Unit28 Cloud Computing

Unit 28: Cloud Computing
Unit code K/618/7442
Unit level 5
Credit value 15
This unit is aligned to the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Certification. See section 3.1.5 for
guidance on claiming certification.
Introduction
Cloud computing has revolutionised the way IT services are delivered and has become
an important part of the computing sector. Cloud computing is internet-hosted
computing, which means that it uses the internet to deliver data and other IT services
such as storage, printing, server facilities. In other words, end users and organisations
no longer need to have their own extensive network environment on the premises but
can get the same services provided virtually over the internet.
The fundamental difference between traditional networking and cloud computing is
that the technical details of the system are hidden from the end user. This means the
networking infrastructure does not have to be on the premises as it would be hosted
off-site in the cloud. However, the end user can use the services without the fear of
technical difficulties or disasters as they would be managed by the cloud service
provider. Cloud computing is a natural evolution of networking and is adapting
modern network-oriented technologies such as virtualisation, service-oriented
architecture, utility computing and ubiquitous computing.
This unit is designed to develop understanding of the fundamental concept of cloud
computing, cloud segments and cloud deployment models and the need for cloud
computing. Students will gain appreciation of issues associated with managing cloud
service architecture and develop a critical awareness of cloud-computing-based
projects. Topics included in the unit are the paradigms of networking, fundamentals
of cloud computing, cloud computing architecture, deployment models, service
models, security, technological drivers and cloud service providers.
On successful completion of this unit, students will understand the concept, architecture
and services of cloud computing. They will have hands-on experience of configuring a
cloud service from major providers such as ECM, Google, Amazon, Microsoft and IBM
and of implementing a simple cloud platform using open source software with an
appropriate networking platform. As a result, students will develop skills such as
communication literacy, critical thinking, analysis, reasoning and interpretation, which are
crucial for gaining employment and developing academic competence.
Pearson BTEC Levels 4 and 5 Higher Nationals in Computing

Specification – Issue 2 – March 2022 © Pearson Education Limited 2022
295
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this unit students will be able to:
LO1 Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamentals of cloud computing and its
architectures
LO2 Evaluate the deployment models, service models and technological drivers of
cloud computing and validate their use
LO3 Develop cloud computing solutions using service provider frameworks and open
source tools
LO4 Analyse the technical challenges for cloud applications and assess their risks.

296 Specification – Issue 2 – March 2022 © Pearson Education Limited 2022
Essential Content
LO1 Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamentals of cloud computing

and its architectures
Networking paradigm:
Peer-to-peer computing, client-server computing, distributed computing, cluster
computing, high-performance computing, parallel computing, grid computing.
Cloud computing fundamentals:

Definition and history of cloud computing, principles of cloud computing, cloud
ecosystem, cloud architecture and infrastructure, virtualisation, network
connectivity, managing the cloud, application migration to the cloud.
Explore storage virtualisation, including storage architecture for virtualisation;
physical disk types and related techniques; difference between centralised and
distributed storage, virtualised and non-virtualised storage features, difference
between capex and opex, methods for planning and managing costs and Service
Level Agreements (SLAs).
LO2 Evaluate the deployment models, service models and technological drivers
of cloud computing and validate their use
Deployment models:
Private cloud, public cloud, community cloud, hybrid cloud.
Service models:
Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) a form of cloud computing providing virtualised
computing resources over the internet.
Platform as a service (PaaS), providing a complete development and deployment
environment.
Software as a service (SaaS), offering users access to a vendor’s cloud-based
software.
Analytics as a service (AaaS), offering provision of analytics software and
operations through web-delivered technologies.
Cloud computing use cases.

297
Technological drivers:
Service-oriented Architecture (SOA), virtualisation and cloud computing,
multicore technology, memory and storage technology, networking technology,
Web 2.0, & 3.0, software process models for cloud, programming models,
pervasive computing, application environment.
Explore architecture and components used for virtualisation, and traffic flows
between VMs.
LO3 Develop cloud computing solutions using service provider frameworks and
open source tools
Cloud Service Providers (CSPs):

Explore the features of different cloud service providers and virtualisation
software, e.g. Microsoft, EMC, Google, Amazon Web Services, IBM, VMware, KVM,
FusionCompute.
CSP architectural components:

Explain architectural components using service provider terminology, e.g.
regions, zones, resource groups, subscriptions, management groups,
CSP core resources, core solutions and management tools:

Compute, networking and storage.
Describe service provider’s core solutions, e.g. IoT solutions, Big Data Analytics,
artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, DevOps.
Describe CSP management tools, e.g. Azure Portal, AWS Management Console,
Command Line Interface (CLI), Cloud Shell, and application monitoring.
CSP cost management and service level agreements (SLAs):

Factors affecting cost, pricing calculators, reducing costs, forecasting costs.
Purpose of SLAs and factors affecting them.
Open source:
Open source tools for IaaS, open source tools for PaaS, open source tools for
SaaS, distributed computing tools, e.g. Cassandra, Hadoop, MongoDB, NGrid,
Ganglia.

