Week 1 Module on Cloud Computing

Introduction to Computing
• Definition (ACM Computing Curricula 2005):
• Computing encompasses designing and building hardware and software systems.
• It includes information processing, intelligent system design, and the use of
communication/media systems.
• Computing is broadly defined as goal-oriented activity involving computers.

Cloud Computing Overview

• NIST Definition:
• Cloud computing provides on-demand network access to shared computing
resources, enabling rapid provisioning with minimal management.
• Key Properties:
• On-demand self-service: Consumers can unilaterally provision computing
resources.
• Broad network access: Accessible over various devices (e.g., phones, laptops).
• Resource pooling: Multi-tenant model, dynamic resource allocation.
• Measured service: Resource use monitored and billed accordingly.
• Rapid elasticity: Automatic scaling of resources as needed.

Service Models (XaaS)

1. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS):
• Provides virtualized computing resources (e.g., AWS EC2).
• Users manage operating systems and applications but not the underlying
infrastructure.
2. Platform as a Service (PaaS):
• Enables users to deploy applications without managing underlying hardware (e.g.,
Google App Engine).
3. Software as a Service (SaaS):
• Delivers applications over the internet (e.g., Google Docs).
• Users access applications without managing infrastructure or platform.

Cloud Deployment Models

1. Private Cloud: Exclusive to one organization.
2. Public Cloud: Available to the general public (e.g., Google Docs).
3. Hybrid Cloud: Combines two or more types of clouds.
4. Community Cloud: Shared by several organizations.
Cloud Computing Characteristics
• Massive scale: Supports large-scale data processing.
• Resilient computing: Tolerant to failures.
• Homogeneity: Standardized infrastructure.
• Virtualization: Key to resource abstraction.
• Service orientation: Delivery of computing as a service.
• Low-cost software: Open-source and subscription-based models.

Advantages of Cloud Computing

• Cost Reduction: Lower hardware and software expenses.
• Improved Performance: Efficient resource utilization with fewer local programs.
• Scalability: Ability to scale resources up or down based on demand.
• Universal Access: Data can be accessed from any location with internet.
• Collaboration: Easier group collaboration and file sharing.

Disadvantages of Cloud Computing

• Requires constant internet: Cannot function offline.
• Limited features: Some web-based applications lack advanced features of desktop
software.
• Security concerns: Storing data in the cloud may raise privacy and security issues.
• Potential data loss: Risk of losing data if cloud infrastructure fails.

Virtualization in Cloud Computing

• Virtual Machines (VMs):
• Allow multiple virtual environments to run on one physical machine.
• VMs offer benefits like easier backups, software testing, and scalability.
• Cloud Virtualization:
• VMs abstract physical hardware.
• Hypervisors manage VMs and enable resource optimization.

Trends in Distributed Computing

• Distributed Systems: Consist of multiple independent systems working together.
• Grid Computing: Harnesses idle computing resources across a network.
• Cluster Computing: Provides higher reliability and performance by connecting
multiple machines.

Resource Management in Cloud Computing

• Service Level Agreements (SLAs): Define performance and availability standards.
• Cloud Economics: Cost optimization through pay-per-use models.
Security in Cloud Computing
• Infrastructure Security: Protects the underlying hardware.
• Data Security: Ensures encryption and access control.
• Identity and Access Management (IAM): Restricts access to authorized users only.

Examples of Cloud Providers

1. Amazon Web Services (AWS): Provides IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS solutions.
2. Microsoft Azure: Competes with AWS, offering cloud services.
3. Google Cloud Platform: Offers scalable cloud infrastructure.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Section 1: Introduction to Cloud Computing
1. What is the definition of "computing" according to ACM Computing Curricula
2005?
• Computing refers to any goal-oriented activity that involves designing and
building hardware and software systems, processing information, conducting
scientific studies, making systems behave intelligently, and more.
2. What is Cloud Computing as defined by NIST?
• Cloud computing is a model enabling ubiquitous, on-demand access to a shared
pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage) that
can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort.
3. What are the key characteristics of cloud computing?
• Key characteristics include on-demand self-service, broad network access,
resource pooling, rapid elasticity, and measured service.

