IT-702-B Cloud Computing - Jun 2025 Question Paper

Under each question, How to answer lists the points an answer should cover, outlined by CampusPrep from the syllabus. Check the details against your textbook.

1. 7 Marks
   aExplain the differences between Grid Computing and Cloud Computing. What are the advantages of Cloud Computing over Grid Computing?
   How to answer

   • Definition of Grid Computing and Cloud Computing
   • Key differences: architecture, resource management, scalability, business model, standards
   • Advantages of cloud: on-demand self-service, elasticity, pay-as-you-go, managed services
2. 7 Marks
   bCompare public and private cloud models. What are the security concerns in public cloud deployment?
   How to answer

   • Characteristics of public cloud vs private cloud
   • Comparison on control, cost, scalability, security
   • Security concerns in public cloud: multi-tenancy, data privacy, compliance, insider threats
3. 7 Marks
   aExplain Platform as a Service (PaaS) with an example. How do Google App Engine and Microsoft Azure provide PaaS solutions?
   How to answer

   • Definition and characteristics of PaaS
   • Example PaaS offering and developer workflow
   • How Google App Engine provides PaaS
   • How Microsoft Azure provides PaaS
4. 7 Marks
   bDefine SaaS, PaaS and IaaS with examples. How do they differ in terms of service delivery?
   How to answer

   • Definitions of SaaS, PaaS, IaaS with examples
   • Control vs management responsibility stack
   • Differences in service delivery and target users
5. 7 Marks
   aDescribe the cloud stack architecture. How does SOA (Service-Oriented Architecture) integrate with cloud computing?
   How to answer

   • Layers of cloud stack: IaaS, PaaS, SaaS
   • Role of SOA principles: loose coupling, reusable services
   • Integration via web services, ESB, service registry in cloud
6. 7 Marks
   bWhat are the security challenges in cloud storage? How does cloud analytics help in improving cloud service performance?
   How to answer

   • Security challenges: data breach, loss, account hijacking, compliance
   • Concept of cloud analytics for monitoring and optimization
   • How analytics improves performance, capacity planning and SLA
7. 7 Marks
   aExplain virtualization and its benefits in cloud computing. How do HVM (Hardware Virtual Machine) and hypervisors enable virtualization?
   How to answer

   • Definition and types of virtualization
   • Benefits: consolidation, isolation, elasticity, cost saving
   • Role of HVM hardware assistance and hypervisor Type-1/Type-2
8. 7 Marks
   bDifferentiate between Storage Area Network (SAN) and Network Attached Storage (NAS). How are they used in storage virtualization?
   How to answer

   • Architecture of SAN vs NAS: block vs file level
   • Protocols, performance and use cases comparison
   • Use in storage virtualization and pooling
9. 7 Marks
   aDiscuss the role of Logical Partitioning (LPAR) in cloud computing. How does it enhance resource utilization?
   How to answer

   • Concept of LPAR on mainframes / virtualized servers
   • Isolation of CPU, memory, I/O into logical partitions
   • How it improves utilization, consolidation and workload management
10. 7 Marks
    bA cloud provider uses Vulnerability Assessment Tools (VATs) to detect security threats. What are the benefits of such tools, and how do they improve cloud security?
    How to answer

    • Purpose of Vulnerability Assessment Tools
    • Benefits: automated scanning, prioritization, compliance
    • Improvement to cloud security posture and remediation
11. 7 Marks
    aA cloud system handles 500 user authentications per hour. If each authentication takes 2 seconds to process, calculate the total time required per hour for authentication processing.
    How to answer

    • Total time = number of authentications x time per authentication
    • Calculation: $500 \times 2 = 1000$ seconds
    • Convert to minutes: 16.67 minutes per hour
12. 7 Marks
    bWhat are virtual threats in a cloud environment? Explain VM-Specific Security Techniques used to mitigate these threats.
    How to answer

    • Types of virtual threats: VM escape, sprawl, cross-VM attacks
    • VM-specific techniques: hardening, isolation, introspection
    • Patching, snapshots and secure migration practices
13. 7 Marks
    aHow does Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) integrate with IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)? What are the advantages of using SOA in cloud environments?
    How to answer

    • SOA services hosted on IaaS compute/storage
    • Loose coupling and service reuse over elastic infrastructure
    • Advantages: interoperability, scalability, agility, cost efficiency
14. 7 Marks
    bDiscuss mobile cloud computing and its challenges. How does Inter-Cloud communication enable seamless cloud operations?
    How to answer

    • Definition of mobile cloud computing and offloading
    • Challenges: latency, bandwidth, security, heterogeneity
    • Inter-cloud federation and APIs for seamless operations
15. 14 Marks
    Write short notes on any two of the followings:

    1. i)VM Security Recommendations
    2. ii)Xen Cloud Platform
    3. iii)Storage virtualization
    How to answer

    • Two topics to be covered in brief with definition and key points
    • Relevant examples / architecture / benefits for each
    • Challenges and applications / security best practices