Organizational agility is the ability of a company to quickly adapt to changing market and environmental conditions in a profitable and efficient way. Cloud computing can facilitate organizational agility by providing rapid provisioning of IT resources, scalability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. One of the benefits of cloud computing is reduced time to market, which means that a company can launch new products or services faster and more efficiently than its competitors. This can give the company a competitive edge and increase customer satisfaction. Reduced time to market is a characteristic of cloud computing that enables organizational agility, not a result of it. Therefore, it is the correct answer. References: Cloud Computing as a Drive for Strategic Agility in Organizations, How cloud computing can drive business agility, Agility on Cloud - A Vital Part of Cloud Computing

Before initiating the project, the first step should be to identify the key stakeholders. The key stakeholders are the individuals or groups who have an interest or influence in the outcome of the project. They may include internal or external parties, such as executives, managers, employees, customers, suppliers, regulators, or partners1. Identifying the key stakeholders is important for several reasons, such as:

• Aligning the project goals and expectations: The key stakeholders can help to define the vision, scope, objectives, and requirements of the project. They can also provide feedback and approval throughout the project lifecycle. By involving the key stakeholders from the start, the project team can ensure that the project meets the needs and expectations of the stakeholders and delivers the desired value2.
• Securing the project resources and support: The key stakeholders can help to allocate the necessary resources and support for the project, such as budget, time, personnel, equipment, or data. They can also help to resolve any issues or conflicts that may arise during the project. By engaging the key stakeholders from the start, the project team can ensure that the project has the adequate resources and support to succeed3.
• Managing the project risks and changes: The key stakeholders can help to identify and mitigate the potential risks and changes that may affect the project, such as technical, operational, legal, or regulatory challenges. They can also help to communicate and implement the changes to the relevant parties. By collaborating with the key stakeholders from the start, the project team can ensure that the project adapts to the changing environment and minimizes the negative impacts4.

The other options are not as suitable as identifying the key stakeholders for the first step of the project because:

• The required network performance: The required network performance is the level of quality and speed that the network needs to provide for the cloud application. The required network performance is an important factor to consider for the project, but it is not the first step. The required network performance depends on the type, size, and location of the cloud application, which are determined by the key stakeholders’ input5.
• The desired CSP: The desired CSP is the cloud service provider that offers the cloud services and infrastructure for the cloud application. The desired CSP is an important factor to consider for the project, but it is not the first step. The desired CSP depends on the features, benefits, and pricing of the cloud services and infrastructure, which are evaluated by the key stakeholders’ criteria.
• The required cloud services: The required cloud services are the cloud-based resources and capabilities that the cloud application needs to function. The required cloud services are an important factor to consider for the project, but they are not the first step. The required cloud services depend on the functionality, scalability, and security of the cloud application, which are defined by the key stakeholders’ requirements.
• The required amount of storage: The required amount of storage is the amount of disk space that the cloud application needs to store its data. The required amount of storage is an important factor to consider for the project, but it is not the first step. The required amount of storage depends on the volume, variety, and velocity of the data, which are influenced by the key stakeholders’ expectations.

References:

• 1: What is a Stakeholder? - Project Management Institute
• 2: How to Identify Project Stakeholders - Smartsheet
• 3: How to Engage Stakeholders in Your Project - Clarizen
• 4: How to Manage Stakeholder Risk and Change - ProjectManager.com
• 5: Network Performance Requirements for Cloud Migration - Riverbed
• : How to Choose a Cloud Service Provider - IBM Cloud
• : Cloud Services: Types, Benefits, and Challenges - BMC Blogs
• : Cloud Storage: What It Is and How to Use It - Lifewire

 Hosting the application in the cloud means that the company does not need to invest in building and maintaining an infrastructure to host the application on premises. This reduces the company’s capital expense, which is the money spent on acquiring or upgrading fixed assets, such as servers, storage, network, and software1. Instead, the company can pay for the cloud services that they use on a subscription or consumption basis, which is considered an operating expense, which is the money spent on the day-to-day running of the business1. Hosting the application in the cloud can also provide other financial benefits, such as lower energy costs, higher scalability, and faster time to market2.

The other options are not correct, as they do not describe the financial impact of hosting the application in the cloud accurately. The company will not be able to defer licensing costs, as they will still need to pay for the software licenses that they use in the cloud, either as part of the cloud service fee or separately3. The provider will not share responsibility for the company’s monthly bill, as the company will be solely responsible for paying for the cloud services that they consume, based on the provider’s pricing model and terms of service4. Monthly operating costs will not remain constant despite usage, as the cloud services are typically charged based on the amount of resources or features that the company uses, such as storage, bandwidth, CPU, memory, or transactions4. Therefore, the monthly operating costs will vary depending on the usage and demand of the application. References: Capital Expenditure (CapEx) Definition; Cloud Computing Benefits: 7 Key Advantages for Your Business; Cloud Computing Licensing: What You Need to Know; Cloud Computing Pricing Models: A Comprehensive Guide.

 A proof of value (POV) is a method of testing a cloud solution before fully adopting it, to ensure that it meets the company’s operations and business processes. A POV can help a company avoid failure of a cloud project by validating the feasibility, functionality, and benefits of the cloud solution, and identifying any gaps or issues that need to be resolved. A POV can also help a company compare different cloud solutions and select the best one for their needs. A POV is different from a proof of concept (POC), which is a more technical demonstration of the cloud solution’s capabilities and performance. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Study Guide, Second Edition (Exam CLO-002), Chapter 3: Cloud Planning, Section 3.2: Cloud Adoption, Subsection 3.2.2: Proof of Value1

 Disposable resources are cloud resources that are not needed for the long-term operation of an application or service, and can be easily created and deleted on-demand. Examples of disposable resources include temporary storage, spot instances, and disposable virtual machines. Disposable resources can help to reduce costs and improve flexibility, but they also incur charges when they are in use or attached to other resources. Therefore, when a company decommissioned its testing environment, it should detach and delete disposable resources first to avoid charges12

Emptying the logging directory is not the best option to avoid charges, because logging directory is a folder that stores the records of events and activities that occur in an application or service. Logging directory can help to monitor and troubleshoot the performance and issues of the application or service, but it does not directly affect the charges of the cloud resources. Emptying the logging directory may also result in the loss of valuable information and insights that can be used for future improvement or analysis.

Deleting infrastructure as code templates is not the best option to avoid charges, because infrastructure as code templates are files that define and configure the cloud resources using code or scripts. Infrastructure as code templates can help to automate and standardize the deployment and management of the cloud resources, but they do not directly affect the charges of the cloud resources. Deleting infrastructure as code templates may also make it harder to recreate or modify the cloud resources in the future.

Disabling alerts and alarms is not the best option to avoid charges, because alerts and alarms are notifications that are triggered by certain conditions or thresholds that are set for the cloud resources. Alerts and alarms can help to notify and respond to the changes or issues of the cloud resources, but they do not directly affect the charges of the cloud resources. Disabling alerts and alarms may also make it difficult to detect and resolve any problems or anomalies that may occur in the cloud resources.

References: 1: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-machines/disposable-vm  2: https://www.comptia.org/training/books/cloud-essentials-clo-002-study-guide, page 46

SaaS stands for Software as a Service, which is a cloud computing model that provides ready-to-use software applications over the internet, such as CRM, email, or office suites. SaaS is the most appropriate cloud computing model for a startup company that wants to use a CRM application to manage its sales and support organizations, and does not have any IT staff. SaaS offers the following benefits for the company:

• SaaS does not require any installation, maintenance, or update of the software, as the cloud provider handles all the technical aspects of the service. The company can access the software through a web browser or a mobile app, without worrying about the underlying infrastructure, platform, or software.
• SaaS is scalable, flexible, and cost-effective, as the company can adjust the number of users or features of the software according to its needs and budget. The company only pays for what it uses, and can avoid the upfront costs of purchasing or licensing the software.
• SaaS is reliable, secure, and compliant, as the cloud provider ensures the availability, backup, and recovery of the software, as well as the protection of the data and the adherence to the relevant standards and regulations.

References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Exam Objectives1, CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Study Guide, Chapter 3: Cloud Service and Delivery Models2, Cloud Essentials+ Certification Training3

Geo-redundancy is the strategy of sending copies of data to a distant region from the original cloud storage location. This provides protection against regional disasters or outages that might affect the primary data center. A CSR (cloud service provider) is a third-party company that offers cloud-based services such as storage, computing, networking, or software. A company that uses a CSR to store its data in a geo-redundant manner is leveraging the benefits of cloud computing, such as scalability, availability, and cost-effectiveness. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002 Study Guide, page 103; CompTIA Cloud Storage Requirements- What You Need to Know

Patching a known vulnerability in an operating system is an example of risk mitigation. Risk mitigation is the process of reducing the impact or likelihood of a risk by implementing controls or countermeasures. By patching the vulnerability, the cloud administrator is preventing or minimizing the potential damage that could be caused by an exploit. Risk mitigation is one of the four main risk response strategies, along with risk avoidance, risk transference, and risk acceptance. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002 Study Guide, Chapter 5: Risk Management, page 1631 and page 1662.

