Mastering Cloud Computing, AWS Infrastructure, and Service Agreements.
Definition Bank
Infrastructure
Cloud Computing
The idea that a business should be Renting data center resources (compute, storage, networking) over the internet rather than owning physical servers.
Ref: Slide 10
Industry Leader
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
The leading cloud provider that serves as the backbone for companies like Netflix and Canvas.
Ref: Slide 9
Delivery Model
Software as a Service (SaaS)
where a third-party manages the entire tech stack; users access the software via a web browser.
Strategic Trend
Consumerization of Technology
The trend where employees expect business software to be as easy to use as consumer apps (e.g., Google Drive).
Compliance
Service Level Agreement (SLA)
A contract defining the guaranteed uptime, performance, and support quality a provider must deliver.
Ref: Slide 13
Alternatives
IaaS vs. PaaS
IaaS: Outsourcing hardware only. PaaS: Renting the platform tools to build your own custom applications.
Ref: Slide 8
Interactive Case Analysis
Question 1
A student organization at UT wants to launch a recruitment portal. Instead of hiring a developer to build a custom database, they subscribe to a platform where the provider manages the hardware, OS, and software updates.
Which delivery model is the organization using?
A. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
B. Software as a Service (SaaS)
C. Platform as a Service (PaaS)
D. Locally Installed Software
Correct Answer: B SaaS is the model where the provider manages everything, including the application itself (Slide 8).
Question 2
Walmart decides to move its digital operations to Microsoft Azure so they no longer have to worry about buying cooling systems or physical servers for their own data centers.
Which concept best describes this shift from owning hardware to renting it?
A. Consumerization of Tech
B. Locally Executed Systems
C. Cloud Computing
D. Open Standards
Correct Answer: C Cloud computing is the realization that companies shouldn't be in the business of running their own data centers (Slide 9).
Question 3
A company is signing a contract with AWS to host their database. They want to ensure that if the servers go down for more than 1 hour a month, they receive a refund.
What document specifies these performance and uptime guarantees?
A. Service Level Agreement (SLA)
B. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
C. User Application Agreement
D. DBMS Manifest
Correct Answer: A An SLA is a contract that specifies the service levels and quality to be maintained by the provider (Slide 13).
Question 4
Employees at a marketing firm find their old enterprise software confusing. They demand that their company switch to a tool that looks and feels like Instagram or Spotify.
Which trend describes consumer-style expectations influencing business IT?
A. Cloud Infrastructure Shift
B. Vertical Integration
C. Software Piracy Prevention
D. Consumerization of Technology
Correct Answer: D This shift occurs when consumer applications influence the design and expectations of enterprise software (Slide 7).
Question 5
Netflix needs massive amounts of raw computing power and storage to stream movies globally, but they want to manage their own complex proprietary software algorithms.
Which cloud model allows them to outsource the hardware while maintaining control of their software?
A. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
B. Platform as a Service (PaaS)
C. Software as a Service (SaaS)
D. Locally Hosted Enterprise Stack
Correct Answer: A In IaaS, the hardware is outsourced, but the client still manages the OS and applications above it, like Netflix does with AWS (Slide 8).