A Model Of Tertiary Institutions’ Resource Management Platform Using Cloud Computing (TIRMP)

ABSTRACT

In Cloud Computing, users connect to the ’Cloud’, appearing as a single entity as opposed to multiple servers. This work seeks to solve resource managerial problems ranging from server maintenance cost, risk of loss of data, internal security issues, and availability of data for proper decision making. This work presents to tertiary institutions a model for designing a scalable and cost effective platform for institutional resource management on the cloud. The platform is called the Tertiary Institutions Resource Management Platform (TIRMP) using cloud backbone. The real-time evolutionary prototyping methodology was adopted for the TIRMP model because of its continuous modification feature. TIRMP focuses on Personnel record management. This model can be adopted to suit any higher institution with little or no adjustments on the design interface. Force.com cloud computing platform was used as the cloud service provider. The work involves the design of an improved Campus Area Network (CAN) for optimised internet access, the design of a database structure using ERD diagram; capturing all the personnel parameters on the manual system, and then the transfer of the database structure to the cloud platform using objects, relationships, rollup summaries and access privileges. With cloud computing initial cost of setting up a management platform is greatly minimized. The TIRMP is a model that can be adopted by any institution for management of personnel records. It provides a robust, scalable, cost effective and zero downtime platform for resource management on the cloud.