Cloud Computing Interview Question and Answer

1. What is Cloud?

Ans. It is a global network of servers, each with a unique function. It includes networks, hardware, services, storage, and interfaces that help in delivering computing as a service. 

2. What is Cloud Computing?

Ans. Cloud computing is an emerging computing paradigm that allows data and applications to remain in cyberspace and allows users to access their data through any web-connected device. 

3. Explain different types of clouds.

Ans. There are three types of clouds –

Private clouds – Commonly offered as web applications or web services

Public clouds – Deployed and managed within the user’s organization

Hybrid clouds – A combination of both public and private clouds 

4. What are the benefits of cloud computing?

Ans. Primary benefits of cloud computing include –

• Data backup and storage
• Reduced costs of managing and maintaining IT systems
• Powerful server capability and scalability
• Better productivity and collaboration efficiency
• Access to automatic updates 

5. What are the different platforms of cloud architecture?

Ans. It is one of the most commonly asked cloud computing interview questions. Here is the answer to this question.

Following are the different platforms used by cloud architecture:

Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) – It is a cloud service that provides services on “pay-for-what-you-use” basis

Platform as a service (PaaS) – It offers cloud platforms and runtime environments to develop, test and manage software

Software as a service (SaaS) – It allows hosting and managing software application on a pay-as-you-go pricing model

6. What are the different layers of cloud architecture?

Ans. There are 5 layers of cloud architecture –

• CC- Cluster Controller
• SC- Storage Controller
• CLC- Cloud Controller
• NC- Node Controller
• Walrus 

7. Which platforms are used for large-scale cloud computing?

Ans. Platforms used for large scale cloud computing are –

• Apache Hadoop
• MapReduce

8. Explain the security aspects of the cloud.

Ans. Cloud Computing offers 3 types of security aspects, which are –

Identity Management – Authorizes application services

Access Control – Controls the access of users entering the cloud environment

Authentication & Authorization – Allows only authorized and authenticated users to access the data and applications

9. What is API and what is its use in cloud services?

Ans. API or Application Programming Interface. It –

• Eliminates the workload to write the fully-fledged programs
• Eases applications usage
• Links cloud services with other systems

10. Why a virtualization platform is required to implement a cloud?

Ans. A virtualization platform helps to –

• Decouple hardware from software
• Manage service level policies and cloud operating system
• Deploys cloud computing models like SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS

11. What is “EUCALYPTUS”?

Ans. “EUCALYPTUS” is the abbreviation for Elastic Utility Computing Architecture For Linking Your Programs To Useful Systems”.

12. Explain the use of “EUCALYPTUS” in cloud computing.

Ans. It is an open-source software infrastructure that helps in the implementation of clusters in the cloud computing platform. It can build public, hybrid, and private clouds, and has the ability to create a data center into a private cloud. It also helps the users to utilize their functionalities across other organizations.

13. Can you name some open source cloud computing platform databases?

Ans. Some open-source cloud computing platform databases are –

• MongoDB – It is a schema-free and document-oriented database. It is written in C++ and provides high storage space.
• CouchDB – A database system based on the Apache server. It is used in data storage.
• LucidDB – It is a Java/C++ database for data warehousing.

14. Which are the biggest cloud providers and databases?

Ans. It is one of the most commonly asked cloud computing interview questions.

Some of the biggest cloud providers and databases are –

• Amazon Web Services
• SAP
• EnterpriseDB
• Garantia Data
• Cloud SQL by Google
• Azure by Microsoft
• Rackspace
• Google bigtable
• Amazon simpleDB
• Cloud-based SQL

15. Name different phases of cloud architecture?

Ans. Various phases of cloud architecture are –

• Launch Phase
• Monitor Phase
• Shutdown Phase
• Cleanup Phase

16. What is Memcached?

Ans. Memcached is an open-source distributed memory caching system. It is a free system that helps to improve the data response time by speeding up dynamic web applications.

17. Why should you use Memcache?

Ans. Memcache helps to –

• Speed up the application processes
• Establish which elements to store
• Reduces page load time
• Cuts down the input/output access

18. What is the significant difference between Memcache and Memcached?

Ans. Memcache – It enables a user to work through handy object-oriented and procedural interfaces and reduces database load in dynamic web applications.

