IBM_Cloud_Advocate_Review.pdf

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IBM Cloud Advocate Review
Section 1 – Cloud computing and its essential characteristics,

history, and emerging trends
1.1. List the essential characteristics of cloud computing

The five essential characteristics of the cloud according to the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) are:
On demand self-service
Broad network access
Resource pooling
Rapid elasticity
Measured services
1.2. Recognize the factors regarding the evolution and history of the Cloud
1950s:
Concept of cloud computing evolves.
The practice of time sharing or resource pooling evolved to make more efficientuse of
computing power via the mainframe.
Multiple users were able to access the same data storage layer and Central Processing Unit
(CPU) power from any terminal.
1970s:
The release of an operating system called Virtual Machine (VM) made it possible for
mainframes to have multiple virtual systems or VMs on a single physical node.
Virtualization became a technology driver and a huge catalyst for the largest evolutions in
communications and computing.
Circa 2000s:
Physical hardware was still quite expensive.
As the internet became more accessible and the need to make hardware costs more
important, servers were virtualized into shared hosting environments, virtual private servers,
and virtual dedicated servers, using the same types of functionality provided by the virtual
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machine operating system.

For example, if a company needed "x" number of physical systems to run their applications,
they could take one physical node and split it into multiple virtual systems. This was enabled
by hypervisors.
Hypervisor – small software layer that enables multiple operating systems to run
alongside each other, sharing the same physical computing resources.
A hypervisor also separates the VMs logically, assigning each its own slice of
underlying computing power, memory, and storage, thus preventing the virtual
machines from interfering with each other.
Pay-as-you-go or computer utility model:
Was a key driver for cloud computing success.
Used as a utility billing method – customers pay for services as they are procured
and/or used.
1.3. Identify the key cloud service providers and their services
Alibaba cloud, also known as Aliyun:
Largest Chinese cloud service provider.
Provides a comprehensive list of services that include:=
Compute, network, storage, security, monitoring and managing, communication,
analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), application development, and data migration.
Amazon Web Services (AWS Cloud):

Offers an extensive range of infrastructure and platform services to individuals, companies,
and governments on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Provides a wide range of products, services and solutions that include:
Compute, DevOps,data, analytics, IoT, machinelearning, networking, contentdelivery,
robotics, serverless computing, and more.
Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

Offers a suite of cloud computing services, providing infrastructure, platform, and serverless
computing environments.
Uses GCP internally for their end-user products such as Google Search, and YouTube.
The Google App Engine is a platform for developing and hosting web applications in Google-
manageddata centers, automatically allocating, and de-allocating resources to handle
demand.
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Includes G Suite with products for communication, productivity, collaboration, storage, and
more.
IBM Cloud
Offers a full stack cloud platform spanning public, private, and hybrid environments.
Products and services covering compute, network, storage, management, security, DevOps,
and databases.
More prominent offerings include bare metal servers, VMware, Cloud Paks for application
modernization, and virtual private cloud.
Suite of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), IoT, blockchain, data, and
analytics.
Hybrid cloud –acquisition of Red Hat OpenShift –to position itself as leading hybrid cloud
provider.
Section 2 – The business case for cloud computing
2.1. Recall the various factors related to a business case for Cloud Computing
Cloud adoption is a strategy used by enterprises to improve the scalability of internet-based
database capabilities while reducing cost and risk. It helps them quickly provision services without
any upfront costs and experiment with low risk to capital as opportunities. Permitting them to
adapt quickly to changes in the marketplace.
Cloud adoption is no longer an option for the future.

Today anyone can access the computing capacity needed via the cloud.
An IBM Institute for Business Value study indicated more than three-quarters (7 of
enterprises today are using cloud computing to expand into new industries:
74% have adopted cloud to improve the customer experience.
71% use cloud to create enhanced products and services —while downsizing
legacy systems, and reducing costs.
To remain competitive, businesses need to be able to respond quickly to marketplace changes, use
analytics to understand customer experience and apply that understanding to adapt their products,
and services based on what they learn.
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Cloud makes it possible for businesses to greatly decrease the time from decision to value by
enabling them the ability to experiment, learn, and fail fast without large amounts of capital
expenditures.
Enablers for growth, agility, and innovation in today’s organizations include:
Cognitively enabled workflows.
Applied exponential technologies such as AI, automation, IoT and blockchain applications,
dOpen hybrid, and secure Multicloud infrastructures.
The power, scalability, flexibility, and pay-as-you-go economics of the cloud provided the
foundation for the transformation to cloud.
The International Data Corporation (IDC) predicts by 2025, the total amount of digital data created
worldwide will rise to 163 zettabytes (where one zettabyte is equivalent to a trillion gigabytes).
Thirty- percent of this data will be real-time information.
A cloud strategy, more than just an IT strategy, is the core component of any business strategy
today. Those organizations that have no current or future strategy for cloud adoption risk
disruptions to the agility, speed, innovation, and decision-making aspects of their business.
2.2. Recognize technologies supported by Cloud: AI, IoT, Blockchain, Analytics

The Internet of Things (IoT):
What is it?
The concept of connecting any device (so long as it has an on/off switch) to the Internet and
to other connected devices. The IoT is a huge network of connected things and people – all
of which collect and share data about the way they are used and about the environment
around them.
How it works
Devices and objects with built-in sensors are connected to an IoT platform, which integrates
data from the different devices and applies analytics to share the most valuable information
with applications built to address specific needs.
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Artificial Intelligence (AI):

