Cloud Computing Questions with Detailed Answers

1. Develop a use case where distributed computing enhances cloud performance:

A social media platform with millions of users employs distributed computing for data
processing. By distributing tasks like user authentication, feed generation, and content
delivery across multiple servers worldwide, the platform achieves faster response times and
improved reliability, even during peak traffic.

2. Construct a flow diagram to represent on-demand provisioning in action:

Steps:

o User Request: A user requests a virtual machine (VM) or storage.

o Cloud Controller: Checks the availability of resources.

o Provisioning: Allocates the required VM or storage dynamically.

o Monitoring: Continuously monitors usage to auto-scale resources based on demand.

o De-provisioning: Releases resources when no longer needed, optimizing costs.

3. Summarize the role of REST in enabling SOA:

REST (Representational State Transfer) is a lightweight protocol used in SOA to enable
communication between services. It simplifies interactions by using standard HTTP methods
(GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) and exchanging data in formats like JSON or XML. REST facilitates
scalability, interoperability, and modularity in service-oriented architectures.

4. Categorize virtualization tools based on their use cases:

o Server Virtualization: VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V (used for running multiple OS
instances on one physical server).

o Application Virtualization: Citrix, Parallels (used to run applications on different OS

without installing them).

o Storage Virtualization: NetApp, OpenStack Cinder (abstracts storage to increase

flexibility).

o Containerization: Docker, Kubernetes (lightweight application-specific virtualization).

5. Construct a resource allocation plan using elasticity principles:

Example: For a retail website experiencing high traffic during a sale:

o Plan:

 Use auto-scaling groups to dynamically add servers as traffic increases.

 Implement load balancers to distribute the load across servers.

 Schedule scaling policies to anticipate peak and non-peak hours.

 Deallocate unused resources post-sale to save costs.

6. Describe the relationship between web services and the publish-subscribe model:
Web services act as publishers and subscribers. For instance, a weather API publishes
 updates, and subscribed applications (like weather apps) receive notifications in real-time.
This ensures efficient communication and event-driven updates.

7. Explain how virtualization supports disaster recovery:

Virtualization creates VM snapshots and clones that can be stored in multiple locations.
During a disaster, these VMs can be quickly restored on any compatible hardware, reducing
downtime and ensuring business continuity. Virtualization also enables periodic backups and
testing in isolated environments.

8. Illustrate the functional differences between traditional IT and cloud computing:

o Traditional IT:

 Requires physical hardware procurement and setup.

 Fixed capacity with high initial costs.

 Maintenance handled in-house.

o Cloud Computing:

 Resources are scalable and provisioned on demand.

 Pay-as-you-go pricing model.

 Maintenance handled by the cloud provider.

9. Outline the factors to consider when choosing between public and private clouds:

o Public Cloud: Cost-effective for unpredictable workloads, but less secure.

o Private Cloud: Better for sensitive data and regulatory compliance, but higher costs.

o Factors to consider: Budget, compliance, scalability needs, control, and workload

types.

10. Classify the different layers of cloud architecture:

o Physical Layer: Data centers and hardware.

o Virtual Layer: Virtual machines and storage.

o Service Layer: Includes IaaS (infrastructure), PaaS (platform), SaaS (software).

o Application Layer: Applications deployed on the cloud.

11. Define service-oriented architecture (SOA):

SOA is a design approach where applications are composed of loosely coupled, reusable
services that communicate over a network. These services are platform-independent and
enable scalability, modularity, and interoperability.

12. Explain the evolution of cloud computing in your own words:

Cloud computing evolved from traditional IT to address limitations in scalability and resource
utilization. It began with grid computing, expanded with virtualization, and matured with the
advent of distributed computing and high-speed internet, enabling cost-effective and on-
demand resource delivery.
13. Compare and contrast public and private clouds in terms of elasticity:

 Public Cloud: Highly elastic, resources can scale up or down dynamically without hardware
limitations.

 Private Cloud: Limited elasticity due to constrained resources, but offers more control and
security.

14. Categorize different types of virtualizations and their relevance in specific use cases:

 Server Virtualization: Consolidates workloads (e.g., VMware for data centers).

 Desktop Virtualization: Provides remote access to desktops (e.g., Citrix).

 Network Virtualization: Abstracts physical network resources (e.g., SDN for cloud
networking).

 Storage Virtualization: Simplifies storage management (e.g., SANs).

15. Choose the appropriate virtualization tools for CPU and memory for a given use case:

 CPU-intensive applications: KVM, VMware vSphere.

 Memory-intensive workloads: Docker for lightweight usage or VMware ESXi for optimized
memory allocation.

16. Differentiate between hardware virtualization and software virtualization:

 Hardware Virtualization: Entire hardware is abstracted for running multiple OS (e.g.,

hypervisors).

 Software Virtualization: Software environments are abstracted for running apps (e.g.,
containers).

17. Outline the advantages and disadvantages of using on-demand provisioning:

 Advantages: Cost-efficient, flexible, scalable, quick resource allocation.

 Disadvantages: Dependency on internet reliability, potential latency in provisioning.

18. Choose a cloud characteristic and explain how it can solve a business problem:
Characteristic: On-demand self-service.
It allows startups to launch applications quickly without waiting for physical infrastructure
setup, reducing time-to-market.

19. What are the benefits of using web services in SOA?

 Platform and language independence.

 Reusability of services.

 Enables seamless integration between disparate systems.

20. Develop a basic framework for service-oriented architecture in a small business:

Use microservices for inventory management, billing, and customer support, with REST APIs
enabling communication between them.
21. Describe the role of distributed computing in cloud infrastructure:
Distributed computing enables load balancing, fault tolerance, and scalability by distributing
tasks and data across multiple servers, ensuring efficient utilization of resources.

22. Identify key challenges in implementing virtualization for I/O devices:

 Managing performance overhead.

 Ensuring driver compatibility.

 Reducing latency and contention in shared resources.

23. Differentiate between elasticity and scalability in the cloud:

 Elasticity: Dynamic adjustment of resources in real-time based on demand.

 Scalability: Ability to increase resource capacity over time.

24. Apply the concept of elasticity to a real-world cloud service scenario:

A food delivery app scales its servers during lunch and dinner peaks, and reduces them
during off-hours to save costs.

25. Construct a RESTful web service for an e-commerce application:

Example: A /products endpoint with the following:

 GET /products: Fetch product list.

 POST /products: Add new product.

 PUT /products/{id}: Update product info.

 DELETE /products/{id}: Remove product.

26. Enlist two characteristics of cloud computing:

 Multi-tenancy: Shared resources among users.

 Broad network access: Accessible from any internet-enabled device.

27. Classify the different layers of cloud architecture:

 Infrastructure (IaaS): Hardware abstraction.

 Platform (PaaS): Application development.

 Software (SaaS): End-user applications.