AZ-900 Episode 1 | Cloud Computing and Vocabulary | Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Full Course

Summary

In this episode, we explore the fundamentals of cloud computing, focusing on key terms like scalability, elasticity, agility, fault tolerance, disaster recovery, high availability, and more. The video explains how cloud services enable rapid scaling of resources, automatic adjustments based on workload demands, and ensure continuity even during failures or disasters. Viewers will gain an understanding of how cloud computing can optimize performance, reduce downtime, and offer flexibility to businesses, making it a critical tool in today's tech-driven world.

Takeaways

• 😀 Cloud computing is a delivery model for services like storage, computing resources, and networking, allowing businesses to use popular technologies in a secure and scalable environment.
• 😀 Scalability in cloud computing refers to the ability to increase or decrease resources, either vertically (scaling up/down) or horizontally (scaling out/in), depending on the needs of the system.
• 😀 Elasticity allows automatic scaling of resources based on real-time demand, enabling systems to dynamically adjust to user workload fluctuations.
• 😀 Agility in the cloud means the ability to provision resources quickly, usually within seconds or minutes, compared to the lengthy delays common in on-premises environments.
• 😀 Fault tolerance ensures that cloud services continue to run smoothly even when individual components fail by having built-in redundancy and failover mechanisms.
• 😀 Disaster recovery involves setting up backup systems across multiple regions, ensuring that services can continue even in the event of a significant disruption like floods or power outages.
• 😀 High availability refers to the ability of a system to operate continuously with minimal downtime. Services in the cloud often come with high availability by default.
• 😀 The availability of a system is measured by its uptime relative to downtime, with businesses often aiming for ‘four nines’ of availability, meaning less than 1 hour of downtime per year.
• 😀 Cloud computing services offer tools for secure networking, application creation, data migration, and analytics, all essential for building and managing robust cloud platforms.
• 😀 Learning the vocabulary of cloud computing, such as high availability, elasticity, and disaster recovery, is crucial for understanding how cloud systems function and their benefits.

Q & A

What is cloud computing?

Cloud computing is a service delivery model that allows users to access computing resources over the internet, such as storage, virtual machines, web containers, and networking tools, without the need for on-premises hardware.

What are the key services delivered by cloud computing?

The main services delivered by cloud computing include storage, computing resources (like virtual machines), networking (to connect components securely), and analytics (to monitor and improve performance).

What does 'scalability' mean in cloud computing?

Scalability refers to the ability of a cloud system to adjust its resources based on demand. This includes scaling up by increasing resource power (e.g., CPU, memory), scaling down, scaling out by adding more resources, or scaling in by reducing the number of resources.

What is the difference between vertical and horizontal scaling?

Vertical scaling involves increasing the size or power (CPU, memory, etc.) of an individual resource, whereas horizontal scaling involves adding more resources, like additional virtual machines or servers, to handle increased load.

What is elasticity in cloud computing?

Elasticity is the ability of a cloud system to dynamically allocate and deallocate resources based on fluctuating demand. This often occurs automatically, ensuring that the system scales appropriately without manual intervention.

How does cloud computing provide agility?

Agility in the cloud refers to the speed with which resources can be provisioned and decommissioned. Unlike on-premises systems that may take days or weeks, cloud systems allow resources to be allocated in seconds or minutes.

What does 'fault tolerance' mean in cloud computing?

Fault tolerance refers to the cloud system's ability to continue functioning even if certain components or services fail. Cloud services are designed to ensure minimal disruption during localized failures, maintaining uptime.

What is disaster recovery in the context of cloud computing?

Disaster recovery involves creating replicated copies of applications across different regions. If one region fails due to a disaster (like a flood or earthquake), users are automatically redirected to the functional copy of the application to maintain service continuity.

What is the significance of high availability in cloud computing?

High availability ensures that a cloud system remains operational for extended periods with minimal downtime. It is measured by the system's uptime and is crucial for services with strict uptime requirements, like mission-critical applications.

How can businesses achieve high availability in the cloud?

Businesses can achieve high availability by using cloud services that offer built-in redundancy and failover mechanisms. They can also design their systems with high availability in mind, leveraging tools and strategies like load balancing and multi-region deployments.