Biblio

The supply chain network is a complex network with the risk of cascading failure. To study the cascading failure in it, an accurate supply chain network model needs to be established. In this paper, we construct a layered supply chain network model according to the types of companies in real supply chain networks. We first define the similarity between companies in the same layer by studying real-world scenarios in supply chain networks. Then, considering both the node degree and the similarity between nodes in the same layer, we propose preferential attachment probability formulas for the new nodes to join the exist network. Finally, the evolution steps of the model are summarized. We analyze the structural characteristics of the new model. The results show that the new model has scale-free property and small-world property, which conform to the structural characteristics of the known supply chain networks. Compared with the other network models, it is found that the new model can better describe the actual supply chain network.

Numerous cloud service certifications (CSCs) are emerging in practice. However, in their striving to establish the market standard, CSC initiatives proceed independently, resulting in a disparate collection of CSCs that are predominantly proprietary, based on various standards, and differ in terms of scope, audit process, and underlying certification schemes. Although literature suggests that a certification's design influences its effectiveness, research on CSC design is lacking and there are no commonly agreed structural characteristics of CSCs. Informed by data from 13 expert interviews and 7 cloud computing standards, this paper delineates and structures CSC knowledge by developing a taxonomy for criteria to be assessed in a CSC. The taxonomy consists of 6 dimensions with 28 subordinate characteristics and classifies 328 criteria, thereby building foundations for future research to systematically develop and investigate the efficacy of CSC designs as well as providing a knowledge base for certifiers, cloud providers, and users.