Cloud and Data Center Technologies (4361602) - Summer 2024 Solution

Question 1(a) [3 marks]

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Define Cloud computing. Explain any two advantages of using cloud computing.

Answer:

Cloud Computing is the delivery of computing services over the internet including servers, storage, databases, and software.

Table: Cloud Computing Advantages

Mnemonic: “Cloud Saves Cash” (Cost-effective, Scalable)

Question 1(b) [4 marks]

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List the cloud service models. Justify: Infrastructure as a service model is the base of cloud computing structure.

Answer:

Table: Cloud Service Models

Justification: IaaS is the foundation because it provides basic computing infrastructure (servers, storage, networking) upon which PaaS and SaaS are built.

Mnemonic: “I Pay for Software” (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS)

Question 1(c) [7 marks]

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Differentiate between edge and fog computing.

Answer:

Table: Edge vs Fog Computing

Diagram:

graph TD
    A[Cloud Data Center] --> B[Fog Layer]
    B --> C[Edge Devices]
    B --> D[Edge Devices]
    B --> E[Edge Devices]

Mnemonic: “Edge is Extremely close, Fog is Further”

Question 1(c) OR [7 marks]

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Explain distributed ledger technology used in cloud computing.

Answer:

Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) is a decentralized database spread across multiple nodes in cloud computing.

Key Features:

• Decentralization: No single point of failure
• Immutability: Records cannot be altered once added
• Transparency: All participants can view transactions
• Consensus: Agreement required for new entries

Table: DLT Benefits in Cloud

Mnemonic: “DLT Delivers Trusted Security”

Question 2(a) [3 marks]

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List and explain the major components of virtualization environment.

Answer:

Table: Virtualization Components

Mnemonic: “Hypervisor Handles Virtual Machines”

Question 2(b) [4 marks]

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Justify with example: Renting resources on cloud is more beneficial than actually buying them for small and midcap companies.

Answer:

Benefits of Cloud Renting:

• Lower Initial Cost: No upfront investment in hardware
• Flexibility: Scale resources based on demand
• Maintenance-Free: Provider handles updates and repairs

Example: A startup needs servers during peak season only. Buying costs ₹10 lakhs, while cloud renting costs ₹50,000 for 3 months usage.

Mnemonic: “Rent for Flexibility, Buy for Permanency”

Question 2(c) [7 marks]

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Explain Hypervisor with its types.

Answer:

Hypervisor is software that creates and manages virtual machines by abstracting hardware resources.

Table: Hypervisor Types

Diagram:

Mnemonic: “Type 1 Touches Hardware, Type 2 Touches OS”

Question 2(a) OR [3 marks]

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State the advantages of using virtualization. Explain any one.

Answer:

Virtualization Advantages:

• Resource Optimization: Better hardware utilization
• Cost Reduction: Fewer physical servers needed
• Isolation: Applications run independently

Resource Optimization: Multiple virtual machines can run on single physical server, utilizing 80-90% of hardware capacity instead of typical 15-20%.

Mnemonic: “Virtualization Optimizes Resources”

Question 2(b) OR [4 marks]

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Explain Application-level virtualization.

Answer:

Application-level virtualization allows applications to run in isolated environments without installing them on the host OS.

Table: Application Virtualization Features

Example: Docker containers running applications with their dependencies packaged together.

Mnemonic: “Apps Are Isolated and Portable”

Question 2(c) OR [7 marks]

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Explain hardware virtualization in cloud.

Answer:

Hardware virtualization creates virtual versions of physical hardware components in cloud environments.

Key Components:

• CPU Virtualization: Multiple VMs share physical processor
• Memory Virtualization: Virtual memory allocation to VMs
• Storage Virtualization: Abstract storage resources
• Network Virtualization: Virtual network interfaces

Table: Hardware Virtualization Benefits

Mnemonic: “Hardware Hosts Multiple Virtual Machines”

Question 3(a) [3 marks]

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Define Data Center. List types of Data center.

