Google Cloud Computing Foundation Course - Week 1 Lecture Notes Summary
Lecture 1: Module Introduction
• Main Objective: Understand what cloud computing is and why it’s a game-changer for
businesses.
• Learning Objectives:
• Define cloud computing.
• Compare physical, virtual, and cloud architectures.
• Understand Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and
Software as a Service (SaaS).
• Identify the benefits of using the cloud.
• Topics Covered:
• Characteristics of cloud computing.
• Key differences between IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS.
• Google-specific cloud services.
Lecture 2: Cloud Computing
• Key Characteristics of Cloud Computing:
1. On-demand self-service: Customers can automatically access the computing
resources they need.
2. Broad network access: Resources are available over the internet from any
location.
3. Resource pooling: Providers allocate resources from a shared pool.
4. Rapid elasticity: Resources can scale up or down as needed.
5. Measured service: Users pay only for what they use.
• Example: A city’s infrastructure (transport, power) is analogous to IT infrastructure,
supporting applications and users.
Lecture 3: Cloud vs. Traditional Architecture
• Evolution of Cloud Computing:
• Colocation: Renting space in a data center for physical infrastructure.
• Virtualization: Using virtual machines to achieve elasticity in resource
management.
• Automated Elastic Cloud: Cloud infrastructure that automatically provisions
resources.
• Benefits of Cloud:
• Reduced costs by avoiding building physical data centers.
• Scalability, automation, and managed services reduce user maintenance needs.
• Google’s Role: Positioned to drive the next wave of cloud computing, focusing on data-
centric software and services.
Lecture 4: IaaS, PaaS, SaaS
• IaaS:
• Provides computing infrastructure.
• Users manage operating systems and applications.
• PaaS:
• Manages the entire environment (OS layer included).
• Users focus on managing applications.
• SaaS:
• Fully managed infrastructure, platform, and software.
• Users provide only the data.
• Examples:
• IaaS: Compute Engine.
• PaaS: App Engine.
• SaaS: Google Workspace, Salesforce.
Lecture 5: Google Cloud Architecture
• GCP Services Categories:
1. Compute: Virtual machines (Compute Engine), containers (Google Kubernetes
Engine), serverless (Cloud Functions).
2. Storage: Cloud Storage, Cloud SQL, BigTable.
3. Big Data & Machine Learning: Managed services for data analysis and ML.
4. Networking: Google’s vast global network, designed for low latency and high
throughput.
• Regions and Zones:
1. Multi-regional: Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific.
2. Regions: Divided into independent geographic areas.
3. Zones: Data center within a region, offering high availability and fault tolerance.
Lecture 6: Cloud Quiz
• Key Questions:
• What is not a fundamental cloud attribute?
• Identify a PaaS resource (App Engine).
• Example of a zonal resource (Compute Engine).
Lecture 7: Module Recap
• Cloud Computing Characteristics:
1. On-demand self-service.
2. Broad network access.
3. Resource pooling.
4. Rapid elasticity.
5. Measured service.
• Key Differences: IaaS, PaaS, SaaS.
• Google Cloud Services: Compute, storage, big data, and machine learning offerings.
• Resource Organization: Projects and resource management through zones, regions, and
multi-regions.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Module 1 - Introduction
1. What is the cloud?
• The cloud refers to software and services that run on the Internet instead of
locally on a computer.
2. Why is cloud computing a game-changer?
• It allows on-demand self-service, broad network access, resource pooling, rapid
elasticity, and measured services.
3. What are the objectives of the first module?
• To discuss cloud computing, compare physical and cloud architectures, and define
IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS.
Cloud Computing Characteristics
4. What are the 5 fundamental characteristics of cloud computing?
• On-demand self-service, broad network access, resource pooling, rapid elasticity,
and measured service.
5. What does 'on-demand self-service' mean in cloud computing?
• Users can access resources as needed without requiring human interaction.
6. How is elasticity a key feature of cloud computing?
• Resources can be rapidly scaled up or down based on demand.
Cloud vs Traditional Architecture
7. What was the first wave of IT outsourcing?
• Colocation, where organizations rented space in data centers but still owned and
managed their machines.
8. How does virtualization differ from traditional data centers?
• Virtualization automates infrastructure procurement and provides elasticity
without purchasing hardware.
9. What is the next wave of cloud computing?
• Fully automated elastic cloud, where infrastructure is provisioned and managed
automatically.
10.Why is Google investing in cloud computing?
• Google believes future companies will differentiate themselves through data-
centric technology, and cloud computing supports that vision.
IaaS, PaaS, SaaS
11.What is Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)?
• It provides the basic architecture for running servers, but users manage the OS
and applications.
12.What is Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS)?