A content delivery network (CDN) is a network of servers that deliver web content to users based on their geographic location. A CDN can improve the performance, reliability, and security of a web application by caching content closer to the users and reducing the load on the origin server. One of the security advantages of using a CDN is that it can provide resiliency against distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, which are attempts to overwhelm a web server with a large number of requests from multiple sources. A CDN can mitigate DDoS attacks by:

• Distributing the traffic across multiple servers and locations, making it harder for attackers to target a single point of failure
• Filtering out malicious requests before they reach the origin server, using techniques such as rate limiting, IP blocking, and challenge-response mechanisms
• Absorbing the attack traffic with greater bandwidth and resources than the origin server, reducing the impact on the web application’s availability and performance References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002 Study Guide, Chapter 4: Security in the Cloud, page 152; Why use a CDN? | CDN benefits | Cloudflare; What Is DNS Security? How Does It Work? - Cisco Umbrella; What is DNS Security? - Cisco Umbrella; What Is DNS Security? DNS vs DNS Security vs DNSSEC | Fortinet

Lift and shift is a cloud migration strategy that involves moving an application or workload from one environment to another without making significant changes to its architecture, configuration, or code. This approach is suitable for applications that are not cloud-native, have complex dependencies, or have tight deadlines for migration. Lift and shift can help reduce the cost and risk of maintaining legacy infrastructure, improve scalability and availability, and leverage cloud services and features12.

Hybrid deployment is a cloud deployment model that involves using both public and private cloud resources to deliver services and applications. This approach is suitable for applications that have varying performance, security, or compliance requirements, or that need to integrate with existing on-premises systems. Hybrid deployment can help optimize the use of resources, increase flexibility and agility, and balance trade-offs between cost and control34.

Phased migration is a cloud migration strategy that involves moving an application or workload from one environment to another in stages or increments. This approach is suitable for applications that have modular components, low interdependencies, or high complexity. Phased migration can help reduce the impact of migration on business operations, test the functionality and performance of each component, and address any issues or challenges along the way .

Rip and replace is a cloud migration strategy that involves discarding an application or workload from one environment and replacing it with a new one in another environment. This approach is suitable for applications that are outdated, incompatible, or inefficient, or that have high maintenance costs. Rip and replace can help modernize the application architecture, design, and code, improve the user experience and functionality, and take advantage of cloud-native features and services .

References:

• [CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002 Study Guide], Chapter 3: Management and Technical Operations, Section 3.3: Cloud Migration, p. 123-125
• [CompTIA Cloud+ CV0-003 Study Guide], Chapter 5: Deploying a Cloud Solution, Section 5.2: Cloud Migration, p. 241-244
• [CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002 Study Guide], Chapter 1: Cloud Concepts, Section 1.3: Cloud Deployment Models, p. 25-28
• [CompTIA Cloud+ CV0-003 Study Guide], Chapter 1: Cloud Architecture and Design, Section 1.2: Cloud Deployment Models, p. 19-22
• [CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002 Study Guide], Chapter 3: Management and Technical Operations, Section 3.3: Cloud Migration, p. 125-126
• [CompTIA Cloud+ CV0-003 Study Guide], Chapter 5: Deploying a Cloud Solution, Section 5.2: Cloud Migration, p. 244-245
• [CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002 Study Guide], Chapter 3: Management and Technical Operations, Section 3.3: Cloud Migration, p. 126-127
• [CompTIA Cloud+ CV0-003 Study Guide], Chapter 5: Deploying a Cloud Solution, Section 5.2: Cloud Migration, p. 245-246
• [CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002 Study Guide], ISBN: 978-1-119-64768-9, Publisher: Wiley
• [CompTIA Cloud+ CV0-003 Study Guide], ISBN: 978-1-119-64767-2, Publisher: Wiley

Encryption in transit is the process of protecting data from unauthorized access or modification while it is being transferred from one location to another, such as from an on-premises data center to a cloud service provider. Encryption in transit uses cryptographic techniques to scramble the data and make it unreadable to anyone who intercepts it, except for the intended recipient who has the key to decrypt it. Encryption in transit is one of the best approaches to optimize data security in an IaaS migration, as it reduces the risk of data breaches, tampering, or leakage during the data transfer. Encryption in transit can be implemented using various methods, such as Transport Layer Security (TLS), Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), Internet Protocol Security (IPsec), or Secure Shell (SSH).

Encryption in transit is different from other options, such as reviewing the risk register, performing a vulnerability scan, or performing server hardening. Reviewing the risk register is the process of identifying, analyzing, and prioritizing the potential threats and impacts to the data and the cloud environment. Performing a vulnerability scan is the process of detecting and assessing the weaknesses or flaws in the data and the cloud infrastructure that could be exploited by attackers. Performing server hardening is the process of applying security measures and configurations to the cloud servers to reduce their attack surface and improve their resilience. While these options are also important for data security, they do not directly address the data protection during the migration process, which is the focus of the question. References: What is encryption in transit? - Definition from WhatIs.com, Data Encryption in Transit Guidelines - UC Berkeley Security, Cloud Computing Security - CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ (CLO-002) Cert Guide

 Load testing is the technique that helps an organization determine benchmarks for application performance within a set of resources. Load testing is the process of simulating a high volume of user requests or traffic to a cloud application or service, and measuring its response time, throughput, availability, and reliability. Load testing can help an organization to evaluate the performance and scalability of the cloud application or service, as well as to identify and resolve any bottlenecks, errors, or failures. Load testing can also help the organization to optimize the resource utilization and allocation, and to plan for future growth or peak demand. Load testing can be done using various tools, such as JMeter, LoadRunner, or BlazeMeter12

References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Exam Objectives3, CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Study Guide, Chapter 6: Cloud Connectivity and Load Balancing4, Cloud Essentials+ Certification Training2

A content delivery network (CDN) is a technology that distributes web content across multiple servers in different geographic locations to improve user experience11. A CDN can be used to deploy web applications and files globally, so that users can access them faster and more reliably from their nearest server12. A CDN also reduces bandwidth consumption and network congestion by caching static content at the edge servers13.

References:

• What is a content delivery network (CDN)?, IBM
• Where to A/B Test: Front-End vs Back-End vs CDN vs API, Medium
• Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), MDN Web Docs

 Resource tagging is the process of applying metadata tags to cloud resources, such as servers, storage, or network, that contain information about the resource’s associated workload, environment, ownership, or other attributes. Resource tagging can help with identifying, organizing, and managing cloud resources, as well as tracking their cost and usage1. By employing resource tagging, the company can assign tags to the servers that indicate which department owns them, and use those tags to filter and report on the resource consumption and billing.

Compute usage reports are reports that provide detailed information about the usage of compute resources, such as servers, in a cloud environment. Compute usage reports can show metrics such as CPU, memory, disk, or network utilization, as well as the duration and frequency of usage2. By reviewing the compute usage reports, the company can monitor the performance and demand of the servers, and identify the causes and patterns of the spikes in CPU usage. Compute usage reports can also help with optimizing the compute resources, such as scaling, right-sizing, or consolidating the

Data portability is the ability to move data from one cloud service provider to another without losing functionality, quality, or security. Vendor lock-in is a situation where a customer becomes dependent on a particular cloud service provider and faces high switching costs, lack of interoperability, and contractual obligations. Vendor lock-in can result in data portability issues, as the customer may have difficulty transferring their data to a different cloud service provider if they are dissatisfied with the current one or want to take advantage of better offers. Data portability issues can affect the customer’s flexibility, agility, and cost-efficiency in the cloud123. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Study Guide, Second Edition (Exam CLO-002), Chapter 1: Cloud Principles and Design, pages 19-20.

 SaaS stands for Software as a Service, which is a cloud service model that provides ready-to-use software applications over the internet. The cloud service provider (CSP) is responsible for managing and maintaining the software, including its development, deployment, updates, security, availability, and performance. The customer only needs to access the software through a web browser or a client application, and pay for the usage or subscription. SaaS puts the most liability on the provider with regard to shared responsibility, as the provider handles most of the security and operational tasks for the software, and the customer has minimal control and customization options. Examples of SaaS applications include email, CRM, ERP, accounting, and collaboration tools.

