Cloud Computing Concepts and Exam Guide

1. Cloud Service Models

Software as a Service (SaaS):

What it is: SaaS is a service model where the cloud provider manages everything: the infrastructure

(servers, storage, networking), the platform (operating systems, middleware), and the software itself.

User Experience: The user simply accesses and uses the software via a web browser or an API.

The user does not need to worry about installing, maintaining, or managing the software, hardware,

or any underlying infrastructure.

Examples: Google Workspace (Gmail, Google Drive), Microsoft Office 365, Salesforce, and

Dropbox.

Platform as a Service (PaaS):

What it is: PaaS provides a platform that allows developers to build, deploy, and manage

applications without worrying about the underlying infrastructure. The cloud provider manages the

hardware and operating systems.

User Experience: Users focus on the development and management of their applications, while the

cloud provider takes care of everything else.

Examples: Google App Engine, Microsoft Azure App Service, and Heroku.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS):

What it is: IaaS provides virtualized computing resources over the internet. The cloud provider

supplies the raw infrastructure (virtual machines, storage, networks), but the user is responsible for

managing operating systems, applications, and data.

User Experience: Users have more control over the infrastructure, which requires them to manage

aspects such as OS updates, security patches, and middleware.

Examples: Amazon Web Services (AWS) EC2, Google Compute Engine, Microsoft Azure Virtual

Machines.

Function as a Service (FaaS):

What it is: FaaS is a type of cloud computing service that allows users to run code in response to

events without managing servers. It is often associated with serverless computing.

User Experience: Users write code in the form of functions, which are executed in response to

specific triggers (like HTTP requests). The cloud provider manages all the underlying infrastructure.

Examples: AWS Lambda, Google Cloud Functions, Azure Functions.

2. Exam Questions and Answers

Q.2 (1) Differentiate between the public cloud and private cloud.

Public Cloud:

- Definition: A public cloud is a cloud computing environment owned and operated by third-party

providers, offering resources and services to multiple customers over the internet.

- Examples: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform.

- Characteristics:

- Scalability: Easily scalable as the cloud provider has vast resources.

- Cost: Pay-as-you-go model, no upfront costs.

- Management: Managed by the provider, with minimal control over infrastructure by the user.

- Security: Standardized security measures but shared resources can be a concern for sensitive

data.

Private Cloud:

- Definition: A private cloud is a cloud environment dedicated to a single organization, hosted either

on-premises or by a third-party provider.

- Examples: VMware, OpenStack.

- Characteristics:

- Customization: More control and customization of the infrastructure.

- Security: Enhanced security, as resources are not shared with others.

- Cost: Higher costs due to investment in dedicated hardware and maintenance.

- Management: Requires in-house or third-party management of the cloud.

Q.2 (2) Describe the use cases of containers in the cloud.

Containers in the Cloud:

- Definition: Containers are lightweight, standalone software packages that include everything

needed to run an application, including the code, runtime, system tools, and libraries.

- Use Cases:

- Microservices Architecture: Containers allow for the deployment of applications as a collection of

loosely coupled services.

- DevOps Practices: Enable continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) by providing

consistent environments from development to production.

- Scalability: Easily scale applications across multiple cloud environments.

- Portability: Ensure applications are portable and can run on any platform that supports

containerization.

Q.2 (3) Explain Disaster recovery plan.

Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP):

- Definition: A DRP is a documented, structured approach with instructions for responding to

unplanned incidents.

- Components:

- Risk Assessment: Identifying potential risks and their impacts.

- Recovery Strategies: Determining methods to restore hardware, applications, and data.

 - Plan Development: Creating step-by-step recovery procedures.

- Testing and Maintenance: Regular testing and updates to the plan to ensure effectiveness.

Q.2 (4) What is application availability and define its key considerations.

Application Availability:

- Definition: Application availability refers to the accessibility of an application to its users at any

given time.

- Key Considerations:

- Uptime: The percentage of time the application is operational.

- Redundancy: Use of backup systems and failover mechanisms to ensure continuous availability.

- Load Balancing: Distributing workloads across multiple resources to avoid overloading.

- Monitoring: Regular monitoring to detect and address issues quickly.

Q.2 (5) Explain the challenges of the cloud architecture.

Challenges of Cloud Architecture:

- Security and Privacy: Ensuring data protection and compliance with regulations.

- Performance: Maintaining application performance in a distributed environment.

- Integration: Integrating cloud services with on-premises systems and other cloud services.

- Cost Management: Controlling and optimizing costs associated with cloud resources.

(A) Five One-Line Questions

1) What is SaaS?

- SaaS (Software as a Service) is a cloud computing model where software applications are

hosted by a service provider and made available to users over the internet.

2) Define Latency in terms of performance in cloud.

