Light-Weighted Decision Support Framework for Selecting Cloud Service Providers

Multi-criteria decision making(MCDM)is a technique used to achieve better outcomes for some complex business-related problems,whereby the selection of the best alternative can be made in as many cases as possible.This paper proposes a model,the multi-criteria decision support method,that allows both service providers and consumers to maximize their profits while preserving the best matching process for resource allocation and task scheduling.The increasing number of service providers with different service provision capabilities creates an issue for consumers seeking to select the best service provider.Each consumer seeks a service provider based on various preferences,such as price,service quality,and time to complete the tasks.In the literature,the problem is viewed from different perspectives,such as investigating how to enhance task scheduling and the resource allocation process,improve consumers’trust,and deal with network problems.This paper offers a novel model that considers the preferences of both service providers and consumers to find the best available service provider for each consumer.First,the model adopts the best-worst method(BWM)to gather and prioritize tasks based on consumers’and service providers’preferences.Then,the model calculates and matches similarities between the sets of tasks from the consumer’s side with the sets of tasks from the provider’s side to select the best service provider for each consumer using the two proposed algorithms.The complexity of the two algorithms is found to be O(n3).

Mining and Modelling the Dynamic Patterns of Service Providers in Cellular Data Network Based on Big Data Analysis

Understanding the dynamic traffic and usage characteristics of data services in cellular networks is important for optimising network resources and improving user experience.Recent studies have illustrated traffic characteristics from specific perspectives,such as user behaviour,device type,and applications.In this paper,we present the results of our study from a different perspective,namely service providers,to reveal the traffic characteristics of cellular data networks.Our study is based on traffic data collected over a five-day period from a leading mobile operator's core network in China.We propose a Zipf-like model to characterise the distributions of the traffic volume,subscribers,and requests among service providers.Nine distinct diurnal traffic patterns of service providers are identified by formulating and solving a time series clustering problem.Our work differs from previous related works in that we perform measurements on a large quantity of data covering 2.2 billion traffic records,and we first explore the traffic patterns of thousands of service providers.Results of our study present mobile Internet participants with a better understanding of the traffic and usage characteristics of service providers,which play a critical role in the mobile Internet era.

Survival Analysis of Logistics Service Providers: An Empirical Study of Chengdu, Area in China

This paper worked on a sample of 6791 logistics establishments registered in Chengdu, China over the period 1984-2016 to understand the survival status of logistics service providers (LSPs) by non-parametric Kaplan-Meier estimation, together with Cox proportional hazard regression model, to identify factors affecting the failure of LSPs. In particular, it studies the interaction effect between LSPs’ size and entry timing and location. The empirical results show that: 1) Regarding the survival time, 1365 of the 6791 sample LSPs exited from the market by 2017. The exit rate is 20.1%, and the average life of the 6791 LSPs is about 6 years. 2) The survival of LSPs depends on their typology, ownership structure. And there is no significant difference in the probability of survival for both independent LSPs and logistics branches after controlling the effects of other variables. 3) Location and entry timing also play an important role in the survival of small-scale LSPs, but these factors cannot explain large-scale LSPs’ failure.

Selecting a Strategic Logistics Service Provider for Subsea Engineering Companies on the Tweneboa, Enyenra and Ntomme （TEN） Project in Ghana

The research dealt with assessment of logistics service providers＇ capabilities in SECs （supporting subsea engineering companies） on the Tweneboa, Enyenra and Ntomme （TEN） project in Ghana. SECs need logistics service providers who offer consolidated services for project optimization and fulfillment of local content requirements of the project. Relevant Staffof7 SECs and 10 logistics service providers in Ghana formed part of the target group. The weighted scoring model was used in selecting a logistics service provider based on certain criteria. The selection criteria included Quality, Health, Safety and Environmental （QHSE） policies [Q], Compliance to regulations （GRA, Work permit, petroleum regulation） [C], Delivery of goods on time and response rate to deliver [D], Vessel, Cargo attendance and transportation （sea freight and air freight） [V], and Logistics （Personal logistics and Logistics base facilities） [L]. The study concluded Consolidated Shipping Agency （Conship） was the best Logistics Service Provider to offer the best consolidated services for project optimization under the TEN project.