The other cloud service models put less liability on the provider and more on the customer, as the customer has more control and responsibility over the cloud resources. IaaS stands for Infrastructure as a Service, which provides virtualized computing resources such as servers, storage, and networking over the internet. The CSP is responsible for securing and maintaining the physical infrastructure, while the customer is responsible for managing the operating system, applications, data, and configurations. PaaS stands for Platform as a Service, which provides a cloud-based environment for developing, testing, and deploying software applications. The CSP is responsible for managing the underlying infrastructure, middleware, and runtime environment, while the customer is responsible for developing, deploying, and managing the applications and data. BPaaS stands for Business Process as a Service, which provides a cloud-based platform for automating and orchestrating business processes. The CSP is responsible for managing the platform, including its integration, security, and scalability, while the customer is responsible for defining, executing, and monitoring the business processes and rules.

Therefore, the correct answer is D. SaaS, as it puts the most liability on the provider with regard to shared responsibility.

References: Cloud Computing Service Models, Shared responsibility in the cloud, Understanding the Shared Responsibilities Model in Cloud Services.

 Penetration testing, also known as ethical hacking, is a security assessment methodology that involves simulating a cyberattack on a cloud-based system or service to identify and exploit vulnerabilities and weaknesses. Penetration testing can help to evaluate the security posture of a cloud environment and provide recommendations for improvement12

Penetration testing in a cloud environment requires a defined scope and formal authorization from the cloud service provider (CSP), because it can have significant impacts on the cloud infrastructure, applications, and data. Penetration testing can potentially cause damage, disruption, or breach of the cloud resources, as well as violate the terms of service or the service level agreements of the CSP. Therefore, before conducting penetration testing in a cloud environment, the customer must obtain the consent and approval of the CSP, and follow the guidelines and policies of the CSP regarding the scope, duration, frequency, and methods of the testing3

Orchestration, sandboxing, and vulnerability scanning are not activities that require a defined scope and formal authorization from the CSP, because they are less intrusive and disruptive than penetration testing. Orchestration is the process of automating and coordinating the deployment and management of cloud resources using tools and scripts. Sandboxing is the process of creating and isolating a testing environment within the cloud to experiment with new features or applications without affecting the production environment. Vulnerability scanning is the process of detecting and reporting the known vulnerabilities and misconfigurations in the cloud resources using automated tools. These activities can help to improve the efficiency, flexibility, and security of the cloud environment, but they do not involve actively exploiting or compromising the cloud resources. Therefore, they do not require the same level of permission and oversight from the CSP as penetration testing.

References: 1: https://www.eccouncil.org/cybersecurity-exchange/penetration-testing/cloud-penetration-testing/,  1 2: https://www.comptia.org/training/books/cloud-essentials-clo-002-study-guide, page 48  3: https://www.browserstack.com/guide/cloud-penetration-testing,  2 : https://www.prplbx.com/resources/blog/cloud-pentesting/,  3 : https://www.comptia.org/training/books/cloud-essentials-clo-002-study-guide, page 46 : https://www.comptia.org/training/books/cloud-essentials-clo-002-study-guide, page 44 : https://www.comptia.org/training/books/cloud-essentials-clo-002-study-guide, page 48

A software-defined network (SDN) is a network architecture that allows for the management of network policies from a central portal while maintaining a hardware-agnostic approach. SDN separates the control plane, which is responsible for making decisions about how to route traffic, from the data plane, which is responsible for forwarding traffic based on the control plane’s instructions. SDN enables network administrators to configure, monitor, and manage network devices and services using a software application, regardless of the vendor or type of hardware. SDN also provides automation, programmability, scalability, and flexibility for network operations. A virtual private network (VPN) is a network technology that creates a secure and encrypted connection over a public network, such as the Internet. A VPN allows remote users to access a private network and its resources securely. A VPN is not related to the management of network policies from a central portal or the hardware-agnostic approach of SDN. Load balancing is a network technique that distributes traffic across multiple servers or devices to optimize performance, reliability, and availability. Load balancing can be implemented using hardware or software, but it does not provide the same level of centralized management and control as SDN. Direct Connect is a service offered by some cloud providers that allows customers to establish a dedicated network connection between their on-premises network and the cloud provider’s network. Direct Connect bypasses the public Internet and provides lower latency, higher bandwidth, and more consistent network performance. However, Direct Connect is not a generic network architecture that supports a hardware-agnostic approach, and it does not offer the same degree of network programmability and automation as SDN. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002 Study Guide, Chapter 4: Cloud Design Principles, Section 4.2: Cloud Network Concepts, Page 1051 and What is software-defined networking (SDN)? | Cloudflare

Operating expenditure (OPEX) fees are variable costs that depend on the usage of cloud services, such as storage, bandwidth, compute, or licensing fees. OPEX fees are typically charged by the cloud provider on a monthly or pay-as-you-go basis. A small business that migrates from on-premises CRM software to a cloud provider must consider the OPEX fees as part of the total cost of ownership (TCO) of the cloud solution. OPEX fees can vary depending on the demand, performance, availability, and scalability of the cloud service. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Exam Objectives1, CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Study Guide, Chapter 2: Business Principles of Cloud Environments

A disaster recovery plan (DRP) is a document that defines the procedures and resources needed to restore normal operations after a major disruption. A DRP typically includes the following elements:

• The scope and objectives of the plan
• The roles and responsibilities of the DR team
• The inventory and location of critical assets and resources
• The recovery strategies and procedures for different scenarios
• The testing and maintenance schedule for the plan
• The communication plan for internal and external stakeholders

One of the key components of a DRP is the recovery sequence, which is the optimal, sequential order in which cloud resources should be recovered in the event of a major failure. The recovery sequence is based on the priority and dependency of the resources, as well as the recovery time objective (RTO) and recovery point objective (RPO) of the business. The recovery sequence helps to minimize the downtime and data loss, and ensure the continuity of the business operations.

A recovery point objective (RPO) is the maximum acceptable amount of data loss measured in time. It indicates how often the data should be backed up and how much data can be restored after a disaster. A recovery time objective (RTO) is the maximum acceptable amount of time that a system or application can be offline after a disaster. It indicates how quickly the system or application should be restored and how much downtime can be tolerated by the business.

An incident response plan (IRP) is a document that defines the procedures and actions to be taken in response to a security breach or cyberattack. An IRP typically includes the following elements:

• The scope and objectives of the plan
• The roles and responsibilities of the incident response team
• The incident identification and classification criteria
• The incident containment, eradication, and recovery steps
• The incident analysis and reporting methods
• The incident prevention and improvement measures

A network topology diagram is a visual representation of the physical and logical layout of a network. It shows the devices, connections, and configurations of the network. A network topology diagram can help to identify the potential points of failure, the impact of a failure, and the recovery options for a network. However, it does not define the optimal, sequential order in which cloud resources should be recovered in the event of a major failure.

References: The following sources were used to create this answer:

• Disaster recovery planning guide | Cloud Architecture Center - Google Cloud
• What is Disaster Recovery and Why Is It Important? - Google Cloud
• Key considerations when building a disaster recovery plan for private cloud - Continuity Central
• 12 Essential Points Of the Disaster Recovery Plan Checklist - NAKIVO
• Building a Cloud Disaster Recovery Plan: Tips and Approaches - MSP360

Auto-scaling and CDN are two technologies that would help a game company prepare its cloud infrastructure to support a global distribution workload of a newly released online game.

Auto-scaling is the ability of a cloud service to automatically adjust the amount of resources, such as compute, storage, or bandwidth, based on the demand or load of the service. Auto-scaling can help a game company to handle the spikes or fluctuations in the number of players or traffic that may occur during the launch or peak times of a new online game. Auto-scaling can also help the game company to optimize the performance, availability, and cost of the cloud service, as it can scale up or down the resources as needed. Auto-scaling can be triggered by predefined rules, metrics, or schedules, or by using machine learning or artificial intelligence to predict the demand patterns12

CDN stands for Content Delivery Network, which is a network of distributed servers that deliver content, such as web pages, images, videos, or games, to the end-users based on their geographic location, the origin of the content, and the network conditions. CDN can help a game company to distribute its online game to a global audience, as it can reduce the latency, bandwidth, and load on the origin server, and improve the user experience, security, and reliability of the content delivery. CDN can also help the game company to cope with the high volume of requests or traffic that may occur during the launch or peak times of a new online game. CDN can use various techniques, such as caching, compression, encryption, or load balancing, to optimize the content delivery34

References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Exam Objectives5, CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Study Guide, Chapter 4: Cloud Storage6, Chapter 6: Cloud Connectivity and Load Balancing7

 Availability is the degree to which a system or service is accessible and functional when required. Availability can be measured by metrics such as uptime, downtime, and service level agreements (SLAs). Availability can be improved by implementing replication, redundancy, and disaster recovery strategies in the cloud. Replication is the process of creating and maintaining multiple copies of data or resources across different locations or regions. Redundancy is the provision of extra or backup components or systems to prevent or mitigate failures. Disaster recovery is the ability to restore normal operations after a disruptive event, such as a natural disaster, a cyberattack, or a human error. By implementing these strategies, cloud users can ensure that their data and services are always accessible and resilient to failures or disasters. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002 Study Guide, page 103-104; CompTIA Cloud+ (Plus) Certification

SaaS, or software as a service, is a cloud service model that provides ready-to-use, cloud-hosted application software to customers. Customers do not need to install, manage, or maintain the software; they simply access it via an internet connection, usually through a web browser. SaaS applications are typically offered on a subscription or pay-per-use basis. Examples of SaaS applications include email, CRM, ERP, office productivity, and collaboration tools12.