Answer:

Data Center is a facility housing computing and networking equipment to store, process, and distribute data.

Table: Data Center Types

Mnemonic: “Enterprise, Colocation, Cloud Centers”

Question 3(b) [4 marks]

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Why data centre automation is important?

Answer:

Data Center Automation Benefits:

• Efficiency: Reduces manual tasks and errors
• Cost Savings: Lower operational expenses
• Scalability: Quick resource provisioning
• Reliability: Consistent operations and monitoring

Table: Automation Areas

Mnemonic: “Automation Enhances Efficiency”

Question 3(c) [7 marks]

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Explain SDN (Software Defined Networking) architecture.

Answer:

SDN separates network control plane from data plane, enabling centralized network management.

SDN Architecture Layers:

graph TD
    A[Application Layer] --> B[Control Layer]
    B --> C[Infrastructure Layer]
    A -.->|Northbound API| B
    B -.->|Southbound API| C

Table: SDN Components

Benefits:

• Centralized Control: Single point of network management
• Programmability: Dynamic network configuration
• Flexibility: Easy policy implementation

Mnemonic: “SDN Separates Control from Data”

Question 3(a) OR [3 marks]

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Define the following: (i) Cloud Elasticity (ii) Cloud Scalability

Answer:

Table: Cloud Elasticity vs Scalability

Key Difference: Elasticity is automatic, scalability can be manual or automatic.

Mnemonic: “Elasticity is Automatic, Scalability is Adaptable”

Question 3(b) OR [4 marks]

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Explain with reason: Vendor lock-in is a major problem in cloud computing services.

Answer:

Vendor Lock-in occurs when switching cloud providers becomes difficult due to dependency on specific services.

Problems:

• High Migration Costs: Data transfer and application modification expenses
• Limited Flexibility: Restricted choice of providers
• Dependency: Reliance on single vendor’s technologies

Example: Using AWS-specific services makes migration to Google Cloud expensive and complex.

Mnemonic: “Lock-in Limits Liberty”

Question 3(c) OR [7 marks]

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Explain Infrastructure as Code (IaC) with its different approaches.

Answer:

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) manages infrastructure through code rather than manual processes.

Table: IaC Approaches

Benefits:

• Consistency: Repeatable infrastructure deployment
• Version Control: Track infrastructure changes
• Automation: Reduce manual configuration errors

Diagram:

graph LR
    A[Code] --> B[IaC Tool]
    B --> C[Cloud Provider]
    C --> D[Infrastructure]

Mnemonic: “IaC Codes Infrastructure”

Question 4(a) [3 marks]

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Define cloud storage. List the major cloud storage solutions.

Answer:

Cloud Storage is a service that stores data on remote servers accessible via internet.

Table: Major Cloud Storage Solutions

Mnemonic: “Amazon, Google, Microsoft Store Objects”

Question 4(b) [4 marks]

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Justify with example: Data consistency is an essential feature of cloud storage

Answer:

Data Consistency ensures all copies of data across distributed systems show the same value.

Importance:

• Reliability: Users get correct data always
• Integrity: Prevents data corruption
• Synchronization: Multiple users see same information

Example: In banking system, account balance must be consistent across all ATMs and branches to prevent double spending.

Mnemonic: “Consistency Creates Confidence”

Question 4(c) [7 marks]

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Explain types of cloud databases in detail.

Answer:

Table: Cloud Database Types

SQL vs NoSQL Comparison:

graph LR
    A[Structured Data] --> B[SQL Database]
    C[Unstructured Data] --> D[NoSQL Database]
    B --> E[ACID Compliance]
    D --> F[High Scalability]

Mnemonic: “SQL for Structure, NoSQL for Scale”

Question 4(a) OR [3 marks]

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Define database services in cloud. List the major features of database services

Answer:

Cloud Database Services are managed database solutions provided by cloud vendors.

