Textbook

Syllabus Syllabus
Chapters to Coverage Notes
Topic Weight
Read

• Chapter 3:
Understanding
Understanding
Cloud Computing
Cloud Comprehensive
• Chapter 4: 14%
Computing coverage
Fundamental
Concepts
Concepts and
Models

• Chapter 5:
Cloud Enabling
Cloud-Enabling 12% Good coverage
Technologies
Technology

• Chapter 7:
Understanding
Understanding
Cloud Security
and Comprehensive
and Cybersecurity 10%
Implementing coverage
• Chapters 10-11:
Cloud Securities
Cloud Security
Mechanisms

• Chapter 17: Cost

Cloud Metrics and
Computing: Cost Pricing Models
8% Excellent coverage
Metrics, QoS • Chapter 18:
and SLA Service Quality
Metrics and SLAs

• Chapter 6:
Understanding
Fundamentals of
Containerization Good coverage of
Container
• Appendix B: 16% containers, Docker
Technology &
Common and Kubernetes
Tools
Containerization
Technologies

Fundamentals of Not adequately Requires

Distributed covered in 14% supplementary
Computing textbook materials

Requires
supplementary
• Partial coverage
Cloud Services materials for
in various 10%
Providers specific providers
chapters
(AWS, Google
Cloud, Azure)
 Textbook
Syllabus Syllabus
Chapters to Coverage Notes
Topic Weight
Read

Requires
Fundamentals of supplementary
Microservices Not covered in materials for
16%
and Automation textbook microservices,
Tools DevOps, and
CI/CD

Setting up the Cluster, Monitoring & Security

Establishing a robust cluster computing environment requires careful planning, implementation, and
ongoing management of infrastructure, monitoring systems, and security controls.

Cluster Setup and Configuration

1. Hardware Planning and Deployment:

• Node selection (compute, storage, management)

• Network infrastructure design (topology, bandwidth requirements)

• Power and cooling considerations

• Physical security and environmental controls

2. Operating System Installation:

• Selection of appropriate OS (typically Linux variants)

• Consistent OS configuration across nodes

• Kernel optimization for cluster workloads

• Boot process management (PXE, network boot)

3. Cluster Management Software Deployment:

• Resource manager installation (SLURM, PBS, SGE)

• Configuration of job scheduling policies

• User management and authentication setup

• Administrative interfaces and tools

4. Storage Configuration:

• Shared file system setup (Lustre, GPFS, BeeGFS)

 • Data management policies and quotas

• Backup and disaster recovery planning

• I/O optimization for cluster workloads

5. Network Configuration:

• High-speed interconnect setup (InfiniBand, high-speed Ethernet)

• Network segmentation and VLAN configuration

• Routing and firewall rules

• DNS and name resolution services

Cluster Monitoring

1. System Monitoring:

• Hardware health monitoring (temperature, fan speeds, power)

• Resource utilization tracking (CPU, memory, disk, network)

• Error and event logging

• Performance metrics collection

2. Job Monitoring:

• Job execution status and progress

• Resource consumption by jobs

• Queue status and waiting time analysis

• Job performance metrics and statistics

3. Monitoring Tools and Systems:

• Ganglia: Scalable distributed monitoring system for clusters

• Nagios/Icinga: Alert-based monitoring for service availability

• Prometheus: Metrics collection and alerting system

• Grafana: Visualization platform for metrics and logs

• Elasticsearch/Logstash/Kibana (ELK): Log analysis and visualization

4. Performance Monitoring and Analysis:

• Identification of performance bottlenecks

• Historical trend analysis

• Capacity planning based on usage patterns

• SLA compliance tracking

Cluster Security
1. Access Control:

• Authentication systems (LDAP, Active Directory, Kerberos)

• Authorization and privilege management

• Multi-factor authentication for sensitive systems

• Secure remote access (SSH keys, VPN)

2. Network Security:

• Firewall configuration and management

• Network segmentation and isolation

• Intrusion detection/prevention systems

• Traffic monitoring and anomaly detection

3. Data Security:

• Encryption for data at rest and in transit

• Data access controls and permissions

• Secure data transfer mechanisms

• Data integrity verification

4. Security Monitoring and Response:

• Security event logging and analysis

• Vulnerability scanning and assessment

• Patch management procedures

• Incident response planning

5. Compliance and Governance:

• Security policy development and enforcement

• Regulatory compliance management

• Security auditing and reporting

• Risk assessment and mitigation

Cluster Types and Applications

Clusters are generally categorized based on their primary purpose:

1. High-Performance Computing (HPC) Clusters:

• Purpose: Solving computationally intensive problems

• Applications: Scientific simulations, weather modeling, computational fluid

dynamics, genomic analysis

• Characteristics: Emphasis on low-latency interconnects, parallel processing

capabilities

2. High-Availability (HA) Clusters:

• Purpose: Ensuring continuous service availability

• Applications: Mission-critical services, database systems, web services

• Characteristics: Redundant components, failover mechanisms, active monitoring

3. Load-Balancing Clusters:

• Purpose: Distributing workload across multiple nodes

• Applications: Web server farms, network services, application servers

• Characteristics: Request distribution algorithms, health checks, scalable architecture

4. Storage Clusters:

• Purpose: Providing scalable, reliable storage

• Applications: Big data analytics, content delivery networks, media repositories

• Characteristics: Distributed file systems, data replication, parallel I/O capabilities

5. Database Clusters:

• Purpose: Distributed database operations

• Applications: Large-scale transaction processing, data warehouses

• Characteristics: Data partitioning, replication, distributed query processing

Grid Computing and Architecture

Grid Computing represents a distributed computing paradigm that enables coordinated resource
sharing and problem-solving in dynamic, multi-institutional virtual organizations. It extends beyond
simple client-server architectures to offer integrated, collaborative use of high-end computational
resources.

Grid Computing Fundamentals

1. Definition and Concept:

• A computational grid connects geographically distributed resources

• Resources can span multiple administrative domains

• Provides unified access to diverse computing capabilities

• Enables solving problems that require massive computational power

2. Key Characteristics:

• Resource Sharing: Coordinated sharing across organizational boundaries

• Geographical Distribution: Resources spread across multiple locations

• Heterogeneity: Diverse hardware, software, and network technologies

• Dynamic Nature: Resources may join or leave the grid at any time

• Virtual Organizations: Dynamic collection of individuals or institutions

3. Differentiation from Other Computing Paradigms (continued):

• vs. Cluster Computing: Grids are more geographically distributed, heterogeneous,

and span multiple administrative domains

• vs. Cloud Computing: Grids focus on shared resource utilization rather than on-
demand provisioning

• vs. Distributed Computing: Grids specifically address large-scale resource sharing

across organizational boundaries

• vs. Parallel Computing: Grids emphasize resource federation rather than tightly
coupled execution

Grid Architecture Layers

The grid architecture typically consists of four distinct layers:

1. Fabric Layer:

• Provides interfaces to local resources at each site

• Includes computational resources, storage systems, network resources

• Implements local resource management and monitoring

• Handles hardware-specific operations and optimizations

 2. Connectivity Layer:

• Defines core communication and authentication protocols

• Enables secure network transactions

• Provides single sign-on capabilities

• Implements delegation of user credentials

• Manages network quality of service

3. Resource Layer:

• Builds on connectivity layer for secure resource sharing

• Implements protocols for negotiating resource access

• Provides mechanisms for resource discovery and allocation

• Tracks resource usage for accounting and billing

• Handles job submission and monitoring

4. Collective Layer:

• Coordinates multiple resources

• Implements directory services and resource brokering

• Provides workload management and scheduling across resources

• Enables monitoring and diagnostics of grid-wide operations

• Implements data replication and co-allocation services

5. Application Layer:

• User applications and interfaces that utilize grid services

• Domain-specific tools and frameworks

• Scientific simulation and analysis software

• Collaborative visualization and data analysis tools

Grid Middleware and Services

1. Grid Middleware Components:

• Globus Toolkit: De facto standard for grid middleware, providing security, resource
management, data management, and information services

• UNICORE (Uniform Interface to Computing Resources): Provides seamless, secure,

and intuitive access to distributed resources

• gLite: Lightweight middleware for building grid infrastructures

• ARC (Advanced Resource Connector): Nordic grid middleware solution

 • OGSA (Open Grid Services Architecture): Standardized architecture for grid-based
applications

2. Core Grid Services:

• Information Services: Resource discovery and monitoring

• Security Services: Authentication, authorization, and secure communication

• Resource Management: Allocation and scheduling of computational resources

• Data Management: Transfer, replication, and access to distributed data

• Workflow Management: Orchestration of complex, multi-step processes

Grid Computing Applications

1. Scientific Research:

• High-energy physics (e.g., CERN's Large Hadron Collider)