Section 2: Cloud Architecture

4. What are the three primary cloud service models?
• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a
Service (SaaS).
5. What are the deployment models of cloud computing?
• Private cloud, public cloud, community cloud, and hybrid cloud.
6. What is virtualization in cloud computing?
• Virtualization is the creation of virtual versions of physical computing resources,
allowing multiple virtual machines to run on a single physical machine.
7. What is the role of hypervisors in virtualization?
• A hypervisor intercepts and emulates instructions from virtual machines and
manages these VMs on physical hosts.
8. What is meant by “cloud elasticity”?
• Elasticity refers to the ability to dynamically scale resources based on demand,
 allowing for quick expansion and contraction of capacity.

Section 3: Service Management in Cloud Computing

9. What is a Service Level Agreement (SLA) in cloud computing?
• An SLA is a contract between a cloud service provider and a user that defines the
expected service performance, availability, and other obligations.
10.What are the key factors in cloud economics?
• Key factors include cost-saving through resource pooling, pay-per-use models,
and avoiding capital expenditures on infrastructure.

Section 4: Cloud Resource Management

11.What are some challenges in managing data in cloud computing?
• Challenges include data scalability, consistency, and large-scale data processing.
12.What is the significance of resource pooling in cloud computing?
• Resource pooling allows providers to serve multiple consumers using a multi-
tenant model, dynamically assigning resources as needed.

Section 5: Cloud Security

13.What are the primary concerns in cloud security?
• Concerns include infrastructure security, data security, identity and access
management, and trust and reputation systems.
14.What is identity and access management (IAM) in cloud computing?
• IAM is the process of managing who has access to what resources in a cloud
environment, ensuring authorized access and maintaining security.
15.How is trust established in cloud environments?
• Trust is established through access control mechanisms, reputation systems, and
security policies that ensure only authorized users can access data and services.

Section 6: Trends in Computing

16.What is distributed computing?
• Distributed computing involves multiple autonomous computers working together
to solve computational problems, often by message passing.
17.What is grid computing?
• Grid computing harnesses unused processing cycles of all computers in a network
for solving problems too intensive for a single machine.
18.What is the difference between grid computing and cloud computing?
• Grid computing focuses on resource pooling for computational tasks, while cloud
computing offers services, including IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS, with elasticity and
 virtualization.

Section 7: Advantages of Cloud Computing

19.What are the primary benefits of cloud computing?
• Benefits include lower computer costs, improved performance, reduced software
costs, instant software updates, unlimited storage, increased data reliability,
universal access, and enhanced collaboration.
20.How does cloud computing improve performance?
• With fewer programs running locally, cloud systems reduce memory usage,
leading to faster boot and run times.
21.What is the advantage of on-demand self-service in cloud computing?
• Users can provision computing capabilities without needing human interaction,
increasing convenience and efficiency.
22.How does cloud computing reduce software costs?
• Many cloud applications, like Google Docs, are available for free, eliminating the
need for purchasing expensive software licenses.
23.How does cloud computing enable improved document format compatibility?
• By sharing documents in the cloud, format incompatibilities are reduced as
everyone uses the same online applications.

Section 8: Disadvantages of Cloud Computing

24.What are the major disadvantages of cloud computing?
• Disadvantages include reliance on constant internet connectivity, potential
security risks, slower performance compared to local applications, and the
possibility of data loss.
25.How can low-speed internet affect cloud computing?
• Low-speed connections make accessing web-based applications difficult,
especially for data-intensive tasks.
26.What are the potential security risks in cloud computing?
• Data stored in the cloud may be vulnerable to unauthorized access, and loss of
data is a concern if there is no local backup.
27.Why might cloud computing not be suitable for HPC systems?
• High-performance computing applications requiring low-latency communication
may not perform well on cloud platforms, especially if resources are distributed.

Section 9: Cloud Service Models

28.What is SaaS (Software as a Service)?
• SaaS allows users to access software applications over the internet without
 managing the underlying infrastructure.
29.What are some examples of SaaS?
• Examples include Google Docs, Salesforce CRM, and Microsoft 365.
30.What is PaaS (Platform as a Service)?
• PaaS provides a platform for developers to build, deploy, and manage
applications without dealing with the infrastructure underneath.
31.What are some examples of PaaS?
• Examples include Microsoft Azure and Google App Engine.
32.What is IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)?
• IaaS provides virtualized computing resources over the internet, allowing users to
rent servers, storage, and networking resources.
33.What are some examples of IaaS?
• Examples include Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Compute Engine.
34.What is meant by "pay-as-you-go" in cloud computing?
• Pay-as-you-go refers to the pricing model where users are charged only for the
computing resources they consume.
35.What is the difference between IaaS and PaaS?
• IaaS provides raw infrastructure like servers and storage, while PaaS provides a
platform for application development without managing the underlying hardware.

