Overview
Emerging technologies, such as cloud computing and the Internet of Things (IoT), enable you to rapidly design, develop and deploy smart applications. In this unit, you are introduced to the software, devices, and techniques supporting these technologies. You will learn the fundamentals of cloud computing as well as various cloud environments and services, such as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS). You will use a Platform as a Service (PaaS) cloud environment, gaining practical experience in designing, developing and deploying smarter cloud-based applications.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Pre-requisite units: COIT20245 Introduction to Programming and COIT20246 ICT Services Management
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2025
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Student evaluations
More practical-based assignments would be highly advantageous.
Introduce additional cloud/IoT practical activities into assessments.
Feedback from Student evaluations
Improved student access to the cloud environments such as Microsoft Azure or IBM that are used in the unit
Identify the cloud environment with the best student access so it can be integrated into the unit activities.
- Evaluate cloud computing concepts and IoT components for smart applications/systems development
- Analyse the application of cloud computing and IoT technologies in different scenarios
- Design and develop cloud based smart applications for business solutions
- Deploy a smart application using cloud computing and IoT technologies.
The Australian Computer Society (ACS) recognises the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA). SFIA is adopted by organisations, governments and individuals in many countries and provides a widely used and consistent definition of ICT skills. SFIA is increasingly being used when developing job descriptions and role profiles. ACS members can use the tool MySFIA to build a skills profile.
This unit contributes to the following workplace skills as defined by SFIA 7 (the SFIA code is included)
- Systems design (DESN)
- Systems integration and build (SINT)
- Programming/software development (PROG)
- Testing (TEST)
- Release and deployment (RELM)
- Application support (ASUP)
- Solution architecture (ARCH)
- IT infrastructure (ITOP)
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 20% | ||||
| 2 - Group Work - 30% | ||||
| 3 - Project (applied) - 50% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Knowledge | ||||
| 2 - Communication | ||||
| 3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | ||||
| 4 - Research | ||||
| 5 - Self-management | ||||
| 6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | ||||
| 7 - Leadership | ||||
| 8 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 20% | ||||||||
| 2 - Group Work - 30% | ||||||||
| 3 - Project (applied) - 50% | ||||||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- AWS Academy Student Accounts
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Harvard (author-date)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
s.azad@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Cloud computing and modern networking
Chapter
Online resources and recorded videos on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Practical work during the tutorial.
- Create your AWS student’s account
- Create your Azure Student’s account
Module/Topic
Cloud-enabling Technologies and Virtualization
Chapter
Online resources and recorded videos on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Practical work during the tutorial.
- Getting Started with the AWS Management Console
Module/Topic
Data Centers & Managing Data in the Cloud
Chapter
Online resources and recorded videos on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Practical work during the tutorial.
- AWS Simple Storage Service (S3) and Relational Database Services (RDB) on AWS
Module/Topic
Cloud Architecture and Design Patterns
Chapter
Online resources and recorded videos on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Practical work during the tutorial.
- Create and manage a virtual machine EC2 on AWS
Module/Topic
Designing Cloud-based Networks
Chapter
Online resources and recorded videos on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Practical work during the tutorial.
- Creating a VPC on AWS Cloud
Assessment 1 - Written Report Due: Week 5 Friday (15 Aug 2025) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Reliability assurance and Edge/Fog Computing in cloud computing
Chapter
Online resources and recorded videos on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Practical work during the tutorial.
- Creating a Load Balancer on AWS
Module/Topic
Internet of Things (IoT) and Digital Twin over the cloud
Chapter
Online resources and recorded videos on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Practical work during the tutorial.
- Azure Fundamentals
Module/Topic
Machine Learning on Cloud for Intelligent Applications
Chapter
Online resources and recorded videos on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Practical work during the tutorial.
- Azure IoT Hub
Assessment 2 - Group Project Due: Week 8 Friday (12 Sept 2025) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Cloud Security and Ethical Considerations
Chapter
Online resources and recorded videos on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Practical work during the tutorial.
- Support on your Project — Part A
Module/Topic
Emerging Technologies over the Cloud
Chapter
Online resources and recorded videos on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Practical work during the tutorial.
- Support on your Project — Part B
Module/Topic
Cloud-enabling convergence of
Internet of Everything (IoE),
big data and intelligence
Chapter
Online resources and recorded videos on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Practical work during the tutorial.
- Working on your Project
Module/Topic
Revision of content
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assignment 3 Project: Discussion and addressing questions.
Assessment 3 - Final Project Due: Week 12 Friday (10 Oct 2025) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Contact information for Dr Salahuddin Azad: Email: s.azad@cqu.edu.au; Office: Level 6, 120 Spencer Street, Melbourne Vic 3000; P +61 3 9616 0680 | X 50680.
If you have any queries, please email me and I will get back to you within one business day or so. For an individual discussion, please ring me during business hours (or leave a message if I am not in) and I will return your call as soon as possible.
1 Written Assessment
This is an individual assignment.
In this assignment, you will write a report that will let you compare and contrast between two Platform as a Service (PaaS) cloud providers and their services. You are also required to create a simple application in each of the cloud services as part of your comparative exercise.
The assignment requires you to complete the following tasks:
1. Identify two PaaS cloud provider and investigate all the services they provide. You may create a trial account to try their services.