• Climate modeling and weather prediction

• Genome sequencing and bioinformatics

• Astronomical data analysis

• Molecular modeling and drug discovery

2. Engineering Applications:

• Complex engineering simulations

• Computer-aided design and testing

• Finite element analysis

• Crash simulation and fluid dynamics

• Electronic circuit simulation

3. Commercial Applications:

• Financial modeling and risk analysis

• Oil and gas exploration

• Supply chain optimization

• Digital content creation and rendering

• Large-scale data analysis

Challenges and Advancements in Grid Computing

1. Technical Challenges:

• Resource heterogeneity and interoperability

• Fault detection and recovery in distributed environments

 • Security across administrative domains

• Performance unpredictability due to shared resources

• Complex deployment and management

2. Evolutionary Trends:

• Integration with cloud computing technologies

• Containerization for application portability

• Service-oriented grid architectures

• Semantic grids with enhanced resource description and discovery

• Data-intensive grid computing for big data applications

Pros, Cons, and Applications of Microservices

Advantages of Microservices

1. Independent Deployability

• Services can be deployed individually without affecting the entire system

• Enables continuous delivery and faster release cycles

• Reduces the risk and impact of deployments

• Allows for more frequent updates to production

2. Technological Flexibility

• Each service can use the most appropriate technology stack

• Enables gradual technology updates and migrations

• Facilitates experimentation with new technologies

• Prevents technology lock-in across the entire application

3. Scalability and Performance

• Individual services can be scaled independently based on demand

• Efficient resource utilization by scaling only what's needed

• Optimized performance through technology choices suited to specific workloads

• Ability to deploy compute-intensive services on specialized hardware

4. Team Autonomy and Productivity

• Services align with team boundaries and expertise

• Reduced coordination overhead between teams

• Smaller, focused codebases improve developer productivity

• Faster onboarding as new team members can understand smaller services more
quickly

5. Fault Isolation and Resilience

• Failures are contained within service boundaries

• System can continue operating with partial functionality when services fail

• Easier to implement resilience patterns like circuit breakers and bulkheads

• More targeted recovery processes for failed components

6. Business Agility

• Faster implementation of new features and business capabilities

• Enables parallel development across multiple teams

 • Improved experimentation through isolated changes

• Better alignment between business domains and technical implementation

7. Simplified Maintenance

• Smaller, more manageable codebases per service

• Focused testing and debugging

• Easier to understand and reason about individual services

• Reduced complexity within each service boundary

Disadvantages of Microservices

1. Distributed System Complexity

• Network latency and reliability become critical factors

• Handling distributed transactions is challenging

• Service coordination requires additional mechanisms

• Debugging across service boundaries is more difficult

2. Operational Overhead

• More moving parts to monitor and maintain

• Complex deployment and orchestration requirements

• Increased infrastructure costs for redundancy and resilience

• Need for sophisticated monitoring and observability solutions

3. Development Complexity

• Inter-service API design and versioning challenges

• Testing service interactions is more complex

• Managing service dependencies and contracts

• Handling cross-cutting concerns consistently

4. Increased Resource Consumption

• Higher overall memory and CPU footprint

• Duplication of certain functionality across services

• Network bandwidth consumption for inter-service communication

• Additional infrastructure for service management components

5. Data Consistency Challenges

• Maintaining consistency across distributed data stores

• Implementing eventual consistency patterns

 • Handling data duplication and synchronization

• Designing appropriate service boundaries to minimize data dependencies

6. Team and Organizational Challenges

• Requires mature DevOps culture and practices

• Need for cross-functional teams with broader skill sets

• Governance and standardization without excessive centralization

• Knowledge sharing across different service teams

7. Integration and Testing Complexity

• End-to-end testing becomes more challenging

• Integration testing requires sophisticated approaches

• Service contract testing and consumer-driven contracts

• Managing test environments with multiple service versions

Applications of Microservices

Microservices architecture has been successfully applied across various domains and industries:

1. E-commerce Systems

• Example: Amazon's transition from monolithic to microservices architecture

• Applications: Product catalog, shopping cart, recommendations, order processing,

inventory, payments

• Benefits: Independent scaling during peak shopping periods, targeted optimizations,

rapid feature deployment

2. Financial Services

• Example: Capital One, PayPal, Monzo

• Applications: Account management, transaction processing, fraud detection,

payment gateways

• Benefits: Improved security isolation, compliance with regulations, scaling for

transaction volume

3. Content Streaming Platforms

• Example: Netflix's pioneering microservices implementation

• Applications: Content discovery, user recommendations, video streaming, user

management

• Benefits: High availability, personalization at scale, resilience against partial outages

