Cloud Concepts & AWS Core Services Flashcards

What is the primary benefit of cloud computing?

Answer: On-demand resource availability and cost savings

The primary benefit of cloud computing is its ability to provide on-demand access to computing resources, such as servers, storage, and databases, over the internet. This eliminates the need for organizations to purchase and maintain their own physical infrastructure, leading to significant cost savings. Users only pay for the resources they consume, allowing for greater flexibility, scalability, and efficiency compared to traditional IT setups.

Which AWS service is used to store and retrieve any amount of data at any time?

Answer: Amazon S3

Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service) is the AWS service specifically designed for storing and retrieving any amount of data from anywhere on the web. It is an object storage service known for its scalability, data availability, security, and performance. S3 is commonly used for backups, data archiving, content distribution, and hosting static websites, making it a versatile solution for various data storage needs.

Which AWS service provides virtual servers?

Answer: Amazon EC2

Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) is the AWS service that provides resizable compute capacity in the cloud, essentially offering virtual servers. Users can launch and configure virtual machines (instances) with various operating systems and software, scaling them up or down as needed. EC2 is fundamental for running applications, websites, and performing computational tasks without the need for physical hardware.

Which pricing model allows you to save money on AWS services based on long-term usage?

Answer: Reserved Instances

Reserved Instances is an AWS pricing model that allows customers to save money on services by committing to a specific usage level for a 1-year or 3-year term. By reserving compute capacity in advance, users receive a significant discount compared to on-demand pricing. This model is ideal for applications with predictable and steady workloads, offering substantial cost optimization for long-term usage.

What is the shared responsibility model in AWS?

Answer: AWS handles infrastructure, customer handles data and applications

The shared responsibility model in AWS defines the security responsibilities between AWS and the customer. AWS is responsible for the security *of* the cloud, meaning they secure the underlying infrastructure that runs all cloud services. Conversely, the customer is responsible for security *in* the cloud, which includes managing their data, applications, operating systems, network configuration, and access controls within their AWS environment.

What AWS service provides content delivery with low latency?

Answer: Amazon CloudFront

Amazon CloudFront is a Content Delivery Network (CDN) service that securely delivers data, videos, applications, and APIs to customers globally with low latency. It achieves this by caching content at edge locations closer to users, reducing the distance data travels. This significantly improves performance and user experience for web applications and content delivery.

Which AWS service enables management of user access and permissions?

Answer: AWS IAM

AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) is a web service that helps you securely control access to AWS resources. With IAM, you can manage users, groups, and roles, and define granular permissions to specify who can access which services and resources under what conditions. This ensures that only authorized entities can perform specific actions within your AWS environment.

What is one key advantage of using cloud over on-premises infrastructure?

Answer: Scalability and elasticity

Scalability and elasticity are key advantages of cloud computing over on-premises infrastructure. Cloud environments allow you to easily scale resources up or down automatically based on demand, ensuring your applications can handle varying workloads without over-provisioning. This dynamic adjustment of resources helps optimize costs and maintain performance, which is difficult and expensive to achieve with fixed on-premises hardware.

What is AWS Lambda used for?

Answer: Running serverless code in response to events

AWS Lambda is a serverless compute service that lets you run code without provisioning or managing servers. It automatically scales your application and executes your code only when needed, in response to events such as changes in data, HTTP requests, or scheduled tasks. This event-driven model makes it cost-effective and highly scalable for various application backends and data processing workloads.