Free Cloud Computing Certification from IBM: Introduction to Cloud

This introductory a Free Cloud Computing Certification from IBM: Introduction to Cloud.

Course Overview

This course introduces you to the core concepts of cloud computing.

You will gain the foundational knowledge required for understanding cloud computing from both business and practitioner perspectives.

You will learn about

Who is this course intended for?

Anyone and everyone who wants to learn about Cloud Computing –

e.g. C-level execs, Managers, Sellers, Students, etc. or

start a career as a Cloud Practitioner (e.g. Developers, Systems/Cloud Architects, Technical Leads, Data Engineers, Security Engineers, Consultants, Technical Sellers, etc.)

Pre-requisites for Free Cloud Computing Certification from IBM: Introduction to Cloud

Basic computer literacy.

No prior knowledge of Cloud Computing or Computer Programming.

AWS certified Global Challenge

Learning Objectives

After completing this course, you will be able to:

• Define cloud computing and explain its essential characteristics, evolution, and business case for cloud adoption
• Explain how some of the emerging technologies, such as the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, and Analytics, are being supported by the cloud
• Define the cloud service models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) and deployment models(Public, Private, Hybrid)
• Describe the concepts and components of cloud infrastructure such as virtualization, virtual machines, bare metal servers, and containers
• Explain different cloud storage models including Direct Attached, File, Block, Object Storage, and CDNs
• Explain emergent trends  related to cloud computing including Hybrid Multicloud, Microservices, Serverless computing, Cloud Native, DevOps, and Application Modernization
• Describe the concepts in cloud security and how organizations in different industries are benefiting from cloud
• List the job roles and career opportunities available in cloud computing
• Create an account on a IBM Cloud platform and deploy a cloud service

COURSE SYLLABUS

Module 1: Overview of Cloud Computing 

• Introduction and Learning Objectives
• Video: Definition and essential characteristics of cloud computing
• Video: A brief history and evolution of cloud
• Video: Key considerations for cloud computing
• Video: Key cloud service providers and their services
• Hands-on Lab: Create a cloud account
• Module Summary
• Graded Quiz

Module 2: Cloud Adoption and Emerging Technologies on the Cloud

• Introduction and Learning Objectives
• Video: Cloud Adoption – No longer a choice
• Video: Cloud Adoption – Some case studies
• Video: Internet of Things on the Cloud
• Video: Artificial Intelligence on the Cloud
• Video: Blockchain and Analytics on the Cloud
• Module Summary
• Graded Quiz

Module 3: Cloud Computing Service and Deployment Models

• Introduction and Learning Objectives
• Video: Overview of Cloud Service Models
• Video: Infrastructure-as-a-Service
• Video: Platform-as-a-Service
• Video: Software-as-a-Service
• Video: Public Cloud
• Video: Private Cloud
• Video: Hybrid Cloud
• Module Summary
• Graded Quiz

Module 4: Components of Cloud Computing

• Introduction and Learning Objectives
• Video: Overview of Cloud Infrastructure
• Video: Virtualization and Virtual Machines Explained
• Video: Types of Virtual Machines
• Video: Bare Metal Servers
• Video: Secure Cloud Networking
• Video: Containers
• Module Summary
• Graded Quiz

Module 5: Cloud Computing Storage and Content Delivery Networks

• Introduction and Learning Objectives
• Video: Basics of Cloud Storage
• Video: File Storage
• Video: Block Storage
• Video: Object Storage Overview
• Video: Object Storage – Tiers and APIs
• Video: Content Delivery Networks
• Module Summary
• Graded Quiz

Module 6: Emergent Trends, Cloud Native, DevOps, and Application Modernization

• Introduction and Learning Objectives
• Video: Hybrid Multicloud
• Video: Microservices
• Video: Serverless Computing
• Video: Cloud Native
• Video: DevOps on the Cloud
• Video: Application Modernization
• Module Summary
• Graded Quiz

