The Official

CompTIA
Cloud+
Study Guide
(Exam CV0-003)
Course Edition: 1.0

Acknowledgments

Damon Garn, Author

Thomas Reilly, Senior Vice President, Learning
Katie Hoenicke, Senior Director, Product Management
Evan Burns, Senior Manager, Learning Technology Operations and Implementation
James Chesterfield, Manager, Learning Content and Design
Becky Mann, Director, Product Development
Katherine Keyes, Content Specialist

Notices
Disclaimer
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Table of Contents | iii

Table of Contents

Lesson 1: Understanding Cloud Concepts...................................................................... 1

Topic 1A: Recognize Cloud Concepts..................................................................... 2

Topic 1B: Recognize Cloud Terms........................................................................ 18

Topic 1C: Understand the Troubleshooting Methodology............................... 22

Lesson 2: Planning and Designing a Cloud Environment........................................... 29

Topic 2A: Meet Cloud Business Requirements.................................................. 30

Topic 2B: Design Capacity Planning and Requirements................................... 38

Lesson 3: Administering Cloud Resources................................................................... 45

Topic 3A: Manage Cloud Administration............................................................ 46

Topic 3B: Manage Compute Resources in the Cloud......................................... 59

Topic 3C: Manage Memory Resources................................................................ 64

Lesson 4: Managing Cloud Storage............................................................................... 67

Topic 4A: Understand Cloud Storage Types....................................................... 68

Topic 4B: Configure Cloud Storage Solutions..................................................... 74

Topic 4C: Configure Cloud Storage Protocols and RAID.................................... 80

Lesson 5: Managing Networks in the Cloud................................................................ 91

Topic 5A: Deploying Cloud Network Services.................................................... 92

Topic 5B: Identify Cloud Network Infrastructure Components.................... 104

Lesson 6: Securing and Troubleshooting Networks in the Cloud........................... 113

Topic 6A: Secure a Network in a Cloud Environment..................................... 114

Topic 6B: Troubleshooting Cloud Connectivity............................................... 128

Lesson 7: Managing Cloud Migrations and Troubleshooting Cloud Deployments.......143

Topic 7A: Manage Cloud Migrations................................................................. 144

Topic 7B: Troubleshoot Cloud Deployment and Migration Issues................ 158

Table of Contents
iv | Table of Contents

Lesson 8: Managing Cloud Automation and Orchestration..................................... 163

Topic 8A: Understand Cloud Automation and Orchestration Techniques.. 164

Topic 8B: Troubleshoot Automation and Orchestration in the Cloud.......... 175

Lesson 9: Understanding Cloud Security Concepts.................................................. 181

Topic 9A: Administer Identity and Access Management in the Cloud.......... 182

Topic 9B: Manage Cloud Operating System and Application Security......... 192

Topic 9C: Manage Data Security and Compliance in the Cloud..................... 200

Lesson 10: Managing Cloud Security.......................................................................... 213

Topic 10A: Implement Security Measures in the Cloud Domain................... 214

Topic 10B: Troubleshoot Cloud Security........................................................... 224

Lesson 11: Managing Cloud Performance.................................................................. 237

Topic 11A: Operate Efficiently in the Cloud..................................................... 238

Topic 11B: Accomplish Cloud Operations Tasks.............................................. 242

Topic 11C: Optimize Cloud................................................................................. 249

Topic 11D: Troubleshoot Common Cloud Performance Problems................ 259

Lesson 12: Managing Maintenance in the Cloud....................................................... 267

Topic 12A: Configure Logs, Monitoring, and Alerting for Cloud Services..... 268

Topic 12B: Manage Backup and Restore in the Cloud.................................... 277

Lesson 13: Implementing High Availability and Disaster Recovery in the Cloud........287

Topic 13A: Understand High Availability and Scaling in the Cloud............... 288

Topic 13B: Manage Disaster Recovery in the Cloud........................................ 297

Topic 13C: Manage Backup and Restore in the Cloud.................................... 305

Appendix A: Mapping Course Content to CompTIA Cloud+ (CV0-003).....................A-1

Solutions......................................................................................................................... S-1

Glossary ..........................................................................................................................G-1

Index ................................................................................................................................ I-1

Table of Contents
About This Course
CompTIA is a not-for-profit trade association with the purpose of advancing the
interests of IT professionals and IT channel organizations; its industry-leading IT
certifications are an important part of that mission. CompTIA's Cloud+ Certification
is an upper-level certification designed for professionals with 2–3 years of hands-on
work experience in a systems administrator job role.
This exam will certify the successful candidate has the knowledge and skills
required to understand cloud architecture and design, deploy cloud services and
solutions, successfully maintain, secure, and optimize a cloud environment, and to
troubleshoot common cloud management issues.
CompTIA Cloud+ Exam Objectives Blueprint