Bi-Level Bidding and Multi-Energy Retail Packages for Integrated Energy Service Providers Considering Multi-Energy Demand Elasticity

How to effectively use the multi-energy demand elasticity of users to bid in the multi-energy market and formulate multi-energy retail packages is an urgent problem which needs to be solved by integrated energy service providers(IESPs)to attract more users and reduce operating costs.This paper presents a unified clearing of electricity and natural gas based on a bi-level bidding and multi-energy retail price formulation method for IESPs considering multi-energy demand elasticity.First,we propose an operating structure of IESPs in the wholesale and retail energy markets.The multi-energy demand elasticity model of retail-side users and a retail price model for electricity,gas,heat and cooling are established.Secondly,a bi-level bidding model for IESPs considering multi-energy demand elasticity is established to provide IESPs with wholesale-side bidding decisions and retail-side energy retail price decisions.Finally,an example is given to verify the proposed method.The results show that the method improves the total social welfare of the electricity and natural gas markets by 7.99%and the profit of IESPs by 1.40%.It can reduce the variance of the electricity,gas,and cooling load curves,especially the reduction of the variance of the electricity load curve can which reach 79.90%.It can be seen that the research in this paper has a positive effect on repairing the limitations of integrated energy trading research and improving the economics of the operation of IESPs.

Cloud-Based Software Development Lifecycle:A Simplified Algorithm for Cloud Service Provider Evaluation with Metric Analysis

At present,hundreds of cloud vendors in the global market provide various services based on a customer’s requirements.All cloud vendors are not the same in terms of the number of services,infrastructure availability,security strategies,cost per customer,and reputation in the market.Thus,software developers and organizations face a dilemma when choosing a suitable cloud vendor for their developmental activities.Thus,there is a need to evaluate various cloud service providers(CSPs)and platforms before choosing a suitable vendor.Already existing solutions are either based on simulation tools as per the requirements or evaluated concerning the quality of service attributes.However,they require more time to collect data,simulate and evaluate the vendor.The proposed work compares various CSPs in terms of major metrics,such as establishment,services,infrastructure,tools,pricing models,market share,etc.,based on the comparison,parameter ranking,and weightage allocated.Furthermore,the parameters are categorized depending on the priority level.The weighted average is calculated for each CSP,after which the values are sorted in descending order.The experimental results show the unbiased selection of CSPs based on the chosen parameters.The proposed parameter-ranking priority level weightage(PRPLW)algorithm simplifies the selection of the best-suited cloud vendor in accordance with the requirements of software development.

Civil unmanned aircraft system operation in national airspace: A survey from Air Navigation Service Provider perspective

Unmanned Aircraft Systems(UASs) have advanced technologically and surged exponentially over recent years. Currently, due to safety concerns, most civil operations of UAS are conducted in low-level uncontrolled area or in segregated controlled airspace. As the industry progresses, both operational and technological capabilities have matured to the point where UASs are expected to gain greater freedom of access to both controlled and uncontrolled airspace. Extensive technical and regulatory surveys have been conducted to enable the expanded operations. However, most surveys are derived from the perspective of UAS own operating mechanism and barely consider interactions of their non-segregated activities with the Air Traffic Management(ATM) system. Hence, to fill the gap, this paper presents a survey conducted from the perspective of Air Navigation Service Provider(ANSP), which serves to accommodate these new entrants to the overall national airspace while continuing flight safety and efficiency. The primary objectives of this paper are to:(A) describe what typical ANSP-supplied UAS Traffic Management(UTM) architecture is required to facilitate all types of civil UAS operations;(B) identify three major ANSP considerations on how UAS can be accommodated safely in civil airspace;(C) outline future directions and challenges related with UAS operations for the ANSP.