Grading Scheme

1. The minimum passing mark for the course is 70% with the following weights:
   • 50% – All Graded Quiz Questions 
   • 50% – The Final Exam
2. Though Graded Quiz Questions and the Final Exam have a passing mark of 50% each, the only grade that matters is the overall grade for the course.
3. Graded Quiz Questions have no time limit. You are encouraged to review the course material to find the answers as this counts for 50% of your mark.
4. The final exam has a 1-hour time limit.
5. Attempts are per question in both, the Review Questions and the Final Exam:
   • One attempt – For True/False questions
   • Two attempts – For any question other than True/False
6. There are no penalties for incorrect attempts.
7. Clicking the “Final Check” button when it appears, means your submission is FINAL.  You will NOT be able to resubmit your answer for that question again.
8. Check your grades in the course at any time by clicking on the “Progress” tab.

Once you pass the Exam, you will be able to claim your certificate and badge.

Introduction to cloud Answers : IBM Cognitive Class

Module 1 – Graded Quiz

Question 1) In the US National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST, definition of “cloud computing”, what does the statement “shared pool of configurable computing resources” include?

Answer: These are all recognized as computing resources that can be configured as needed and shared.

Question 2)What tasks do hypervisors accomplish? Select two.

Answer :

• Separates VMs logically and assigns each a share of the underlying computing power, memory, and storage.
• Enable multiple operating systems to run alongside each other, sharing the same physical computing resources.

Question 3) What are some of the cloud benefits that make it lower risk for enterprises to adopt cloud? Select two.

Answer :

• The pay-as-you-go model allows enterprises to experiment with technologies as opposed to making long-term decisions based on little or no trial.
• The speed with which applications can be up and running on the cloud versus months on traditional platforms, means enterprises can experiment, fail fast, learn, and course correct without setting them back significantly.

Module 2 – Graded Quiz

Question 1)An IBM Institute for Business Value study says that more than three-quarters of enterprises today are using cloud computing to expand into new industries. What additional benefits do organizations find when adopting the cloud:

Answer: Improve customer experience and create enhanced products and services

Question 2)What is the three-way symbiotic relationship between IoT, AI, and Cloud?

Answer :This is the three-way relationship between IoT, AI, and Cloud.

Question 3)What is the three-way relationship between blockchain, AI, and the Cloud?

Answer : Blockchain provides the trusted, decentralized source of truth, AI powers the analytics and decisions made from the collected data, and cloud provides the globally distributed, scalable, and cost-efficient computing resources to support both technologies. correct

Module 3 – Graded Quiz

Question 1)Which are some of the key components of cloud infrastructure? Select two.
Note: Make sure you select all of the correct options.

Answer:

• IaaS providers manage large data centers that contain the physical machines required to power the various layers of abstraction on top of them
• IaaS providers manage the hypervisors and end-users provision the virtual instances

Question 2) According to the video, which of these statements are true of Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs)? Select two.
Note: Make sure you select all of the correct options

Answer:

• VPCs are provisioned in a logically isolated part of a shared public cloud
• The VPC infrastructure is owned, managed, and operated by the public cloud service provider
  

Question 3) If an organization needs to run a highly sensitive and mission critical application with unpredictable performance and capacity requirements, which of the following models would best meet its requirements?
Answer : Hybrid Cloud

Module 4 – Components of Cloud Computing

Question 1) Is it possible to run completely different operating systems on Virtual Machines (VMs) that are on a single host? If yes, what makes this possible?

Answer: Yes, Virtualization makes it possible— to have VMs, running different operating systems, on a single host.

Question 2) Which of these scenarios is ideal for the use of bare metal servers, as opposed to virtual servers? Select two.
Note: Make sure you select all of the correct options!

Answer:

• Answer: CPU and I/O intensive workloads
• Huge performance and strict security and compliance requirements

Question 3) Subnets are the main area where security is implemented in the cloud. What is used to provide security at the virtual instance level in subnets?

Answer: Security Groups or SGs

Module 5 – Cloud Computing Storage and Content Delivery Networks

Question 1) Which of these are features of Object Storage?

Select two.
Note: Make sure you select all of the correct options!

