Cloud Computing
Cloud Computing and IoT complete study guide covering Azure, PaaS, DevOps, Microservices and cloud computing models

Cloud Computing and the Internet of Things (IoT) power modern apps, smart devices, and scalable online services. Below is a clear review of key concepts using your assessment text—the answer is the one marked.

☁️ Cloud Computing Core Concepts

1) Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Question: This is a model of cloud computing in which the vendor provides the hardware and software tools necessary to create, deploy and manage applications at scale to the user via the internet, as a service.

✅ Answer: Platform as a Service (PaaS)

2) Open Source

Question: This is a development model in which a product’s source code is made openly available to the public.

✅ Answer: Open Source

3) Platform

Question: In computing, a ___________ is defined as a computer system that applications run on, or as a base of technologies on which other technologies (such as applications) are built.

✅ Answer: Platform

4) Microsoft Azure

Question: This is Microsoft's cloud computing platform.

✅ Answer: Microsoft Azure

5) OpenStack

Question: This is a free, open-source cloud platform that is primarily deployed as an infrastructure as a service offering.

✅ Answer: Open Stack

6) On-Premise Technology

Question: This is software or infrastructure that is run on computers on the premises (in the building) of the person or organization using the software or infrastructure.

✅ Answer: On Premise technology

7) Multi-Cloud Strategy

Question: A _______________ is the concurrent use of separate cloud service providers for different infrastructure, platform, or software needs.

✅ Answer: multi-cloud strategy

8) Middleware

Question: This is software that connects software components or enterprise applications.

✅ Answer: Middleware

9) Resource

Question: In computer science, a ____________ is any component within a computer system that is of limited availability.

✅ Answer: resource

10) Cloud Computing Model

Question: In a ________________, pooled physical and virtual resources are dynamically assigned and reassigned to tenants according to consumer demand.

✅ Answer: cloud computing model

11) Multi-Tenancy

Question: _____________ is a mode of operation for software in which multiple instances of one or many applications run in a shared environment.

✅ Answer: Multi-Tenancy

12) On-Demand Self Service

Question: A cloud computing service model by which a customer can provision additional cloud resources on-demand, without involving the service provider.

✅ Answer: On-Demand Self Service

13) Cloud Washing (Example)

Question: This is an example of cloud washing.

✅ Answer: Personal Cloud

14) Microsoft Office Suite (On-Premise Example)

Question: ____________ is an example of on-premise software because it needs to be installed on the computer that runs it, while Office365 is not, because it is accessed via the internet and run remotely.

✅ Answer: Microsoft Office Suite

🔷 Azure & OpenStack Quick Facts

  • Microsoft Azure was formerly known as ✅ WINDOWS AZURE.
  • Azure was originally launched as a ✅ PaaS solution (and later expanded to PaaS + IaaS).
  • OpenStack is ✅ free and open-source, often used as an IaaS foundation.

🧩 Microservices, Load Balancing, Linux, and DevOps

Load Balancer

Question: A ______ acts as a reverse proxy and distributes application traffic to multiple servers to prevent a single point of failure.

✅ Answer: LOAD BALANCER

Microservices

Question: These run their own processes and communicate using lightweight mechanisms such as APIs.

✅ Answer: MICROSERVICES

Related: ✅ MICROSERVICE ARCHITECTURE is designing apps as a suite of small, independently deployable services.

Linux

Question: This is an open-source operating system built on Unix used for the majority of cloud services.

✅ Answer: LINUX

DevOps

Question: An amalgamation of “development” and “operations”.

✅ Answer: Devops

🌐 Internet of Things (IoT) Review

What does IoT stand for? ✅ Internet of Things

Who coined the term “Internet of Things”? ✅ Kevin Ashton

IoT is also referred to as: ✅ Internet of Everything, ✅ M2M

⚡ Parallel vs Distributed Computing (Quick Study)

  • Parallel computing = using two or more processors (usually within one system) to solve a single problem.
  • Distributed computing = multiple remote computers each play a role in a computation problem or information processing.

⭐ Cloud Characteristics (NIST Essentials)

According to NIST, cloud computing has ✅ five essential characteristics:

  • ✅ On-demand self-service
  • ✅ Ubiquitous network access
  • ✅ Location-independent resource pooling
  • ✅ Rapid elasticity
  • ✅ Measured service

❓ FAQ

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud Computing is a service-oriented approach that lets users access computing resources (servers, storage, networking, apps) over the internet in a way that is elastic, cost-efficient, and on-demand.

What is Platform as a Service (PaaS)?

PaaS provides the hardware + software tools needed to build, deploy, and manage applications at scale via the internet.

What is IoT (Internet of Things)?

IoT is the ecosystem where everyday devices connect to the internet, collect data, communicate, and sometimes perform actions automatically.

When did Cloud Computing begin (based on the assessment)?

✅ 2007

Who coined the term “Internet of Things”?

✅ Kevin Ashton

🧠 Final Thoughts

Cloud Computing and IoT are foundational technologies behind modern apps, scalable infrastructure, and smart devices. If you memorize the core models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS), understand multi-tenancy and on-demand self service, and can explain IoT basics, you’ll be ready for both exams and real-world tech discussions.

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