What is it?
Artificial intelligence is a field which combines computer science and robust datasets to
enable problem solving. It also has been defined as a simulation of human intelligence in
machines programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions.
Applicability:
Many of the applications where we apply artificial intelligence today would not have been
possible without the scalable, on-demand computing offered by the cloud.
Symbiotic relationship between IoT, AI, and the cloud:

IoT – delivers the data
AI – powers the insights
Cloud – scalability and processing power is leveraged by IoT and AI to provide value to its
users.
Blockchain:
What is it?
Blockchain is a secure, distributed, open technology that helps speed up processes, lower
costs, and build transparency and traceability in transactional applications.
Blockchain is a growing list of records called blocks which are interconnected by utilizing
cryptography. Each block contains a cryptographic hash of the previous block, a time stamp,
and exchange information.
It is an immutable network allowing members to view only those transactions relevant to
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them. The more open, diverse, and distributed the network, the stronger the trust and
transparency in the data and transactions.
Blockchain and AI have a symbiotic relationship with the cloud. Blockchain technology
provides the trusted, decentralized source of truth, AI powers the analytics and decision-
making from the data collected; and the cloud provides globally distributed, scalable, and
cost-efficient computing resources to support both the unprecedented amounts of data
being collected, and the processing power required to draw insights from this data.
Analytics:
What is it?
Analytic technologies on the cloud leverage the flexibility, scalability and computing
resources available on the cloud. From tracking trends on social media to predicting future
events, to analyzing data to build machine learning models that be deployed in cognitive
applications, cloud provides the integrated environment that is required to leverage data for
continuous improvement and accelerated business growth.
Section 3 – Service and deployment models of cloud computing
3.1. Outline cloud computing service models: IaaS, PaaS, SaaS

Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS):
The cloud provider manages the physical resources, data centers, cooling power, network,
and security and the computing resources that include servers and storage.
Networking and storage resources have been virtualized by a vendor so a user can access
and configure them the way they want.
User is also known by a persona. The persona for IaaS is the system admin or IT admin.
Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS):
The cloud provider manages the platform infrastructure – operating systems, development
tools, databases, and business analytics.
The user or persona for a PaaS is a developer.
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS):
The cloud provider also hosts and manages the applications and data.
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Software − the user doesn’t have to install or update; it is done by the provider.
Charged via a subscription model rather than a one-time license fee.
User or persona for SaaS can be anyone.
3.2. Differentiate between the cloud computing deployment Models: Public, Private, Hybrid
Public Cloud:
Characteristics of a Public Cloud:
It has a virtualized multitenant architecture, enabling tenants or users to share computing
resources residing outside their firewalls.
The cloud providers pool of resources, including infrastructure, platforms and software are
NOT dedicated for use by a single tenant (user) or organization.
Resources are distributed on an as-needed basis offered through a variety of subscription
and pay-as-you- go models.
Features of a Public Cloud:

Users get access to servers, storage, network, security and applications as services delivered
by cloud provider via the internet.
With the use of web consoles and APIs, users can provision the resources, and services they
need.
The cloud provider owns, manages, provisions, and maintains the infrastructure renting it to
customers either as a subscription or per a usage-based fee.
Users do not own the servers their applications run on or the storage their data consumes.
They do not manage the operations of the servers or determine how the platforms are
maintained. Users pay for usage over a certain time period, much like paying for utilities (e.g.,
water, gas, or electricity).
It offers significant cost savings for the consumer, as the cloud provider bears all the capital,
operational, and maintenance expenses for the infrastructure and facilities in which they are
hosted.
Scalability is easier as customers only need to request additional capacity, if/when needed.
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Private Cloud:
Characteristics of a Private Cloud:
It may be owned, managed, and operated by the organization, a third party or some
combination of them, and it may exist on or off premises.
Private cloud platforms can be implemented internally or externally.
When the platform is provisioned over an organization’s internal infrastructure, it runs
on- premises and is owned, managed, and operated by the organization.
When it is provisioned over a cloud provider’s infrastructure, it is owned, managed, and
operated by the service provider. This external private cloud offering that resides on a
cloud service provider’s infrastructure is called a Virtual Private Cloud or VPC.
A VPC is a public cloud offering that lets an organization establish its own private and
secure cloud-like computing environment in a logically isolated part of a shared public
cloud.
Using a VPC, organizations can leverage the dynamic scalability, high availability, and
lower cost of ownership of a public cloud while having the infrastructure and security
tailored their unique needs.
It is a virtualized environment designed to bring in the benefits of a public cloud platform
without the perceived disadvantages of an open and shared public platform.
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Hybrid Cloud:
Hybrid cloud is a computing environment that connects an organization’s on-premises private
cloud and third-party public cloud into a single, flexible infrastructure for running the organization’s
applications and workloads.
The mix of public and private cloud resources gives organizations the optimal cloud for each
application or workload. Workloads move freely between the two clouds as needs change.
Organizations can choose to run the sensitive, highly regulated, and mission-critical applications or
workloads with reasonably constant performance and capacity requirements on the private cloud
infrastructure while deploying the less-sensitive and more-dynamic workloads on the public cloud
Key Tenets of Hybrid Cloud:
Interoperability: public and private cloud services can understand each other’s APIs,
configurations, data formats, and forms of authentication and authorization.
Scalability: when there is a spike in demand, a workload running on the private cloud can
leverage the additional public cloud capacity, making it scalable.
Portability: not being locked into a specific vendor, a user can move applications and data not
just between on- premises and cloud systems, but also between service providers.
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Section 4 – Components of cloud architecture
4.1. Define cloud architecture and infrastructure