Management of dog bites by frontline service providers in primary healthcare facilities in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana,2014-2015

Background:Dog bites are common in developing countries including Ghana,with the victims often being children.Although some breeds of dogs have been identified as being more aggressive than others,all dog bites carry a risk of infection.Immediate and initial assessment of the risk for tetanus and rabies infection with appropriate interventions such as wound management and subsequent selection of prophylactic antibiotics are essential in the management of dog bites.This study examined the management of patients with dog bites by frontline service providers at primary healthcare facilities in the Greater Accra Region,Ghana.Methods:We conducted a cross-sectional study in 66 public health facilities in the Greater Accra Region from July 2014 to April 2015.Up to four frontline service providers were randomly selected to participate from each facility.A structured questionnaire was administered to all consenting participants.Continuous variables were presented as means and standard deviations.The frontline service providers’knowledge was assessed as a discrete variable and values obtained presented as percentages and proportions.The chi-square test of proportions was used to determine any significant associations between the various categories of the frontline service providers and their knowledge about the management of rabies.Results:Regarding the frontline service providers’knowledge about rabies,57.8%(134/232)were correct in that the rabies virus is the causative agent of rabies,39.2%(91/232)attributed it to a dog bite,2.6%(6/232)did not know the cause,and one person(0.4%)attributed it to the herpes virus.Only 15.5%(36/232)knew the incubation period in dogs and the period required to observe for signs of a rabies infection.With respect to the administration of rabies immunoglobulin,42.2%(98/232)of the frontline service providers did not know how to administer it.Of the facilities visited,76%(50/66)did not have the rabies vaccines and 44%(102/232)of frontline service providers did not know where to get the rabies vaccines from.Most of the service providers(87.9%;204/232)had never reported either a dog bite or a suspected case of rabies.Overall,there was gross underreporting of dog bites and suspected rabies cases at public healthcare facilities in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.Conclusions:In view of the high morbidity and mortality associated with bites from rabid dogs and the poor knowledge and practices of frontline service providers,there is an urgent need for capacity-building such as training in the management of dog bites and subsequent potential rabies infection.

How different types of financial service providers support small- and mediumenterprises under the impact of COVID-19 pandemic: From the perspective of expectancy theory

The 2019 novel coronavirus disease(COVID-19)pandemic has significantly impacted several aspects of the society and the economy.A problem that needs prompt attention in this situation is the increasing difficulties faced by small-and mediumsized enterprises(SMEs)in raising capital,which has aroused great concern from multiple stakeholders such as public administrations and regulators.As the major supply of capital,financial service providers(FSPs)play a critical role in financing SMEs.However,how FSPs deal with SME financing during shocks has not yet been fully researched.Accordingly,in this study,a theoretical framework based on expectancy theory is proposed to explore the expected strategic adjustments of FSPs in financing SMEs.Specifically,this study investigates 272 FSPs in China on their expectancy and attitude on financing to SMEs during the COVID-19 pandemic.Furthermore,this study has divided FSPs into three categories:commercial banks,non-bank financial institutions,and credit-enhanced FSPs.Differences among these categories are compared and analyzed.

Evaluating and visualizing QoS of service providers in knowledgeintensive crowdsourcing:a combined MCDM approach

Purpose-As the number of joined service providers(SPs)in knowledge-intensive crowdsourcing(KI-C)continues to rise,there is an information overload problem for KI-C platforms and consumers to identify qualified SPs to complete tasks.To this end,this paper aims to propose a quality of service(QoS)evaluation framework for SPs in KI-C to effectively and comprehensively characterize the QoS of SPs,which can aid the efficient selection of qualified SPs.Design/methodology/approach-By literature summary and discussion with the expert team,a QoS evaluation indicator system for SPs in KI-C based on the SERVQUAL model is constructed.In addition,the Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory(DEMATEL)method is used to obtain evaluation indicators’weights.The SPs are evaluated and graded by the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution(TOPSIS)and rank-sum ratio(RSR),respectively.Findings-A QoS evaluation indicator system for SPs in KI-C incorporating 13 indicators based on SERVQUAL has been constructed,and a hybrid methodology combining DEMATEL,TOPSIS and RSR is applied to quantify and visualize the QoS of SPs.Originality/value-The QoS evaluation framework for SPs in KI-C proposed in this paper can quantify and visualize the QoS of SPs,which can help the crowdsourcing platform to realize differentiated management for SPs and assist SPs to improve their shortcomings in a targeted manner.And this is the first paper to evaluate SPs in KI-C from the prospect of QoS.

