Cloud Computing Flashcards

Flashcards on Cloud Computing Principles, Models, Deployment, and Characteristics based on lecture notes.

Elasticity

Cloud tenet that allows the adaptation to changing workloads by increasing or decreasing the resources it uses.

Self-service

Cloud tenet that allows users to access and manage the system or service without third-party assistance.

Scalability

Cloud tenet that gives the system the ability to handle increasing workloads by adding or removing resources as needed. (p. 15)

Broad Network Access

Cloud tenet that gives users the ability to access the system from a wide range of devices and locations. (p. 5)

Pay-as-you-go

Cloud tenet that follows a pricing model where users only pay for the resources they use. (p. 3)

Availability

Cloud tenet that provides the ability of a system to function without interruption and provide access to its resources and services to users. (p. 3)

SaaS (Software as a Service)

Cloud Computing Model that delivers software applications over the Internet on a subscription basis. (p. 6)

IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)

Cloud Computing Model that delivers computing resources over the Internet, including servers, storage, and networking. (p. 7)

PaaS (Platform as a Service)

Cloud Computing Model that delivers a platform for developing, running, and managing software applications over the Internet. (p. 8)

XaaS (Anything as a Service)

Cloud Computing Model that is any service that is delivered over the Internet on a subscription basis. (pp. 9-10)

Public Cloud Deployment Model

Cloud Deployment Model that is owned and operated by a third- party provider and made available to the public over the Internet. (p. 11)

Private Cloud Deployment Model

Cloud Deployment Model that is owned and operated by a single organization for its exclusive use. (pp. 11-12)

NOTE: Private Cloud can be on-premises or off-premise and provides enhanced security and control over data and resources.

Hybrid Cloud Deployment Model

Cloud Deployment Model that is a combination of public and private cloud services. (p. 12)

Community Cloud Deployment Model

Cloud Deployment Model where infrastructure and services are shared by a group of organizations with similar needs. (p. 12)

Multi-tenancy Cloud Deployment Model

Cloud Deployment Model where multiple customers share the same infrastructure and resources. (p.12)

Single Tenancy Cloud Deployment Model

Cloud Deployment Model where the customer has own dedicated infrastructure and resources. (p. 12)

Shared Responsibility Model

A framework that defines the roles and responsibilities of the cloud service provider and the customer. (p. 13)

Cloud Computing

Technology that allows for the delivery of computing resources, such as servers, storage, and software over the Internet.

On-demand Self-service

Enables users to easily provision computing resources without the need for human interaction

Broad Network Access

Allows users to access cloud computing resources anywhere with an Internet connection

Resource Pooling

A key characteristic of cloud computing that enables cloud providers to dynamically allocate and reallocate resources

Rapid Elasticity

Enables resources to easily scale up or down in response to changes in demand

Measured Service

Allows cloud providers to track and bill users for consumed resources based on usage

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Cloud computing model that delivers software applications over the Internet on a subscription basis

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

A cloud computing service model that provides virtualized computing resources over the Internet

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Cloud computing service model that provides a platform for users to develop, run, and manage web applications without the need to manage underlying infrastructure

Anything as a Service (XaaS)

Cloud computing service model that refers to any service that is delivered over the Internet, including software, infrastructure, and platform services

Software Defined Networking (SDN)

Directs traffic on a network using software-based controllers or APIs to communicate with underlying hardware infrastructure. (p. 21)

Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

Deployment of resources performed by scripted automation and orchestration.

Think: Terraform and AWS Cloud Formation. (p. 21)

SDN: Control Plane

Responsible for carrying the traffic that provides the signals to and from a router, such as those used in information sharing and building routing tables.

Decides how the data is going to be moved. (p. 21)

SDN: Data Plane

Where the bulk of the network traffic resides and where the actual switching and routing of the traffic and the imposition of ACLs are implemented to provide some security.

Actually moves the data around the network. (p. 21)

SDN: Management Plane

Used to administer the routers and switches inside of the network, and used to monitor traffic conditions and the status of the network.

The management plane is responsible for managing network resources, enabling network operators to configure devices, gather statistical information, and implement network policies. (p. 21)

SDN overlay

A method of using software to create layers of network abstraction that can be used to run multiple separate and discrete virtualized network layers on top of the physical network. (p. 22)

Firewall

A security system that controls the incoming and outgoing network traffic based on a set of rules and security policies. (p. 22)

Host-based Firewalls

Controls the incoming and outgoing traffic based on a set of rules and security policies at the host or individual device level. (p. 23)

Next-Generation Firewall

Advanced security system that provides additional features such as intrusion prevention, application control, and advanced threat protection (p. 23)

Domain Name System (DNS)

Helps network clients find a website using human-readable hostnames instead of numeric IP addresses (p. 23)

Fully-Qualified Domain Name (FQDN)

A domain name that is under a top-level provider. (p. 23)

DNS: Recursive Lookup

DNS server communicates with several other DNS servers to hunt down the IP address and return to the client (p. 24)

DNS: Iterative Lookup

Each DNS server responds directly to the client with an address for another DNS server that may have the correct IP address (p.23)

Load Balancing

The process of distributing incoming traffic among multiple servers to ensure that no single server is overwhelmed (p. 24)

Layer 4 Load Balancing

Uses the transport layer (TCP/UDP) to distribute traffic among servers (p. 24)

Layer 7 Load Balancing

Uses the application layer (HTTP/HTTPS) to distribute traffic among servers. (p. 25)

Virtual Private Network (VPN)

Extends a private network across a public network and enables users to send and receive data across shared or public networks. (p. 25)

Full Tunnel VPN

Routes and encrypts all network requests through the VPN connection, regardless of where the destination or service is located. (p. 25)

Split Tunnel VPN

Divides the traffic and network requests and routes them to the appropriate connection or network. (p. 25)

