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Research MethodsCW2 Individual Proposal

4/4/2011

John McGowan



Contents1.0 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 2

2.0 Rational ......................................................................................................................................... 2

3.0 Scope ............................................................................................................................................. 2

4.0 Key Words...................................................................................................................................... 2

5.0 Aims and Objectives ....................................................................................................................... 3

6.0 Literature Review ............................................................................................................................... 3

6.1 Security Factors of an Operating System and Cloud computing .............................. ........................ 3

6.2 Jolicloud Operating System ............................................................................................................ 4

6.3 Open Source software .................................................................................................................... 5

6.4 Fundamentals of an Operating System ........................................................................................... 5

7.0 Methodology ..................................................................................................................................... 6

7.1 Methods ........................................................................................................................................ 6

7.2 Focus Groups ............................................................................................................................. 6

7.3 Experimental Design................................................................................................................... 6

7.4 Sample Questionnaire ................................................................................................................ 7

8.0 Ethics ............................................................................................................................................. 8

9.0 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 8

10.0 Project Plan ...................................................................................................................................... 8

10.1 Task and date information: ......................................................................................................... 8

10.2 Gantt chart:.................................................................................................................................. 9

1.0 Reflection ........................................................................................................................................ 12

1.2 introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 12

1.3 research Techniques ........................................................................................................................ 13

1.4 analyzing results................................ ................................ ...................... ................................ ........ 13

1.5 Any problems/learning difficulties.................................................................................................... 13

1.6 benefits from the modules ............................................................................................................... 13

1.7 Would you do anything different? ......................... ................................ ...................... ..................... 13

2.0 Overview ......................................................................................................................................... 12



1.0 IntroductionThis document identifies the usability and security of JoliCloud Operating System. Thedocument shows how the usability and security of Cloud Operating Systems compares to non-cloud Operating Systems. In order to show this research a series of tests, focus groups and

questionnaires will be conducted to challenge the usability and security of the OperatingSystem. The participants will include a mixture of technical users and non-technical users; thefollowing report will consist of a literature review, which details the critical aspects of cloudcomputing, security within Operating Systems and usability of Operating Systems. Themethodology section explains the collection of primary data and justifies the methods whichwill be used.

2 .0 Rational

The aim of this project is to identify the quality of user experience and security mechanismswithin JoliCloud Operating System. The user experience has been tested conducting a series of computer tasks which are designed to test the usability of the Operating System. The testinvolves certain tasks in which one may perform on a non-cloud Operating System. Theparticipants have been given a certain tasks to complete which they normally would do on adaily basis and be asked to complete the same tasks using only the cloud as their resource. Thereason this research is taking place is to discover the new Operating System and its usabilityand security features.

3 .0 Scope

The project will cover the security features of Cloud operating systems within this projectJolicloud is been used. The security features will include the mechanisms in place to securepersonal data stored online and how the user expresses their thoughts about storinginformation online rather than using a hard disk. The project also covers the actual userinterface and usability of the operating system; this will be compared to other well-knownoperating systems for example Windows. The actual security mechanisms will not be altered ormodified during this research therefore keeping Jolicloud as standard.

4 .0 Key Words

Cloud, Jolicloud, User Experience, Security, Operating Systems, Security Mechanisms, Testing



6 .1 Security Factors of an Operating System and Cloud computing

In order to gain an understanding of the security within Cloud Operating Systems it wasnecessary to gather the required information. Handbook of Cloud Computing the authors of

Borko Furht & Armando Escalante (2006, pg 12) describes the security requirements for cloudcomputing providers, he states The security requirements for cloud computing providers beginswith the same techniques and tools as for traditional data centers, which includes theapplication of a strong network security perimeter. However, physical segmentation andhardware based security cannot protect against attacks between virtual machines on the sameserver. Borko Furht and Armando Escalante goes on to mention Cloud computing servers usethe same operating systems, therefore an attacker can remotely exploit vulnerabilities in thesesystems and applications in addition, co-location of multiple virtual machines increases theattack surface. By using Borko Furhts theory it shows that a Cloud Operating System is more

vulnerable and open for attacks rather than non-Cloud Operating System.