SaaS is different from the other cloud service models in terms of the level of abstraction and control. In SaaS, the cloud service provider manages everything from the underlying infrastructure to the application software, while the customer only controls the application settings and data. In contrast, in IaaS (infrastructure as a service), the customer has more control and responsibility over the servers, storage, networking, and operating systems, while the cloud service provider only manages the physical infrastructure. In PaaS (platform as a service), the customer has control and responsibility over the applications and data, while the cloud service provider manages the underlying infrastructure and the development tools and platforms12.

Therefore, when an organization uses a third-party ERP tool as a complete service, it is using the SaaS cloud service model. The organization does not need to worry about the installation, configuration, or maintenance of the ERP software; it only needs to access it via the internet and pay for the usage. The cloud service provider takes care of the rest. 

https://www.comptia.org/training/books/cloud-essentials-clo-002-study-guide

https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Essentials-Certification-Second-CLO-002/dp/1260461785

 A CDN (content delivery network) is a network of distributed servers that store and deliver content to users based on their geographic location and network conditions. A CDN can improve the performance, availability, scalability, and security of web-based applications and services by reducing the latency, bandwidth, and load on the origin server. A CDN is most likely to be used by a video streaming service, which typically involves large amounts of data, high demand, and diverse audiences. A video streaming service can benefit from using a CDN by caching and streaming the video content from the nearest or best-performing server to the user, thus enhancing the user experience and reducing the cost and complexity of the service.

A realty listing website is a web-based application that allows users to search, view, and compare properties for sale or rent. A realty listing website may use a CDN to improve the performance and availability of the website, especially if it has a large number of images, videos, or other media files. However, a realty listing website is not as likely to use a CDN as a video streaming service, since the content is not as dynamic, the demand is not as high, and the audience is not as diverse.

An email service provider is a company that offers email hosting, management, and delivery services to users. An email service provider may use a CDN to improve the security and reliability of the email service, especially if it has a large number of users, messages, or attachments. However, an email service provider is not as likely to use a CDN as a video streaming service, since the content is not as public, the performance is not as critical, and the location is not as relevant.

A document management system is a software application that allows users to create, store, organize, and share documents. A document management system may use a CDN to improve the scalability and accessibility of the document storage and retrieval, especially if it has a large number of documents, users, or collaborators. However, a document management system is not as likely to use a CDN as a video streaming service, since the content is not as large, the demand is not as variable, and the audience is not as global. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002 Study Guide, page 165-166; CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Training, CertMaster Learn for Cloud Essentials+, Module 4: Management and Technical Operations, Lesson 4.2: Cloud Networking, Topic 4.2.4: Content Delivery Networks

A company that would like to improve its current disaster recovery (DR) plan with an emphasis on high availability should focus on the metrics of recovery time objective (RTO) and recovery point objective (RPO). RTO is the maximum duration of time that a system or service can be unavailable after a disaster or disruption before the business suffers unacceptable consequences. RPO is the maximum amount of data loss that a system or service can tolerate in a disaster or disruption before the business suffers unacceptable consequences. Both RTO and RPO measure the impact of downtime on the business and help determine the appropriate recovery strategies and solutions. High availability requires low RTO and RPO values, which means that the system or service should be restored quickly and with minimal data loss in case of a disaster or disruption. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002 Study Guide, Chapter 6: Cloud Operations Principles, Section 6.2: Disaster Recovery Concepts, Page 1791 and Service Availability: Calculations and Metrics, Five 9s, and Best Practices – BMC Software | Blogs

RPO stands for recovery point objective, which is the maximum amount of data loss that a company can tolerate in the event of a disaster, failure, or disruption. RPO is measured in time, from the point of the incident to the last valid backup of the data. RPO helps determine how frequently the company needs to back up its data and how much data it can afford to lose. For example, if a company has an RPO of one hour, it means that it can lose up to one hour’s worth of data without causing significant harm to the business. Therefore, it needs to back up its data at least every hour to meet its RPO.

RPO is different from other metrics such as RTO, TCO, MTTR, and ROI. RTO stands for recovery time objective, which is the maximum amount of time that a company can tolerate for restoring its data and resuming its normal operations after a disaster. TCO stands for total cost of ownership, which is the sum of all the costs associated with acquiring, maintaining, and operating a system or service over its lifetime. MTTR stands for mean time to repair, which is the average time that it takes to fix a faulty component or system. ROI stands for return on investment, which is the ratio of the net profit to the initial cost of a project or investment. References: Recovery Point Objective: A Critical Element of Data Recovery - G2, What is a Recovery Point Objective? RPO Definition + Examples, Cloud Computing Pricing Models - CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ (CLO-002) Cert Guide

 Transference is the best description of how a cloud provider helps a company with security risk responses. Transference means shifting the responsibility or liability for the risk to another party, such as an insurance company or a cloud service provider (CSP). By using a CSP, the company can transfer some of the security risks to the provider, who has more expertise and resources to manage them. However, the company still retains the ownership and accountability for the data and applications hosted in the cloud, and must ensure that the CSP meets the agreed-upon service level agreements (SLAs) and security standards. The company cannot transfer all the security risks to the CSP, as some risks are inherent to the cloud environment, such as data breaches, misconfigurations, or compliance violations12.

References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002 Study Guide, Chapter 4: Cloud Risk Management, Section 4.3: Risk Treatment Options, p. 164-1651

Cyber Risk Transfer: Can you transfer your cyber / privacy risk … 2

 Hardening is the concept that will help lower the attack surface after unauthorized user-level access. Hardening is the process of securing a system by reducing its vulnerability to attacks. Hardening involves applying patches, updates, and configuration changes to eliminate or mitigate known weaknesses. Hardening also involves disabling or removing unnecessary services, features, and accounts that could be exploited by attackers. Hardening can help lower the attack surface by reducing the amount of code running, the number of entry points available, and the potential damage that can be caused by unauthorized access. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002 Study Guide, Chapter 4: Cloud Security, Section 4.2: Cloud Security Concepts, Page 153.

Pay-as-you-go is a pricing model in which customers pay only for the resources they consume, such as compute, storage, network, or software services4. Pay-as-you-go helps transform from a typical capital expenditure model to an operating expenditure model by eliminating the upfront costs of purchasing and maintaining physical infrastructure and software licenses5. Pay-as-you-go also provides flexibility and scalability to adjust the resource consumption according to the changing business needs6.

References:

• Consumption and fixed cost models, Microsoft Azure Well-Architected Framework
• What is Cloud Elasticity in Cloud Computing?, The Iron.io Blog
• CompTIA Cloud Essentials CLO-002 Certification Study Guide, Chapter 2: Business Principles of Cloud Environments, page 51

According to the CompTIA Cloud Essentials objectives and documents, SaaS, or Software as a Service, is the best option for describing a cloud-hosted application in which the end user only creates user access and configures options. SaaS is a cloud service model that delivers and manages software applications over the internet, without requiring the end user to install, update, or maintain any software or hardware on their own devices. SaaS applications are typically accessed through a web browser or a mobile app, and the end user only pays for the usage or subscription of the service. SaaS providers are responsible for the infrastructure, platform, security, and maintenance of the software applications, and the end user only needs to create user access and configure options according to their preferences and needs. SaaS applications are usually designed for specific purposes or functions, such as email, collaboration, CRM, ERP, or accounting.