The infrastructure layer is the foundation of the cloud. It consists of physical resources that are
housed in regions, zones and data centers.
Regions:
A geographic area or location where a cloud provider’s infrastructure is clustered. It may
have names such as NA (North America) South or US (United States) East.
The regions are isolated from one another, so if one region was impacted by a natural
disaster (e.g., an earthquake, the cloud operations in other regions would continue to
function).
Zones:
Each cloud region can have multiple zones (also known as availability zones or AZ) which are
typically distinct data centers with their own power, cooling, and networking resources.
Zones can have names such as DAL-09 or us-east-1.
The isolation of zones improves the cloud’s overall fault tolerance, decreases latency and
avoids creating a single shared point of failure.
The availability zones and data centers within them are connected to other AZs and
regions, private data centers and the internet using very high- bandwidth network
connectivity.
Data Centers:
A huge warehouse or room containing cloud infrastructure equipment. These data centers
contain pods and racks or standardized containers of computing resources such as servers
plus storage and networking equipment.
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Storage - Information and data can consist of files, code, documents, images, videos, backups,
snapshots, and databases and can be stored in many different types of storage options on the
cloud.
Networking infrastructure in a cloud datacenter

Includes traditional networking hardware such as routers and switches.
Cloud providers use software defined networking (SDN) options where certain networking
resources are virtualized or made available programmatically through APIs. This allows for
easier network provisioning to setup their public and private network interfaces. The public
network interfaces and connects the servers to the public internet. The private network
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provide connectivity to an organization’s other cloud resources and helps keep them secure.
Network interfaces in the cloud need to have IP addresses and subnets either assigned
automatically or configured.
Security groups and access control lists (ACLs) need to be configured in a cloud environment
to enable network traffic and users to access resources. For further security and isolation of
resources, most Cloud providers implement virtual local area networks (VLANs), virtual
private clouds (VPCs), and virtual private networks (VPNs).
Content delivery networks (CDNs): Distribute content to multiple points throughout the
world so users accessing the content can do so more quickly by receiving it from a point
closest to them.
4.2. Define virtualization in relation to virtual machines and bare metal servers
Virtualization - The process of creating a software based or a virtual version of a computing
resource or facility, whether it be compute, storage, networks, servers, or applications.
Hypervisors and Its Types:
Virtual Machines - Once you have a hypervisor installed you can build VMs.
Software-based computer that runs like a physical computer. They are completely
independent of one another. Multiple instances can be run on a hypervisor (e.g., one can run
on Windows, one on Linux, or another on Unix).
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Virtual machines (VMs) are also known as virtual servers or virtual instances. The various
cloud providers make VMs available in a variety of configurations and deployment options
to serve different use cases.
A few different types of VMs can be provisioned on the cloud. These include:
Shared or public cloud VMs − provider-managed, multitenant deployments that can be
provisioned on-demand with predefined sizes.
Transient or spot VMs − take advantage of unused capacity in a cloud data center.
Reserved VMs − allow you to reserve capacity and guarantee resources for future
Deployments.
Dedicated hosts − offer single tenant isolation.
Bare Metal Servers - A bare metal server is single tenant, dedicated physical server.
It is dedicated to a single customer.
The cloud provider takes the physical server and plugs it into a rack in a data center for
customers. They manage the server up to the operating system. The provider is responsible
for fixing hardware or rack connections.
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The customer is responsible for administering and managing everything else on the server.
The cloud provider can either preconfigure the server to meet workload packages or it can
be custom configured per customer specifications (includes processors, RAM, hard drives,
specialized components, and the OS).
Workload examples satisfied by bare metal servers are ERP, CRM, AI, deep learning, and
virtualization.
Customer can install their own OS and install certain hypervisors that are not available from
the provider.
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4.3. Define Secure Cloud Networks

Creating a Cloud Network
Define the size of the network or IP address range that establishes the boundaries or the
cloud network. Cloud networks are deployed in networking spaces that are logically
separated segments of the networks using options, including virtual private clouds (VPCs),
that in turn, can be divided into smaller segments called subnets.
Logically segmented cloud networks are a private carveout of the cloud that offers
customers the security of private clouds and the scalability of public clouds. Cloud
resources, such as VMs or virtual server instances (VSIs), storage, network connectivity, and
load balancers are deployed into subnets. Using subnets allows user to deploy enterprise
applications using the same multitier concepts used in on-premises environments. Subnets
are also the main area where security is implemented in the cloud.
Every subnet is protected by access control lists (ACLs) that serves as a subnet-level fire
wall. Within the subnet, security groups can be created that provide security at the instance
level, such as VSIs. Once the subnet is built, then it’s time to add some VSIs and storage so
the applications can run.
A public gateway instance is added to the network to enable users’ access to the application
(web-facing VSIs need internet access) in the internet tier. While public gateways are great
for internet access to the cloud, enterprises are interested in extending their on-premises
resources to the cloud by securely connecting them using virtual private networks, or VPNs.
When building many subnets and deploying several workloads, it becomes necessary to
ensure that applications continue to be responsive. This is achieved with load balancers.
They ensure availability of bandwidth for the different applications.
Enterprises with hybrid cloud environments find using dedicated high-speed connections between
clouds and on-premises resources is a more secured and more efficient way rather than public
connectivity solutions.
Some cloud service providers offer such connectivity, such as IBM Cloud and its Direct Link
solution. It enables extending on-premises resources to the cloud as needed.
Building a cloud network entails creating a set of logical constructs that deliver networking
functionality that is akin to the data center networks. IT professionals have come to rely on the
functionality for securing their environments and ensuring high-performing business applications.
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4.4. List the uses and functions of containers on the cloud

