the information system that would store their stories during the first time, when they are being told. This would be helpful for both the health experts and patients as the treatment would be much easier. Moreover, this specific project will be updating the details of the project subsequently, so that the information is updated regularly (Krishna, 2013). The following report provides a brief discussion on New Access project with various details. FURPS non-functional requirements will be given in this report. Moreover, suitable cloud based solution will be described here and a proper SDLC approach is recommended.

The several non-functional requirements helps in the accurate identification of each and every kind of vital quality within a typical system. FURPS or functionality, usability, reliability, performance as well as security is one of the major non-functional requirement for any project (Botta et al., 2016). The operation of the systems is being judged with the non-functional requirements. The system architecture is eventually detailed with these requirements.

Functionality is the most important non-functional requirement of the New Access project. Headspace has implemented this project for providing much updated treatments to the patients, having mental illness. They do not feel comfortable in repeating their stories to the doctors and other health experts (Herbst, Kounev & Reussner, 2013). Moreover, the easy accessibility of confidential data is also possible. The regular updates of the data are also obtained from this project and hence the devices related to this information system requires good maintenance and proper up gradation. The main feature of this information system is that it enables adaptability.

Usability is the next important non-functional requirement of the core project of New Access in Headspace. The efficiency and effectiveness would be eventually checked as well as maintained within this project of New Access. The non functional requirement of usability is the major learning capability and the utilization of every type of project and object (Wei et al., 2014). The overall complexity of this particular system will be much less than any other information system. The interface will be completely user friendly.

The third and another vital non-functional requirement of the New Access project in Headspace organization is the reliability. This specific project is extremely reliable as all the experts involved with this particular project, are extremely talented and experienced in comparison to other professionals (Gupta, Seetharaman & Raj, 2013). The young patients, having mental illness, subsequently repeat their medical stories to the health professionals and this particular issue is easily solved with the proper involvement of New Access project. It could store the several stories when these are told for the very first time. Being a technology oriented system, New Access can have the ability of managing confidential data easily and promptly.

Cloud Solutions: Use of Several Types of Clouds

The next important non functional requirement for this project of the New Access within the organization of Headspace is its performance. This particular project eventually consists of a major ability to provide good performance to the data or information than another method of treatment. The total performance of New Access project in Headspace is substantially considered as a major requirement (Almorsy, Grundy & Müller, 2016). Only experienced health professionals will be included in the project and hence the performance of this system is eventually up graded regularly. Another important factor of performance for this project of New Access is that this would provide emergency services to the respective patients and thus a better performance rate is possible here. The better information flow is the next vital performance factor in this project. Furthermore, the response time is extremely less in the system.

The final non functional requirement for FURPS for this New Access project in Headspace is security. There are three important features that are connected to the factor of security in FURPS. The three features are scalability, testability and configurability. These three basic features have their own advantages and disadvantages (Whaiduzzaman et al., 2014). As a whole, it is extremely effective and efficient for the project of New Access and hence could be properly maintained without much complexities.

Cloud computing is the most effective and popular technology of data transferring over the Internet. Moreover, this technology is extremely faster than all other services. There are three types of deployment models of cloud solutions and these are as follows:

i) Private Cloud: This is the first type of cloud deployment model (Avram, 2014). The data is shared amongst the private users and thus the services are extremely safe and secured as data access from the external parties are solely eradicated here.

ii) Public Cloud: This is the second type of cloud deployment model, where the services are eventually rendered on the open network. Security is quite high here and this is mainly because of the complex architecture.

iii) Hybrid Cloud: This is the final cloud deployment model and it is the proper amalgamation of public and private clouds (Oliveira, Thomas & Espadanal, 2014). Hence, it is the most effective cloud solution.

The suitable cloud solution is hybrid cloud for the project of New Access. As the benefits of both private and public clouds are present here, it is the best solution.