The other service models are not as suitable for describing a cloud-hosted application in which the end user only creates user access and configures options. MaaS, or Monitoring as a Service, is a type of cloud service that provides monitoring and management of cloud resources and services, such as performance, availability, security, or compliance. MaaS is not a cloud-hosted application, but rather a cloud service that supports other cloud applications. PaaS, or Platform as a Service, is a cloud service model that delivers and manages the hardware and software resources to develop, test, and deploy applications through the cloud. PaaS provides the end user with a cloud-based platform that includes the operating system, middleware, runtime, database, and other tools and services. PaaS providers are responsible for the infrastructure, security, and maintenance of the platform, and the end user only needs to write and manage the code and data of their applications. PaaS applications are usually customized and developed by the end user, rather than provided by the cloud service provider. IaaS, or Infrastructure as a Service, is a cloud service model that delivers and manages the basic computing resources, such as servers, storage, networking, and virtualization, over the internet. IaaS provides the end user with a cloud-based infrastructure that can be used to run any software or application. IaaS providers are responsible for the hardware, security, and maintenance of the infrastructure, and the end user is responsible for the operating system, middleware, runtime, database, and applications. IaaS applications are usually more complex and require more configuration and management by the end user, rather than by the cloud service provider.

 Infrastructure as code (IaC) is a key DevOps practice that involves the management of infrastructure, such as networks, compute services, databases, storages, and connection topology, in a descriptive model. IaC allows teams to develop and release changes faster and with greater confidence. IaC avoids manual configuration and enforces consistency by representing desired environment states via well-documented code in formats such as JSON. Infrastructure deployments with IaC are repeatable and prevent runtime issues caused by configuration drift or missing dependencies. IaC also helps teams to provision multiple test environments reliably on demand. Therefore, IaC would best optimize the process of moving business systems to the cloud and reduce the need for scripting experience and manual deployment. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002 Study Guide, Chapter 5: Cloud Migration, page 1971; What is infrastructure as code (IaC)? - Azure DevOps2

Availability is the security concern that is best addressed by moving systems to the cloud. Availability refers to the ability of a system or service to be accessible and functional when needed by authorized users. Availability is one of the key benefits of cloud computing, as it provides high reliability, scalability, and performance for the cloud systems and services. Cloud providers use various techniques and technologies to ensure availability, such as:

• Redundancy: Cloud providers replicate the data and resources across multiple locations, such as regions, zones, or data centers, to prevent single points of failure and provide backup and failover capabilities in case of disasters or disruptions.
• Load balancing: Cloud providers distribute the workload and traffic among multiple servers or instances to optimize the resource utilization and performance of the cloud systems and services.
• Auto-scaling: Cloud providers automatically adjust the amount of resources allocated to the cloud systems and services based on the demand or usage, to prevent overloading or underutilizing the resources and ensure consistent availability.
• Monitoring and recovery: Cloud providers continuously monitor the health and status of the cloud systems and services, and provide alerts and notifications in case of any issues or incidents. Cloud providers also provide tools and methods to recover the cloud systems and services from failures or errors, such as snapshots, backups, or restore points.

Availability is different from other security concerns, such as authentication, confidentiality, or integrity. Authentication is the process of verifying the identity and credentials of a user or system before granting access to the cloud systems and services. Confidentiality is the process of protecting the data and information from unauthorized access or disclosure, such as by using encryption, access control, or data masking. Integrity is the process of ensuring the data and information are accurate, complete, and consistent, and have not been modified or corrupted by unauthorized or malicious parties, such as by using hashing, digital signatures, or checksums. References: Cloud Computing Availability - CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ (CLO-002) Cert Guide, Cloud Security – Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure infrastructure availability - Azure security | Microsoft Learn, What is Cloud Security? Cloud Security Defined | IBM

 Spot instances are instances that use spare cloud capacity that is available for less than the On-Demand price. They are suitable for low-budget projects that can tolerate interruptions and have flexible completion time. Spot instances can be reclaimed by the cloud provider when the demand for the capacity increases, so they are not guaranteed to run continuously. However, they can offer significant cost savings compared to other pricing models. References: Spot Instances - Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud, Amazon Web Services – Introduction to EC2 Spot Instances, What are AWS spot instances? - Spot.io

JSON and XML are both data serialization formats that allow you to exchange data across different applications, platforms, or systems in a standardized manner. They are independent of any programming language and can be used across different cloud platforms. They do not cause cloud vendor lock-in, as they are open and interoperable formats. They do not require the company to define a specific programming language for cloud management, as they can be parsed and processed by various languages. They are not considered unsafe formats of communication, as they can be encrypted and validated for security purposes. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification | CompTIA IT Certifications, CompTIA Cloud Essentials+, CompTIA Cloud Essentials CLO-002 Certification Study Guide

 A Chief Information Officer (CIO) who is starting a cloud migration plan for the next three years of growth and requires an understanding of IT initiatives should consider the current and future business requirements as a key factor in the assessment. Current and future business requirements are the needs and expectations of the organization and its stakeholders regarding the IT systems and services that support the business goals and processes. These requirements may include functional, non-functional, technical, operational, financial, regulatory, and strategic aspects of the IT systems and services. Understanding the current and future business requirements can help the CIO to:

• Align the cloud migration plan with the business vision, mission, and objectives
• Identify the benefits and challenges of migrating to the cloud
• Evaluate the feasibility and suitability of different cloud service models and deployment options
• Determine the scope, priority, and timeline of the cloud migration projects
• Estimate the costs and risks involved in the cloud migration
• Define the success criteria and key performance indicators for the cloud migration
• Communicate and collaborate with the business stakeholders and the cloud providers

A technical gap analysis, a cloud architecture diagram review, and a feasibility study are also important steps in the cloud migration assessment, but they are not as comprehensive as the current and future business requirements. A technical gap analysis is a process of comparing the current state of the IT systems and services with the desired state in the cloud, and identifying the gaps or differences between them. A technical gap analysis can help the CIO to understand the compatibility, performance, and integration issues that may arise during the cloud migration, and to plan the necessary changes or improvements to address them. A cloud architecture diagram review is a process of examining the design and structure of the cloud environment, and how the IT systems and services will be deployed, configured, and managed in the cloud. A cloud architecture diagram review can help the CIO to ensure that the cloud environment meets the technical, functional, and non-functional requirements of the IT systems and services, and that it follows the best practices and standards of the cloud provider. A feasibility study is a process of evaluating the technical, financial, operational, and organizational aspects of moving from on-premises IT systems and services to cloud-based alternatives. A feasibility study can help the CIO to determine the viability and desirability of the cloud migration, and to weigh the pros and cons of different cloud migration approaches.

References: Cloud Migration Checklist: 17 Steps to Future-Proof Your Business, 17 Steps to a Successful Cloud Migration. What business needs to know before a cloud migration - PwC, 4 Considerations for your Business Needs. Planning for a successful cloud migration | Google Cloud Blog, For each application that you want to move, the migration factory approach takes an end-to-end view of the project, including. Assess workloads and validate assumptions before migration, As a result, before migrating a workload to the cloud it’s critical to assess the individual assets associated with that workload for their migration suitability. Migration environment planning checklist - Cloud Adoption Framework …, As an initial step in the migration process, you need to create the right environment in the cloud to receive, host, and support migrating assets. Navigating Success: The Crucial Role of Feasibility Studies in SAP …, In the context of SAP cloud migration, a feasibility study is a comprehensive assessment that evaluates the technical, financial, operational, and organizational aspects of moving from on-premises SAP solutions to cloud-based alternatives.

API stands for Application Programming Interface, which is a set of rules and protocols that allow different software components or systems to communicate and exchange data. API is used to integrate with cloud solutions because it enables developers to access the cloud services and resources programmatically, without having to deal with the underlying infrastructure or platform details. API also allows for automation, scalability, and interoperability of cloud applications and services.

References: Chapter 3: Cloud Computing Concepts and Models, Section 3.2: Cloud Service Models, Subsection 3.2.1: Software as a Service (SaaS), Page 87; Chapter 4: Cloud Computing Principles and Design, Section 4.3: Cloud Characteristics and Risks, Subsection 4.3.2: Cloud Characteristics, Page 121; from https://www.comptia.org/training/books/cloud-essentials-clo-002-study-guide or CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ sources.