What are Containers?
Containers are an executable unit of software in which application code is packaged, along
with its libraries and dependencies, in common ways so that it can be run anywhere,
whether it be on desktop, traditional IT, or the cloud.
Container Characteristics:
Containers are small, fast, and portable, and unlike VMs, they do not need to include a guest
OS in every instance. They can instead simply leverage the features and resources of the
host OS.
Advantages & Benefits of Containers:

Portability.
Scalability.
Takes advantage of cloud-native based architectures.
Streamline development and deployment of cloud-native applications.
Allow for agile DevOps and continuous integration, and delivery.
Contain code, system tools, the system libraries, and runtime and settings of the application.
Streamline ways to build, test, deploy, and redeploy on multiple environments.
4.5. Differentiate the concepts of direct attached, file, block, and object storage in Cloud
Cloud storage is a computer model where data and files are stored in digital format in the cloud.
Certain storage must be attached to a compute node before the storage can be accessed, whereas
other storage types can be directly accessed either through the public internet or a dedicated
private network connection.
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The four types of cloud storage are direct attached, file, block, and object.
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Object storage buckets also have storage “tiers” or “classes” associated with them, and these tiers
are based on how frequently the data is accessed. A standard tier bucket is where you would store
objects that are frequently accessed.
4.6. Identify the function and use of Content Delivery Networks (CDN) within the cloud
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4.7. Differentiate between Hybrid Multicloud, serverless, and microservice cloud solutions
Hybrid Multicloud:
Leveraging the best of the cloud models and services across different providers where
applications and workloads work seamlessly across multiple different cloud types. For example,
hybrid multicloud would allow a customer to have an ERP service from one provider, a cloud
database application from another, and a platform service from some other.
Main Benefit of Hybrid Multicloud:
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Cloud scaling
Use Cases for Hybrid Cloud

Cloud scaling, for example in the flower delivery industry, business need to be able to
scale at a global level. Cloud scaling scales up in response to peak seasons/holiday in
different global locations (EU and US) and then deprovision resources when no longer
need.
Modernization in data and AI for the airline industry – cumbersome legacy reservation
systems has led to the need to modernize. Development and use of a mobile app to
book/rebook flights coupled with the use of predictive analytics to gain insights into
historical data of when unplanned maintenance has happened and address potential
unplanned maintenance incidents.
Prevents being locked in with a specific vendor – being able to move workloads from
one cloud platform to another as needs arise.
Serverless:
Serverless is an approach to computing that offloads responsibility for common infrastructure
management tasks such as scaling, scheduling, patching, and provisioning application stacks to
cloud providers, allowing developers to focus their time and effort on the code and business
logic specific to their applications orprocess. Serverless doesn’t mean there are no servers; only
that the management of the underlying physical or virtual servers is removed from their users.
Use Cases for Serverless Computing

Data and event processing, microservices, and mobile backends.
Inherent and automatic scaling, rapid provisioning, and a pricing model that does not
charge for idletime.
Working with structured text, audio, image and video data, and tasks such as data
enrichment,transformation, validation and cleansing, PDF processing, audio
normalization, thumbnail generation,and video transcoding.
Well suited for working with all sorts of data stream ingestions, including business data
steams, IoTsensor data, log data, and financial market data.
Serverless architecture computing services include IBM Cloud Functions (based on Apache
OpenWhisk), AWS Lamb-da and Microsoft Azure Functions. IBM Cloud Functions is a polyglot
(written in multiple programming languages), function-as-a-service (FaaS) programming platform for
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developing lightweight code that scalably executes on demand.
Microservices:
Microservices architecture is an approach in which a single application is composed of many
loosely coupled and independently deployable smaller components or services. These services
typically have their own stack running on their own containers. They communicate with one
another over a combination of APIs events streaming and message brokers for a business.
Microservices break down large applications into their core functions (e.g., search
recommendations, customer ratings, or product catalogs).
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4.8. Define Cloud Native and Application Modernization

Cloud Native:
A cloud-native application is an application developed from the outset to work only in the
cloud environment, or an existing app that has been refactored (restructured) and reconfigured
with cloud- native principles. A cloud-native application consists of microservices working
together as a whole to comprise an application, yet each can be independently scaled and
iterated through automation and orchestration processes. These microservices are often
packaged in containers, which are executable units of software in which the application code is
packaged along with its libraries and dependencies so cloud- native that it can be run from
anywhere. This independence enables frequent, iterative improvement of - applications,
without disrupting the experience of end users.
Cloud-native applications are unlike traditional or monolithic applications that are built out of
one huge piece of software. These applications tightly couple the user interface, business-logic
layer, and data layer. A monolithic application is described as a single-tiered software
application in which the user interface and data access code are combined into a single program
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from a single platform.
Monolithic vs Microservice Architecture:
Benefits of Cloud-Native:
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Application Modernization:
Application modernization is often described as updating or improving legacy applications,
their architecture, and the methods for developing them by using new technologies and
modern methods for implementing them.
Legacy applications are also often monolithic applications. Monolithic applications have two
characteristics that make it desirable to modernize them: they are difficult to update, and
they are difficult and expensive to scale.
Benefits of Application Modernization:

Accelerate digital transformation.
Take advantage of new technologies and services (containers, microservices, Function-
as-a-Service, DevOps).
More responsive to customer needs and changing market dynamics.
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Challenges With Application Modernization