Course Description
Course Objectives
This course can benefit you in two ways. If you intend to pass the CompTIA Cloud+
(Exam CV0-003) certification examination, this course can be a significant part of
your preparation. But certification is not the only key to professional success in
the field of cloud management. Today's job market demands individuals with
demonstrable skills, and the information and activities in this course can help you
build your cloud sysadmin skill set so that you can confidently perform your duties
in any cloud administrator role.
On course completion, you will be able to:
• Understand cloud concepts

• Plan and design a cloud environment

• Administer cloud resources

• Manage cloud storage

• Manage networks in the cloud

• Secure and troubleshoot networks in the cloud

• Manage cloud migrations and troubleshoot cloud deployments

• Manage cloud automation and orchestration

• Understand cloud security concepts

• Manage cloud security

• Manage cloud performance

• Manage cloud maintenance

• Implement high availability and disaster recovery in the cloud

Target Student
The Official CompTIA Cloud+ Guide (Exam CV0-003) is the primary course you will
need to take if your job responsibilities include cloud architecture and deployment,
optimization, and cloud security within your organization. You can take this course
to prepare for the CompTIA Cloud+ (Exam CV0-003) certification examination.
vi | Preface

Prerequisites
To ensure your success in this course, you should have systems administration skills
comprising 2–3 years' experience. CompTIA Network+ and Server+ certification, or
the equivalent knowledge, is strongly recommended.

The prerequisites for this course might differ significantly from the prerequisites for
the CompTIA certification exams. For the most up-to-date information about the exam
prerequisites, complete the form on this page: www.comptia.org/training/resources/
exam-objectives

How to Use the Study Notes

The following notes will help you understand how the course structure and components
are designed to support mastery of the competencies and tasks associated with the
target job roles and help you to prepare to take the certification exam.

As You Learn
At the top level, this course is divided into lessons, each representing an area of
competency within the target job roles. Each lesson is composed of a number of
topics. A topic contains subjects that are related to a discrete job task, mapped
to objectives and content examples in the CompTIA exam objectives document.
Rather than follow the exam domains and objectives sequence, lessons and topics
are arranged in order of increasing proficiency. Each topic is intended to be studied
within a short period (typically 30 minutes at most). Each topic is concluded by one
or more activities, designed to help you apply your understanding of the study
notes to practical scenarios and tasks.
In addition to the study content in the lessons, there is a glossary of the terms and
concepts used throughout the course. There is also an index to assist in locating
particular terminology, concepts, technologies, and tasks within the lesson and
topic content.

In many electronic versions of the book, you can click links on key words in the topic
content to move to the associated glossary definition, and on page references in the index
to move to that term in the content. To return to the previous location in the document
after clicking a link, use the appropriate functionality in your eBook viewing software.

Watch throughout the material for the following visual cues.

Student Icon Student Icon Descriptive Text

A Note provides additional information, guidance, or hints about
a topic or task.

A Caution note makes you aware of places where you need to be

particularly careful with your actions, settings, or decisions so that
you can be sure to get the desired results of an activity or task.

As You Review
Any method of instruction is only as effective as the time and effort you, the
student, are willing to invest in it. In addition, some of the information that you
learn in class may not be important to you immediately, but it may become
important later. For this reason, we encourage you to spend some time reviewing
the content of the course after your time in the classroom.

About This Course

Preface | vii

Following the lesson content, you will find a table mapping the lessons and topics to
the exam domains, objectives, and content examples. You can use this as a checklist
as you prepare to take the exam, and review any content that you are uncertain about.

As a Reference
The organization and layout of this book make it an easy-to-use resource for future
reference. Guidelines can be used during class and as after-class references when
you're back on the job and need to refresh your understanding. Taking advantage
of the glossary, index, and table of contents, you can use this book as a first source
of definitions, background information, and summaries.

About This Course

Lesson 1
Understanding Cloud Concepts

LESSON INTRODUCTION
In order to better understand cloud services and providers, a consistent set of
concepts must be applied. This lesson covers cloud concepts and terminology.
Cloud service providers have their own unique names for their offerings, so
it is easy to get confused. The final topic in the lesson addresses a common
troubleshooting methodology that applies to on-premises and cloud deployments.

Lesson Objectives
In this lesson, you will:
• Understand cloud concepts.

• Understand cloud terms and concepts.

• Understand the troubleshooting methodology.