The best solution for this scenario is Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI). VDI is a cloud service model that provides users with virtual desktops that run on a centralized server. Users can access their virtual desktops remotely from any device, such as a laptop, tablet, or smartphone, using a thin client or a web browser. VDI enables users to access business applications without installing them on their own devices, which ensures that these applications are only installed on company-controlled equipment. VDI also allows users to modify their personal working environments, such as desktop settings, wallpapers, or preferences, which are saved on the server and persist across sessions. VDI can offer benefits such as improved security, reduced hardware costs, centralized management, and enhanced user experience. The other options are not the best solutions for this scenario. Single Sign-On (SSO) is a cloud service that enables users to log in to multiple applications or systems with one set of credentials, which simplifies authentication and improves security. However, SSO does not provide users with remote access to business applications or personal working environments. Secure Shell (SSH) is a network protocol that allows secure remote access to a server or a device using encryption and authentication. SSH can be used to execute commands, transfer files, or tunnel network traffic. However, SSH does not provide users with virtual desktops or business applications. Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a network technology that creates a secure connection between a remote device and a private network over a public network, such as the Internet. VPN can be used to access network resources, such as files, printers, or applications, that are not available otherwise. However, VPN does not provide users with virtual desktops or personal working environments. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Study Guide, Second Edition (Exam CLO-002), Chapter 2: Cloud Concepts, Section 2.3: Cloud Service Models, p. 64-65

Object storage is a type of cloud storage that stores data as discrete units called objects. Each object has a unique identifier, metadata, and data. Object storage is ideal for storing long-term archive data in the cloud because it offers high scalability, durability, availability, and cost-effectiveness12. Object storage can handle large amounts of unstructured data, such as documents, images, videos, and backups, and allows users to access them from anywhere using a simple web interface3. Object storage also supports features such as encryption, versioning, lifecycle management, and replication to ensure the security and integrity of the archive data45. References: [CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Study Guide, Second Edition (Exam CLO-002)], Chapter 2: Cloud Computing Concepts, pages 36-37.

Private key encryption, also known as symmetric key encryption, is a method of encrypting data using a single secret key that is shared by both the sender and the receiver of the message1. Private key encryption ensures that only the authorized parties who have the same key can access the encrypted data, while preventing unauthorized parties from reading or modifying it. Therefore, private key encryption is mainly used to protect the confidentiality of data, which is the security concern that deals with preventing unauthorized disclosure of information2.

Confidentiality is one of the three main goals of information security, along with integrity and availability. Integrity refers to the security concern that deals with preventing unauthorized modification or corruption of information. Availability refers to the security concern that deals with ensuring timely and reliable access to information2. Authorization, on the other hand, is not a security concern, but a security mechanism that deals with granting or denying access rights to information based on predefined policies and rules3.

A cloud developer chooses to use private key encryption for all traffic in a new application. This best describes the security concern of confidentiality, as the developer wants to ensure that only the intended recipients can access the encrypted data, while keeping it secret from anyone else. References: 1: https://www.comptia.org/training/books/cloud-essentials-clo-002-study-guide, Chapter 8, page 274-275  2: https://www.comptia.org/training/books/cloud-essentials-clo-002-study-guide, Chapter 8, page 263-264  3: https://www.comptia.org/training/books/cloud-essentials-clo-002-study-guide, Chapter 8, page 268-269

Containerization is a software deployment process that bundles an application’s code with all the files and libraries it needs to run on any infrastructure. Containerization does not include an underlying operating system that would require patching and management, as containers share the host operating system kernel and run in isolated user spaces. Containerization allows applications to run consistently and portably on any platform or cloud, regardless of the differences in operating systems, hardware, or configurations. Containerization also enables faster and easier deployment, scalability, and fault tolerance of applications. Therefore, containerization would best meet the need of a vendor who wants to distribute a cloud management application in a format that can be used on both public and private clouds.

The other options are not relevant to the question. Federation is a process of integrating multiple cloud services or providers to create a unified cloud environment. Collaboration is a process of working together on a shared project or goal using cloud-based tools and platforms. Microservices are a software architecture style that breaks down a complex application into smaller, independent, and loosely coupled services that communicate through APIs. Microservices can be implemented using containers, but they are not a software deployment format. Therefore, the correct answer is A. Containerization.

References: What is Containerization? - Containerization Explained - AWS, Containerization Explained | IBM, Microservices and containerisation - what IT manager needs to know, Containerized Microservices - Xamarin | Microsoft Learn.

Templates are reusable files that contain predefined content, logic, and parameters for creating or deploying cloud resources and services1. Templates can help DevOps engineers to start building application solutions in an efficient manner without any dependent components, as they can automate and standardize the provisioning and configuration of the cloud environment2. Templates can also enable faster and more consistent delivery of applications, as they can reduce errors, improve quality, and facilitate collaboration and integration3. Templates can be written in various languages and formats, such as JSON, YAML, XML, or PowerShell, depending on the cloud provider and platform. For example, Azure Resource Manager templates, AWS CloudFormation templates, and Google Cloud Deployment Manager templates are some of the common types of templates used for building cloud applications .

Building the applications in QA, and then enabling resource tagging, is not a valid option, as resource tagging is a feature that allows users to assign metadata to cloud resources, such as name, purpose, owner, or cost center, to facilitate management, monitoring, and billing. Resource tagging does not help to build application solutions without any dependent components, nor does it automate or standardize the cloud environment.

Building the applications in QA, and then cloning and deploying them in production, is not a valid option, as cloning is a process of creating an exact copy of a cloud resource or service, such as a virtual machine, a database, or a storage account. Cloning does not help to build application solutions without any dependent components, nor does it automate or standardize the cloud environment. Cloning may also introduce security and compliance risks, as the cloned resources may contain sensitive or confidential data that need to be protected or removed.

Using templates and enabling auto-scaling, is not a valid option, as auto-scaling is a feature that allows cloud resources and services to automatically adjust their capacity and performance based on the changes in demand or workload. Auto-scaling does not help to build application solutions without any dependent components, nor does it automate or standardize the cloud environment. Auto-scaling is mainly used to optimize the resource utilization and cost efficiency of the cloud applications, as well as to improve their availability and reliability.

References:

• 1: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Study Guide, Second Edition (Exam CLO-002), Chapter 6, page 161.
• 2: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Study Guide, Second Edition (Exam CLO-002), Chapter 6, page 162.
• 3: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Study Guide, Second Edition (Exam CLO-002), Chapter 6, page 163.
• [4]: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Study Guide, Second Edition (Exam CLO-002), Chapter 6, page 164.
• [5]: Azure Resource Manager templates
• [6]: AWS CloudFormation templates
• [7]: Google Cloud Deployment Manager templates
• [8]: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Study Guide, Second Edition (Exam CLO-002), Chapter 6, page 167.
• [9]: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Study Guide, Second Edition (Exam CLO-002), Chapter 6, page 168.
• [10]: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Study Guide, Second Edition (Exam CLO-002), Chapter 6, page 169.
• [11]: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Study Guide, Second Edition (Exam CLO-002), Chapter 6, page 170.
• [12]: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Study Guide, Second Edition (Exam CLO-002), Chapter 6, page 171

Data sovereignty is the most important aspect to consider when defining the company’s needs for a multicloud model. Data sovereignty refers to the legal and regulatory requirements that apply to the data based on its location and ownership. Different cloud providers and regions may have different laws and regulations that affect how the data can be stored, processed, accessed, and transferred. For example, some countries may require that data generated within their borders must be stored locally and not transferred to other jurisdictions. Some cloud providers may also have different policies and practices regarding data security, privacy, and compliance. Therefore, the company needs to understand the data sovereignty implications of using multiple cloud platforms and ensure that they comply with the relevant laws and regulations.

References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002 Study Guide, Chapter 2: Cloud Concepts and Models, Section 2.3: Cloud Deployment Models, p. 66-67.

Change management is an IT practice that aims to minimize disruptions to IT services while making changes to critical systems and services5. Change management involves planning, testing, approving, and implementing changes in a controlled and systematic manner6. A change is defined as adding, modifying, or removing anything that could have a direct or indirect effect on services5. In this case, the cloud administrator should follow the change management process to ensure that the software upgrade is properly tested, approved, and applied.

References:

• Change management types, Atlassian
• Change management vs Configuration management, Virima

According to the CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002 Study Guide, there are four common risk response types: avoid, share or transfer, mitigate, and accept1. These are the appropriate responses to risks, depending on the risk type, assessment, and attitude. The other options are incorrect because they include terms that are not valid risk responses. For example, migrate is not a risk response, but a cloud deployment strategy. Validate is not a risk response, but a quality assurance technique. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002 Study Guide, Chapter 4: Cloud Security, Section 4.2: Cloud Security Concepts, Page 153.

 The cost savings by converting all four of the cloud servers to reserved instances can be calculated as follows:

• The current pricing is $200 per month per server, which means the total cost for keeping three servers online for another nine months is $200 x 3 x 9 = $5,400, and the total cost for keeping one server online for a year is $200 x 1 x 12 = $2,400. The total cost for all four servers is $5,400 + $2,400 = $7,800.
• The sale price of $1,500 per year per reserved instance means the total cost for converting all four servers to reserved instances is $1,500 x 4 = $6,000.
• The cost savings by converting all four servers to reserved instances is $7,800 - $6,000 = $1,800.