Table: Major Features

Mnemonic: “Databases Auto-scale, Backup, and stay Available”

Question 4(b) OR [4 marks]

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Justify with example: Data durability is an essential feature of cloud storage.

Answer:

Data Durability ensures data persists over time without loss or corruption.

Importance:

• Data Protection: Prevents permanent data loss
• Business Continuity: Critical for operations
• Compliance: Required by regulations

Example: Amazon S3 provides 99.999999999% (11 9’s) durability by storing data across multiple facilities and creating multiple copies.

Mnemonic: “Durability Delivers Data Protection”

Question 4(c) OR [7 marks]

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Explain data scaling and replication in detail.

Answer:

Data Scaling is the ability to handle increased data load by adding resources.

Table: Scaling Types

Data Replication creates copies of data across multiple locations.

Table: Replication Types

Diagram:

graph TD
    A[Master Database] --> B[Replica 1]
    A --> C[Replica 2]
    A --> D[Replica 3]

Mnemonic: “Scale Up or Scale Out, Replicate for Reliability”

Question 5(a) [3 marks]

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Justify: Authentication and access control are two different aspects of security in cloud computing.

Answer:

Table: Authentication vs Access Control

Justification: Authentication verifies identity first, then access control determines what authenticated user can access.

Mnemonic: “Authenticate first, Authorize second”

Question 5(b) [4 marks]

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State the role of machine learning in the cloud. Justify: Cloud computing aids in the task of machine learning.

Answer:

ML Role in Cloud:

• Data Processing: Handle large datasets efficiently
• Model Training: Scalable computing for complex algorithms
• Deployment: Easy model hosting and serving

Justification: Cloud provides necessary computational power, storage, and tools that make ML accessible without huge infrastructure investment.

Table: Cloud ML Benefits

Mnemonic: “Cloud Computes ML Models”

Question 5(c) [7 marks]

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Explain cloud security challenges.

Answer:

Table: Major Cloud Security Challenges

Security Layers:

graph TD
    A[Application Security] --> B[Data Security]
    B --> C[Network Security]
    C --> D[Infrastructure Security]

Mitigation Strategies:

• Encryption: Protect data in transit and at rest
• Monitoring: Continuous security assessment
• Access Controls: Role-based permissions

Mnemonic: “Data, Identity, Compliance Challenges”

Question 5(a) OR [3 marks]

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State the role of identity access management.

Answer:

Identity Access Management (IAM) controls who can access what resources in cloud systems.

Table: IAM Functions

Mnemonic: “IAM Identifies, Authorizes, Audits”

Question 5(b) OR [4 marks]

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Define Kubernetes. Explain with reason: Kubernetes is an essential component of cloud computing.

Answer:

Kubernetes is an open-source container orchestration platform that automates deployment, scaling, and management of applications.

Justification: Kubernetes is essential because it:

• Automates Deployment: Simplifies application management
• Ensures Scalability: Handles varying workloads automatically
• Provides Reliability: Self-healing capabilities

Table: Kubernetes Benefits

Mnemonic: “Kubernetes Orchestrates Containers”

Question 5(c) OR [7 marks]

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Explain DevSecOps (Development Security and Operations).

Answer:

DevSecOps integrates security practices into DevOps pipeline from development to deployment.

Traditional vs DevSecOps:

graph LR
    A[Development] --> B[Security Testing]
    B --> C[Operations]
    D[DevSecOps: Security Integrated Throughout]

Table: DevSecOps Principles

Benefits:

• Faster Delivery: Security doesn’t slow development
• Reduced Risks: Early vulnerability detection
• Cost Savings: Fix issues before production

Tools:

• SAST: Static Application Security Testing
• DAST: Dynamic Application Security Testing
• Container Scanning: Docker security tools

Mnemonic: “DevSecOps Develops Securely from Start”