2 | The Official CompTIA Cloud+ Study Guide (Exam CV0-003)

Topic 1A
Recognize Cloud Concepts

EXAM OBJECTIVES COVERED

1.1 Compare and contrast the different types of cloud models

The term “cloud” can have various meanings. In order to reduce confusion, the NIST
definition of cloud services will be used. The three primary cloud service models are
discussed next, followed by the cloud deployment models. Cloud services and the
shared security model conclude this section.

What Is the Cloud?

The definition of "cloud computing" may be confusing. There are many different
offerings, with different names, that are provided by different vendors. Five
characteristics have been agreed upon for a basic understanding of what cloud
computing means. These characteristics help to illustrate cloud services. The five
characteristics defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST) are:
• On-demand self-service: Consumers can provision resources as needed and
automatically.

• Broad network access: Services are available across the network from
commonly available clients.

• Resource pooling: The cloud service provider (CSP) pools resources in a multi-
tenant model and adjusts resource allocation on an on-demand basis, and the
specific distribution of hardware resources is abstracted from the consumer.

• Rapid elasticity: Resources are provisioned and released to adjust for changes
in demand and consumption. This process may be automatic or manual.

• Measured service: Metering of resources is monitored, controlled, and billable.

You will find the remainder of this class much easier if you memorize these five
characteristics quickly.

On-Demand Self-Service
Cloud services consumers can provision services on an as-needed basis, without
the need to work with the CSP directly. These resources might include additional
compute power, additional storage, new websites, or even database services.
The consumer can expand (or reduce) these services without the need for human
assistance from the CSP. 

Lesson 1: Understanding Cloud Concepts | Topic 1A

The Official CompTIA Cloud+ Study Guide (Exam CV0-003) | 3

Broad Network Access

Client devices and traditional server deployments are able to access cloud-based
resources across the network. The network might include the local on-premises network
or the Internet, or both. Cloud resources have the potential to be globally accessible.

Resource Pooling
CSPs pool network, storage, and compute capabilities and then dynamically and
automatically allocate those resources to consumers on an on-demand basis. The
consumers do not know (or care) where the resources might physically be located.
The next time those services are used by the consumer, the resource locations
might have changed. The CSP manages the resources and maximizes their use. 

Rapid Elasticity
Server resources in a traditional model are purchased as a capital expenditure, and
whether or not those resources are efficiently utilized, their cost and capabilities are
fixed. In some business models, resource needs change throughout the year. For
example, retail demand is significantly higher during some parts of the year than
others. With cloud-based computing, resources are dynamically allocated, making
for far more efficient utilization of those resources. Servers that might have been
under utilized for most of the year no longer need to be purchased and maintained.

Measured Service
CSPs meter the utilization of their resources. This metering permits more efficient
and dynamic resource allocation. It also permits the CSPs to bill consumers
accurately for exactly the quantity of resources consumed.

Understand Cloud Services Models

One of the simplest explanations of cloud services is the idea of offloading responsibility.
In a traditional client-server model, companies do not offload responsibility for their
servers, storage, or networking. Instead, they purchase expensive, complex, and often
proprietary hardware, hire a team of experts to manage that hardware, and cannot
easily scale their investment as their business needs change. With the cloud, some or all
of those responsibilities can be offloaded to a CSP.
Cloud service models are initially divided into three types of solutions. These may
be differentiated by what responsibilities are being offloaded. Many more cloud
service models have since been defined, but these three best exemplify the primary
aspects of cloud computing:
• Software as a Service (SaaS): The consumer is being provided with the direct
use of the software. Responsibility for the hardware where that software runs,
the operating system upon which it runs, and the installation and patching of the
software itself are all offloaded to the CSP.

• Platform as a Service (PaaS): The service structure is provided by the CSP. It is

up to the consumer to populate that structure, manage it on a day-to-day basis,
and assume responsibility for the content. Support for the hardware, as well as
the service platform that hosts the content, is offloaded to the CSP.

• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): The hardware infrastructure is provided

to the consumer. The consumer assumes responsibility for all layers above
that hardware. The CSP manages hardware failures, firmware updates, device
drivers, and hardware compatibility. The consumer installs and manages the
operating system on top of the hardware as well as any services and applications
that run above that operating system.

Lesson 1: Understanding Cloud Concepts | Topic 1A

4 | The Official CompTIA Cloud+ Study Guide (Exam CV0-003)

• Anything as a Service (XaaS): “Anything as a service" is a catch-all phrase for

technology solutions that are moved to the cloud. There are many IT-oriented
examples, including database as a service (DBaaS), desktop as a service (DaaS),
and containers as a service (CaaS).

Areas of responsibility are depicted for each cloud service model as compared
to a traditional IT deployment. (Image © 123rf.com.)