LO4 Analyse the technical challenges for cloud applications and assess their
risks
Security aspects:
Data security, virtualisation, network security, alerts, resource hygiene, defence
in depth.
Identity, including authentication and authorisation.
Governance, including role-based access control, policy and templates.
Privacy and compliance.
Platform-related security:
SaaS Security issues, PaaS Security Issues, IaaS Security Issues, Audit and
Compliance.
CSP security features:

Describe CSP security features, e.g. Azure Security Centre, Key Vault, AWS
GuardDuty, Azure Sentinel, Dedicated Hosts, Network Security Groups (NSG),
DDoS protection.

299
Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria
Pass Merit Distinction

LO1 Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamentals
of cloud computing and its architectures
P1 Analyse the evolution M1 Discuss why an D1 Justify the tools chosen to

and fundamental organisation should migrate realise a cloud computing
concepts of cloud to a cloud computing solution.
computing. solution.
P2 Design an appropriate
architectural cloud
computing framework for
a given scenario.
LO2 Evaluate the deployment models, service models and

technological drivers of cloud computing and validate
their use
P3 Define an appropriate M2 Demonstrate selected

deployment model for a deployment models with
given scenario. real-world examples.
P4 Compare the service

models for choosing an
adequate model for a
given scenario.

Pass Merit Distinction
LO3 Develop cloud computing solutions using service
provider frameworks and open source tools
P5 Configure a cloud M3 Discuss the issues and D2 Critically discuss how

computing platform constraints that can be issues and constraints during
with a cloud service faced during the the development process can
provider’s framework. development process. be overcome.
P6 Implement a cloud
platform using open
source tools.
LO4 Analyse the technical challenges for cloud

applications and assess their risks
P7 Analyse the most M4 Discuss how to D3 Critically discuss how an

organisation should protect its
common problems that overcome security issues
data when migrating to a cloud
arise in a cloud when building a secure solution.
computing platform and cloud platform.
discuss appropriate
solutions.
P8 Assess the most

common security issues
in cloud environments.

301
Recommended Resources
Textbooks
Chandrasekaran, K. (2015) Essentials of Cloud Computing, Chapman and Hall CRC Press.
Kapadia, A., Varma, S. and Rajana, K. (2014) Implementing Cloud Storage with OpenStack.
Packt Publishing.
Patawari, A. (2013) Getting Started with ownCloud. Packt Publishing.
Rhoton, J. and De Clercq, J. (2014) OpenStack Cloud Computing: Architecture. Recursive
Press.
Erl, T., Puttini, R., Mahmood, Z. (2013) Cloud Computing: Concepts, Technology &
Architecture. Prentice Hall.
Ying Zhu, S., Hill, R. Travati, M. (Editors) (2016) Guide to Security Assurance for Cloud
Computing. Springer.
Links
This unit links to the following related unit:
Unit 49: Systems Integration.


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Unit 28: Cloud Computing

Unit code K/618/7442

Pearson BTEC Levels 4 and 5 Higher Nationals in Computing

Pearson BTEC Levels 4 and 5 Higher Nationals in Computing

LO1 Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamentals of cloud computing

Cloud computing fundamentals:

Pearson BTEC Levels 4 and 5 Higher Nationals in Computing

Cloud Service Providers (CSPs):

CSP architectural components:

CSP core resources, core solutions and management tools:

CSP cost management and service level agreements (SLAs):

Pearson BTEC Levels 4 and 5 Higher Nationals in Computing

CSP security features:

Pearson BTEC Levels 4 and 5 Higher Nationals in Computing

Pass Merit Distinction

P1 Analyse the evolution M1 Discuss why an D1 Justify the tools chosen to

LO2 Evaluate the deployment models, service models and

P3 Define an appropriate M2 Demonstrate selected

P4 Compare the service

Pearson BTEC Levels 4 and 5 Higher Nationals in Computing

P5 Configure a cloud M3 Discuss the issues and D2 Critically discuss how

LO4 Analyse the technical challenges for cloud

P7 Analyse the most M4 Discuss how to D3 Critically discuss how an

P8 Assess the most

Pearson BTEC Levels 4 and 5 Higher Nationals in Computing

Pearson BTEC Levels 4 and 5 Higher Nationals in Computing

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