References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Exam Objectives1, CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Study Guide, Chapter 2: Business Principles of Cloud Environments2, Cloud Essentials+ Certification Training3

TCO, or Total Cost of Ownership, is a metric that helps to estimate the total cost of acquiring and maintaining a product, service, or investment over its lifetime. TCO includes not only the initial purchase price, but also any ongoing costs, such as maintenance, support, upgrades, licensing, or disposal. TCO is useful for comparing different options and making informed decisions based on the long-term implications of each option. In this case, the company needs to do a cost analysis for a three-year contract renewal with a SaaS provider that changed its licensing model. To do this, the company needs to consider the TCO of the SaaS service, which includes the cost of the license, the cost of any additional features or services, the cost of integration with other systems, the cost of training and support, and the cost of any potential risks or issues. By calculating the TCO, the company can forecast the entire financial impact of the contract renewal over the three-year period and compare it with other alternatives. ROI, or Return on Investment, is a metric that measures the performance or profitability of an investment. ROI compares the amount of money invested in a project or asset with the amount of money gained or saved as a result of that investment. ROI is useful for evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of an investment and determining if it is worth pursuing. However, ROI does not account for the total cost of ownership of an investment, nor does it consider the time value of money or the opportunity cost of investing in something else. Therefore, ROI is not the best metric to use for forecasting the entire financial impact of a contract renewal over a long period of time. SOW, or Statement of Work, is a document that defines the scope, deliverables, timeline, and terms of a project or contract. SOW is useful for establishing the expectations and responsibilities of both parties involved in a project or contract and ensuring that they are aligned and agreed upon. However, SOW does not provide a financial forecast or analysis of a project or contract, nor does it compare different options or alternatives. Therefore, SOW is not the best metric to use for doing a cost analysis for a contract renewal. RFI, or Request for Information, is a document that solicits information from potential vendors or suppliers about their products, services, or capabilities. RFI is useful for gathering information and data that can help to evaluate and compare different options or alternatives and make informed decisions. However, RFI does not provide a financial forecast or analysis of a project or contract, nor does it calculate the total cost of ownership or the return on investment of each option or alternative. Therefore, RFI is not the best metric to use for doing a cost analysis for a contract renewal. References: 1, 2, 3

SaaS stands for Software as a Service, which is a cloud service model that gives the most responsibility to the provider. In SaaS, the provider delivers the entire software application to the customer over the internet, without requiring any installation, configuration, or maintenance on the customer’s side. The customer only needs a web browser or a thin client to access the software, which is hosted and managed by the provider. The provider is responsible for the security, availability, performance, and updates of the software, as well as the underlying infrastructure, platform, and middleware. The customer has no control over the software, except for some limited customization and configuration options. The customer pays for the software usage, usually on a subscription or pay-per-use basis.

SaaS is different from other service models, such as PaaS, IaaS, or BPaaS. PaaS stands for Platform as a Service, which is a cloud service model that provides the customer with a platform to develop, run, and manage applications without worrying about the infrastructure. The provider is responsible for the infrastructure, operating system, middleware, and runtime environment, while the customer is responsible for the application code, data, and configuration. IaaS stands for Infrastructure as a Service, which is a cloud service model that provides the customer with the basic computing resources, such as servers, storage, network, and virtualization. The provider is responsible for the physical infrastructure, while the customer is responsible for the operating system, middleware, runtime, application, and data. BPaaS stands for Business Process as a Service, which is a cloud service model that provides the customer with a complete business process, such as payroll, accounting, or human resources. The provider is responsible for the software, platform, and infrastructure that support the business process, while the customer is responsible for the input and output of the process. References: Cloud Service Models - CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ (CLO-002) Cert Guide, What is SaaS? Software as a service explained | InfoWorld, What is SaaS? Software as a Service Explained - Salesforce.com, What is SaaS? Software as a Service Definition - AWS

Big data is a term that describes the large and diverse datasets that are generated from various sources at high speed and require advanced analytics techniques to process and extract value from them. Big data can help organizations gain insights, uncover patterns, and make informed decisions12

The company is implementing big data because it is using different information sources in combination with its current databases, which implies that the data is large in volume and variety. The company is also using the CSP’s solutions to ingest, transform, and process the information, which implies that the data is high in velocity and requires specialized tools and frameworks to handle it. The company is using big data analytics to analyze the results of its email marketing campaign, which can help it understand the effectiveness, impact, and return on investment of its marketing strategy34

Blockchain is not the correct answer, because blockchain is a technology that enables the creation and management of distributed, decentralized, and immutable ledgers of transactions. Blockchain can help organizations improve transparency, security, and trust in their business processes, but it is not related to the analysis of email marketing campaign results.

Social media is not the correct answer, because social media is a platform that enables the creation and sharing of content and information among users. Social media can help organizations communicate, engage, and interact with their customers, but it is not the main focus of the analysis of email marketing campaign results. Social media can be one of the information sources for big data, but it is not the same as big data.

IoT is not the correct answer, because IoT is a concept that refers to the network of physical devices, sensors, and machines that are connected to the internet and can collect and exchange data. IoT can help organizations improve efficiency, productivity, and innovation, but it is not related to the analysis of email marketing campaign results. IoT can be one of the information sources for big data, but it is not the same as big data.

References: 1: https://www.comptia.org/training/books/cloud-essentials-clo-002-study-guide, page 36  2: https://cloud.google.com/learn/what-is-big-data  3: https://www.comptia.org/training/books/cloud-essentials-clo-002-study-guide, page 48  4: https://www.ibm.com/cloud/blog/how-to-estimate-cloud-costs-a-pricing-crash-course : https://www.comptia.org/training/books/cloud-essentials-clo-002-study-guide, page 40 : https://www.comptia.org/training/books/cloud-essentials-clo-002-study-guide, page 38 : https://www.comptia.org/training/books/cloud-essentials-clo-002-study-guide, page 39

A statement of work (SOW) is a document that outlines the scope of a project, specific deliverables, scheduling, and additional specific details from the client/buyer1. A SOW defines what the service provider will do for the client and how they will do it, as well as the expected outcomes and quality standards2. A SOW is typically used as a supplement to a master service agreement (MSA) or a contract that establishes the general terms and conditions of the business relationship3.

References:

• CompTIA Cloud Essentials CLO-002 Certification Study Guide, Chapter 2: Business Principles of Cloud Environments, page 65
• Statement of Work (SOW): What Is It & How to Write One, The Blueprint
• Master Services Agreement vs Statement Of Work, Difference between MSA & SOW, PandaDoc

A vulnerability scan is a process of identifying and reporting potential security weaknesses in a system or network. A vulnerability scan can help detect misconfigurations, outdated software, missing patches, and other issues that could compromise the security of the cloud environment. A vulnerability scan is an appropriate task for the cloud security team to perform after migrating the infrastructure to the cloud, as it can help identify and remediate any security gaps that may have occurred during the migration process. A vulnerability scan can also help the cloud security team comply with the security standards and regulations that apply to the cloud service provider and the cloud customer.

A risk register is a document that lists the identified risks, their likelihood, impact, and mitigation strategies for a project or organization. A risk register is not a post-migration task, but rather a pre-migration task that should be created and updated throughout the cloud migration process. A risk register can help the cloud security team assess and manage the risks associated with the cloud migration, and plan for contingencies and backups in case of any unforeseen events.

A threat assessment is a process of identifying and analyzing the potential threats that could harm a system or network. A threat assessment can help the cloud security team determine the sources, motives, capabilities, and methods of the attackers, and prioritize the most critical and likely threats. A threat assessment is not a post-migration task, but rather a continuous task that should be performed regularly to monitor and respond to the evolving threat landscape. A threat assessment can help the cloud security team enhance the security posture and resilience of the cloud environment, and implement appropriate countermeasures and controls.

An application scan is a process of testing and verifying the functionality and security of an application. An application scan can help detect and report any errors, bugs, vulnerabilities, or performance issues in an application. An application scan is not a post-migration task, but rather a development and deployment task that should be performed before and after launching an application in the cloud. An application scan can help the cloud security team ensure the quality and reliability of the application, and fix any issues that could affect the user experience or security of the application. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002 Study Guide, Chapter 4: Cloud Security Principles and Practices, pages 153-154.

A lift and shift migration approach, also known as rehosting, is a cloud migration strategy where applications and infrastructure are moved from one environment to another without making substantial changes to the underlying architecture123. This approach can be faster, cheaper, and less risky than other migration strategies, as it does not require extensive redesign or reconfiguration of the applications. However, it may also limit the ability to leverage the native features and benefits of the cloud platform, such as scalability, elasticity, and performance1245.

