Cloud Computing Midterm Study Guide The exam consists of two parts. The first part contains 20 multiple choice questions where you will be asked to select the single correct answer from four options. The second part consists of 6 problems where you will be asked to answer multiple short-answer questions focusing on a common theme. Below is a summary listing of topics that we have covered in class prior to break. You should feel comfortable describing each of these topics with examples and using these concepts in scenarios and problems. Overview of Cloud Computing ● Definitions and characteristics ● Cloud workloads ● Physical infrastructure supporting the cloud ● Client/server model of computing (how a website works) Virtualization ● Role and types of hypervisors ● Core building blocks of computing systems (storage, memory, processor, network) ● Servers and their roles ● Rationale for virtualization Cloud Platforms ● Essential characteristics of the cloud ● Cloud adoption strategies ● Cloud service tiers (IaaS vs. PaaS vs. SaaS) ● Disaster recovery in the cloud ● Positioning of the Big Three cloud providers ● Cloud resource types ○ Compute ○ Storage ○ Network ● Division of operational responsibilities under the shared responsibility model FINRA Case ● Making the decision between on-premises and cloud (pros and cons of each) ● Common impediments to cloud computing ● Use cases where cloud might not be appropriate Cloud Storage ● Magnitude of data stored ● Storage concerns ● Block vs. object storage ● EBS and storage classes ● S3 and storage classes (including Glacier) ● Cost models of storage* ● Durability Cloud Compute ● Server roles ● Physical and logical differences between instance types ○ CPU and bursting ○ Memory ○ Network ○ Storage ○ Operating system ● Connecting to virtualized servers ● Starting/stopping server instances ● Snapshots ● AMIs ● Performance monitoring ● Cost models of compute* Security ● CIA triad ● Security through obscurity ● Least privilege ● Default/implicit deny ● Risks, threats, and vulnerabilities ● Cloud computing risks ● Assessing and rating risk ● Risk management strategies ● IP addresses and ports ● Firewall rules and security groups ● Vulnerabilities and the window of exposure ● Port and vulnerability scanning ● Identification, authentication and authorization ● Authentication factors and multifactor authentication Scaling ● Horizontal vs. vertical scaling ● How to vertically scale in AWS ● ● ● ● How to horizontally scale in AWS ALB vs. NLB ALB components Autoscaling Vendor Evaluation ● Product fit ● Business case ● Architecture ○ Design ○ Durability and reliability ○ Well-Architected Framework ● Security ○ Encryption ○ Incident Response ○ Access/User Management ● Legal ○ Jurisdictional issues ○ Compliance ○ Indemnification ● Support ○ SLAs In addition to these topics that we discussed in class, you should be familiar with the work that you did in the labs. * Note that you do not need to memorize any prices. Any information about unit costs that you need will be provided on the exam.