- Latency in cloud computing refers to the time delay between the user's action and the cloud
service's response, affecting the performance and speed of cloud-based applications.

3) Define CI/CD tools.

- CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment) tools automate the processes of

integrating code changes, testing them, and deploying the application updates, enhancing software

development and delivery.

4) What are Docker Images?

- Docker Images are templates used to create Docker containers, containing the application code,

runtime, libraries, and dependencies needed to run the application.

5) Define one solution for container security.

- One solution for container security is using image scanning tools to detect vulnerabilities and

ensure that container images are secure before deployment.

(B) Five Fill in the Blanks

1) A software platform that allows you to build, test, and deploy applications is a PaaS (Platform as a

Service).

2) Virtualization refers to sharing all hardware resources while running several operating systems on

a single machine.

3) Private cloud is accessible only within a specific organization's network or to authorized users.

4) Performance refers to how well a software application performs in terms of responsiveness,

resource utilization, and overall efficiency.

5) Disaster Recovery refers to the methods, practices, and technologies organizations use to restore

data and IT access after a technology-related disaster.

3. Next Generation Cloud Architecture

Q.3 (1) Explain next-generation cloud architecture.

Next-Generation Cloud Architecture:

- Definition: The next-generation cloud architecture is an evolution of cloud design that incorporates

advanced technologies to enhance performance, scalability, security, and resilience.

- Key Features:

- Serverless Computing: Allows developers to build applications without managing infrastructure.

- Edge Computing: Processes data closer to its source, reducing latency.

- Hybrid and Multi-Cloud: Integrates public, private, and on-premises resources to optimize costs

and flexibility.

- AI and Machine Learning: Embedded intelligence for automating processes and insights.

- Microservices and Containerization: Breaking applications into small, independently deployable

components for better scalability and management.

Q.3 (2) Difference between the virtual machine and Docker with an example.

Virtual Machine vs. Docker:

- Virtual Machine (VM):

- Definition: A VM is an emulation of a physical computer that runs an entire operating system (OS)

and shares the host's hardware resources.

- Example: Running a Windows OS on a macOS machine using VMware.

- Characteristics:

- High resource usage due to entire OS emulation.

- Greater isolation with dedicated OS for each VM.

- Slower start-up times compared to containers.

- Docker (Container):

- Definition: Docker is a platform that uses containers to deploy applications with their
dependencies in isolated environments.

- Example: Deploying a web application using a Docker container with Node.js runtime.

- Characteristics:

- Lightweight as it shares the host OS kernel.

- Faster start-up times and efficient resource utilization.

- Ideal for microservices and CI/CD pipelines.

Q.3 (3) Describe types of cloud service.

Types of Cloud Services:

- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS):

- Provides virtualized computing resources over the internet.

- Users can manage operating systems, storage, and deployed applications.

- Examples: AWS EC2, Google Compute Engine.

- Platform as a Service (PaaS):

- Offers a platform allowing customers to develop, run, and manage applications without the

complexity of building and maintaining infrastructure.

- Examples: Heroku, Google App Engine.

- Software as a Service (SaaS):

- Delivers software applications over the internet on a subscription basis.

- Providers manage all underlying infrastructure and platforms.

- Examples: Salesforce, Microsoft Office 365.

- Function as a Service (FaaS):

- Allows users to deploy individual functions or code snippets without managing servers.

- Examples: AWS Lambda, Azure Functions.

4. Docker and Cloud Architecture

Q.4 (A) Explain Docker with a diagram and explain how it works.

Docker:

- Diagram Explanation: A visual depiction would include the Docker Engine, Containers, and Docker

Images.

- How It Works:

- Docker Engine: The core component that allows for the creation and management of Docker

containers.

- Docker Images: Templates that define what goes on inside a container; they include the

application and all its dependencies.

- Containers: Isolated environments created from Docker images, where applications run.

- Workflow:

1. Dockerfile is written specifying the environment configuration.

2. Docker builds the image using the Dockerfile.

3. Containers are launched from the images.

4. Applications run in containers, isolated from each other and the host system.

Q.4 (B) Design container architecture with a diagram OR List down and explain the benefits and challenges

Benefits of Cloud Architecture:

- Scalability: Easily scale resources up or down based on demand.

- Cost Efficiency: Pay for what you use, reducing upfront investments.

- Flexibility: Access resources and applications from anywhere.

- Disaster Recovery: Enhanced data backup and recovery options.

- Collaboration: Enables real-time collaboration across different locations.

Challenges of Cloud Architecture:

- Security and Privacy: Ensuring data protection and compliance with regulations.

- Performance: Maintaining application performance in a distributed environment.

- Integration: Integrating cloud services with on-premises systems and other cloud services.

- Cost Management: Controlling and optimizing costs associated with cloud resources.