2. Create a simple application in both of the cloud platforms.
3. Compare and contrast your chosen cloud providers and services.
4. Prepare a report based on the criteria given in the assignment specification.
AI ASSESSMENT SCALE - AI PLANNING
You may use Al for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas.
GUIDELINES FOR AI TOOL USAGE FOR STUDENTS
Al may be used for pre-task activities such as brainstorming, outlining and initial research. You may use AI-assisted automatic speech recognition to transcribe notes, AI tools to convert notes into outlines, and AI tools to brainstorm or suggest improvements to already created work. Image generation technologies might be used to generate starting points for designs or tools used to explore possibilities for producing software. You must then use the AI-generated ideas as the starting point and apply your skills and knowledge to refine and improve the initial ideas to the final submission. No GenAI-created content without changes should be included in the final submissions.
Detailed information about this assignment can be accessed from the Moodle unit website.
Week 5 Friday (15 Aug 2025) 11:45 pm AEST
Online via Moodle
Week 7 Friday (5 Sept 2025)
Within 2 weeks of submission
The students will be assessed mainly against their
1. knowledge about existing cloud providers;
2. ability to identify and evaluate available services of a cloud provider;
3. analytical capability to compare and contrast the services of different service providers.
More detailed marking criteria can be accessed from the Moodle unit website.
- Evaluate cloud computing concepts and IoT components for smart applications/systems development
- Analyse the application of cloud computing and IoT technologies in different scenarios
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
2 Group Work
This is a group assignment and must be accomplished in a group of at least 3 and maximum 4 members.
This assessment requires students to design and implement a scalable, load-balanced, and secure cloud architecture on AWS to host a web application, demonstrating skills in cost optimization, network configuration, and maintaining high availability according to AWS Well-Architected Framework best practices. By separating layers of the application (web server and database) and configuring robust network security, students will showcase their ability to integrate key AWS services, handle peak user load, and maintain an efficient, secure environment.
At the end of the project, the group will submit a report describing their planning with justifications, the architectural diagram they have developed, and any challenges they have faced during implementation. The performance of the cloud architecture and the web application will be monitored through the AWS Academy platform, ensuring alignment with the AWS best practices while verifying that each student can effectively deploy, manage, and secure a fully functioning web application on a cloud service.
AI ASSESSMENT SCALE - AI PLANNING
You may use Al for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas.
GUIDELINES FOR AI TOOL USAGE FOR STUDENTS
Al may be used for pre-task activities such as brainstorming, outlining and initial research. You may use AI-assisted automatic speech recognition to transcribe notes, AI tools to convert notes into outlines, and AI tools to brainstorm or suggest improvements to already created work. Image generation technologies might be used to generate starting points for designs or tools used to explore possibilities for producing software. You must then use the AI-generated ideas as the starting point and apply your skills and knowledge to refine and improve the initial ideas to the final submission. No GenAI-created content without changes should be included in the final submissions.
Detailed information about this assignment can be accessed from the Moodle unit website.
Week 8 Friday (12 Sept 2025) 11:45 pm AEST
Online via Moodle
Week 10 Friday (26 Sept 2025)
Within 2 weeks of submission
The students are assessed mainly against:
1. demonstrate knowledge in designing scalable and redundant cloud application;
2. apply cloud computing technologies in a systematic manner on AWS to host a web application;
3. prepare and demonstrate a optimised design for a cloud based application;
More detailed marking criteria can be accessed from the Moodle unit website.
- Evaluate cloud computing concepts and IoT components for smart applications/systems development
- Analyse the application of cloud computing and IoT technologies in different scenarios
- Design and develop cloud based smart applications for business solutions
- Knowledge
- Communication
- Research
- Leadership
3 Project (applied)
In this assignment, you need to analyse a given business case and issues within it, and come up with a smart application that addresses the business problem(s). You also need to write a report to show the
process you followed to create the smart application.
The assessment requires you to:
1. analyse the given business case and identify the issues involved;
2. design a smart application-based solution to address identified issues;
3. develop and deploy the application on a cloud platform;
4. prepare a report to document (as per the given instructions in the assignment) your activities using text and multimedia ( for example screenshots, videos).
AI ASSESSMENT SCALE - AI PLANNING
You may use Al for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas.
GUIDELINES FOR AI TOOL USAGE FOR STUDENTS
Al may be used for pre-task activities such as brainstorming, outlining and initial research. You may use AI-assisted automatic speech recognition to transcribe notes, AI tools to convert notes into outlines, and AI tools to brainstorm or suggest improvements to already created work. Image generation technologies might be used to generate starting points for designs or tools used to explore possibilities for producing software. You must then use the AI-generated ideas as the starting point and apply your skills and knowledge to refine and improve the initial ideas to the final submission. No GenAI-created content without changes should be included in the final submissions.
Detailed information about this assignment can be accessed from the Moodle unit website.
Week 12 Friday (10 Oct 2025) 11:45 pm AEST
Submit via Moodle
Upon grade certification
The students are assessed mainly against:
1. depth of analysis to identify the issues stipulated in the business case;
2. level of appropriateness of the solution and its justification;
3. completeness of the solution's implementation and deployment;
4. quality and level of detail presented in the report.
More detailed marking criteria can be accessed from Moodle.
- Design and develop cloud based smart applications for business solutions
- Deploy a smart application using cloud computing and IoT technologies.
- Knowledge
- Cognitive, technical and creative skills
- Self-management
- Ethical and Professional Responsibility
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