Answer:

• You can directly use Object Storage without attaching it to a compute node
• Object storage is effectively infinite

Question 2) There are four types of cloud storage available. Which storage type is ephemeral or non-persistent?

Answer: Object storage

Question 3) What is the main benefit of a Content Delivery Network (CDN)?

Answer: Speed, it makes your website faster by serving files from a location closer to the user.

Module 6 – Emergent Trends, Cloud Native, DevOps and Application Modernization

Question 1)What are the key elements of a hybrid Multicloud strategy?

Answer: Connects an organization’s on-premise private cloud and third-party public cloud into a single infrastructure

Question 2) What is an attribute that distinguishes serverless computing from other compute models?

Answer: The serverless model requires NO provisioning of servers, installation of application stacks, or operation of the infrastructure BY the users/developers

Question 3) Cloud adoption is an integral part of application modernization. What are the other two important components of modernization?

Answer: Microservices and DevOps

Final Exam Answers – Introduction to Cloud

Question 1)Which cloud deployment model lets users use multiple cloud models working together seamlessly?
Answer: Hybrid

Question 2)Which of these are essential characteristics of the Cloud? Select two.

Note: Make sure you select all of the correct options!

Answer:

• On-demand self-service
• Resource pooling

Question 3)What are some cloud computing benefits? Select two.

Note: Make sure you select all of the correct options!

Answer:

• Competitive advantage
• Flexibility and efficiency

Question 4) According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), what is that crucial ability that will make cloud computing essential for businesses to succeed, sustain, and compete in today’s markets?

Answer: Data-driven decisions

Question 5) IoT, AI, Blockchain, and Analytics are emerging technologies enabled by the cloud. What are some of the attributes of cloud computing that enable these technologies? Select two.

Note: Make sure you select all of the correct options!

Answer:

• The power and scale of cloud resources
• Cloud offers on-demand computing

Question 6) In the car analogy used to explain the differences between the three cloud service models, which of the provided options is an analogy for PaaS?

Answer: Renting a car

Question 7) Which of these scenarios are good use cases for Public Cloud? Select two.

Note: Make sure you select all of the correct options!

Answer:

• Reducing time-to-market for products and services
• Disaster recovery, data protection, and business continuity

Question 8) Private cloud platforms can be implemented internally or externally. What is an example of external private cloud platform?

Answer: Virtual Private Cloud or VPC

Question 9) The infrastructure layer is the foundation of the cloud and consists of physical resources. Where do these physical resources reside?

Answer: Regions, Zones, and Data Centers

Question 10) Why do bare metal servers take longer to provision than virtual servers?

Answer: They are physical servers that can be customized to specified capacity

Question 11) Containers provide isolation of applications. What is one of the benefits this provides?

Answer: Help keep malicious code in one container from impacting other containers

Question 12) What makes File storage an ideal solution for scenarios where common storage (a landing zone for incoming files) is needed?

Answer: File storage can be mounted to multiple compute nodes at a time

Question 13) Which of these scenarios are best suited for Block Storage? Select two.

Note: Make sure you select all of the correct options!

Answer:

• Workloads that need low-latency storage
• Applications that need consistent fast access to disk, such as databases

Question 14) Which of the following is NOT a good fit for Object Storage?

Answer: Operating systems or applications like databases

Question 15) What is a Content Delivery Network (CDN)?

Answer: A distributed server network

Question 16)What are some of the benefits of using microservices architecture? Select two.

Note: Make sure you select all of the correct options!

Answer:

• Application components can be developed and updated independently of each other
• Components facing varied amounts of load can be scaled independently

Question 17)What are the characteristics of a cloud native application?

Answer: Collection of microservices working together as a whole to comprise an application

Question 18)DevOps’ tools, practices, and processes are helping tackle some of the complexities and challenges posed by the cloud. Identify two ways in which DevOps is mitigating these challenges. Select two.

Note: Make sure you select all of the correct options!

Answer:

• By creating an automated deployment pipeline
• By fully automating the infrastructure installation process in a way that is documented, repeatable, verifiable, and traceable

Happy Learning!!!