Cost
Complexity
Common Goals of Application Modernization Initiatives

Microservices architecture − splits applications into multiple services that perform more
granular functions and are part of the application as a whole. Each of the microservices
will have a different logical function for an application.
DevOps − helps in application modernization by supporting developers in building,
deploying,running, and monitoring the applications associated with infrastructure and
architecture and/or its features.
Cloud migration – migrating to the cloud helps organizations that are running traditional
applications transition to a cloud environment.
Section 5 – Introduction to IBM Cloud
5.1. Recognize the various Locations, Regions, and Zones and the role they play in the IBM Cloud
IBM Cloud can deploy workloads in over 6 regions, 18 availability zones, and 60 data centers
globally. This network spans 19 countries on 6 continents.
The six IBM Cloud regions are:

1. Dallas
2. WashingtonDC
3. London
4. Frankfurt
5. Tokyo
6. Sydney
IBM cloud compute services are available in all six multi-zone capable regions and select single-
zone regions. These include cities located in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia
Pacific.
IBM Cloud object storage uses multi-zone availability.
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Hierarchy of Geographic Locations

IBM Cloud resources are organized into a hierarchy of geographic locations. Locations can be
broken down as follows.
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IBM Cloud provides cloud infrastructure in Ashburn, VA and Dallas, TX that are built to meet
Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) and Federal Information Security
Modernization Act (FISMA) privacy and security standards and are connected to each other
through an independent high- speed private network.
5.2. Differentiate between IBM Cloud Account Types and Support Plans
IBM Account Types:
1. Lite
This account is free of charge.
Ideal for users who want to explore IBM Cloud for free.
Benefits include access to over 40 services like cloud object storage, cloud
databases, andartificial intelligence (AI) services.
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No credit card required, and the account never expires.

2. Pay-as-you-go
Ideal for users who want full access to IBM Cloud with no long-term commitment.
Benefits include access to all services in the catalog and to basic support, and it is
fit forproduction use cases.
3. Subscription
Ideal for organizations that would benefit from predicted billing and have
committed to a certain amount of spend.
Benefits available for enterprise customers include discounted pricing for services
and support, and access to all services in the catalog.
Case severity ranking is available for Advanced and Premium support plans. How quickly your
support cases are addressed depends on the assigned severity.
Advanced: Guaranteed response time of 1 to 8 hours
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Premium: Guaranteed response time of 15min to 2 hours

4 = Minimal
3 = Some
2 = Significant
1 = Critical
5.3. Indicate how Account types can impact IBM Cloud management and support
No specific material on this in study sheets...
5.4. Recognize the components of the IBM Cloud Cost Estimator

The cost estimator tool does exactly what its name suggests. It estimates the cost of an IBM Cloud
service before you create the service. The tool is supported by all IBM Cloud services ranging from
AI services to infrastructure services and Kubernetes clusters.
In the IBM Cloud Console, select the Cost Estimator icon. Explore the catalog to find offerings to
add to an estimate. Then select your pricing plan and enter other configuration details as needed.
Enter in the estimated usage to calculate the cost.
The estimate can be calculated in over 15 different currencies, including U.S. dollars, South
African rands, and Japanese yen. By default, the estimator shows the pricing and billing
currency set for the account.
When finished, the estimate can be downloaded as a PDF, an XLSX, or a CSV.
5.5. List the concepts relative to Access Management (IAM) in IBM Cloud
IAM Concepts
In IBM Cloud, IAM is comprised of four concepts:
1. Users – The people that login and use the account.
2. Access groups – A collection of users.
3. Resources – A provision service offering with selections from the catalog.
4. Resource groups – A way of grouping resources together.
At the very highest level of IAM in IBM Cloud, we have an account. An account is comprised of
many users. Each user has an email address that they use to log in to IBM Cloud.
In each account there is an account owner. In practice, for most enterprises this is usually a
shared enterprise email that multiple people access.
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A user represents an IBM ID enabled account. Users are invited to join accounts which can
be done through the console, IBM Cloud CLI, or application programming interface (API).
Users can create API keys to use with the CLI as an alternative to passwords for
authentication. Users are given a role for the platform when invited, and these roles range
from read-only viewer role to the administrator role, which can invite other users and view
billing information.
Access groups are a collection of users. This is a way of grouping users together. For
instance, you may decide to group your users into access groups such as admins, billing, and
basic users. Access groups help enable a cleaner separation of control, and it's worth noting
that users can be a part of multiple access groups at the same time.
As previously mentioned, a resource is an instance of a service. Resources have an

automatically generated service ID and can be deployed to specific regions. Resources have
roles that can limit user access for that resource. For example, with cloud object storage, a
user with the reader role could list and download objects in buckets. A user with a writer
role could create and destroy buckets, and a user with a manager role could control all
aspects of data storage, like adding a retention policy and bucket firewall.
Resource groups are a collection of IBM Cloud resources. By grouping resources together,
you can easily provide access to multiple resources at once. Note: The first resource group
created is automatically named Default. You can update the name of this group or any other
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groups that you create. Keep in mind that resource groups:

Are specified at service creation time.
Cannot be changed. (a resource’s resource group cannot be changed)
Have no geographical restrictions. This means you can put resources from Dallas and
resources from Sydney in the same group, bringing it all together which is the
concept of an access policy.
An access policy is the combination of a subject (which is a user or an access group), their
role, and a target, resource, or resource group.
Section 6 – IBM Cloud Infrastructure (Compute, Networking,

and Storage)
6.1. Differentiate between different compute options on IBM Cloud

Compute Options for IBM Cloud
There are four types of virtual server offerings on IBM Cloud: virtual server service, bare metal
service, power system service, and hyper protect service. The features and capabilities of each
virtual server are shown here.
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Hyper Protect Servers allow for the creation and running of virtual servers on IBM LinuxONE
(most secure Linux-based platform) and provide access to Z technology without purchasing any
unique hardware or having unique Z skills. They offer added security as the servers are
deployed in any secure service container. They are as easy to configure and deploy as any other
virtual machine but can only be deployed to specific data centers in Dallas, Frankfurt, Sydney,
and Washington.
Compare and Contrast Compute Options for IBM Cloud
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6.2. Differentiate Storage Services on IBM Cloud

Block and File Storage Overview
There are three types of block and file storage related services on IBM Cloud:
Block Storage Service provides virtual servers and bare metal servers with SAN-like
Internet SmallComputer Systems Interface (iSCSi) storage.
File Storage Service provides virtual and bare metal servers with a network file system
(NFS) based storage.
Cloud Backup Service is an enterprise level backup storage and disaster recovery
solution.
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IBM Cloud Backup Service

The IBM Cloud Backup service is an automated agent-based backup system used to backup
and restore data between servers in one or more IBM Cloud data centers. Benefits of this
service are shown here.
Object Storage Overview

Object storage is great for storing vast amounts of unstructured data. Files are uploaded as
objects and saved into buckets. Buckets have no directory or tree structure. Each object in the
bucket is given a unique identifier with metadata such as when the data was uploaded or last
accessed. Objects can be very small -> up to 10 TB. All requests and responses to access data
from IBM Cloud Object Storage using a RESTful API are using HTTPS protocol.
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6.3. Define external facing network services on the IBM Cloud

IBM Cloud has two different services for networking:
1. Cloud Internet Services (based on Cloudflare)
2. Collection of networking infrastructure services with options for virtual local area networks
(VLANs), virtual private networks (VPNs), and content delivery networks (CDNs).
Cloud Internet Services

Cloud Internet Services provides reliable, secure options for internet-facing application by
leveraging Cloudflare. Cloudflare is a web infrastructure company that provides domain name
system (DNS) services to 12 million websites, and has over 165 points of presence all over the
world.
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Within IBM Cloud, you can use Cloud Internet Services to configure:
Network Infrastructure Services

There are many network infrastructure related services on IBM Cloud, including gateway
appliances,
VPNs, VLANs, Direct Link, CDNs, and load balancers.
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6.4. Indicate the features and functionalities of Virtual Private Clouds

Virtual Private Cloud Overview
A Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) is a secure, isolated, private cloud hosted within a public cloud. A
VPC provides the security of a private cloud with the cost effectiveness and scalability of a
private cloud.
VPCs offer:
An on-demand configurable pool of shared resources allocated within a public cloud
environment.
Isolation between virtual machines through private IP subnets and encrypted
communication channels.
Authentication of users and remote access to shared resources.These features and
functions allow an organization to work on a virtually private cloud.
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VPC Options on IBM Cloud

There are two VPC generation options on IBM Cloud: Generation 1 and Generation 2. A
comparison of the two options is included in the table.
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6.5. Define options for VMWare workloads on IBM Cloud

VMware Overview
To understand the importance of VMware on the Cloud, it is important to understand the
history of VMware. In the early 2000s, before major public clouds, VMware solutions were the
standard for desktop and server virtualization. VMware software was deployed to servers and
data centers all over the world. Many IBM clients use VMware to this day. In 2016, IBM Cloud
became the first cloud vendor to bring VMware services to the cloud.
VMware Solution Dedicated

The VMware Solution Dedicated is a single tenant, bare metal solution with vCenter Server and
VMware vSphere options, which allows clients to retain root level access to the hypervisor. This
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experience is similar to an on-premises experience in a data center. Difference and similarities

for vCenter Server and VMware vSphere options are shown here.
VMware Solution Shared

VMware Solution Shared allows for deployment of workloads on top of IBM hosted VMware
infrastructure. IBM provides a self-service on demand VMware cloud computing platform with
VMware vCloud Director running on IBM Cloud. IBM manages up to the hypervisor level.
Benefits of the VMware Solution Shared are listed here.
Why use VMware on IBM Cloud?
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Optional Services Added to VMWare Deployments

There are 13 (and counting) optional services that can be added to VMware deployments,
ranging from security and compliance to business continuity and migration services. Three
optional services are highlighted here.
Section 7 – Deploying IBM Cloud Applications
7.1. Identify the various features and usage of containers, Kubernetes, and OpenShift on the IBM
Cloud
What is a container?
A container can be thought of as packaging up your application source code dependencies, like
runtimes, binaries, libraries, and data. A packaged up container is called an image. A container
image is stored in a registry as a read-only static file that includes executable code, libraries, and
dependencies that are required by an application to run.
A container is configured to communicate with a specific Kubernetes cluster. Each cluster has a
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master node with at least one worker node. Each worker node can support running multiple
pods. A pod runs a single image or instance of a containerized application or process.
Benefits of Using Containers
Elements of Kubernetes
Containers are the building blocks for Kubernetes and provide process isolation.
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Elements of OpenShift
OpenShift is based on the open source OKD Project which is the community distribution of
Kubernetes that powers OpenShift. OpenShift is a layer that is built on top of Kubernetes
which makes working with it much easier.
OpenShift simplifies various difficult tasks like deploying applications and doing day-to-day
administrative operations by extending Kubernetes in an opinionated way. OpenShift, like
Kubernetes, is deployable on premises or in a cloud and with the exception of OKD, OpenShift
benefits from enhanced security from being run on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).
The Kubernetes object, Namespace, is referred to as a project in OpenShift. OpenShift takes

the Kubernetes namespace concept and extends it with projects allowing you to control access
between who can access namespaces or projects. OpenShift simplifies developer workflow with
source to image and routes.
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Elements of Cloud Foundry