Read carefully! This section contains critical information and terms that are used
extensively in the course.

Software as a Service
SaaS permits consumers to use the software provided by the CSP. The CSP retains
responsibility for installing, configuring, maintaining, patching, and upgrading the
software. The software is typically accessible from many client device platforms,
such as phones, tablets, and traditional computers.
The software is licensed for use by the consumer. Licensing is usually based on a
subscription model, where only the number of deployments needed is purchased
and paid for. SaaS licensing helps to make the cost management of software more
streamlined and scalable. SaaS enjoys a very high adoption rate on the Internet.
The consumer may realize lower initial deployment costs, quicker deployments, and
lower total cost of ownership expenditures over the software lifecycle by offloading
the support and maintenance of the software to a service provider. 
SaaS is also operating system agnostic, meaning that organizations will rarely have
to worry about the preferred operating system platform of a given employee. The
cloud-based software will also likely be available no matter what hardware platform
employees might use. For example, in your organization you might have fifty
employees using Microsoft Windows, fifty using Apple macOS, and fifty more using

Lesson 1: Understanding Cloud Concepts | Topic 1A

The Official CompTIA Cloud+ Study Guide (Exam CV0-003) | 5

Ubuntu Linux. Your organization could deploy a SaaS solution such as Dropbox
(cloud-based storage) that supports all three operating systems. In a traditional
non-cloud implementation, it would be much harder to provide a centralized, policy-
managed, and scalable storage solution that supports all three operating systems.
SaaS examples:
• Microsoft Office 365

• Google Apps

• WebEx

• Dropbox

• Netflix

Target audience:
• End users

SaaS provides hosted applications and all of the corresponding software and hardware
infrastructure related to using that application. (Image © 123RF.com.)

Platform as a Service
PaaS scenarios provide the hardware, operating system, and necessary tools to
consumers. The consumers then utilize the tools to manage their data on their own.
The CSP is responsible for hardware support and operating system support as well
as platform maintenance. The consumer simply uses the platform within the scope
of their own business needs.
PaaS solutions are often aimed at developers and database administrators (DBAs).
These individuals use the provided platform to develop whatever applications or
database services are needed by the organization without having to first build
the platforms. PaaS solutions also scale quickly and easily, providing consistent
development platforms as needs change.

Lesson 1: Understanding Cloud Concepts | Topic 1A

6 | The Official CompTIA Cloud+ Study Guide (Exam CV0-003)

By offloading responsibility for the hardware and operating system to the CSP,
developers do not have to concern themselves with supporting the platform they are
working on. Menial tasks, such as OS and application updates, hardware failures, and
device drivers, are no longer a concern. For example, a DBA no longer has to request
a server, install an operating system, and then install a database platform such as
Microsoft SQL Server or MariaDB. Those tasks have all been offloaded to the CSP.
PaaS solutions typically support multiple development environments and
programming languages. They also support development for all platforms,
including phones, tablets, end-user workstations, and servers.
PaaS examples:
• Google App Engine

• Heroku

• AWS ElasticBeanstalk

• Salesforce

Target audience:
• Developers

• DBAs

PaaS provides infrastructure software, operating systems, virtualization, servers and server
hardware, networking, and data center electrical and mechanical operations. (Image © 123RF.com.)

Infrastructure as a Service
IaaS offloads responsibility for hardware support to the CSP. Consumers are
responsible for the management of virtual machines hosted on the CSP hardware
infrastructure. The consumers install operating systems themselves, such as
Microsoft Windows or Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), configure and patch the
OSs, and install software.

Lesson 1: Understanding Cloud Concepts | Topic 1A

The Official CompTIA Cloud+ Study Guide (Exam CV0-003) | 7

IaaS can be much more cost effective for consumers because they can deploy
exactly the server platforms they need. IaaS also provides easy scalability. This may
result in a significant reduction in capital expenditures for hardware and licenses. In
a traditional infrastructure model, companies are required to predict server needs
during a budget cycle and estimate the overall utilization of the services. Such a
model makes it very difficult to be agile or efficiently utilize services in industries
in which demand varies significantly throughout the year (such as retail holiday
shopping). The pay-as-you-go model of IaaS means that organizations can pay for
what they need—no more and no less.
Onsite servers also require a great deal of infrastructure support. Servers consume
a lot of physical space, must be properly and reliably powered, must be continually
cooled, and must be physically secure. All of these requirements mean significant
operating expenditures for businesses. By offloading these costs to a CSP,
businesses may save a great deal of money and time.
IaaS examples:
• AWS EC2

• Microsoft Azure

• Rackspace

• Digital Ocean

Target audience:
• IT administrators

IaaS provides virtualization, servers and server hardware, networking, and data center
electrical and mechanical operations to clients. (Image © 123RF.com.)

