Session 2: What is the cloud and how does it work? An introduction using Virtual Machines
When many people think of "cloud computing" they think of computers in the cloud, or virtual machines. Cloud computing companies offer much more than just virtualized hardware, but this is a good place to start. This session is designed to be a hands-on workshop where we walk-through creating the resources needed for to run a computer in the cloud, logging into this computer, copying data and using that data in a program. At the end of the session you should have a good introduction of what it means to "cloud compute."
Readings
Cloud background
- The NIST Definition of Cloud Computing The framework that most widely used to describe aspects of cloud computing, and categorize cloud sevices.
- Microsoft Reference Architecture: What is Infrastructure as a Service?
- Orientation Azure Portal
Other References
These resources are abstract introductions or discussions about cloud computing, mostly from an academic perspective. However "academic" can also mean those responsible for maintaining a university's IT infrastructure or websites.
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Wikipedia article on cloud computing is actually pretty good
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[M. Armbrust et al. "Above the Clouds: A Berkeley View of Cloud Computing. Technical Report UCB/EECS-2009-28 "University of California at Berkeley, Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, 2009 PDF](https://www2.eecs.berkeley.edu/Pubs/TechRpts/2009/EECS-2009-28.pdf}
Written only 3 years after the launch of AWS, this is very insightful discussion of the value of cloud computing
Fellowship Materials
- Top-down description of how Azure is organized
- Summary of Cloud Interfaces
Virtual Machine Background
- What is a virtual machine (VM)? Introduction from Microsoft
- What is a Virtual Server? Youtube Video from IBM describing how companies (including MSU!) use virtualization to run multiple computers on one server to optimize the use of space in a data center.
- What's the difference between cloud and virtualization? from RedHat, a Linux Operating system company
Activities
- Using the Azure Portal : tutorial and video This is a more detailed tutorial and video of the quick walk-through we did during our live session for Week 1 on September 3
Fellowship Meeting
September 10, 2021. Zoom link sent via email
- Presentation (PDF)
- Review of Introduction to Cloud materials: discussion and questions
- Questions about the nature of cloud
- Activity: Creating (and deleting) a Virtual Machine with Azure updated 9/16; includes instructions for Linux