Cloud Foundry is an open source project that had its initial release in 2011. In 2015, the project
was transferred to the newly created Cloud Foundry Foundation. The source code for Cloud
Foundry is under an Apache license.
Cloud Foundry has a container-based architecture that runs apps in any programming language
and allows the use of existing tools to deploy apps to Cloud Foundry without modifying the
code.
Cloud Foundry and PaaS

Cloud Foundry is an example of a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) offering.
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7.2. Differentiate between serverless compute options on the IBM Cloud

Elements of IBM Cloud Functions
IBM Cloud Functions is a Functions-as-a-Service (FaaS) programming platform built on the open
source project Apache OpenWhisk. IBM Cloud Functions includes:
An integrated Application Programming Interface (API) gateway.
An API gateway.
Security, OAuth (authentication protocol) support, rate limiting and custom domain
support.
Cloud functions are comprised of actions, triggers, and sequences.
Deploying a Kubernetes application on IBM Cloud

IBM Cloud Continuous Delivery service includes open toolchains that automate the building
and deployment of applications and can be used to deploy a Kubernetes application on IBM
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Cloud.
What is Serverless Computing?

Serverless computing:
Refers to building and running applications that do not require server management.
Enables a simpler, more cost-effective way to build and operate cloud-native
applications.
Describes a finer grade deployment model where applications bundled as one or more
functions are uploaded to a platform then executed, scaled, and built in one response.
A challenge of going serverless in low-latency financial applications is that containers may need
to cold start resulting in delays.
Section 8 – Services on IBM Cloud
8.1. Recognize the various IBM Cloud databases

Database Overview
A database is an organized collection of data stored on a computer. Traditional databases
organize data in rows and columns and use structured query language (SQL) to access the data.
They are known as SQL databases. Databases that do not depend on SQL are known ass
NoSQL databases. There are many types of databases, but three are focused on here.
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Database-as-a-Service Overview
Database-as-a-Service (DBaaS) is a cloud computing service that allows users to access and use
a cloud database system without purchasing and setting up their own hardware, installing their
own database software, or managing the database themselves.
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8.2. Identify application integration services in IBM Cloud

Integration Overview
Integration provides connectivity, routing, and transformation for different services. It enables
sharing of data, connecting applications, and security. IBM Cloud has several services that
enable integration, each of which have a free or lite tier plan.
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8.3. List the uses and functions AI/ML services available on IBM Cloud
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Services on IBM Cloud
Many AI services are available on IBM Cloud, including AI lifecycle management tools, text
analysis tools, intelligent search tools, and speech and language services.
AI Lifecycle Management Tools
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Lifecycle management tools help build and scale AI with trust and transparency by automating
AI lifecycle management.
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8.4. Recognize the various analytic services on IBM Cloud

Data Analytics Overview
Data analytics is the science of analyzing raw data to make conclusions about the information.
Analytics help organizations make data-driven decisions. There are multiple types of analytics.
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Open-Source Projects in the Analytics Space

At IBM, our analytics engine offering is based on the popular open-source projects Apache
Spark and Apache Hadoop.
Apache Spark is a unified analytics engine for big data processing with built in modules
for streaming SQL, machine learning, and graphic processing. It has 750 contributors
from 200 organizations.
Apache Hadoop provides for distributed processing of large data sets across clusters of
computers using simple programming models. It uses the MapReduce programming
model for parallel processing of large volumes of data in a distributed environment.
Analytics Services on IBM Cloud

IBM Cloud Analytics services work together to uncover new insights that may have business-
changing results.
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8.5. Define DevOps and identify the DevOps services on the IBM Cloud
DevOps Overview
DevOps combines software development (dev) and IT operations (ops). The goal of DevOps is
to shorten the development lifecycle by providing continuous deployment with high software
quality via automated tests and delivery governance.
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IBM Cloud DevOps Services

IBM Cloud DevOps services are a set of tools that support development, deployment,
continuous delivery, and operational tasks.
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8.6. Identify the blockchain options available on the IBM Cloud

Blockchain Overview
A blockchain is a growing list of records, called blocks, linked using cryptography. Each block
contain a cryptographic hash of the previous block, a timestamp, and transaction data. Once
recorded, the data in any given block cannot be altered retroactively without alteration of all
subsequent blocks, which requires consensus of the network majority.
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Key Elements of Blockchain Networks

Blockchains are:
Distributed All network participants have access to the distributed ledger.
Immutable No one can change the transaction after it’s recorded to the shared ledger.
Smart Contracts Self executing contracts stored on the blockchain, executed
automatically, andrecorded as transactions with the block.
What is Hyperledger Fabric?

