Popular cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP) in Intro to Computing - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What does AWS stand for and what is it?

AWS stands for Amazon Web Services. It is a cloud platform that offers many services like storage, computing power, and databases to help run websites and apps.

beginner

Name the cloud provider owned by Microsoft.

Microsoft Azure is the cloud provider owned by Microsoft. It provides services for building, testing, and managing applications through Microsoft-managed data centers.

beginner

What is Google Cloud Platform (GCP)?

Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is a cloud service by Google. It offers tools for computing, storage, and machine learning to help businesses run their applications.

intermediate

Which cloud provider is known for its strong AI and machine learning services?

Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is known for its strong AI and machine learning services, making it popular for projects needing smart data analysis.

beginner

Why do companies use cloud providers like AWS, Azure, or GCP?

Companies use cloud providers to avoid buying and managing physical servers. They can quickly get computing power, store data safely, and scale up or down as needed, saving time and money.

Which cloud provider is owned by Amazon?

A AWS

B Azure

C GCP

D IBM Cloud

AWS stands for Amazon Web Services, the cloud platform owned by Amazon.

Microsoft Azure is best described as:

A A cloud service by Google

B A cloud service by Microsoft

C A cloud service by Amazon

D A cloud service by IBM

Microsoft Azure is the cloud platform provided by Microsoft.

Which cloud provider is especially known for AI and machine learning tools?

A AWS

B Azure

C Oracle Cloud

D GCP

Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is recognized for its AI and machine learning services.

What is a main reason companies use cloud providers?

A To buy physical servers

B To avoid using the internet

C To avoid managing physical servers

D To build their own data centers

Cloud providers let companies avoid managing physical servers by offering virtual resources.

Which cloud provider offers services through Microsoft-managed data centers?

A Azure

B GCP

C AWS

D Alibaba Cloud

Microsoft Azure runs its services through Microsoft-managed data centers.

Explain the main differences between AWS, Azure, and GCP in simple terms.

Think about who owns each cloud and what special features they have.

Why might a small business choose to use a cloud provider instead of buying their own servers?

Consider the benefits of renting resources instead of owning them.

Practice

1. Which of the following is NOT one of the top three popular cloud providers?

easy

A. GCP

B. AWS

C. DigitalOcean

D. Azure

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall the top cloud providers

   The top three popular cloud providers are AWS, Azure, and GCP.

2. Step 2: Identify the option not in the top three

   DigitalOcean is a cloud provider but not among the top three popular ones.

3. Final Answer:

   DigitalOcean -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Top providers = AWS, Azure, GCP [OK]

Hint: Remember AWS, Azure, GCP are top three [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing smaller providers as top three
• Mixing up cloud providers with hosting services

2. Which of the following is the correct way to refer to Amazon Web Services in short?

easy

A. AWS

B. AMZ

C. AWZ

D. AWE

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the abbreviation for Amazon Web Services

   The correct abbreviation is AWS, standing for Amazon Web Services.

2. Step 2: Check the options for the correct abbreviation

   Only AWS matches the correct abbreviation AWS.

3. Final Answer:

   AWS -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Amazon Web Services = AWS [OK]

Hint: AWS is the official short form for Amazon Web Services [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using incorrect abbreviations like AWZ or AMZ
• Confusing AWS with Amazon's marketplace

3. You want to store files in the cloud and access them from anywhere. Which service corresponds to this in AWS, Azure, and GCP respectively?

medium

A. EC2, Virtual Machines, Compute Engine

B. S3, Blob Storage, Cloud Storage

C. Lambda, Functions, Cloud Functions

D. RDS, SQL Database, Cloud SQL

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify storage services in each cloud provider

   AWS uses S3, Azure uses Blob Storage, and GCP uses Cloud Storage for file storage.

2. Step 2: Match the options with storage services

   S3, Blob Storage, Cloud Storage correctly lists the storage services for AWS, Azure, and GCP respectively.

3. Final Answer:

   S3, Blob Storage, Cloud Storage -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Storage services = S3, Blob Storage, Cloud Storage [OK]

Hint: Storage services: S3 (AWS), Blob (Azure), Cloud Storage (GCP) [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing compute services with storage
• Mixing up function services with storage

4. A developer tries to launch a virtual machine on Azure but uses the AWS command aws ec2 run-instances. What is the main issue?

medium

A. The command should be run in GCP console

B. The command syntax is incorrect for AWS

C. Azure does not support virtual machines

D. The command is for AWS, not Azure

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the command context

   The command aws ec2 run-instances is specific to AWS for launching virtual machines.

2. Step 2: Identify the mismatch with Azure

   Azure uses different commands and tools; AWS commands won't work on Azure.

3. Final Answer:

   The command is for AWS, not Azure -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Command context must match cloud provider [OK]

Hint: Use provider-specific commands for each cloud [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming AWS commands work on Azure
• Thinking Azure lacks virtual machine support

5. You want to design a multi-cloud app that uses AWS for computing, Azure for database, and GCP for machine learning. Which approach best supports this?

hard

A. Use each cloud's native services and connect via APIs

B. Deploy the entire app only on AWS to avoid complexity

C. Use only one cloud provider to reduce costs

D. Manually copy data between clouds without automation

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand multi-cloud design

   Multi-cloud means using different providers' services together for best features.

2. Step 2: Identify best practice for integration

   Using native services and connecting them via APIs allows smooth communication and scalability.

3. Step 3: Evaluate other options

   Deploying only on one cloud or manual data copying reduces benefits or adds errors.

4. Final Answer:

   Use each cloud's native services and connect via APIs -> Option A

5. Quick Check:

   Multi-cloud = native services + API integration [OK]

Hint: Connect cloud services via APIs for multi-cloud apps [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Trying to avoid multi-cloud complexity by using one provider
• Ignoring automation in data transfer
• Assuming manual copying is efficient