Risk identification and prioritization in banking projects of payment service provider companies:An empirical study

ldentifying risks and prioritizing is important for payment service provider(PSP)companies to get banking projects and gain more market share.However,studies regarding the identification of risks and causal relationships are insufficient in the lranian PSP industry and the industry is unique because of its characteristics.In this study,30 experts involved with PSP companies are employed as the research sample.Eleven key risks and 46 sub-risks are also ientified.Subsequently,the fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory technique is applied to determine the effective and affected risks and the severity of their effects on each other.Finally,all risks are ranked.Due to the interal interrelationships of the main risks,the weight of each risk is calculated via the fuzy analytic network process.As the second-level risks have no significant interrelationships,they are ranked via the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process.Moreover,the best-worst method is used to ensure that the obtained rankings are reliable.This study identifies the risks affecting the loss of banking projects and determines the impacts of these risks on each.A sensitivity analysis is then conducted on the weights of the criteria,and the results are compared.

BOUNDARY OF CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY OF INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS -- A LESSON FROM THE QVOD CASE

The Qvod case in 2016, in which the Chinese video-sharing site Qvod was convicted of the crime of disseminating pornographic materials for profits, provoked heated debates regarding the criminal responsibility of internet service providers （ISPs） in China. Using the Qvod case as an example, this paper first discusses the definition and the legal obligations of ISPs, and argues that we should decide the criminal responsibility of ISPs according to their functions and the content of their services. This paper further analyzes four major issues associated with the criminal responsibility of ISPs, including accomplice responsibility, accessory with neutral conduct, perpetrator by action or omission and ideal concurrence （Idealkonkurrenz）.

Reducing Video Transmission Cost of the Cloud Service Provider with QoS-Guaranteed

With the advancement of cloud computing technology,many service providers are combining with cloud service providers to build a highly available streaming video-on-demand cloud platform and provide video services to end users.Generally,cloud service providers deploy many edge cloud CDN nodes in different geographic areas and provide video services to end users.However,when an end-user wants to watch certain videos and request video resources from surrounding edge cloud CDN nodes,the edge cloud CDN node will request missing video clips from other cloud nodes.Therefore,this will generate a large amount of additional video transmission costs and reduce the quality of service of the cloud service provider.To reduce or even minimize the video transmission cost of edge cloud CDN nodes while ensuring the quality of service(QoS).We designed a video transmission algorithm called Netdmc to ensure transmission quality.The algorithm can be divided into two parts.The first part is a low-latency video request algorithm based on ensuring service quality,and the second part is a video request algorithm based on minimizing video transmission costs.The simulation results demonstrate that the Netdmc algorithm can effectively reduce the cost of cloud service providers and ensure the quality of video services.

Information Security in the Cloud: Emerging Trends and Challenges

This article explores the evolution of cloud computing, its advantages over traditional on-premises infrastructure, and its impact on information security. The study presents a comprehensive literature review covering various cloud infrastructure offerings and security models. Additionally, it deeply analyzes real-life case studies illustrating successful cloud migrations and highlights common information security threats in current cloud computing. The article concludes by offering recommendations to businesses to protect themselves from cloud data breaches and providing insights into selecting a suitable cloud services provider from an information security perspective.

