NT2 Prelims

cloud computing

the on-demand delivery of computing resources over the internet using a pay-as-you-go pricing model

• compute power

• storage

• databases

• networking

• applications

• other IT services

these are the 6 things that cloud computing resources include:

by allowing infrastructure to be managed as software rather than hardware

in what way does cloud computing change the perspective of traditional IT infrastructure?

• resources can be created whenever they are needed

• infrastructure can be modified within minutes

• computing resources can automatically scale up or down according to demand

• resources that are no longer required can be terminated immediately

these are the 4 benefits provided by thinking of infrastructure as software:

traditional computing model

in this model, businesses purchase their own servers, networking devices, storage systems, and other hardware components, which are installed inside company-owned or leased data centers

• purchasing hardware

• allocating physical space

• providing physical security

• hiring technical personnel

• planning future capacity requirements

• performing maintenance and upgrades

• replacing aging equipment

these are the 7 responsibilities when operating an on-premises environment

cloud computing model

this model treats IT infrastructure as software. resources like virtual servers, storage, databases, and networking services can be provisioned, configured, and terminated whenever they are needed

• infrastructure as a service (IaaS)

• platform as a service (PaaS)

• software as a service (SaaS)

these are the three primary cloud service models that offer different balances of control, flexibility, and management responsibilities

infrastructure as a service (IaaS)

a cloud service model, provides the fundamental building blocks of cloud computing, including virtual servers, networking resources, and data storage

customers have the highest level of control because they are responsible for managing operating systems, applications, and data

in IaaS, while the cloud provider manages the underlying physical infrastructure, who has the highest level of control?

for organizations that require flexibility and wish to configure their computing environment according to their specific requirements

the IaaS model is suitable for what?

platform as a service (PaaS)

a cloud service model, provides a ready to use development platform where developers can build, test, deploy, and manage applications without maintaining the underlying infrastructure

the cloud provider

in PaaS, who manages the hardware, OS, and supporting software, allowing developers to focus primarily on application development and deployment?

it simplifies software development by reducing infrastructure management tasks

what does the PaaS model simplify?

software as a service (SaaS)

a cloud service model, delivers fully functional software applications over the internet

the cloud service provider manages the application, infrastructure, maintenance, and updates, while users simply access the software through a web browser or client application

what are the roles of the cloud service provider and the users in SaaS?

because the users do not need to install, maintain, or update the software themselves

why is it said that SaaS provides the simplest cloud service model from the customer’s perspective?

web-based email services

these services are common examples of SaaS applications

cloud deployment models

these describe where computing resources are deployed and how they are accessed

• cloud

• hybrid

• on-premises (private cloud)

these are the 3 primary deployment models identified by AWS

cloud

in this deployment model, computing resources run entirely within the cloud provider’s infrastructure, allowing organizations to benefit from scalability, flexibility, and reduced infrastructure management

yes

in a cloud deployment mode, can applications be developed directly in the cloud and/or migrated from existing on-premises environments?

hybrid

in this deployment model, it combines cloud resource with existing on-premises infrastructure, enabling organizations to extend their existing systems into the cloud while maintaining selected resources within their own facilities

when organizations need to gradually migrate systems or integrate cloud services with existing business applications

in what situations are hybrid developments commonly used?

on-premises (private cloud)

in this deployment model, it keeps computing resources within the organization’s own facilities while using virtualization and reducing management technologies

it provides greater control over infrastructure but does not offer many of the flexibility and scalability associated with cloud computing

what are the pros and cons of the on-premises deployment model?

on-premises (private cloud)

which of the deployment models resemble traditional IT environments?

capital expenditures (capex)

traditional IT environments require organizations to make significant ___ by purchasing servers, networking equipment, storage devices, and other infrastructure before they can deploy applications

variable operational expenses (opex)

cloud computing changes the capex approach by replacing large capital investments with this instead.

