Cloud Computing Fundamentals

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CLOUDAZUREAWS

Cloud Computing provides:

1. On-Demand Self-Service

Create resources without requiring human interaction

2. Broad Network Access

Capabilities available over network and standard mechanisms (http/https,ssh,etc.)

3. Resource Pooling

  1. Location independence.. no control or knowledge over exact location of resources
  2. resources are pooled to serve multiple customers using multi-tenant model

4. Rapid Elasticity

  1. Capabilities can be elastically provisioned and released to scale rapidly
  2. To the consumer, it looks like unlimited capacity is there

5. Measured Service

Resources can be monitored, controlled, reported and billed

Public vs Private vs Hybrid vs Multi Cloud

Multi cloud strategy uses multiple vendors (more than one public clouds) Private Cloud is basically on-prem. But it still needs to meet the five characteristics we mentioned above. But, dedicated to a single customer. Private + Public = Hybrid Cloud (Only if both act as a single cloud, i.e. same tools, processes, etc.) Hybrid Environment/Network (private and public exist separately)

Cloud Service Models

Infra stack contains of following components: Application Data Runtime Container O/S Virtualization Servers Infrastructure Facilties

Different models

In Infra stack, some things are managed by you, some by vendor, which leads to different models: On-Prem controls the entire stack and staff costs. DC-Hosted vendor controls facilites and staff for the HW. IAAS you control O/S onward. PAAS you control Runtime onward. SAAS you consume application

When to use public cloud

  • shift responsibility - focus on what matters most to business
  • operate dc cheaper/more efficiently on cloud
  • resiliency/proximity requirements
  • charged based on usage
    • predictable bursting (scale up and down based on time)
    • growing fast (new company/app - don’t know how much i need)
    • unpredictable bursting
    • on and off - stop start as needed

Key scenarios

  • test and dev in cloud
  • disaster recovery
  • dmz scenarios (public facing things in cloud)
  • special projects (initial cost (might be large) vs operating cost in cloud is less)
  • many orgs are all in (maybe cheaper/but also provides lots of services/don’t want to be in dc business)

references:

  1. https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/Legacy/SP/nistspecialpublication800-145.pdf
  2. Azure Master Class v2 - Module 1 - Fundamentals of Cloud and Azure