Cloud Computing – Lecture 1 Overview

A set of question-and-answer flashcards covering the foundational concepts, paradigms, and course details introduced in Lecture 1 of Cloud Computing.

What is the general definition of computing?

The process of using computer technology to complete a given goal-oriented task.

Name at least three activities that fall under the umbrella of computing.

Designing/building hardware and software systems; processing, structuring, and managing information; conducting scientific studies; making intelligent systems; creating and using communication and entertainment media.

Why is computing sometimes called the "5th utility"?

Because it is increasingly delivered like traditional utilities (water, electricity, natural gas, telephone), becoming an essential, commoditized service.

In utility computing, how do users access services?

They access metered services on demand without concern for where the services are hosted or how they are delivered.

What three approaches were suggested for improving application performance?

Work harder (use faster hardware), work smarter (optimize algorithms), or get help (use multiple computers).

Define distributed computing.

A computer system in which several interconnected computers share the computing tasks assigned to the system.

List the three distributed‐computing paradigms highlighted in the lecture.

Cluster computing, Grid computing, and Cloud computing.

What is a computer cluster?

A collection of inter-connected stand-alone computers working together as a single integrated computing resource.

How does a cluster appear to users and applications?

As a single unified system.

What is grid computing?

A model that lets organizations use large numbers of geographically distributed resources on demand, forming virtual organizations for resource sharing.

Give two features of a typical grid environment.

(1) Heterogeneous resources (supercomputers, storage, data sources, specialized devices) owned by different domains; (2) Sharing, selection, and aggregation of those resources to solve large-scale problems.

List the six historical computing paradigms presented.

Mainframe computing, PC computing, Network server computing, Internet computing, Grid computing, and Cloud computing.

Why is the Internet often depicted as a “cloud” in diagrams?

The cloud icon abstracts and simplifies the complex operations of servers, data, and networks behind the scenes.

State three hallmark characteristics of cloud computing as a new IT paradigm.

A simple self-service interface, capacity on demand with massive scalability, and innovative service-delivery models for applications.

Explain the "1-0-∞" (one–zero–infinity) concept applied to cloud computing.

1: one integrated pool of resources/services; 0: zero required user management due to automatic resilience; ∞: endless possibilities in scalability, availability, accessibility, manageability, and performance.

From a user’s perspective, what does cloud computing provide?

A way to acquire computing services over the Internet while making the underlying technology essentially invisible.

From an organization’s perspective, what benefits does cloud computing deliver?

Simplified service delivery with unbounded scale and differentiated quality of service, improving performance and controlling IT costs while fostering rapid innovation.

What are the assessment components for the Cloud Computing course?

Course work 0 % and a final exam worth 100 %; the course carries 3 credit hours.

Which textbook is recommended for this course?

“Cloud Computing Bible” by Barrie Sosinsky.