Hyperledger fabric is a framework for building blockchain applications. Hyperledger fabric:
Has been adopted by many cloud providers.
Is an Apache 2 licensed open-source project .
Was originally donated to the Linux Foundation by IBM and Digital Asset.
Requires smart contracts to create a blockchain application.
Offers software development kits (SDKs) in Node JS and Java..
Plans to support Python and Go in later releases.
Value of Blockchain
The value of blockchain comes from participants sharing common smart contracts and agreeing
on the source of truth. Blockchain provides participants with visibility into the history a
particular asset and how ownership has changed over time.
IBM’s Blockchain Platform

The IBM Blockchain platform is based on Hyperledger fabric and runs on the IBM Cloud
platform. It aims to provide an entire lifecycle for a blockchain solution, from inception through
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deployment and beyond.
8.7. Define the basics of the Internet of Things platform on the IBM Cloud
Internet of Things Overview
Internet of Things (IoT) is a system of interrelated computing devices that transfer data over a
network without requiring human interaction. There are many use cases for IoT. Three are
described here.
IBM Cloud’s IoT Platform

The IBM Cloud IoT platform allows communication with and consumption of data from
connected devices and gateways using a built-in web console to monitor IoT data and analyze it
in real time. It has several great features.
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How does it work?

An overview of the IoT process is shown here.
8.8. Recognize the IBM Cloud Paks option on IBM Cloud

Cloud Paks Overview
Cloud Paks are containerized software solutions built to run anywhere. They make container
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management and application modernization easier for organizations. Cloud Paks provide value
in three main areas.
What does it mean to run anywhere?

IBM Cloud Paks can run on any platform (IBM Cloud, on premises, on client hardware or on any
cloud) by first provisioning OpenShift and then installing Cloud Paks on top.
What IBM Cloud Paks are available?

The six Cloud Paks covered in this course are applications, data, multi cloud management,
integration, security, and business automation.
IBM Cloud Pak for Applications

The purpose of the IBM Cloud Pak for Applications is to assist in modernizing existing
applications and building new cloud-native applications. Tools and the use of those tools in this
Cloud Pak are listed here.
IBM Cloud Pak for Data

IBM Cloud Pak for Data has a single platform that integrates data management, data
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governance, and analysis. It includes both IBM and open-source databases and provides the
following functionality and features.
IBM Cloud Pak for Multi-Cloud Management

IBM Cloud Pak for Multi-Cloud Management is an IT management platform that provides full
visibility and control wherever the workload runs. It also provides the following features and
capabilities.
IBM Cloud Pak for Integration

IBM Cloud Pak for Integration is a complete set of integration capabilities to efficiently connect
applications and data wherever they reside. With IBM Cloud Pak for Integration, you can use
any of the following to move data.
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IBM Cloud Pak for Security

IBM Cloud Pak for Security is a platform that assists in uncovering hidden threats and allows
organizations to make more informed decisions about risks. Core platform services and
integration capabilities are shown here.
IBM Cloud Pak for Business Automation

IBM Cloud Pak for Business Automation provides applications in core areas where automation
provides benefits. Other functionality this Cloud Pak provides is shown here.

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IBM Cloud Advocate Review

Section 1 – Cloud computing and its essential characteristics,

1.1. List the essential characteristics of cloud computing

machine operating system.

Amazon Web Services (AWS Cloud):

Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

Section 2 – The business case for cloud computing

Cloud adoption is no longer an option for the future.

2.2. Recognize technologies supported by Cloud: AI, IoT, Blockchain, Analytics

Artiﬁcial Intelligence (AI):

Symbiotic relationship between IoT, AI, and the cloud:

Section 3 – Service and deployment models of cloud computing

3.1. Outline cloud computing service models: IaaS, PaaS, SaaS

Features of a Public Cloud:

Section 4 – Components of cloud architecture

4.1. Deﬁne cloud architecture and infrastructure

Networking infrastructure in a cloud datacenter

Hypervisors and Its Types:

4.3. Deﬁne Secure Cloud Networks

4.4. List the uses and functions of containers on the cloud

Advantages & Beneﬁts of Containers:

Main Beneﬁt of Hybrid Multicloud:

Use Cases for Hybrid Cloud

Use Cases for Serverless Computing

developing lightweight code that scalably executes on demand.

4.8. Deﬁne Cloud Native and Application Modernization

from a single platform.

Monolithic vs Microservice Architecture:

Beneﬁts of Application Modernization:

Challenges With Application Modernization

Common Goals of Application Modernization Initiatives

Section 5 – Introduction to IBM Cloud

The six IBM Cloud regions are:

Hierarchy of Geographic Locations

No credit card required, and the account never expires.

Premium: Guaranteed response time of 15min to 2 hours

5.4. Recognize the components of the IBM Cloud Cost Estimator

As previously mentioned, a resource is an instance of a service. Resources have an

groups that you create. Keep in mind that resource groups:

Section 6 – IBM Cloud Infrastructure (Compute, Networking,

6.1. Differentiate between different compute options on IBM Cloud

Compare and Contrast Compute Options for IBM Cloud

6.2. Differentiate Storage Services on IBM Cloud

IBM Cloud Backup Service

Object Storage Overview

6.3. Deﬁne external facing network services on the IBM Cloud

Cloud Internet Services

Network Infrastructure Services

6.4. Indicate the features and functionalities of Virtual Private Clouds

VPC Options on IBM Cloud

6.5. Deﬁne options for VMWare workloads on IBM Cloud

VMware Solution Dedicated

experience is similar to an on-premises experience in a data center. Difference and similarities

VMware Solution Shared

Why use VMware on IBM Cloud?

Optional Services Added to VMWare Deployments

Section 7 – Deploying IBM Cloud Applications

Beneﬁts of Using Containers

The Kubernetes object, Namespace, is referred to as a project in OpenShift. OpenShift takes

Elements of Cloud Foundry

Cloud Foundry and PaaS

7.2. Differentiate between serverless compute options on the IBM Cloud

Deploying a Kubernetes application on IBM Cloud