On Cloud Nine Trivia Quiz

Answer: Definition of cloud computing

Broadly defined, cloud computing encompasses the delivery of various IT resources using the internet, rather than a physical hard drive. For many companies and businesses today, cloud computing has dramatically eased their ability to work remotely because access to data and information is no longer restricted to a physical device. One area where cloud computing is helpful is in data storage: users can save information on their computer as they usually would, but anyone else with access to those servers or files can see or use that information even if located somewhere else.

Answer: Azure

Microsoft Azure is a cloud service that is compatible with Microsoft's other programs, which makes the workplace more efficient. The Azure platform, which was first released in 2010, is available as an internet-based service, meaning that the platform acts as an intermediary between your computer that is connected to the internet and the storage and infrastructure services needed by users. Azure is especially helpful to companies that have remote workers, because all files, email systems, and security settings can be controlled by an administrator no matter where the employee is located. Users can easily access files through Sharepoint and edit collaboratively in real-time.

Answer: Software

Software as a Service, more commonly known as Saas, is one of the three main categories of cloud computing along with Infrastructure as a Service and Platform as a Service. According to IBM, SaaS is a method to deliver software and applications using an internet connection, and through a subscription model.

This technology eliminates the need for a user to install and update their programs or servers because it is all taken care of over the cloud. Gmail and Microsoft Office are both examples of applications that are delivered through a SaaS model. SaaS has become key for business operations because it can help with many aspects of running a business, including financial, sales, human resources, and customer relationship management.

Answer: Drive

Google Drive debuted in 2012 and, though it had some initial interface issues, it has become a common application used by many around the world to store their files on the cloud. Drive is part of the Google Workspace family that also includes Gmail, Calendar, and Meet. Drive allows users to edit documents in Docs, Sheets, or Slides (Google's versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), but it can help store almost any kind of file, including those created with Microsoft programs. It is a useful tool to back up important files without the need for an external drive like a USB.

Drive is not to be confused with Google Cloud, which is Google's version of Microsoft Azure or Amazon Web Services, providing a more extensive cloud-based service.

Answer: Data centers

Data centers replace the function that in-house servers, hard drives, and thumb drives played before the advent of cloud computing. When a user of a cloud platform saves their files, their computer communicates over the internet with these data servers and stores the information there. This process explains some of the advantages of cloud computing, particularly for businesses: this way, companies save physical space by not having the servers in their offices, and also can significantly reduce costs by incorporating multiple infrastructure solutions into this bundle known as the cloud.

Where the data centers are located can also have a bearing on the legal world: if users want to sue a company over misuse of their information, they will often need to find out where in the world their information is stored. Of course, that could be a different place than where either the company or the user are physically located.

Answer: Infrastructure

Infrastructure as a Service, commonly known as IaaS, is one of the most common services offered by cloud computing providers. According to IBM, IaaS falls into three main categories: compute (where the processors are), storage (which has its own subcategories like block and file storage), and network (which is essential because, without this connection over the internet, the cloud system will not work). Offering Infrastructure as a Service is helpful to businesses because they can pay for how much they use and on a "pay as you go" model instead of a more expensive alternative.

As a result, cloud-based platforms are usually cost-efficient and give the company access to computing infrastructure (like data centers), which means the company no longer has to invest in these resources or have them in-house.

Answer: Backup

Before the internet and all the technology associated with it developed, files could only be stored locally or, later, on external drives. If the main computer failed, stopped responding, or got infected by malware (all of which are more common than you may think!), that was the end of those files and they could rarely be recovered. External hard drives and USB thumb drives helped solve this issue by allowing users to back up their information there, so if the computer failed, they had another version of their files handy and wouldn't lose all their work.

While those resources are still used today, some users don't do backups in these devices as often as they want to (or in the modern world, frankly have to in some cases), let alone the issue that these devices can easily be lost, especially USB drives. The cloud solves all of these issues by allowing users to seamlessly store their files and information without any extra steps.

Answer: Data recovery

Both physical storage and cloud-based storage have multiple security risks associated with them. For example, a physical data center or storage unit can be stolen, lost, or hacked into, causing millions of dollars in financial and reputational damage. The cloud is not without risk, and indeed, companies like Yahoo and Marriott International have suffered serious data breaches over information that was stored in the cloud.

Cloud computing, however, does offer better protection in terms of data recovery in the event it somehow becomes lost. Data loss in on-premises equipment is very difficult to react to, making the recovery of lost data almost impossible. Cloud computing platforms, on the other hand, are equipped with better disaster recovery protocols that make it easier to recover lost data. Administrators of a company's cloud system have tools at their disposal to recover files when, for example, they are accidentally deleted by a remote employee.

Answer: Spotify

Software as a Service is one of cloud computing's most important categories because it is used by businesses and regular consumers alike. While SaaS is available in the form of email client software or productivity programs like Microsoft Office or Adobe Creative Cloud, the SaaS model also helps deliver services over the internet in a variety of other contexts. For example, Netflix is SaaS by allowing users to stream movies and television shows with an internet connection, as opposed to having to use a VHS or DVD external unit to watch them.

Similarly, Spotify offers music streaming services on the cloud by allowing subscription users to access thousands of songs and podcasts with nothing else but a device and an internet connection. Spotify was founded in Sweden in 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon.

Answer: Bursting

Cloud bursting is another of cloud computing's advantages over physical or on-premises storage and infrastructure models. When an organization's full resource capacity is reached on physical computing, it may take a while for it to restart. With cloud bursting, any overflow traffic that is causing a private cloud to use 100% of its current capacity is redirected to a public cloud.

This means that services are never interrupted because the redirection of traffic occurs seamlessly. Many cloud bursting services are pay-as-you-go, which means organizations only need to pay for what they use whenever their cloud reaches peak capacity.