• PaaS manages the entire environment for the user, requiring them only to manage
their applications.
13.What is Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)?
• SaaS manages the infrastructure, platform, and software, with users only needing
to bring their data.
14.What are some examples of SaaS services?
• SAP, Salesforce.
15.What’s the difference between IaaS and PaaS in payment models?
• IaaS charges for allocated resources, while PaaS charges for actual usage.
Google Cloud Architecture
16.What are some of Google Cloud's offerings in compute?
• Compute Engine, Google Kubernetes Engine, App Engine, Cloud Functions.
17.What storage options does Google Cloud offer?
• Cloud Storage, Cloud SQL, Cloud Spanner, Cloud Datastore, Cloud BigTable.
18.How does Google Cloud support big data and machine learning?
• Through managed services tailored for these tasks, allowing data management
and analytics at scale.
19.What are Google Cloud's geographic divisions?
• The world is divided into 3 multi-regional areas: The Americas, Europe, and Asia
Pacific.
20.What is a zone in GCP?
• A deployment area for resources within a geographic region, often represented as
a data center.
21.What happens if a zone becomes unavailable?
• The resources in that zone become unavailable unless they are replicated across
multiple zones.
GCP Projects and Resources
22.What is a GCP project?
• A project is the base-level organizing entity for creating and using GCP resources
and services.
23.What is a project ID in GCP?
• A unique and permanent identifier assigned to each project.
24.Can project names be changed in GCP?
• Yes, project names can be changed, but the project ID remains fixed.
25.What are the three levels of GCP resources?
• Zonal, Regional, and Global resources.
26.What is Cloud Identity and Access Management (IAM)?
• It allows fine-tuned access control to GCP resources by defining policies for user
access.
Cloud SDK and Tools
27.What is the GCP Console?
• A web-based GUI for managing GCP projects and resources.
28.What are the four ways to interact with Google Cloud Platform?
• GCP Console, Cloud SDK, Cloud Shell, and Cloud Console mobile app.
29.What is the Cloud SDK?
• A set of command-line tools for GCP that can be used interactively or in
automated scripts.
30.What is Cloud Shell?
• A browser-based shell that provides command-line access to GCP resources
without requiring SDK installation.
GCP Networking and Regions
31.How is Google’s network infrastructure designed?
• Google operates one of the largest global networks with over 90 internet
exchanges and 100 points of presence.
32.What is the latency for GCP regions?
• Under one millisecond round-trip latency within a region at the 95th percentile.
33.What are Global resources in GCP?
• Resources that operate across multiple regions, improving availability, such as
HTTP load balancers and VPC networks.
34.How are GCP resources grouped?
• Resources are grouped into projects, and projects can belong to folders or
organizations for hierarchical management.
35.What is a GCP organization?
• The root node of a GCP resource hierarchy, which helps manage policies and
permissions across an enterprise.
Lab Work and Practice
36.How can you navigate GCP using the console?
• By accessing the GCP Console at console.cloud.google.com and using the menu
to manage resources.
37.What tools are provided for collaborative development in GCP?
• Cloud Source Repositories offer Git version control.
38.What is a hands-on lab in GCP?
• An interactive practice session where users can apply what they've learned about
GCP services.
39.What APIs are provided by GCP?
• App APIs for service access and Admin APIs for resource management.
40.How do you create a project in GCP?
• By clicking on the project name in the upper-left of the GCP console, selecting
"New Project," and filling in the details.
Google’s Environmental Efforts
41.What is unique about Google's data center in Finland?
• It uses seawater for cooling, reducing energy use, and is the first of its kind
globally.
42.How does Google aim for environmental sustainability?
• Google has been 100% carbon-neutral since 2007 and is one of the largest
corporate purchasers of wind and solar energy.
43.How much of the world’s electricity is used by data centers?
• Data centers consume roughly 2% of the world’s electricity.
44.What certifications has Google’s data centers achieved?
• Google data centers were the first to achieve ISO 14001 certification for resource
efficiency and waste reduction.
Course Summary
45.What is the main advantage of the cloud for businesses?
• Businesses can access their information from any device and only pay for what
they use.
46.How does cloud computing compare to city infrastructure?
• Just like a city's infrastructure supports its citizens, cloud infrastructure supports
applications for its users.
47.What is the focus of IaaS?
• Providing the underlying architecture to run servers and virtual machines.
48.How does SaaS help businesses?
• It provides a fully managed platform, so businesses only need to bring their data
to the system.
49.What does resource pooling in cloud computing mean?
• Resources are pooled to serve multiple consumers, with different physical and
virtual resources dynamically assigned.
50.What does measured service mean in cloud computing?
• Cloud services automatically control and optimize resources usage, billing users
for the exact services used.