The major strengths of the hybrid clouds are listed below:

i) Less Consumption of Time: The overall consumption of time is extremely less and hence the latency is also reduced.

ii) Higher Flexibility: The overall flexibility and scalability of the hybrid cloud are extremely high is respect to the other services of cloud (Xiao & Xiao, 2013).

The main weaknesses of the hybrid clouds are listed below:

i) Extremely Expensive: The hybrid cloud is extremely expensive and thus is not afforded by any user.

ii) Weak Networks: Hybrid cloud does not provide stronger network and thus issues are common for the users (Sanaei et al., 2014).

Strengths of Hybrid Cloud

The software development life cycle or SDLC approach could be stated as the main competency domain, which is then used in the information systems, software engineering as well as systems engineering to properly describe the complete procedure of planning, creating and finally testing or deployment of IS or information system (Sadiku, Musa & Momoh, 2014)). The basic deployment of the project of New Access within the organization of Headspace. It is extremely effective and efficient for all types of projects in various companies.

Two specific types of approaches in the software development life cycle are known as the predictive as well as adaptive approach. The functions of these two approaches are quite high and hence these are extremely popular.

The first software development life cycle approach suitable for the New Access project is predictive approach. The project life cycle could be easily monitored with this approach. This specific approach is properly applied as soon as the respective project schedules is absolutely clear and definite (Khan et al., 2013). The major pros as well as cons of this typical predictive approach of SDLC are given below:

Pros:

i) The first and the foremost advantage of the predictive approach is that the complete project plan is proper as well as accurate in nature.

ii) Another important advantage of predictive approach can be stated as that the respective schedule and scope of the project of New Access is absolutely proper and clear.

iii) Project progress is properly tracked by this approach and hence it is quite popular.

Cons:

i) The most significant disadvantage of this predictive approach is that the project plan could not be altered at all (Xiao & Xiao, 2013).

ii) Moreover, the project manager cannot take the feedbacks of the clients into consideration.

This is the next kind of approach of software development life cycle for this specific project of the New Access in the organization of Headspace. In this particular approach, the overall project plan is not properly completed even before the project was started. Various deliverables of this project are being provided in all the stages or phases of the project (Oliveira, Thomas & Espadanal, 2014). The major pros as well as cons of this typical adaptive approach of SDLC are given below:

Pros:

i) The main advantage of this approach is that this approach allows modifications in all the stages of projects.

ii) The project manager considers the feedback of clients.

Cons:

i) The major disadvantage of this particular approach is that it is extremely expensive than all other SDLC approaches.

ii) Project schedule as well as scope are not at all clear in the adaptive approach (Whaiduzzaman et al., 2014).

The youth generation with mental illness are undergoing various issues since they have to repeat the stories again and again for their doctors, nurses and any other health professionals. Hence, the mental stability of these young patients are disturbed eventually. New Access would be solving all of these problems properly. To implement the specific system of New Access, the selection of predictive approach would be the best of software development life cycle or SDLC. The planning of this approach is much efficient and it is cost effective in nature.

Weaknesses of Hybrid Cloud

Conclusion

Therefore, from the discussion, conclusion can be drawn that the project of New Access is being launched by the organization of Headspace for the core purpose of improvising the data management of this company. The young people, aging between 18 to 25 years are often victims of mental illness in New South Wales of Australia. It has been observed that these young patients, with mental illness often find it uncomfortable to share their details again and again with the doctors and other health experts. Moreover, they even feel agitated while sharing these stories and hence their mental health is affected majorly. For solving these above mentioned issues, the organization of Headspace has taken the decision to implement a new project, known as New Access. This above provided report has properly described the specific non-functional requirements of FURPS or functionality, usability, reliability, performance and lastly security for the project of New Access in Headspace organization. A respective cloud based solution is being proposed here after the analysis of three cloud deployment models. Hybrid cloud is being selected here and the strengths and weaknesses are also provided here. Finally, a suitable SDLC approach is also selected after describing the various merits and demerits of the two distinct approaches.

References

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