Memcached – It uses libmemcached library to provide API for communicating with Memcached servers. It is the latest API that alleviates database load.

19. Which platforms are used for large-scale cloud computing?

Ans. The most popular platforms for large-scale cloud computing are –

• Apache Hadoop – It enables dispersed storage and distributed dispensation of huge data sets
• MapReduce – It helps in processing of colossal datasets using cloud and other commodity hardware

20. What is the code for implementing load balancing?

Ans. The code to implement load balancing is –

Apache mod_proxy_balancer.

21. Why is load balancing required?

Ans. Load balancing helps to –

• Increase utilization and output
• Lower latency
• Cut back response time
• Avoid system overload

22.What is the need for a virtualization platform to implement the cloud?

Ans. Virtualization in cloud computing is very much required to –

• Decouple hardware from software
• Save the cost for components like hardware and servers
• Store the data in the virtual server
• Reduce the wastage, electricity bills, and maintenance costs

23. Name different types of virtualization in cloud computing.

Ans. Different types of virtualization in cloud computing are –

• Hardware Virtualization
• Software Virtualization
• Memory Virtualization
• Storage Virtualization
• Data Virtualization
• Network Virtualization
• Desktop Virtualization

24. How would you secure the data while it is being transported in the cloud?

Ans. We can secure the data while it is being transported in the cloud by implementing the encryption key. This not helps in ensuring data security but also data leakage.

25. What is the most crucial concern people often have in mind regarding the use of Cloud Computing?

Ans. The prevailing concern is about the security of data in Cloud Computing. Most of the people remain worried about the misuse of data.

26. What is utility computing?

Ans. Utility computing is a service-provisioning model that enables users to pay only for the services that they are using. It doesn’t include any upfront costs. It provides computing resources and infrastructure management and is a plug-in managed by the organization. Most of the organizations these days are using a hybrid strategy.

27. What are the system integrators?

Ans. Systems integrator or SI helps to create strategies for designing a cloud platform and create accurate cloud networks. This can be achieved by combining hardware, software, networking, and storage products from multiple vendors.

28. What is the benefit of using system integrators in cloud computing?

Ans. The significant benefits of using system integrators in cloud computing are –

• Cost-effective because of the usage of cheaper, pre-configured components, and commercial off-the-shelf software
• Combine various subsystems into an integrated offering
• Helping consumers by simplifying contracting and vendor management
• Integrating on-premises IT systems with cloud-based applications

29. What is a VPN?

Ans. VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. This is a connection method for adding security and privacy to private and public networks, such as Wi-Fi Hotspots and the Internet. VPN helps in establishing a secure dial-up connection to a remote server.

30. What is data encapsulation?

Ans. Data encapsulation is also known as data hiding. It is performing a restricted set of operations like breaking down information into smaller, manageable chunks before their transmission across the network. It is a process of keeping the class implementation details away from the users. 

31. Mention the different data types used in cloud computing?

Ans. Following are the different data types in cloud computing:

• Emails
• Contracts
• Images
• blogs
• Text
• Boolean
• Decimal
• Locale
• Number
• Date

In Cloud Computing, multiple data types are used to store various kinds of data, such as if you want to keep a video; you have to use a new data type.

32. What are the necessary things that must be followed before going for the cloud computing platform?

Ans. Following are the essential things that must be followed before going for the cloud computing platform:

• Uptime
• Loss of data
• Data storage
• Compliance
• Business continuity
• Data integrity in cloud computing

33. Mention the list of different layers that define cloud architecture?

Ans. The different layers used by cloud architecture are:

• Walrus
• Cluster Controller
• NC or Node Controller
• CLC or Cloud Controller
• SC or Storage  Controller 

34. How is cloud architecture involved in business benefits?

Ans. The business benefits involved in cloud architecture are:

• Just in time infrastructure
• Zero infrastructure investment
• Adequate resource utilization 

35. What are the components needed in cloud architecture?

Ans. Following are the components needed in cloud architecture:

• Cloud Ingress
• Cloud provided services
• Cloud storage services
• Processor Speed
• Intra-cloud communications 

36. Mention the essential characteristics of cloud computing?

Ans. Essential characteristics of cloud computing are:

• Standardized interfaces
• Elasticity and Scalability
• Billing self-service based usage model
• Self-service provisioning and automatic de-provisioning

37. Mention the different data centers in cloud computing?

Ans. Following are the different data centers in cloud computing:

• Low-density datacenter
• Containerized data centers

38. Name the services offered by Windows azure operating system?

Ans. Following are the essential services offered by the Window azure operating system:

• Storage
• Compute
• Management

39. Explain what CaaS is?

Ans. CaaS is defined as the terminology used in the telecom industry as Communication As a Service. CaaS provides enterprise user features such as unified messaging, desktop call control, and desktop faxing. 

40. Mention what the advantages of cloud services are?

Ans. Below are the main advantages of cloud services:

• Time-saving: It helps in saving time in terms of deployment and maintenance.
• Cost-saving: It works in investment in the corporate sector.
• Scalable and Robust: It performs in such a way to make the application scalable and robust. Earlier, scaling took lots of time, but now, scaling takes less time. 

41. Mention the difference between Cloud and traditional data centers?

Ans. Difference between Cloud and traditional data centers:

• The cost of the traditional data center is higher than earlier due to heating and hardware/software issues.
• When the demand increases, Cloud automatically gets scaled.  Most of the expenses are spent on maintaining the data centers,  while that is not the case with cloud computing. 

42. Mention what the difference between elasticity and scalability in cloud computing is?

Ans. Scalability is a part of cloud computing where the increasing workload can be managed by increasing the amount of resource capacity.  Whereas elasticity is one of the features that highlight the concept of commissioning and decommissioning of a large amount of resource capacity. 

43. How is the buffer used on Amazon web services?

Ans. Buffer is used to building the system more accurately against the burst of traffic. It helps to align different components. The components are equivalent because it is managed by buffers and makes them work at the same speed to provide faster services. 

44. Mention some characteristics of cloud architecture that differentiate it from the traditional one?

Ans. Following are some characteristics of cloud architecture that differentiate it from traditional architecture:

• Cloud architecture can perform scaling of the resource on demand

• As per the demand, cloud architecture offers the hardware requirement

• Cloud architecture can also manage and handle dynamic workloads 

45. What are the ways in which cloud architecture provides automation and performance transparency?

Ans. There are tremendous tools used by cloud architecture to provide performance transparency and automation.  It is used to manage cloud architecture and monitor reports. Automation is an essential component of cloud architecture, which is used to improve the degree of quality. 

46. What is OpenStack? 

Ans. OpenStack is an open-source cloud computing element serving IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). OpenStack controls big chunks of computing, storage, and networking resources; all managed through APIs or a dashboard. 

47. Name some of the top Cloud Platforms.

Ans. Some of the top-rated cloud platforms are –

• Microsoft Azure
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)
• Google Cloud Platform
• IBM Bluemix
• Oracle
• Salesforce
• SAP
• VMWare 

48. Explain AWS and its components.

Ans. AWS stands for Amazon Web Services. It is an infrastructure as a service. The main components of AWS are:

DNS – Offers a service platform based on a domain name server; also called route-53

Simple Email Service – A cost-effective email service built on a reliable and scalable infrastructure. It allows the users to send transactional emails, marketing messages, or other high-quality content to your customers. 

49. What is Microsoft Azure?

Ans. Microsoft Azure is a Microsoft Cloud platform. It offers services like content delivery networks (CDNs), Virtual Machines (VMs), and some advanced proprietary software that makes it perfect like IaaS. RemoteApp, for example, helps you use virtual machines to deploy Windows programs. Then there is the Active Directory service and the SQL server. It also supports open technologies like Linux distributions that can be contained in virtual machines. 

50. What are the different types of roles in Microsoft Azure? 

Ans. There are three types of roles in Microsoft Azure-

Web Role – Helps in the deployment of websites.

Worker Role – Assists the role of the Web, run background processes to support Web Role.

VM Role – Allows users to customize the servers on which the web role and worker roles run. 

51. What is the Azure Active Directory service?

Ans. Azure Active Directory Service is a multi-tenant cloud-based identity and directory management service that combines core directory services, application access management, and identity protection.

In other words, Azure Active Directory Service is an identity and access management system. It helps to grant users access privileges to different network resources and update information about the graph and related resources. 

52. Which web applications can be deployed with Azure?

Ans. Many web applications, including open-source ones, can be deployed on Azure. Some examples of such web applications are PHP, WCF, and ASP.NET. 

53. What are Azure Storage Queues?

Ans. Azure Queue storage allows you to retrieve messages and access them from anywhere on the planet. The service uses a simple hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP or HTTPS).   

54. What is Poison in Azure Storage Queues?

Ans. Messages exceeding the maximum number of delivery attempts to the application are called Poison in the Microsoft Azure language.  

55. What is the function of AD and Azure AD?

Ans. Windows AD is a system built for local networks, while Azure AD is a separate system built just for the cloud. Both store information about networks, network resources and help provide access or restrict privileges to different users for different network resources.

Azure AD is scalable and has been built to support resource allocations on a global scale. Azure AD is helpful while lso helps you when you move your on-premises computing to the cloud. 

56. What are the different phases in cloud architecture?

Ans. There are four phases in the cloud architecture –

1. Launch Phase
2. Monitor Phase
3. Shutdown Phase
4. Cleanup Phase 

57. What are the building blocks in cloud architecture?

Ans. The building blocks in cloud architecture are –

• Reference architecture
• Technical architecture
• Deployment operation architecture 

58. Explain hybrid and community clouds.

Ans. Hybrid cloud – Hybrid cloud consists of multiple service providers and is a combination of public and private cloud features.

Community Cloud – Community cloud is an expensive model and is used when organizations having common goals and requirements are ready to share the costs and benefits of the cloud service.

59. How would you secure data for transport in cloud computing?

Ans. While transporting data in a cloud computing environment, one should –

• Ensure that no one can intercept your data as it moves from point A to point B in the cloud
• Ensure there are no data leaks from any storage in the cloud

A virtual private network (VPN) is one effective medium to manage data security during its transport in a cloud environment. 

60. What is ‘scalability’?

Ans. Scalability is the ability to increase or decrease IT resources as per the requirements. Scalability is one of the hallmarks of cloud computing.

61. What are the different types of ‘scalability’?

There are two types of scalability, horizontal and vertical.

Horizontal scalability refers to increasing cloud computing’s performance rates by adding additional hardware to the system (or upgrading the current one).

Vertical scalability is used to increase performance rates by upgrading the storage capacity of current machines.

Even when the two types of scalability are very different, they have a similar goal and are equally important. 

62. What is ‘BLOB’?

Ans. BLOB stands for ¨ Large Binary Object ¨. It is a collection of binary data stored as a single entity in a database management system, including images, audio, or other multimedia objects. 

63. What is Cloud-Native?

Ans. Cloud-native is an approach to build and run applications exploiting the advantages of the cloud computing delivery model. 

64. What are the different principles of Cloud-Native?

Ans. There are 12 principals of Cloud-Native –

1. Code: A single code traceable from many implementations
2. Dependencies: Explicitly Declare and Isolate Dependencies
3. Configuration: Store config in the environment
4. Backup Services – Treat Backup Services as attached resources
5. Build, release, run: Strictly separate build and run stages
6. Processes: Run the application as one or more stateless processes
7. Union of ports: Export services through port links
8. Concurrency: Scale through the process model
9. Disposability – Maximize robustness with quick start-up and smooth shutdown.
10. Development and production parity: Keep development, preparation, and production in sync
11. Logs – Treat logs as event streams.
12. Administrative processes – Run administration tasks as single processes

65. What is Edge Computing?

Ans. Unlike cloud computing, edge computing is all about physical location and latency issues. Cloud and edge are complementary concepts that combine a centralized system’s strengths with the benefits of distributed operations in the physical location where things and people connect. Edge computing is ubiquitous in the Internet of Things scenarios and is very different from the cloud.