Lesson 1: Understanding Cloud Concepts | Topic 1A

8 | The Official CompTIA Cloud+ Study Guide (Exam CV0-003)

Anything as a Service
XaaS, where “X” represents any possible service, began as a way of taking the agility,
speed, and reduced initial capital expenditures that occur with the other cloud-
based “as a service” deployments and shifting those benefits to other IT services.
These services might include email, desktop operating systems, remote access, and
even security. Many innovative companies have creatively carved a niche within the
“as a service” role for themselves. XaaS means any delivery by the Internet with a
flexible, pay-as-you-go structure. This new service model provides reduced capital
expenditures and business agility.

Understand Cloud Deployment Models

Cloud Components and Clients
There are three main components in a cloud services solution. The first component
is the client platform from which the cloud services are being accessed. The second
is the data center where the cloud services are being hosted. The final component
is the network connection between those two points.

The three components of cloud services are the client device, the data center, and
the network that links them together. (Images © 123RF.com)

Cloud Service Component Role

CSP data center Hosts cloud services
Client Means of access to cloud services for consumer
Network Path between cloud services and client devices
Cloud services components.

Major CSPs, such as Microsoft and Amazon, have a great many data centers
distributed across the world. These data centers are redundant, have extremely
reliable access to power, have extremely reliable Internet access, and are physically
secure. Cloud services are hosted within the walls of these data centers.
Cloud services consumers could be virtually anyone, on any platform. Cloud
services may include storage, email, e-commerce, office suites, and development
environments. Users may access these services from phones, tablets, traditional
computers, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and servers. The cloud client devices
may be any device with a network connection. The major operating systems on the
client devices include Microsoft Windows, Apple macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.

Lesson 1: Understanding Cloud Concepts | Topic 1A

The Official CompTIA Cloud+ Study Guide (Exam CV0-003) | 9

The network is the path between the CSP data centers and the client devices. In
some deployment models, the network connection may be wholly owned and
operated by your company. In other cases, the Internet may be the network path to
cloud services. Access may also come via cell connections. In some cases, all three
network connection types may be used.

Understand Cloud Deployment Models

The cloud service infrastructure can be managed internally by a single organization
for its own use or managed by a CSP that provides services to many organizations.
These two models can be combined into a hybrid solution. A community of
consumers can also choose to implement a cloud hosting solution.  
• Public cloud: A CSP owns the cloud deployment and allocates its resources
to external, unaffiliated customers. Those customers share the public cloud’s
resources without knowing precisely where their data is in relation to that of any
other organization.

• Private cloud: Services are provided to only a single organization.

• Community cloud: Services are offered to several organizations that may have
similar service needs but are otherwise autonomous.

• Hybrid cloud: There is a combination of two or more private, public, or

community deployments. 

Public Cloud

Public cloud environments are shared among many unrelated organizations. (Images © 123RF.com.)

CSPs offer public cloud services to virtually any customer. Customers use a
subscription model to pay for access. The resources provided by the CSP are then
shared among its customers. No customer has any real understanding of precisely
where their resources or data may be at a given moment. In the background, the
CSP dynamically reallocates resources throughout the data center to support the
current demand.
Public cloud services are what most people think of when they hear about “cloud
computing.” Amazon and Microsoft are two major public cloud vendors (though
they each also offer private cloud deployment options).

Lesson 1: Understanding Cloud Concepts | Topic 1A

10 | The Official CompTIA Cloud+ Study Guide (Exam CV0-003)

Private Cloud

A private cloud model is available only to the enterprise that owns it. (Image © 123RF.com.)

Some organizations may choose to implement their own internal cloud solution.
The company itself will provide a data center and virtualization and offer a catalog
of available cloud services to the rest of the organization. The company retains
complete control of the cloud deployment but can leverage the advantages of cloud
technologies. This is especially viable for very large enterprises. 
In some cases, a private cloud may be necessary for security concerns. An
organization may be unable to use the public cloud deployment model due to
industry regulations, government requirements, insurance, or other reasons.

Community Cloud

Community cloud environments are shared among only a specific group

of related organizations. (Images © 123RF.com.)

A community cloud exists to serve a discrete body of consumers who have similar
business or security needs. Access to this cloud deployment model is limited to the
members of the community. The community cloud may be owned or managed by
any one or more of the community members, or it may be managed by a third party.

Lesson 1: Understanding Cloud Concepts | Topic 1A

The Official CompTIA Cloud+ Study Guide (Exam CV0-003) | 11

Hybrid Cloud

Hybrid clouds are any combination of the other three models. (Image © 123RF.com.)

A hybrid cloud deployment is any combination of the other three deployment

models. For example, an organization may choose to utilize some services offered
via a CSP’s public cloud while hosting other services in a private cloud environment.
The services in the public cloud portion may be cheaper, and security may be less
of a concern. The services hosted in the private cloud may be more secure, but the
deployment is more expensive.

Cloud Within a Cloud

Also known as a virtual private cloud (VPC), the concept of cloud within a cloud
means a public CSP hosts your organization’s cloud services in an isolated segment,
separated from any resources shared with other companies. While your cloud
services exist within a public cloud, those resources are private and unshared. Your
organization takes full administrative responsibility.
Virtual private clouds are an example of single-tenant deployments.
Sometimes there is confusion regarding the difference between VPC and private
cloud deployments. Here are some key differences:
• VPC–logical isolation of the cloud deployment that resides on a CSP's
infrastructure (and is therefore scalable).

• Private cloud–physical isolation of the cloud deployment in a private data center,

a community data center, or CSP's infrastructure. It is limited by the available
hardware and therefore less scalable.

Multitenancy
Multitenancy is the concept behind public cloud deployments. Multiple
consumers, known as tenants, share computing resources owned and managed by
the CSP. This is the opposite idea from a VPC deployment. It is multitenancy that
provides the cost benefits behind shared resource utilization.

Multi-cloud
There are many multi-cloud variations, but some of the most common are
combinations of cloud services spread among two or more public CSPs (such as
AWS and Azure) as well as on a private cloud infrastructure.

Lesson 1: Understanding Cloud Concepts | Topic 1A

12 | The Official CompTIA Cloud+ Study Guide (Exam CV0-003)

Multi-cloud deployments reduce reliance on a single vendor, provide greater service

flexibility and choice, permit improved geographic control of data, and help manage
disaster mitigation.

One organization’s services and data distributed across multiple public and
private cloud platforms. (Images © 123RF.com)

Recognize Cloud Services

Google Workspace
Formerly known as G Suite and Google Apps, Google Workspace provides word
processing, spreadsheets, presentation software, and other services. Google
Workspace is an example of SaaS.

Office 365
Microsoft’s Office suite is available online as a SaaS product. Office 365 provides
a great deal of flexibility, platform independence, and ease of installation and
support.

Digital Ocean
Digital Ocean is a developer-oriented cloud service provider that offers scalable and
quickly deployable resources. This very popular web application hosting service is
known for simplicity.

Rackspace
Rackspace provides cloud servers, database platforms, load balancers, storage,
and other services to organizations. One thing that Rackspace is well known for is
“fanatical” support.

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The Official CompTIA Cloud+ Study Guide (Exam CV0-003) | 13

Red Hat Cloud Suite

Red Hat, originally known for its enterprise Linux operating system and supporting
services, offers Red Hat Cloud Suite for cloud services. The suite consists of four key
products: OpenStack Platform (for building public and private clouds), Virtualization
(for virtualizing cloud-based servers), Satellite (for cloud services management), and
OpenShift (for Kubernetes container management).

Recognize Advanced Cloud Services

Internet of Things
The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to a combination of network connectivity and
smart devices that facilitate the collection and analysis of data. These devices may
include software, sensors, and robotics that exchange data and instructions over
the Internet or internal networks. The IoT is enabled by nearly global network
connectivity, low-cost sensors to collect data, and cloud management platforms.
Common uses for IoT products include:
• Smart homes

• Medical monitoring

• Agriculture management

• Energy management

• Manufacturing/Industrial production

Serverless Computing
Serverless computing still utilizes compute resources, contrary to what the
name implies. Compute resources are allocated on demand to applications,
and no resources are reserved when the application is not in use. Billing reflects
the application’s actual use of resources. Serverless environments require no
configuration, monitoring, or capacity planning.
Serverless computing is also known as Function as a Service (FaaS).

Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial intelligence (AI) is concerned with simulating human intelligence by
providing structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data and solving complex
problems. AI accomplishes this by using a set of rules to manage its analysis.
Machine Learning (ML) is a subset of AI. The goal of ML is to make accurate
predictions by extracting data based on learned information and experience. ML
systems are not explicitly programmed to find a particular outcome. Instead, they
are programmed to learn from provided data and then make accurate decisions
based on what they’ve learned. Insights are gained with minimal human interaction.
Deep Learning (DL) is a subset of ML. DL provides a greater degree of accuracy
when analyzing unstructured data.

