Cloud Computing Systems Administration in an IS Program: Solving Both Sides of the 50/50 Equation

A recent decision to move our IS curriculum into cloud computing at Cal Poly Pomona raises many questions. Of specific concern at the start of this process was the training required for students in a cybersecurity track in the program. A decision was made that students must be not only users of cloud technologies but also purveyors as only through providing cloud services could students practice the full range of tasks and activities related to operating and securing cloud systems. This commitment led to the creation of a small data center that is operated and maintained entirely by students using cloud technologies. The dearth of published academic materials on systems administration, and specifically systems administration in a cloud context, sent faculty and students on a quest to understand what should be covered. This report follows more than a year of work and at what we believe is a mid-point in our endeavor.