One of the challenges of a lift and shift migration is transferring large amounts of data and virtual machines over the network, which can be time-consuming, costly, and prone to errors. To overcome this challenge, some cloud providers offer a technique where the customer can transfer all of their on-premises data and virtual machines to an appliance, such as a physical storage device or a server, and then ship it to the cloud provider. The cloud provider then uploads the data and virtual machines to the cloud platform, where they can be accessed by the customer12. This technique can reduce the network bandwidth and latency issues, as well as the security risks, associated with transferring data over the internet. However, it may also introduce additional costs and delays for shipping and handling the appliance, as well as the risk of damage or loss during transit2.

Therefore, transferring all of a customer’s on-premises data and virtual machines to an appliance, and then shipping it to a cloud provider is a technique used in a lift and shift migration approach. References:

• 1: Lift and Shift: An Essential Guide | IBM
• 2: What Is Lift and Shift? | 5 Strategies to Consider | NetApp
• 3: What Is Lift and Shift Migration? | Pure Storage
• 4: Lift and Shift: Business Benefits, Planning and Execution - NetApp
• 5: Lift and Shift Cloud Migration: Benefits, Disadvantages and Use Cases …

The open-source licensing model for application software is a type of software license that allows anyone to access, modify, and distribute the source code of the software, subject to certain terms and conditions. The source code is the human-readable version of the software that contains the instructions and logic for how the software works. By making the source code available, open-source software licenses enable collaboration, innovation, and transparency among software developers and users. There are different types of open-source software licenses, such as permissive and copyleft licenses, that vary in the degree of freedom and restriction they impose on the use and modification of the software. However, the common characteristic of all open-source software licenses is that they grant the right to view and use the source code of the software. Therefore, option D is the best description of the open-source licensing model for application software. Option A is incorrect because it describes the opposite of the open-source licensing model. Software that is free to use, but the source code is not available to modify, is called closed-source or proprietary software. Option B is incorrect because it contradicts the open-source licensing model. Modifications to existing software are allowed under open-source software licenses, as long as they comply with the terms and conditions of the license. Option C is incorrect because it does not reflect the open-source licensing model. Code modifications do not need to be submitted for approval under open-source software licenses, although they may need to be shared with the original author or the community, depending on the license. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002 Study Guide, Chapter 2: Cloud Concepts, Section 2.4: Cloud Service Models, Page 531 and Understanding Open-Source Software Licenses | DigitalOcean

Containerization is the process of developing software applications for containers, which are isolated user spaces that bundle application code with all the dependencies and libraries required to run on any infrastructure. Containerization allows applications to be deployed in different environments without modifying anything but the application settings. This is different from application versioning, which is the practice of assigning unique identifiers to different versions of an application. Source code control is the management of changes to source code files, which is not related to deployment. Deployment automation is the use of tools and scripts to automate the deployment process, which may or may not involve containers. References: Containerization Explained | IBM, Containerization (computing) - Wikipedia

 Right-sizing is the process of adjusting the resources allocated to a system to match its actual needs and avoid paying for unused capacity. Right-sizing can be done manually or automatically, and it can involve increasing or decreasing the resources as needed. Right-sizing is one of the benefits of cloud computing, as it allows for more efficient and cost-effective use of resources. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ (CLO-002) Study Guide, Chapter 2: Cloud Computing Concepts, Section 2.2: Cloud Service Models, page 3812

Learn more:

1. comptia.org2. comptia.org3. globalknowledge.com4. partners.comptia.org

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A hybrid cloud deployment model includes application components on a company’s network as well as on the Internet. A hybrid cloud is a combination of two or more cloud deployment models, such as public, private, or community, that are connected by a common network or technology. A hybrid cloud allows the company to leverage the benefits of both public and private clouds, such as scalability, cost-efficiency, security, and control. A hybrid cloud can also enable the company to use different cloud services for different types of workloads, such as sensitive data, high-performance computing, or disaster recovery12. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification | CompTIA IT Certifications, CompTIA Cloud Essentials+: Essential Cloud Principles, CompTIA Cloud Essentials CLO-002 Certification Study Guide, CompTIA Cloud+ Certification Exam Objectives

Licensing models are the most likely financial consideration when selecting a cloud provider, as they determine how the cloud service is priced, billed, and consumed by the customer. Licensing models can vary depending on the type, level, and duration of the cloud service, as well as the vendor’s policies and agreements. Licensing models can have a significant impact on the total cost of ownership (TCO) and the return on investment (ROI) of the cloud service, as well as the customer’s flexibility, scalability, and security. Licensing models can also affect the customer’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, such as data protection, privacy, or intellectual property rights. Therefore, customers should carefully compare and evaluate different licensing models offered by different cloud providers, and choose the one that best suits their needs, budget, and goals12

References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Exam Objectives3, CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Study Guide, Chapter 2: Business Principles of Cloud Environments

Lift and shift is a cloud migration approach that involves moving applications to the cloud as-is, without making any major changes to the application code or architecture. This approach is suitable for legacy applications that depend on specific databases or platforms that are no longer supported or available on-premise. Lift and shift can help reduce the cost and complexity of migration, while preserving the functionality and performance of the applications. However, lift and shift may not take full advantage of the cloud features and benefits, such as scalability, elasticity, and automation. Therefore, some applications may require further optimization or refactoring after the initial migration.

A subscription agreement is a type of pay-as-you-go licensing model within a cloud service, where the user pays a recurring fee for the access to the cloud resources and services. The fee is usually based on the number of users, the amount of data, or the duration of the subscription. A subscription agreement allows the user to scale up or down the cloud usage as needed, and only pay for what they use. A subscription agreement is different from a perpetual agreement, which is a one-time payment for a perpetual license to use the cloud service. A subscription agreement is also different from an enterprise agreement, which is a long-term contract that offers discounts and benefits for large-scale cloud usage. A promotional agreement is a temporary offer that provides free or discounted access to the cloud service for a limited time or under certain conditions. References: Cloud Service Models - CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ (CLO-002) Cert Guide, Cloud Computing Pricing Models - CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ (CLO-002) Cert Guide

Federation is a technology that allows a social media application to authenticate access to resources that are available in the cloud. Federation enables users to sign in to a cloud service using their existing credentials from another identity provider, such as Facebook, Google, or Microsoft. This way, users do not need to create a separate account or password for the cloud service, and the cloud service does not need to store or manage user identities. Federation also simplifies access management, as the identity provider can control which users and groups are allowed to access the cloud service. Federation is based on standards such as OAuth, OpenID Connect, and SAML, which define how identity providers and cloud services can exchange authentication and authorization information. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002 Study Guide, Chapter 3: Cloud Service Operations, Section 3.4: Identity and Access Management, Page 113.

A virtual private network (VPN) is a technology that creates a secure and encrypted connection over a public network, such as the internet, between two or more endpoints1. A VPN can be used to connect on-premises resources to resources located in a cloud environment, such as a virtual private cloud (VPC), which is a private network hosted within a public cloud2. A VPN allows the on-premises and cloud resources to communicate with each other as if they were on the same local network, without exposing the traffic to the public internet. A VPN can help to ensure the privacy, security, and reliability of the data and applications that are transferred between the on-premises and cloud environments3.

A VPN is different from the other options listed in the question, which are not directly related to connecting on-premises resources to resources located in a cloud environment. An access control list (ACL) is a list of rules that defines who or what can access a specific resource, such as a file, a folder, a network, or a service. An ACL can help to enforce the security and authorization policies of the resource owner, but it does not create a secure connection between the on-premises and cloud environments. A secure file transfer protocol (SFTP) is a protocol that uses Secure Shell (SSH) to securely transfer files over a network. SFTP can help to protect the files from unauthorized access, modification, or interception, but it does not create a secure connection between the on-premises and cloud environments. A software-defined network (SDN) is a network architecture that decouples the network control and data planes, and allows the network to be programmatically configured and managed by software applications. SDN can help to improve the flexibility, scalability, and performance of the network, but it does not create a secure connection between the on-premises and cloud environments.

References: What is a VPN? | How VPNs Work & Why You Need One | AVG, What is a VPN? What is a virtual private cloud (VPC)? - Cloudflare, What is a virtual private cloud (VPC)? What is a VPN and why is it important for cloud computing? | IBM, What is a VPN and why is it important for cloud computing? [What is an Access Control List (ACL)? - Definition from Techopedia], Access Control List (ACL) Definition. [What is SFTP? | How SFTP Works | Cloudflare], What is SFTP? [What is Software-Defined Networking (SDN)? | Cisco], Software-defined networking (SDN).