Coursework Overview and Assessment Criteria
Module Title: Cloud Native Development
Module Code: COM682 (50722) UU-FT , COM682 (50077) UU-PT,
SUST, COM682 (51469) QAHE
Module Coordinator: Zeeshan Tariq
Teaching Staff Responsible: Zeeshan Tariq-50%, Hanif Ullah-50%
Semester (s) Taught: One
Course / Year Group: BEng Hons Software Engineering
BSc Hons Computing Science
BSc Hons Computing Technologies
BSc Hons Interactive Computing
CSPT, CSPT(HLA)
Coursework / Exam Weighting: 100/0
Coursework Assessment Overview
This module is assessed by two pieces of coursework.
Coursework 1 consists of a single in-class test which will have a time limit of 60
minutes. Coursework 1 contributes to 25% of the overall mark for this module.
Coursework 2 is a practical skills assessment wherein students need to develop a
solution and produce a related presentation. Coursework 2 contributes to 75% of the
overall mark for this module.
The university has a number of rules and regulations surrounding assessment, late
submissions, and illness. These are in the student guide [1] - ensure you read this and
understand the impact of these rules and regulations.
These coursework assignments are detailed below.
Coursework 1 – In class examination [25%]
Released: During the lab session in Week 7
Feedback Date: Marks after 5 working days and feedback within 20 working days
Related Learning Outcomes:
1. Assess the concepts behind a range of cloud native development techniques
and critically evaluate when to apply these paradigms to realisation of solutions.
2. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of modern cloud development,
techniques, and practice and how it may be leveraged to address related
challenges.
3. Comprehend administrative aspects related to cloud native development such
as pricing concerns and access control.
During the delivery course of the module, students will be expected to complete a 60-
minute, online test. This test will assess understanding of concepts that have been
introduced and detailed until that point.
This exam will be set in the 7th week of teaching and will incorporate the following
topics:
• Cloud Computing Concepts and Paradigms
• Total Cost Analysis
• Operational models: Virtualisation, Containerisation, Hosted
services and serverless/event-driven operation
• Identity Management and Security Concerns
• Hosted Web Endpoints
• Serverless execution
• Hosted Document databases
• Hosted SQL databases
• Hosted storage models
• Cloud Design Patterns
• Responsibility models and legal issues
This is open book test, students can access notes, books and lectures. Use of internet
at any time is not allowed during the test.
Coursework 1 will be based on multiple choice questions, delivered, submitted, and
assessed through the Blackboard online learning environment.
Coursework 2 – A set exercise [75%]
Released: 15th Nov 2023
Submission Deadline: 22nd Dec 2023
Feedback Date: Within 20 working days as per University guidelines
Related Learning Outcomes:
1. Assess the concepts behind a range of cloud native development techniques
and critically evaluate when to apply these paradigms to realisation of solutions.
2. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of modern cloud development,
techniques and practice and how it may be leveraged to address related
challenges.
3. Comprehend administrative aspects related to cloud native development such
as pricing concerns and access control.
4. Autonomously and independently identify deficiencies when interacting with a
range of architectures and deployment paradigms, leveraging knowledge of
these deficiencies to improve future practice.
Students will be set an exercise where they will be expected to design, develop, and
deploy a cloud native solution in the form of a web app/website. Test must be taken in
the University Lab.
Specifically for this exercise, students will be expected to perform the following 3 tasks.
Task 1 - Design:
Design a scalable, cloud native, web-application which acts as a media sharing
platform facilitating sharing of video, audio or photographic content. The exact media
type(s) which can share are at the discretion of the student. The ability to share multiple
content types is encouraged.
The developed solution should leverage a range of cloud native technologies and
concepts as taught within the module and module materials.
These may include the following:
• Design a simple webpage where the user can login using their credentials and
upload some media files.
• Design a Database schema and create a hosted database to store the user
entries.
• Deploy the REST API to support the creation, retrieval, updating, and deletion
of various asset records using the Logic Apps
• Establish the blob storage to hold the media files
• Create a Cosmos DB to hold the information about the uploaded media files.
• Create an endpoint that will store images and metadata to Cosmos DB and
Azure blob storage.
• Design CI/CD using GiT
• Add advanced services, such as Q&A maker, Translator, Conversion and some
other that are available free on Azure
Ideally, this solution would integrate the following, but not limited to:
• Static HTML hosting of the content of a web page that interacts with a web
backed through REST calls.
• Hosting of a REST endpoint (URIs) which provides service logic and
connections to all necessary elements such as storage.
• Use any type of DB for hosting SQL databases and NoSQL storage.
Task 2 – Implement:
Implement, deploy, and test the solution designed in task 1. This should be
implemented and deployed using the Microsoft Azure cloud platform taught and used
within the practical exercises associated with this module.
Task 3 – Submission:
Student will submit two items:
1) Provide a slide deck which details the developed solution (details below);
2) An embedded video in PowerPoint slides where the student provides 5-minute
max presentation of the developed, tested and deployed solution. You can
attach this video as a separate item.
Once the solution is produced, students are required to produce a presentation that
incorporates a 5-minute video capture demonstrating the solution. Do not run through
slides in the video, the video is to include you talking about the project's backend, front
end, and code.
Time Penalties: These deductions are from rubric section ‘Video demonstartion and
developed solution (25%)’
Within 5 mins – No penalty
> 30sec and < 1min – 10% deduction
>1min and above – 20% deduction
Should must follow the below content outline for slides:
• Title Slide: Project name, one line description. Student name, Student number.
• Discussion of the problem and identification of the issues related to scalability
for the resources used in your project.
• Solution architecture of the project (Azure resources)
• An overview of advanced features within the developed solution.
• An assessment of the limitations of the solution and an evaluation of its ability
to scale
• Functionality of the recorded demonstration [5-minute video]. This needs to
showcase the functionality of the solution and show its deployment to Azure.
• Concluding comments
• References
Slides should be produced in the PowerPoint format and will need to be uploaded to
the relevant assessment area on Blackboard. Your presentation should not exceed
more than 15 slides. Slide notes will not be assessed.
The assessment criteria for coursework 2 and rubric is presented as an appendix to
this document.
N.B. Students should be aware of the plagiarism policy of the University and submit
their coursework in accordance with this.
References
[1] “Ulster University Student Guide.” [Online]. Available:
[2] IEEE, “Manuscript Templates for Conference Proceedings.” [Online]. Available:
