INTRODUCTION – Microsoft Azure Fundamental Concepts & Architectural Components
Module features the numerous benefits that a cloud computing service brings: defining the elements, efficiency, scalability, and cost effectiveness among businesses. You will also learn to compare and contrast in differentiating types of cloud computing, such as public, private, hybrid, and among different service models including Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS).
This module will help you to get introduced with basic concepts, resources, and terminology to work with the Azure architecture. After completing this module, you will have the foundational knowledge and skills to navigate easily within Azure’s architecture.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify Azure regions, region pairs and availability zones.
- Evaluate Azure resources, resource groups and Azure
- Resource Manager.
Understand Azure subscriptions and management groups. - Describe the differences between types of cloud computing.
- Distinguish between categories of cloud services.
- Identify benefits and considerations of cloud services.
KNOWLEDGE CHECK
1. A cloud environment has several advantages over a physical environment and these benefits become available to companies once they have migrated to the cloud. One of these benefits is referred to as agility.
What does agility provide?
- You can deploy your applications with the confidence that comes from knowing that your data is safe in the event of a disaster.
- Cloud-based resources can be deployed and configured quickly as your requirements change. (CORRECT)
- Your cloud-based applications can provide continuous user experience with no apparent downtime even when things go wrong.
- Applications and data can be deployed to regional datacenters around the globe.
Correct: With Agility, cloud-based resources can be deployed and configured quickly as your application requirements change.
2. One of the advantages of cloud computing is scalability. Applications can be scaled vertically and horizontally. Do you think that the following statement is true or false?
Horizontal scalability is when computing capacity can be increased by adding additional RAM or CPUs to a virtual machine.
- True
- False (CORRECT)
Correct: In vertical scaling, additional memory or CPUs are added to an existing virtual machine to increase its computing capacity.
Despite this difference, differences between virtual and physical machines are not usually seen in horizontal scaling. Instead, capacity increases by adding more instance resources or nodes to the setup. Adding other virtual machines in the configuration is called vertical scaling.
3. Cloud service providers operate on a consumption-based model. Which of the following are characteristics of a consumption-based model?
Select all that apply.
- Consumers must pay the costs up front.
- Resources will be charged even when they are not in use.
- There is no need for companies to purchase and manage costly infrastructure that they may or may not use to its full capacity. (CORRECT)
- You only pay for additional resources when they are needed. (CORRECT)
Correct: This is a kind of consumption model where one avoids the capex purchase and management of costly infrastructure, which may under-utilised.
Correct: A model of consumption uses resources for paying an additional unit only when it is time to require that extra resource.
4. In cloud computing, there are two different types of expenses that should be considered, capital expenditure (CapEx) and operational expenditure (OpEx).
Which of these provides for the upfront spending of money on physical infrastructure, and then deducting that upfront expense overtime?
- Capital expenditure (CapEx) (CORRECT)
- Operational expenditure (OpEx)
Correct: Expenditure is classified as capital expenditure (CapEx) when it is for an initial outlay on a physical asset, and it will, by depreciation, be charged to expense over time. The upfront cost of CapEx diminishes in value as the cost will be spread over the useful life of the asset.
5. Cloud service models define the different levels of shared responsibility between a cloud provider and cloud tenant.
In which cloud service model is the cloud provider responsible for managing the virtual machines and networking resources that the cloud tenant deploys their applications into?
- SaaS
- Paas (CORRECT)
- IaaS
Correct: Platform as a Service(PaaS) is a cloud service model that offers a managed hosting environment in which the cloud provider is responsible for the virtual machines and networking resources. In this model, the cloud tenant deploys its applications to a self-managed environment.
6. Cloud service models define the different levels of shared responsibility that a cloud provider and cloud tenant are responsible for.
In which model does the cloud provider keep the hardware up to date but operating system maintenance and network configuration are left to the cloud tenant?
- IaaS (CORRECT)
- PaaS
- SaaS
Correct: This is the service cloud model that comes closest to managing physical servers-in the IaaS (infrastructure as a service) model, the cloud provider provides and keeps hardware up to date, while at the same time the cloud tenant must manage their operating system as well as network configuration.
KNOWLEDGE CHECK
1. True or False?
An Azure account can only have a single subscription.
- True
- False (CORRECT)
Correct: Well, an account can even hold a single subscription or multiple subscriptions with different billing models applied, and different access management policies can be put into place for each subscription.
2. Which of the following is not a feature of Management groups?
- Each management group can have many children.
- A management group tree can support up to six levels of depth.
- 10,000 management groups can be supported in a single directory.
- Each management group and subscription can have multiple parents. (CORRECT)
Correct: In Azure, it is possible that each management group and subscription can have only one parent at any time in its hierarchy.
3. True or False?
If you delete a resource group, all resources contained within that group are also deleted.
- False
- True (CORRECT)
Correct: Deleting a resource group deletes everything within it. Resource groups are for easy removal of a bunch of resources at once.
4. In Azure the ability to deploy, manage, and monitor all the resources for your solution as a group, rather than handling these resources individually is a feature of which of the following?
- Resource Groups
- Resource Manager (CORRECT)
Correct: This means that any solution using Resource Manager will be able to group its resources for deployment, management, and monitoring purposes, rather than deploying, managing, and monitoring each resource separately..
5. What are different geographical locations around the globe containing Azure datacenters are referred to as?
- Availability Zones
- Zones
- Regions (CORRECT)
Correct: Resources are created in distinct geographic regions all over the world, which contain Azure datacenters.
6. True or False?
All Azure Regions support Availability Zones.
- True
- False (CORRECT)
Correct: Zones of Availability are not found in every region.
TEST PREP
1. A cloud environment has several advantages over a physical environment and these benefits become available to companies once they have migrated to the cloud. One of these benefits is referred to as High Availability.
What does High Availability provide?
- Applications and data can be deployed to regional datacenters around the globe.
- Your cloud-based applications can provide continuous user experience with no apparent downtime even when things go wrong. (CORRECT)
- You can deploy your applications with the confidence that comes from knowing that your data is safe in the event of a disaster.
- Cloud-based resources can be deployed and configured quickly as your requirements change.
Correct: Available all the time and depending on the SLA selected, cloud-based applications can provide users with a minimally or even without downtime experience, even when problems do occur.
2. In Cloud computing, there are two different types of expenses that should be considered, Capital Expenditure (CapEx) and Operational Expenditure (OpEx).
Which of these provides for the no upfront spending of money and a pay-as-you-go service?
- Operational Expenditure (OpEx) (CORRECT)
- Capital Expenditure (CapEx)
Correct: Operating Expenditures (OpEx) are expenses for immediate use services or products billed at the moment of utilization. These expenses can be deducted in the same year they are incurred. Unlike capital expenditures, there is no upfront cost, as you pay for services or products as you use them.
3. The Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is the most flexible category of cloud services. It aims to give you complete control over the hardware that runs your application. Instead of buying hardware, with IaaS, you rent it.
Which of the following are features of IaaS?
Select all options that apply.
- No CapEx (CORRECT)
- Management (CORRECT)
- Platform limitations
- Flexibility (CORRECT)
Correct: CapEx is a feature of IaaS.
Correct: Software and hardware management is a feature of IaaS.
Correct: IaaS offers high levels of flexibility.
4. Which of the following are features of Management groups?
Select all options that apply.
- A management group tree can support up to six levels of depth. (CORRECT)
- Each management group can have many children. (CORRECT)
- 10,000 management groups can be supported in a single directory. (CORRECT)
- Each management group and subscription can have multiple parents.
Correct: When viewed entirely or partially, the management group hierarchy can support up to six levels of depth.
Correct: Multiple sub-management groups or subscriptions can be present under an Azure management group.
Correct: An Azure management group can support a maximum of 10,000 management groups for a single directory.
5. Azure provides a feature that allows an organization to deploy, manage, and monitor all their resources as a group, rather than individually managing them. What is this feature referred to as?
- Resource Manager (CORRECT)
- Resource Groups
Correct: Most definitely! One of the key benefits of using Resource Manager is that it allows you to deploy, manage, and monitor all the resources in the solution as a single unit, making it much easier to manage complex infrastructures and ensuring consistency between resources.
6. Is the following statement true or false?
An Azure account can have multiple subscriptions.
- False
- True (CORRECT)
Correct: An account may have a single subscription, or multiple subscriptions collectively providing various billing models. Each subscription can also be assigned different access management policies, which provide flexibility when managing resources and costs.
7. Which of the following do you think are benefits for the end-user of a pay-as-you-go pricing model?
Select all the options that apply.
- Lower your operating costs (CORRECT)
- Run your infrastructure more efficiently (CORRECT)
- Scale as your business needs change (CORRECT)
- Provide software updates for all your applications
Correct: The best way to reduce operating costs in a pay-as-you-use pricing model is to do away with huge initial investments. Cost associated with resources is paid only as they are consumed, thereby limiting needs for upfront capital investments in large infrastructure.
Correct: Just as per the availability, resources may be added according to your need.
Correct: Utilizing it, further resources can be bought when required and stopping their usage can also be done when they are no longer needed.
PRACTICE QUIZ: Test your knowledge on Analytical Thinking
This module provides a comprehensive overview-and-age of cloud computing services: their advantages and differences among the various categories and types of cloud computing. Resources essential for familiarizing oneself with Azure architecture-the concepts and the terminology critical to being well-versed in cloud computing-then take an entry from where, on not just cloud computing, one can handle myriad operations within Azure much more confidently and implement and manage such solutions within an organization much better.