Virtualization and Cloud Computing

Question 1

Virtual Machines: Host

Answer 1

The physical hardware that ultimately hosts all the hardware. Not to be confused with the usual network definition of “host.”

Question 2

Virtual Machine (VM)

Answer 2

A virtual computer installed onto the host.

Question 3

Virtual Machines: Hypervisor

Answer 3

A software abstraction layer that runs VMs as applications, effectively an operating system for operating systems.

Question 4

Hypervisors: Bare-metal/Native

Answer 4

Bare-metal or native hypervisors are named because they install directly onto the hardware of the host machine, serving as its underlying operating system. Examples include Oracle VM Server, VMWare ESXi, and Microsoft Hyper-V.

Question 5

Hypervisors: Hosted

Answer 5

Hosted hypervisors are software applications that run within the host machine’s primary operating system, just like any other program. Examples include Oracle VM VirtualBox, VMWare Workstation, and Windows Virtual PC.

Question 6

Name the benefits of Virtualization?

Answer 6

• VMs using different operating systems can share a
  host without conflicts.
• Maintenance on one VM, like system updates,
  doesn’t need to affect other VMs on the same host.
• VMs are easier to back up, restore, or move to
  different hardware than traditional operating system
  installations.
• It’s relatively easy to change or upgrade hardware on
  hosts without affecting VMs, or to change the
  memory or storage allocated to different VMs without
  hardware changes.
• Virtual machines can serve as a security sandbox,
  which limits the potential damage of untrusted code.
  While no sandbox is perfect, a properly designed VM
  helps prevent malware or poorly designed software
  from affecting the host computer or other VMs.

Question 7

Virtualization requirements: Hypervisor

Answer 7

Hypervisors can vary widely in hardware emulated, management features, performance, ease of configuration, and licensing requirements.

Question 8

Virtualization requirements: CPU

Answer 8

You can use any CPU in a host machine, but your performance, and choice of hypervisors, can suffer for it.

Question 9

Virtualization requirements: Memory

Answer 9

At the least, you’ll need enough RAM to meet the needs of all the VMs you’ll be running simultaneously, in addition to whatever the hypervisor and/or host OS needs.

Question 10

Virtualization requirements: Storage

Answer 10

VMs can be allocated actual drive partitions, but usually a VM will run a virtual disk image which exists as a file on a host partition.

Question 11

Virtualization requirements: Network

Answer 11

Centrally hosted VDI can require fast and low-latency networks, since users will be logging into them using remote desktop software.

Question 12

Virtualization requirements: Security

Answer 12

Virtualization can help security, but some users let that give them false confidence. VMs need to be protected from malware and other attacks just like physical systems, especially when they have network access.

Question 13

What allows you to simulate private circuits over the Internet?

Answer 13

VPN

Question 14

A hypervisor allows one host computer to support multiple guest VMs by virtually sharing its resources, like memory and processing. True or False?

Answer 14

True

Question 15

hypervisor: It is the core that makes the process of virtualization work. True or False?

Answer 15

True

Question 16

hypervisor: It ensures that the hosted VMs can share the host’s hardware and all its resources without interference. True or False?

Answer 16

True

Question 17

hypervisor: It does not differ depending on the kind of hardware it emulates, especially when it comes to the CPU. True or False?

Answer 17

False

Question 18

hypervisor: It mostly emulates the same general architecture as the host machine. True or False?

Answer 18

True

Question 19

Five elements of cloud computing: On-demand self-service

Answer 19

Customers must be able to access computing resources unilaterally and automatically, without human interaction with the service provider.

Question 20

Five elements of cloud computing: Broad network access

Answer 20

Resources are available through the network in a standard format that allows and in fact promotes use from a wide variety of client platforms, often including any sort of computer or mobile device.

Question 21

Five elements of cloud computing: Resource pooling

Answer 21

The provider’s resources are pooled and shared between multiple customers in a multi-tenant fashion, and can be dynamically allocated to suit changing demands. As much as possible, the customer doesn’t even need to know where the resources are hosted: they just work wherever you are.

Question 22

Five elements of cloud computing: Rapid elasticity

Answer 22

Resources can be quickly, even automatically, allocated or released to meet demand. From a customer perspective, resources might seem to be unlimited.

Question 23

Five elements of cloud computing: Measured service

Answer 23

Resources are in some way measured and metered, so that usage can be monitored and transparently reported, and so that the customer can be billed appropriately. The exact means of measurement can depend on the type of service: processing time, storage space, active users, or bandwidth usage.