Secure Socket Layer (SSL)

Provides cryptography and reliability using the upper layers of the OSI model, specifically layers five, six, and seven. (p. 26)

Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS)

Provides the same level of security as TLS, but operates a bit faster due to having less overhead in the UDP protocol itself. (p. 26)

Direct Connect

Cloud networking solution offered by major cloud providers that allows organizations to establish a dedicated network connection between their on-premise infrastructure and their cloud environment. (pp. 26-27)

Secure Shell (SSH)

Used to remotely access and configure servers and network devices over a text-based CLI. (p. 27)

Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)

Proprietary protocol developed by Microsoft that allows admins and users to remotely connect to another computer using a graphical interface. (p. 28)

Virtual Network Computing (VNC)

Similar to the RDP protocol but is platform-independent. (p. 28)

Virtual Private Network (VPN)

Allows the user to create an encrypted tunnel on an untrusted network such as the Internet. (p. 27)

Compression

Used to reduce the amount of storage space to store data in a cloud-based system. (p. 31)

Deduplication

Used to eliminate duplicate copies of data stored in the cloud to save storage space and reduce storage costs. (p. 31)

Capacity on Demand

Allows cloud storage providers to offer the ability to scale storage capacity up or down as needed. (p. 32)

Hot Storage

Designed for frequently accessed data with low latency and high- performance requirements. (p. 32)

Cold Storage

Designed for infrequently accessed data with lower performance requirements and lower cost. (p. 33)

Object Storage

A type of cloud storage that is optimized for storing large numbers of unstructured data objects. (p. 33)

File Storage

A type of cloud storage that is optimized for storing and sharing files. (p. 33)

Block Storage

A type of cloud storage that is optimized for storing and accessing data at the block level. (p. 34)

Software-defined Storage (SDS)

Method of managing and provisioning storage resources using software. (p. 34)

Content Delivery Network (CDN)

System of distributed servers that are deployed in multiple locations around the world. Example: AWS CloudFront (p. 35)

Capacity on demand

Ability of users to increase or decrease the amount of storage space they need. (p. 30)

This flexibility allows for scaling resources based on real-time needs, optimizing costs and efficiency.

Storage: Performance

Characteristic that refers to the speed and reliability of data being accessed. (p. 32)

Hot Storage/Active Storage

Storage characteristic where data is frequently accessed and updated. (p. 32)

Cold Storage/Archival Storage

Storage characteristic where data is infrequently accessed and updated. (p. 33)

Object Storage

Stores data as individual objects. (p. 33) Example: Amazon S3 Buckets

File Storage

Stores data as individual files within a file system. (p. 33) Example: Amazon EFS or xFS.

Block Storage

Stores data as blocks within a block device. (p. 34) Example: Amazon EBS

This type of storage is ideal for applications requiring high performance and low latency, such as databases and enterprise applications.

Software-Defined Storage (SDS)

Type of storage architecture that separates the management of storage resources from the underlying hardware. (p. 34)

Content Delivery Network (CDN)

System of distributed servers used to deliver web content to users based on their geographic location. (p. 35) AWS Cloudfront is an example of a CDN.

Request for Information (RFI)

A document used to gather information from potential suppliers or vendors. (p. 38)

Request for Proposal (RFP)

A document used to solicit proposals from potential suppliers or vendors. (p. 38)

Request for Quote (RFQ)

A document used to request quotes from potential suppliers or vendors, focusing solely on pricing. (p. 38)

Statement of Work (SOW)

A document that outlines the scope, objectives, deliverables, and timeline for a specific project or service. (p. 39)

Service Level Agreement (SLA)

A document that defines the level of service that a customer can expect from a service provider. (p. 39)

Open-source

A type of software that is released with its source code available to the public. (p. 39)

Proprietary Software

Software that is controlled and owned by a single entity, usually a company. (p. 39)

Capital Expenditures (CAPEX)

Expenses incurred by a company for the acquisition of long-term assets, such as land, buildings, equipment, and technology that are expected to have a useful life of more than one year

Operational Expenditures (OPEX)

The costs incurred by a company in its day-to-day operations

Fixed Expenses

Costs that remain constant over a given period, regardless of the level of usage or production

Variable Expenses

Costs that change based on usage or production levels

Perpetual

Customer pays a one-time fee for a license to use the software for as long as they want

Subscription

Customer pays a recurring fee to use the software

Bring Your Own License (BYOL)

Customers use their existing software licenses in a cloud environment

License Manager

Software tool used to manage and track software licenses

Formal Request

Process of requesting specific services or resources from a cloud service provider

Open-source Software

Software released with its source code available to the public

Proprietary Software

Software that is controlled and owned by a single entity

Perpetual

Licenses where the customer pays a one- time fee for a license to use the software for as long as the customer wants

Subscription Licensing

A software licensing model where the customer pays a recurring fee to use the software. (p. 38)

Bring Your Own License (BYOL)

A cloud licencing model where customers use their existing software licenses in a cloud environment. (p. 38)

License Managers

Software tool used to manage and track software licenses. (p. 38)

Bring Your Own License

Allows the organization to use their existing licenses on the cloud provider’s hardware. (p. 38)

Reporting

Reporting the process of monitoring and analyzing usage and performance of cloud services

Cloud Migration

The process of moving data, applications, and other business processes from an on-premise environment to a cloud-based infrastructure. (p. 53)

Key Stakeholder

An individual or group that has a significant interest or concern in the outcome of a project, initiative, or organization. (p. 57)

Gap Analysis

Process of evaluating the differences between an organization’s current performance and its desired performance. (p. 57-58)

Pilot Program

A small-scale project that tests the logistics, proves the value of the migration, and reveals any weaknesses in the deployment. (p. 59)