4. Transportation and Logistics

• Example: Uber's microservices ecosystem

 • Applications: Ride matching, routing, pricing, driver/passenger management

• Benefits: Real-time processing, geographical scaling, feature experimentation

5. Healthcare Systems

• Example: Healthcare.gov's rebuild using microservices

• Applications: Patient records, appointment scheduling, insurance verification,

clinical systems

• Benefits: Security and compliance isolation, integration with diverse systems,

targeted scaling

6. Social Media Platforms

• Example: Twitter's transition to microservices

• Applications: Timeline generation, notification services, content moderation

• Benefits: Handling massive scale, real-time processing, feature velocity

7. Enterprise Software

• Example: Microsoft's shift to microservices for Office 365

• Applications: Collaboration tools, document management, authentication

• Benefits: Frequent updates, tenant isolation, feature differentiation by subscription

level

8. Internet of Things (IoT) Platforms

• Example: GE Predix platform for industrial IoT

• Applications: Device management, data ingestion, analytics, alerting

• Benefits: Massive scaling for device connections, diverse protocol support,

specialized processing
Understanding Jenkins

Jenkins is an open-source automation server that enables the implementation of continuous

integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) workflows. It provides a framework for automating the
building, testing, and deployment of software applications.

Core Concepts of Jenkins

1. Automation Server:

• Central coordination point for automation tasks

• Executes jobs based on triggers or schedules

• Provides extensible framework via plugins

• Offers web-based management interface

2. Job-Based Architecture:

• Jobs (or Projects) are the basic unit of work

• Each job defines a specific automation task

• Jobs can be chained together to form workflows

• Different job types for various automation needs

3. Distributed Build System:

• Master-agent architecture for workload distribution

• Agents execute jobs assigned by the master

• Supports heterogeneous build environments

• Load balancing across multiple agents

4. Plugin Ecosystem:

• Extensible architecture with over 1,800 plugins

• Plugins for SCM systems, build tools, testing frameworks

• Integration with deployment targets and notification systems

• Custom plugin development capabilities

Jenkins Architecture

Jenkins is built around a master-agent architecture that enables scalable and distributed automation:

1. Jenkins Master:

• Central controller that manages:

• Job scheduling and dispatching

• User interface and configuration

• Plugin management
 • Build history and artifacts

• Coordinates the overall CI/CD process

2. Jenkins Agents (Nodes):

• Execute jobs assigned by the master

• Can be permanent or dynamic (cloud-based)

• Support different operating systems and environments

• Run in various modes (SSH, JNLP, Docker)

3. Global Configuration:

• System-wide settings for Jenkins

• Security configuration

• Plugin settings

• Tool installations and paths

4. Job Configuration:

• Individual job settings

• Build triggers

• Build environment

• Build steps and post-build actions

Key Jenkins Capabilities for CI/CD

1. Continuous Integration

Jenkins excels at continuous integration by automating:

• Source Code Management: Integration with Git, SVN, Mercurial, etc.

• Build Automation: Compiling code and resolving dependencies

• Test Execution: Running unit tests, integration tests, and code analysis

• Artifact Generation: Creating deployable packages

• Feedback Mechanisms: Notifying teams of build results

2. Pipeline as Code

Jenkins Pipeline provides a powerful way to define delivery pipelines as code:

• Jenkinsfile: Pipeline definition in groovy-based DSL

• Declarative Pipeline: Simplified, opinionated pipeline syntax

• Scripted Pipeline: Flexible, programmatic pipeline definition

• Shared Libraries: Reusable pipeline components

 • Multi-branch Pipelines: Automatic pipeline creation for branches

3. Continuous Delivery/Deployment

Jenkins supports the complete delivery process:

• Environment Deployment: Deploying to dev, test, staging, production

• Approval Gates: Manual intervention for critical deployments

• Deployment Strategies: Blue-green, canary, rolling deployments

• Configuration Management: Integration with Ansible, Chef, Puppet

• Infrastructure as Code: Terraform, CloudFormation integration

4. Visualization and Reporting

Jenkins provides comprehensive visibility into the CI/CD process:

• Build Dashboard: Overview of job status

• Test Result Reporting: Integration with test frameworks

• Code Quality Metrics: SonarQube, PMD, FindBugs integration

• Artifact Management: Integration with repository managers

• Pipeline Visualization: Graphical view of pipeline stages

Jenkins Components and Workflow

Job Types

Jenkins supports various job types for different automation needs:

1. Freestyle Project:

• General-purpose build job

• Flexible configuration with build steps

• Suitable for simple automation tasks

2. Pipeline:

• Defines entire delivery pipeline as code

• Supports complex workflows with stages

• Provides visualization of pipeline progress

3. Multi-configuration Project:

• Runs same build in different environments

• Matrix-based configuration

• Useful for testing across multiple platforms

4. Folder:
 • Organizes related jobs

• Provides namespace isolation

• Enables inheritance of properties

5. Multibranch Pipeline:

• Automatically creates pipelines for branches

• Discovers branches from source control

• Manages pipeline lifecycle based on branch lifecycle