Evolution of Computing and Cloud Computing FAQ
Historical Computing Trends
From 1960 to 1980, lower-cost minicomputers such as the DEC PDP 11 and VAX Series became popular among small businesses and on college campuses.
From 1970 to 1990, we saw widespread use of personal computers built with VLSI microprocessors. From 1980 to 2000, massive numbers of portable computers and pervasive devices appeared in both wired and wireless applications. Since 1990, the use of both High-Performance Computing (HPC) and High-Throughput Computing (HTC) systems has increased.
Fig 1. Evolutionary trend toward parallel, distributed, and cloud computing with clusters, MPPs, P2P networks, grids, clouds, web services, and the Internet of Things.
High-Performance Computing
For many years, HPC systems emphasized raw speed performance. The speed of HPC systems has increased from Gflops in the early 1990s to Pflops in 2010.
Top 30 Cloud Computing Questions and Answers
1. What is Cloud Computing?
Answer: Cloud computing refers to the delivery of computing services like servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence over the internet (“the cloud”). It allows users to access resources on-demand without managing physical hardware.
2. What are the Key Features of Cloud Computing?
Answer:
- On-demand self-service
- Scalability and elasticity
- Pay-as-you-go pricing
- Broad network access
- Resource pooling
- High availability and reliability
3. What are the Types of Cloud Computing?
Answer:
- Public Cloud: Services offered over the internet to multiple customers.
- Private Cloud: Cloud infrastructure is dedicated to a single organization.
- Hybrid Cloud: Combines public and private clouds for flexibility.
- Community Cloud: Shared by multiple organizations with similar needs.
4. What are the Cloud Service Models?
Answer:
- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): Provides virtualized computing resources. (e.g., AWS EC2)
- Platform as a Service (PaaS): Provides a platform for application development. (e.g., Google App Engine)
- Software as a Service (SaaS): Delivers software over the internet. (e.g., Salesforce, Gmail)
5. What are the Deployment Models in Cloud Computing?
Answer:
- Public Cloud
- Private Cloud
- Hybrid Cloud
- Community Cloud
6. What are the Advantages of Cloud Computing?
Answer:
- Cost efficiency
- Scalability
- Flexibility
- Disaster recovery
- Accessibility
7. What are the Disadvantages of Cloud Computing?
Answer:
- Security concerns
- Downtime
- Limited control
- Vendor lock-in
8. What is Virtualization in Cloud Computing?
Answer: Virtualization is the creation of virtual versions of physical resources like servers, storage, or networks, which are used in cloud environments to maximize resource utilization.
9. What is the Difference Between Scalability and Elasticity?
Answer:
- Scalability: Adding or removing resources to meet static or predictable demands.
- Elasticity: Automatically adjusting resources dynamically to meet fluctuating demands.
10. What is Serverless Computing?
Answer: Serverless computing allows developers to run code without managing servers. Resources are automatically allocated and scaled based on application requirements (e.g., AWS Lambda).
11. What is Multi-Tenancy in Cloud Computing?
Answer: Multi-tenancy means multiple customers (tenants) share the same infrastructure while maintaining data isolation.
12. What is a Hypervisor?
Answer: A hypervisor is software that creates and manages virtual machines (VMs). Examples include VMware ESXi and Microsoft Hyper-V.
13. What are the Key Security Challenges in Cloud Computing?
Answer:
- Data breaches
- Insider threats
- Compliance issues
- Insecure APIs
- Misconfigured services
14. What are Some Popular Cloud Providers?
Answer:
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Microsoft Azure
- Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
- IBM Cloud
- Oracle Cloud
15. What is Edge Computing?
Answer: Edge computing processes data closer to the source (e.g., IoT devices) instead of relying on centralized cloud data centers, reducing latency.
16. What is the Role of APIs in Cloud Computing?
Answer: APIs allow interaction between different software components or services in a cloud environment, enabling automation and integration.
17. What is Cloud Bursting?
Answer: Cloud bursting is when an application runs in a private cloud but “bursts” into a public cloud during peak demands for additional resources.
18. What is a CDN (Content Delivery Network)?
Answer: A CDN is a network of servers that deliver web content and resources to users based on their geographic location, improving load times and performance.
19. What is a Container in Cloud Computing?
Answer: Containers are lightweight, portable environments that bundle an application with its dependencies. Tools like Docker and Kubernetes are used for container management.
20. What is a Cloud-Native Application?
Answer: A cloud-native application is designed to run in cloud environments, leveraging services like auto-scaling, microservices, and serverless architectures.
21. What is the Difference Between a VM and a Container?
Answer:
- VM: Virtualized version of hardware; includes an entire OS.
- Container: Lightweight, sharing the host OS kernel.
22. What is an SLA in Cloud Computing?
Answer: A Service Level Agreement (SLA) is a contract between a cloud provider and a customer specifying performance metrics like uptime, availability, and support.
23. What is Redundancy in Cloud Computing?
Answer: Redundancy involves duplicating critical components or functions in cloud architecture to ensure reliability and fault tolerance.
24. What are Cloud Orchestration and Cloud Automation?
Answer:
- Cloud Orchestration: Managing and coordinating cloud services and resources.
- Cloud Automation: Automating repetitive cloud management tasks.
25. What are Some Tools Used in Cloud Management?
Answer:
- AWS Management Console
- Azure Portal
- Kubernetes
- Terraform
- OpenStack
26. What is the Shared Responsibility Model in Cloud Security?
Answer: The provider handles infrastructure security, while the customer handles application security and data protection.
27. What is Backup and Disaster Recovery in Cloud Computing?
Answer: Backup involves storing data copies, while disaster recovery ensures system functionality during outages using cloud services.
28. What is Data Migration in Cloud Computing?
Answer: Data migration is the process of transferring data, applications, or workloads from on-premises systems to the cloud or between clouds.
29. What are Hybrid Cloud Benefits?
Answer:
- Flexibility
- Cost optimization
- Data sovereignty compliance
- Improved disaster recovery
30. What are Common Use Cases of Cloud Computing?
Answer:
- Hosting websites and apps
- Big data analytics
- Backup and disaster recovery
- IoT
- Machine learning and AI applications
These questions and answers provide a solid foundation for understanding cloud computing concepts, which are crucial for interviews or exams.