An Adaptive Trust Model of Web Services

This paper proposes a dynamic Web service trust (WS Trust) model, and somecorresponding trust metric evaluation algorithms. The main goal is to evaluate the trustworthinessand predict the future bchaxiors of entities in oeder to help users find trustworthy Web serviceproviders and prevent users from providing unfair ratings against service providers.

A K-Median Facility Location Agent for Low-Cost Service Selection in Digital Community Network

With the increasing number of web services, it becomes a difficult task for an ordinary user to select an appropriate service. Hence, it is conventional that users in a digital community network take part in a collaborative mechanism for the purpose of service selection. The participation usually brings unnecessary burdens for users, such as giving opinions, storing service information. Extra communication overhead hinders the performance of the network. Thus, the community administrators are facing a problem of how to obtain an overall service selection result for the whole community readily and effectively. To address this problem, we present a k-median facility location agent model. The model analyzes the procedure of service selection through five entities and six types of messages. Two algorithms are elaborated in pursuit of a global optimization concerning connection costs between users and facilities where services are deployed. To evaluate our model, we conduct extensive simulations and present a detailed analysis of the simulation results.

An Integrated Framework for Cloud Service Selection Based on BOM and TOPSIS

Many businesses have experienced difficulties in selecting a cloud service provider(CSP)due to the rapid advancement of cloud computing services and the proliferation of CSPs.Many independent criteria should be considered when evaluating the services provided by different CSPs.It is a case of multi-criteria decision-making(MCDM).This paper presents an integrated MCDM cloud service selection framework for determining the most appropriate service provider based on the best only method(BOM)and technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution(TOPSIS).To obtain the weights of criteria and the relative importance of CSPs based on each criterion,BOM performs pairwise comparisons of criteria and also for alternatives on each criterion,and TOPSIS uses these weights to rank cloud alternatives.An evaluation and validation of the proposed framework have been carried out through a use-case model to prove its efficiency and accuracy.Moreover,the developed framework was compared with the analytical hierarchical process(AHP),a popular MCDM approach,based on two perspectives:efficiency and consistency.According to the research results,the proposed framework only requires 25%of the comparisons needed for the AHP approach.Furthermore,the proposed framework has a CR of 0%,whereas AHP has 38%.Thus,the proposed framework performs better than AHPwhen it comes to computation complexity and consistency,implying that it is more efficient and trustworthy.

Cloud Services Quality Enhancement through Control &Monitoring of Service Level Agreements at Server and Consumer Side

Several researches and case studies have been revealing a repetitive issue and that is monopolization of controlling, measuring, and metering of the consumer’s billing for the consumed Cloud Services. The Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) have been hiding, or monopolizing the controlling, metering tools and ignoring the calculation and consideration of the service defects like downtime, service outage, poor performance and client service migration delays during overloads of the servers. The main issues behind these discrepancies are the Service Level Agreement (SLA), its violation, and the monopolized Cloud Governance. Till now there is a lack of parallel monitoring and metering system of the consumed cloud services at the customer level under the provisions of SLAs. The Cloud Governance Tier has not given any flexibility or utility to monitor such consumed cloud services at the client tier in parallel to the CSP tier. This research is an effort to develop a SLA controlling/monitoring framework to solve the identified problems other than the CSP level. Further the E_Draw max was used for designing the framework. The framework consists of the components like;SLA_CSP, SLA_CSC, SLA_M&C and Cloud Services and Delivery Models. After designing the framework, a prototype was developed using CloudSim on java net beans, and MySQL database. This prototype was implemented using four scenarios to evaluate its performance and the functionalities. 1) Checking the SLA under CSP whether the resources to the consumer in the same manner with promised. 2) To check if the request from cloud consumer is less than what is expected in SLA. 3) To check by increasing the request of cloud consumer more than what is expected in SLA and 4) Using the SLA_M&C mechanism. After execution it was observed that, in the first and the second cases there is no violation, but there is violation in the third and fourth cases. This implied that there are chances of the discrepancies in resources provided to make the selves beneficiary beyond SLA under CSP and CSC was discriminated while receiving services from CSP.

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