Section 10: Cloud Deployment Models

36.What is a private cloud?
• A private cloud is a cloud infrastructure operated solely for one organization,
either on-premise or managed by a third party.
37.What is a public cloud?
• A public cloud is made available to the general public by a cloud provider, such
as Google Cloud or AWS.
38.What is a hybrid cloud?
• A hybrid cloud is a combination of private and public clouds, allowing data and
applications to be shared between them.
39.What is cloud bursting in hybrid clouds?
• Cloud bursting is a hybrid cloud feature where workloads overflow from a private
cloud to a public cloud during high demand.

Section 11: Cloud Case Studies

40.What are some case studies of open-source clouds?
• Examples include OpenStack and Eucalyptus, which provide cloud infrastructure
as open-source solutions.
 41.What are some commercial cloud examples?
• Examples include AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform.

Section 12: Cloud Research Trends

42.What is fog computing?
• Fog computing extends cloud computing to the edge of the network, bringing
computing, storage, and networking closer to data sources like IoT devices.

Section 13: Economics of Cloud Computing

43.How does cloud computing reduce IT costs?
• Public clouds reduce IT costs by allowing companies to rent computing resources
on demand instead of maintaining on-premise infrastructure.
44.Why is cloud computing particularly beneficial for small businesses?
• Cloud services eliminate the need for upfront capital investment in IT
infrastructure and offer flexibility in scaling services according to demand.
45.What are the cost advantages of using PaaS over IaaS?
• PaaS reduces costs by automatically scaling resources based on demand, whereas
IaaS requires maintaining a minimum number of servers.
46.What is the cost comparison between cloud servers and in-house servers?
• Cloud servers often have a lower total cost due to efficiency and resource sharing,
even though the initial hourly cost might be higher.

Section 14: Cloud Use Cases

47.What are common uses of cloud computing in organizations?
• Uses include running CRM systems, backing up data, developing software, and
storing large files.
48.How can cloud computing support research and development?
• Cloud platforms provide the scalability and computational power needed for data
analysis, simulations, and other research activities.
49.What are some popular cloud applications driving cloud adoption?
• Popular applications include email services, storage and backup solutions, virtual
servers, and CRM tools.

Section 15: Networking in Cloud Computing

50.What networking concepts are central to cloud computing?
• Concepts include Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs) and Virtual Private
Networks (VPNs), which enable secure and scalable network provisioning in the
cloud.
 51.What is network function virtualization (NFV)?
• NFV refers to the virtualization of network services traditionally handled by
dedicated hardware, enabling flexible deployment across standard servers.

Section 16: Cloud and Virtualization

52.What are the benefits of virtualization in cloud computing?
• Benefits include easier migration of virtual machines, running legacy systems,
timesharing lightly loaded systems, and emulating unavailable hardware.
53.What are some examples of virtualization platforms?
• Examples include VMware, Xen, and KVM.

Section 17: Cloud Collaboration Tools

54.How does cloud computing enhance collaboration?
• Cloud computing enables real-time document sharing, communication tools, and
simultaneous access to data across multiple locations.
55.What is an example of a SaaS collaboration tool?
• Examples include Google Docs and Microsoft Teams.

Section 18: Cloud Storage

56.What is cloud storage?
• Cloud storage allows users to store data remotely, often with the ability to cache
data on local devices temporarily.
57.What are examples of cloud storage services?
• Examples include Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, and Dropbox.

Section 19: Cloud Security Concerns

58.What are the security concerns associated with cloud storage?
• Concerns include unauthorized access to data, compliance with data protection
regulations, and data loss if the cloud provider fails.
59.How can data be lost in the cloud?
• Data loss can occur if the provider's infrastructure fails, and without local
backups, users may lose access to their data.

Section 20: Cloud Integration Challenges

60.What are some challenges of integrating traditional systems with cloud systems?
• Challenges include different protocols, APIs, data migration, and ensuring
seamless interaction between on-premise and cloud systems.