Trent Jaeger the author of Operating Systems Security defines the ideal goals of OperatingSystems security he goes on to mention (2008, pg 3 -4) The idea goal of operating systemsecurity is the development of a secure operating system. A secure operating system providessecurity mechanisms that ensure that the systems security goals are enforced despite thethreats faced by the system. These security mechanisms are designed to provide such aguarantee in the context of the recourse and scheduling mechanisms.

This information shows that an Operating System needs to ensure that the systems securitygoals are ensured, for instance when using Jolicloud Operating System does the Cloud usecertain mechanisms to ensure this security. Trent Jaeger goes on to describe the meaning of asecure Operating System. (2008, pg 3 -4) The term "secure operating system" is bothconsidered an ideal and an oxymoron, Systems that provide a high degree of assurance inenforcement have been called secure systems, or even more frequently "trusted systems". Thisshows that the actual term secure Operating System can be ideal but also inconsiderable;Systems that actually provide a high-end of security are known as trusted systems .

Cloud computing platforms such as Google's App Engine or Microsoft Azure also provide the

option for authentication using their public identity services, such as Google Accounts, OrMicrosoft Live ID. This information shows that by using a more authentication login manner willallow the Operating System to become more secure. Jolicloud uses Facebook authentication asan option. Gautam Shroffs goes on to mention (2010, pg 199) Once the user is logged insecurely, each HTTP request contains a 'user' context that carries the security tokens or ticketsrequires by the chosen authentication mechanism. The user context needs to be validated onthe server by every application service before it is processed.



6 . 2 Jolicloud Operating SystemThe authors then moved onto looking behind a brief overview and history of Jolicloud bylooking at its internet technologies and capabilities. Barrie Sosinsky the author of CloudComputing Bible describes Jolicloud Operating System as the following Jolicloud concentrates

on building a social platform with automatic software updates and installs. The applicationslauncher is built in HTML 5 and comes preinstalled with Gmail, Skype, Twitter, Firefox and otherwell-known applications. Any HTML 5 Browser can be used to with the Jolicloud interface. Thisshows that the Operating System is up to standard with web technologies such as HTML 5which allows full use of the users experience online.

As Jolicloud is built on the platform Linux it was essential to have a brief understanding on thisOperating System. The works of Author s Jose M. Garrido & Richard Schelesinger (2008, pg 15)were referred to and found information regarding the history of Linux dating to its parent, Unix.

Unix was originally introduced in 1974 by Dennis Ritchie and Ken Thompson while working at

AT&T Bell Labs. The operating system was developed on a small computer and had two designgoals: small size of the software system and portability. By 1980, many of the users wereuniversities and research labs The Unix family includes Linux, which was primarily designedand first implemented by Linus Torvals and other collaborators in 1991. Torvals released thesource code on the internet and invited designers and programmers to contribute theirmodifications and enhancements

6 . 3 Open Source softwareFadi P. Deek and James A. McHugh authors of Open source: technology and policy describe

open source as the following, (2005, pg 1) Open source is transparent; the source code itself isviewable and available to study and comprehend. The code can be changed and thenredistributed to share the changes and improvements. It can be executed for any purposeswithout discrimination. Its process of development is largely open, with the evolution of freeand open systems typically preserved in repositories accessible via the systems and theopinions of observers about proposed changes. This information is crucial as Jolicloud is basedon Linux which is open source and available to the public to download.

6 . 4 Fundamentals of an Operating System

Understanding the knowledge on what makes a good Operating System was considered in

order to apprehend why JoliCloud Operating System will offer a responsive graphical user faceand make use of a good user experience. , Colin Ritchie (2001, pg 23) begins by describing thebarebones of an OS as a provider and manager of machine resources , John English (2005, pg17) continues the description of an OS by saying Operating Systems should be Efficient, thePurpose of a computer is to perform tasks for you, the user. The more time and space theoperating system uses, the less there is left over for you to use productively. Reliable, you want



to be able to guarantee that the operating system will not fail unexpectedly This informationshows that an operating system needs to be able to provide and manager machine resources inan efficient, reliable and simple manner.

