What are some computing services offered by a Cloud Provider? - ANSWER •*Compute
power* - e.g. Servers or web applications
•*Storage* - e.g. Files and Databases
•*Networking* - e.g. secure connections between the cloud provider and on-premises.
•*Analytics* - e.g. visual telemetry and performance data
Jim the systems admin at a fictitious company is an absolute control freak! From the list
below, choose the most appropriate cloud solution for him:
a). Virtual Machines
b). Containers
c). Serverless compute - ANSWER ANSWER: a). *Virtual Machines.* Because he will
emulate a physical system, Jim can do whatever he likes, (e.g. install software,
configure updates etc.)
Give the simplest definition of a container. - ANSWER A container is similar to a VM but it
doesn't need a guest operating system.
What is Serverless Computing? - ANSWER Serverless computing is a cloud service that
allows you to execute application code, such as functions, without creating, configuring,
or maintaining a server. Comparing to other ways of deployment-For example, VMs and
Containers-it is the most lightweight and fast method.
Rob is new to cloud computing and is confused by the terms: "Vertical Scaling" and
"Horizontal" scaling. Give him the brief rundown on the differences between the two! -
ANSWER *Vertical scaling*: aka "scaling up", is the process of adding resources to
increase the power of an existing server. Some examples of vertical scaling are: *adding
more CPUs, or adding more memory*.
,*Horizontal scaling*: aka "scaling out", is the process of adding more servers that
function together as one unit. For example, *you have more than one server processing
incoming requests*
Define: Scalability as it relates to cloud computing - ANSWER You can increase or
decrease the resources and services used based upon the needs of your organization.
Elasticity - of demand - as related to cloud computing: ANSWER By automatically adding
resources when demand for your workload spikes (or decreasing resources when it
drops) a cloud computing system can match demand. Eg, a web-site during Black Friday
Sale
Redundancy as related to cloud computing: ANSWER In case of failure of one
component, another one is ready to replace it and take over its work load.
Define: fault-tolerance in terms of cloud computing - ANSWER Customers and end-users
are not affected when an underlying disaster occurs.
Let's have Misha the class nerd of cloud computing class initiate a conversation with
you about Economies of Scale. Start off with a sufficient definition and example to the
following. - ANSWER Economies of scale refers to *the ability to do things more
efficiently or at a lower-cost per unit when operating at a larger scale.* It simply means
that, more money is saved, when production rates are higher. Users also pay less for
power consumption, cooling and network connectivity than they would with on-premises
infrastructure.
Compare / Contrast CapEx - Capital Expenditure vs. OpEx-Operational Expenditure -
ANSWER •*Capital Expenditure*: the spending of money on physical infrastructure up
front, and then deducting that expense from your tax bill over time. CapEx is an upfront
cost, which has a value that reduces over time.
•*Operational Expenditure*: Spending money on services or products now, while taking
the bill for them now. You can deduct this expense from your tax bill in this very year.
There is no upfront cost. You pay to use a service or product as you use it.
, What is the biggest benefit to CapEx? - ANSWER Fixed Costs and a predictable expense
for your budget! Companies on a tight budget will lean here.
What is the biggest advantage of OpEx? - ANSWER Grows if demand is increased and
shrinks accordingly. For new companies / startups this will make lots of sense.
What is Cloud agility? - ANSWER Cloud agility refers to the ability to change an IT
infrastructure rapidly to adapt to the changing needs of a business. For instance, if your
service peaks one month, you can scale up to demand and pay a larger bill for the
month. If the following month the demand drops, you can reduce the used resources
and be charged less. This agility lets you manage your costs dynamically, optimizing
spending as requirements change.
Public Cloud - Explain what is meant by the term Public Cloud - ANSWER Microsoft
Azure is a public cloud provider. There is no local hardware to manage or keep
up-to-date - everything runs on your cloud provider's hardware. In some cases, you can
save additional costs by sharing computing resources with other cloud users.
Give one example of where you would use a public cloud solution - ANSWER Deploy a
website or blog. The web-server is handled by the cloud provider. You only worry about
managing the site itself.
Give three disadvantages to using a public cloud model. - ANSWER •Security
Requirements
•Government Policies
•Business requirements for a legacy software / application.
Private Cloud - ANSWER In a private cloud you create a cloud environment in your own
datacentre, and provide self-service access to compute resources to users in your
organization. You take the place of Microsoft Azure.
Give one example of where you would use a private cloud solution - ANSWER An
organization has data that cannot be put in the public cloud, perhaps for legal reasons.
An e.g. may be where government policy requires specific data to be kept in-country or
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