Unit 827: Cloud Computing Fundamentals and Infrastructure

1. Introduction to Cloud Computing

• Definition and evolution of cloud computing
• Key characteristics: on-demand self-service, broad network access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity, measured service
• Benefits of cloud computing: cost efficiency, scalability, flexibility, and accessibility
• Cloud service models:
  • Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
  • Platform as a Service (PaaS)
  • Software as a Service (SaaS)

2. Cloud Infrastructure Components

• Servers: physical vs. virtualized
• Storage systems: block storage, object storage, file storage
• Networking in the cloud: virtual networks, load balancing, DNS
• Virtualization technologies overview
• Integration of components to deliver cloud services

3. Virtualization Technology

• Concepts of virtualization
• Virtual machines (VMs): architecture and operation
• Hypervisors: types (Type 1 and Type 2), role, and examples
• Containerization: container concepts, Docker and Kubernetes overview
• Benefits of virtualization: resource optimization, scalability, isolation

4. Cloud Deployment Models

• Public Cloud: characteristics, examples, advantages, and challenges
• Private Cloud: features, use cases, and security considerations
• Hybrid Cloud: integration of public and private clouds, benefits, and management
• Community Cloud: definition, examples, and collaborative use cases
• Suitability analysis for different business scenarios

5. Cloud Security and Compliance

• Importance of cloud security
• Common security threats: data breaches, insider threats, DDoS attacks
• Security best practices: encryption, identity and access management (IAM), multi-factor authentication
• Compliance frameworks and standards: GDPR, HIPAA, ISO/IEC 27001
• Shared responsibility model in cloud security

6. Cloud Monitoring and Management

• Cloud monitoring tools and techniques
• Performance monitoring and metrics
• Resource optimization strategies
• Automation and orchestration in cloud management
• Incident response and troubleshooting

7. Cloud Migration Strategies

• Reasons for migrating to the cloud
• Migration approaches: rehosting, refactoring, rearchitecting, rebuilding, replacing
• Planning and executing migration projects
• Challenges and mitigation strategies
• Cost and performance considerations

8. Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity in the Cloud

• Importance of disaster recovery (DR) and business continuity (BC)
• Backup strategies in the cloud
• Failover and failback mechanisms
• Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO)
• Testing and maintaining DR and BC plans