As a Cloud Operating System runs entirely online it was necessary to gain an understanding of

web-based architecture. Gautam Shroff the author of Enterprise Cloud Computing: Technology,Architecture, Applications describes the level of security needed for such an Operating System.Gautam Shroff states (2010, pg 199) A security framework for a web-based architecture needsto decide what level of secure authentication it will utilize and how. Simple security involvestransmitting a hashed User ID and password across the network which is then matched forauthentication. The basic JAAS library of Java supports such authentication as well as moresecure authentication in a pluggable manner.

7 .0 Methodology

In order to gain the required information, certain methodologies and approaches will be usedto gather and collect data.

7 .1 Methods

7 . 2 Focus Groups

Lia Litosseliti author of using focus groups in research explains why using focus groups can bebeneficial for research. Lia Litosseliti goes on to mention (2007, pg 16) Focus group research is

useful for revealing through interaction the beliefs, attitudes, experiences and feelings of

participants, in ways which would not be feasible using other methods such as individual interviews, observations or questionnaires.

Three different focus groups will be conducted in order to gather as much information aspossible, the three focus groups consists of a dual moderator focus group which allowed onemoderator to ensure the smooth progression of the session while the other moderator madesure all topics are discussed and covered. The second focus group consists of an online focusgroup which allows all participating members to share information and responses via their ownpersonal computers; this might allow the members to become more open and responsive.There is also the possibly of back room chat sessions which only the moderator or the other

observers can access to discuss and gather information.



7 . 3 Experimental DesignY.k signh the author of Research methodology: techniques and trends describe theExperimental Method as the following: (2005, pg 167) It is oriented towards the discovery, of

basic relationship among phenomena as means of predicting and eventually, controlling their

occurrence .Y

.k signh goes on to mention that the experimental design will include Simpleexperimental designs; within this case certain experimental will be given to the users toperform.

Wayne Goddard the author of Research Methodology: An Introduction describes experimentalresearch as the following (2007, pg 8) Experimental research is the cornerstones of science areexperimental and creative research. Experimental research is primarily concerned with causeand effect. Researchers identify the variables of interest and try to determine if changes in onevariable result in changes in another. Experimental research might be used to determine if acertain material is fire-resistant or if a new teaching method achieves better results.

Due to JoliCloud Operating System 1.2 being a fairly new Operating System, there will be veryfew people who have actually used the Operating System for personal use or business use. Thisinformation made it clear that the authors had to expose individual to Jolicloud before theycould gather any significant information. The Laboratory Experiments focus on keeping allvariables the same expect the one which is been used to collect the data. Within this situationthe changing variable will be the individual using Jolicloud Operating System.

7 . 4 Sample Questionnaire

Questionnaires will bepresented before the use of the Operating System and after the testingof the Operating System. This will be to gather their opinion on the security and usability aboutJolicloud Operating System before actually exposing the individual to the Operating System.Once the user has performed the tasks given, they will be given a different questionnaire andthe collected information from this may differ from their original first opinion.

The questions within the questionnaire allow the individual to give both qualitative andquantitative data which consists of open questions where the individual may explain his answerin more detail rather than a closed question. The qualitative data will be looked through forkey phrases in which will be matched up to the codes provided from the selected authors based

on the security and usability of Jolicloud Operating System. The collected data will be arrangedinto graphs, charts and will be discussed depending on the outcome. This research method isbacked up with what Author Catherine Dawson states in her book (2009, pg 31)

M any researchers tend to use a combination of both open and closed questions. That way, it is

possible to find out how many people use a service and what they think about that service onthe same form.