Question 24

Cloud service models: SaaS

Answer 24

Software-as-a-service is subscription-based access to applications or databases, sometimes known as “on-demand software”

Question 25

Cloud service models: PaaS

Answer 25

Platform-as-a-service is access to a computing platform or software environment the customer can use to develop and host web-based applications.

Question 26

Cloud service models: IaaS

Answer 26

nfrastructure-as-a-service is access to computing and network resources themselves, such as storage devices, processing, entire computers, and even whole networks

Question 27

Cloud deployment: Public

Answer 27

The service is available to the general public, whether as a paid service or even for free.

Question 28

Cloud deployment: Private

Answer 28

The service is accessible only to a single organization, though it is shared among multiple divisions or business units. It might be on-premises or off, and it might be owned and managed by the organization itself, or a third party.

Question 29

Cloud deployment: Community

Answer 29

The service is shared between a number of organizations which have common concerns and needs, for example organizational mission or specific technical, policy, or security requirements.

Question 30

Cloud deployment: Hybrid

Answer 30

The service has some combination of public, private, and community cloud characteristics under a common hardware or software infrastructure.

Question 31

SaaS categories: Desktop productivity

Answer 31

Office suites like Office 365 and Google Apps provide the functions of traditional office suites as subscription-based local or web apps, in conjunction with other cloud features.

Question 32

SaaS categories: Database

Answer 32

Any sort of software that connects to a personal or corporate database is a good fit for cloud use, since the database itself can be centrally hosted and accessed from any client computer

Question 33

SaaS categories: Storage

Answer 33

Cloud services like Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, and iCloud provide easily accessible network storage that can be accessed through a browser, client app, or integrated OS functions.

Question 34

SaaS categories: Email

Answer 34

Cloud services can enhance email architecture in a variety of ways. Off-site servers can replace traditional email servers themselves, or add features such as spam filtering and antivirus.

Question 35

You're consulting for a company that's moving into a new facility and trying to decide whether to use a cloud provider instead of an in-house server room. How would you determine what cloud model they should evaluate?

Answer 35

Look into what services they would need to provide themselves. If they just need common services like storage and email, SaaS providers might fill the role, for example, but if they really want full control they'll want an IaaS provider. It's possible some mix of multiple models might best suit their needs.

Question 36

Why is it more important to know their expected future needs than their current needs before making the decision?

Answer 36

If the company isn't expecting rapid growth it's easy to plan future in-house needs, but there might be logistical problems with rapid or unknown growth. One of the main benefits of cloud services is easy scaling to fit temporary or long-term needs.

Question 37

What cloud computing feature allows users to access additional storage, processing, and capabilities automatically, without requiring intervention from the service provider?

Answer 37

On-demand self-service

Question 38

Which cloud computing method is a combination of two or more clouds that remain distinct but are bound together, offering the benefits of multiple deployment models?

Answer 38

Hybrid

Question 39

Software-as-a-service (SaaS) is a subscription-based access to applications or databases, sometimes known as on-demand software. True or False?

Answer 39

True

Question 40

What cloud service model is used to develop and host web-based applications?

Answer 40

Paas (Platform as a Service)

Question 41

What cloud service model delivers computing infrastructure on an outsourced basis to support enterprise operations?

Answer 41

IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)

Question 42

What cloud computing type is a combination of two or more clouds that remain distinct but are bound together, offering the benefits of multiple deployment models?

Answer 42

Hybrid

Question 43

What is an example of a hosted hypervisor?

Answer 43

Windows Virtual PC

Question 44

What is the ability to quickly increase or decrease the number of resources required from a cloud service provider?

Answer 44

Rapid elasticity

Question 45

What allows you to allocate network-based disk arrays as if they were local storage?

Answer 45

SAN (Storage area Network)

Question 46

Which of the following is a cloud computing method where the cloud infrastructure is operated solely for a single organization?

Answer 46

Private

Question 47

Which cloud service model provides subscription-based access to applications or databases?

Answer 47

SaaS (Software as a Service)

Question 48

Which of the following is a software abstraction layer that runs VMs as applications?

Answer 48

Hypervisor

Question 49

What cloud type provides a cloud computing solution to a limited number of individuals or organizations that are governed, managed, and secured commonly by all the participating organizations?

Answer 49

Community