• overprovisioning

• underprovisioning

incorrect estimates often result in either of these two problems:

overprovisioning

a problem caused by incorrect estimates, organizations purchase more resources than necessary. leaving expensive equipment underutilized

overprovisioning

a problem caused by incorrect estimates, insufficient resources lead to reduced system performance, service interruptions, or additional purchases to meet increasing demans

web service

a piece of software that makes itself available over the internet or through a private network. enables different applications to communicate by exchanging request and response messages through an API

XML or JSON

web services use standardized formats such as these two when sending and receiving information. the formats are widely supported, so the service is not limited to a specific OS or programming language

yes, through an interface definition file and can be discovered by other applications that need to use its functions

is a web service self-describing?

amazon web services (AWS)

a secure cloud platform that provides a broad collection of global cloud based products called services

true

(T/F) AWS services from different categories can be combined to create a complete cloud solution

• AWS management console

• AWS command line interface

• software development kits

AWS provides three main ways to create and manage resources in the AWS cloud, which all use a common REST-like API that serves as the foundation of AWS

AWS management console

a graphical interface that provides access to most AWS features. commonly used by those who prefer to create and manage cloud resources through menus, forms, and visual controls

AWS command line interface

provides utilities that allow users to interact with AWS services through individual commands or scripts. can be used on linux, macos, and windows

good for repeated tasks and managing resources without relying on graphical interface

software development kits

these provide packages that allow developers to access AWS services directly through programming languages like java and python

AWS cloud adoption framework

a framework that provides guidance and best practices to help organizations develop a comprehensive approach to cloud computing across the organization and throughout the IT lifecycle

business perspective

one of the 6 perspectives of AWS CAF, focuses on ensuring that IT supports the organization’s business objectives by aligning IT investments with business needs

people perspective

one of the 6 perspectives of AWS CAF, emphasizes preparing the workforce for cloud adoption

governance perspective

one of the 6 perspectives of AWS CAF, ensures that organizational skills and processes align IT strategies with business goals. involves portfolio management, program and project management, etc.

platform perspective

one of the 6 perspectives of AWS CAF, focuses on designing, implementing, and managing cloud infrastructure. involves compute provisioning, network provisioning, etc.

security perspective

one of the 6 perspectives of AWS CAF, helps orgs achieve their security objectives throughout the cloud adoption process. includes identity and access management, detective controls, etc.

operations perspective

one of the 6 perspectives of AWS CAF, focuses on day-to-day operations after cloud solutions have been implemented. includes service monitoring, app performance monitoring, etc.

on a utility style model in which customers pay for the resources they consume

AWS pricing is based on what?

charged by the hour or second depending on the service and instance type

what is the typical basis of charge of compute?

typically charged according to the amount of data stored, usually per gigabyte

what is the typical basis of charge of storage?

inbound transfer is generally free, outbound transfer is commonly charged per gigabyte and aggregated across services

what is the typical basis of charge of data transfer?

pay for what you use

an AWS pricing philosophy, customers pay only for the services and resources they consume, reducing the need for large upfront spending on servers, software licenses, facilities, and other physical infrastructure

pay less when you reserve

an AWS pricing philosophy, for selected services, customers can reserve capacity and receive a lower price than equivalent on demand usage

all upfront reserved instance (AURI)

a reserved option with a general characteristic of largest upfront payment and generally the largest discount

partial upfront reserved instance (PURI)

a reserved option with a general characteristic of part of the cost is paid upfront, with a lower discount than AURI

no upfront reserved instance (NURI)

a reserved option with a general characteristic of no upfront payment with a smaller discount than the other reserved options

pay less when you use more

an AWS pricing philosophy, some services provide volume-based discounts. under tired pricing, the cost per unit decreases as usage increases

pay even less as AWS grows

an AWS pricing philosophy, as AWS expands its infrastructure and improves operational efficiency, it can reduce the cost of providing services.

custom pricing

an AWS pricing philosophy, standard pricing models may not meet every customer requirement. this can be made available for high-volume projects with unique technical or business needs

AWS free tier

an AWS pricing philosophy, gives new customers an opportunity to gain hands on experience with selected services and usage levels. applies only to eligible service and specified limits

services with no additional charge

an AWS pricing philosophy, some AWS services do not have direct service charge, like amazon VPC, AWS identity, etc. however, resources created or managed through these services may still incur costs