Understand the Largest Cloud Service Providers

The following three CSPs make up the bulk of the global cloud service offerings. All
three are in direct competition with each other and therefore offer many similar
services, but with different names. All three CSPs provide a vast number of cloud
offerings via global infrastructures.

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Amazon Web Services

Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers around 200 cloud-based services supported by
a global infrastructure of data centers that consists of 77+ availability zones and
24+ regions. In keeping with the cloud services attributes, AWS allows for quick
provisioning and low up-front costs.
AWS is built primarily on a Linux infrastructure.
Some of the top AWS services include:
• Simple Storage Service (S3): storage as a service

• Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2): infrastructure as a service

• Lambda: serverless compute services

• Glacier: long-term storage and archiving service

• Simple Notification Service (SNS): service for publishers to push messages to

subscribers

• CloudFront: dynamic web site services

Microsoft Azure
Microsoft Azure also presents approximately 200 cloud products. It too has
a globally dispersed infrastructure of data centers and networks divided into
various regions and availability zones. Azure permits integration of services, quick
deployments, and low capital expenditures to get started. It is built on a mixture of
Windows and Linux solutions.
Some of the top Azure services include:
• Azure Virtual Machines: IaaS

• Azure Disk Storage: STaaS

• Azure Visual Studio: development environment

• Azure Functions: serverless compute service

• Azure Backup: backup and restore service

• Azure SQL: SQL database service

• Azure Cosmos DB: NoSQL database service

• Azure Active Directory: identity and access management service

Google Cloud Platform

Google Cloud Platform (GCP) offers a large array of cloud services spread across
a global infrastructure consisting of data centers and network connectivity. The
infrastructure includes 73+ zones and 24+ regions and continues to grow. Like AWS
and Azure, GCP leverages the quick deployments and low up-front costs of cloud
services to offer compute, storage, and database services.
Some of the top GCP services include:
• Cloud Storage: STaaS

• Compute Engine: IaaS

• App Engine: PaaS

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• Cloud SQL: SQL database service

• Firestore: NoSQL database service

• Big Query: big data services

Understand the Role of Cloud Managed Service Providers

It can be difficult for organizations—particularly small and medium-sized companies—
to provide the broad range of expertise needed for every aspect of cloud computing.
There are also third-party managed service providers (MSPs) that are
independent of the CSP. Your organization may choose to outsource cloud design,
migration, deployment, and management solutions to these companies, relying on
their expertise and experience. Many CSPs also offer management services for their
products. For example, AWS offers AWS Managed Services.
Such outsourcing may result in reduced operating expenditures and greater efficiency.
Some services provided include:
• Reporting and monitoring

• Backup and recovery processes

• Performance testing

Some benefits of MSPs include:

• Expertise beyond what your in-house staff can achieve (such as cybersecurity,
disaster recovery, compliance, and future technologies).

• Freed time for your in-house IT and development staff to spend on other projects.

Using an MSP outsources many business tasks. (Images © 123RF.com.)

You may wish to discuss whether or not your business has considered working with an
MSP for cloud services.

Understand the Shared Security Model

In the shared responsibility security model, CSPs and consumers manage different
aspects of cloud security. CSPs will typically provide physical security for the data
center as well as isolate data between customers. Cloud consumers are responsible
for the direct user access security for their own data. In other words, the CSP
secures the data center where files are stored, but the consumer secures the files
themselves by using permissions and encryption.

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AWS phrases it this way: AWS is responsible for the security of the cloud; the
consumer is responsible for security in the cloud.

The shared security model divides responsibility between the CSP and the consumer.

The AWS shared responsibility model: https://aws.amazon.com/compliance/shared-

responsibility-model/

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Review Activity:
Cloud Concepts
Answer the following questions:

1. You are helping to design a cloud architecture for your organization.

Industry regulations require the organization to keep all customer data
on its own systems, rather than housing this data on a system shared
with other organizations. Which cloud deployment model satisfies this
requirement?

2. You are advising a small company on cloud deployment and

management options. The company does not have a dedicated IT staff
and does not intend to increase staff headcount. Recommend a solution.

3. Compare the areas of responsibility for the client organization and the
hosting public cloud service provider (CSP) as related to the shared
security model.

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18 | The Official CompTIA Cloud+ Study Guide (Exam CV0-003)

Topic 1B
Recognize Cloud Terms

EXAM OBJECTIVES COVERED

1.1 Compare and contrast the different types of cloud models

Implementing cloud services includes some specific tasks, no matter which service
provider your organization selects. Concepts such as subscriptions, provisioning,
virtual machines, containers, and scaling need to be understood and given context.
This section covers those and other terms, providing a useful vocabulary for
understanding cloud services.