This allows the individuals to grasp an overview before and after testing, the individual mighthave already heard of Cloud Operating System but has not yet been exposed to one. Thereforean understanding and opinions will differ after actually testing the Operating System. Theoverall benefits of this method allows the authors to acquire data about those who have not

used Jolicloud Operating System and compare the data they gave against the data theindividual gave after they have test Jolicloud Operating System. This allows an indication onhow easy people might judge the usability and security of Cloud Operating Systems beforeactually testing.

8 .0 Ethics

In order to obtain the information required, methods of data and information will be gatheredin a significant manner. Various means of information and data collation will be used this will

consist of Laboratory experimentation, Survey research and focus groups. These types of methods will ensure the authors with a suitable and appropriate amount of qualitative andquantitative data to use. The following methods of research will use ethical considerationsthroughout its research and presentation; this includes the British Computing Society Ethicalcode.

9 .0 Conclusion

In conclusion the aim of the project is to identify the quality of user experience and securitymechanisms in place within JoliCloud Operating System. This will be using various

methodologies and approaches in order to grasp an outline of data and information. Theliterature review illustrates an understanding on what has been researched and conducted inrelation to this topic and project.



10.0 Project Plan

10.1 Task and date information:



10.2 Gantt chart:



Reflection

1.0introductionThis small report will show my learning outcomes and what I have learned within the modulethis including different research techniques. The report will also cover how I was able toanalyze the information I got from working within the group. The report will also cover anyproblems or learning difficulties I may have suffered during the module and what benefits Ihave receive from the module. The report will also discuss what I would do differently.

1.1 Overview

I believe I have grasped an understanding of research methods and approaches, before theactual module started I was intimidated by actually obtaining and gathering the data howeverafter the module tutor explaining in great detail within presentations and seminars I was thenable to get the understanding which I needed to look past the emotion I was feeling at thattime. After working within a group for a mini-dissertation, this gave me the confidence andprofessional skills needed in order to move forward to an individual dissertation. Whenworking in the group we looked at different approaches and methods when taking out the

research, since we was working with something fairly new (Google OS) I found it personallyexciting as I previously wanted to do research about this current Operating System. Thequestionnaire designs which were completed gave me the understanding on how people feelwhen approached, asking them to fill out the questionnaire, this allowed me to respond anduse different techniques in order for them to take the time out to fill the questionnaire in.

I now understand the different ways to actually gather information, As we was conducting anOperating System we did not include a focus group however we did take part in a couple whichallowed me to grasp an understanding on how the situation works and how to use different

methods in order to achieve an outcome. By giving the presentation with the group at the endof the mini-dissertation allowed me to act on a professional level and show the research whichwas collected and analyzed. This allowed me to show the different methods and approaches inwhich we used within the group to carry out the investigation. By giving a presentation with thegroup allowed me to act professional and show the research which was collected. This gave meconfidence and also allowed myself to gain essential and crucial skills which are needed withina working environment.



Working within a group

Working within the group allowed me to socialize and take part within research, this allowedme to gain new skills and gain the confidence to show my opinions to the group.

1.2research TechniquesI have gained a great understanding of different types of research techniques and methodswhich vary from collecting data from questionnaires to using other forms such as focus groups.The questionnaires we conducted within the group consisted of different types of data,quantitative and qualitative this allowed the group to get different data and information whichwas needed.

1.3analyzing resultsI have gained a great understanding of different analyzing methods; within the group mini-dissertation we used are results to discuss an overview of the operating system from a non-biased point of view. We were able to use this information we gathered and put thisinformation into visible charts and graphs.

1.4Any problems/learning difficultiesAt the beginning of the module I was daunted by the actual research and gathering informationhowever a few weeks in I was able to grasp an understanding, this by using blackboard and itsresources and attending the presentations also within the seminars and speaking to the tutors.

1.5benefits from the modulesI will be able to use the research methods skills within real life for example within a workingenvironment.

1.6Would you do anything different?I believe that the group dissertation was a success, however if I were to do somethingdifferently it would consist of changing the time management. As there were time in which Ifelt some work was rushed however this was not down to the group but mostly due to actualtime management.

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