Subscription Services
This payment model uses a recurring, periodic billing cycle that is often based on
the length of the subscription (long-term subscriptions are often less expensive
than short-term subscriptions). The model usually includes no long-term contracts.
Access to services is provided as soon as the subscription is established and often
can be terminated at any time. As an example, Microsoft Office 365 is purchased via
a monthly or annual subscription service.

Identity Management
Identity management is the process by which identities are established and
access to resources is controlled. Typically, users are identified and assigned a user
account. The account is then assigned rights and restrictions, which are enforced by
access control systems such as permissions.
User accounts may be organized into groups to make management easier, but the
overall process related to a given user has a specified level of access to resources.

Identity management is also known as Identity and Access Management or IAM.

Provisioning
Provisioning is one of several steps in the cloud services deployment process.
The term refers to the allocation of cloud resources in the overall enterprise
infrastructure. The provisioning process is governed by objectives, policies, and
procedures for deploying services and data.
Provisioning may be accomplished via web-based or command-line interfaces.
Provisioning is usually self-service, reflecting one of the NIST cloud characteristics
discussed earlier.
In the overall deployment process, provisioning occurs before server, service, user, or
network configuration. Access controls are usually part of the provisioning process.

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Applications
With cloud applications, the installation and processing occur in the cloud, rather
than on local workstations or servers. The cloud may be a private or public
network. The applications are accessed over the network. One advantage of cloud
applications is a consistent experience for all users, whether they use the same
workstation platform (Windows, Linux, macOS) or mobile device (Android or IOS).

Virtual Machines
Virtualization allocates hardware resources among one or more virtual machines
(VMs). The VMs then have an operating system and one or more applications
installed on them. The VM participates on the network as a regular node, providing
database, authentication, storage, or other services. VMs have greater access
to hardware resources and can be provided with redundancy to increase high
availability.
VMs are a key component of cloud-based IaaS services, such as AWS EC2 or Azure
Virtual Machines.

Containers
Containerization is a form of virtualization, but it is significantly different than VMs.
Containers virtualize at the OS layer, rather than the hardware layer. A container
holds a single application and everything it needs to run. This narrow focus allows
containers to excel with technologies such as microservices. Containers are very
lightweight, share a single OS (usually Linux), and provide a single function. GCP,
Azure, and AWS all offer cloud-based container services.

Containers for each application, sharing bins, libraries, and a single OS.

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Templates
Virtual machines may be deployed using templates. VM Templates reduce the
confusion, misconfiguration, and cost associated with manually created VMs by
providing standardized VM configurations.
For example, in your organization’s private cloud, you might permit developers to
create their own VMs (the self-service cloud characteristic). Rather than a developer
having to fumble through the configurations (potentially making an expensive
mistake), you can provide a template that provides the right amount of compute
and storage resources, as well as the appropriate operating system, applications,
and security configurations. The developer selects the template, and a VM is
created from the established settings.
CSPs also use templates to offer flexible but standardized VM configurations to
customers. 

Post-Deployment Validation
Post-deployment validation ensures that deployed apps or services meet required
service levels. Depending on the service, this may be handled through regression or
functionality testing. If possible, automate post-deployment validation for efficiency
and consistency. 

Auto-scaling
Auto-scaling takes advantage of automated deployments and virtualization to
provide the appropriate resources for the current demand. Resources can be scaled
up or down to manage costs. Your organization only pays for the resources that it
consumes. Auto-scaling is useful when resource utilization is difficult to predict or is
seasonal.
Resources may be scaled up (more compute power, such as RAM, given to a single
virtual server) or scaled out (more virtual servers deployed). When demand is
reduced, the resources are reduced, saving money.

Hyperconverged
Hyperconverged cloud solutions combine compute, storage, and network
resources into a single component. The goal is to reduce complexity and increase
scalability. With hyperconvergence, the compute, storage, and network resources
are inseparable and managed as a single unit. This is in contrast to converged
resources which can be broken out into their constituent parts (compute, storage,
networking), making them more difficult to manage—sysadmins are managing
three pieces rather than one.

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Review Activity:
Cloud Terms
Answer the following questions:

1. Your organization’s workflow is moving toward increased agility and the

microservices that support this agility. Which virtualization technology
best supports this?

2. You are helping to design a cloud architecture for your organization. The
CIO wants to ensure that resources can scale up to meeting demand with
minimal human intervention. Explain how virtualization and automated
deployments help you meet the CIO’s requirements.

3. Contrast converged and hyperconverged cloud resources.

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22 | The Official CompTIA Cloud+ Study Guide (Exam CV0-003)

Topic 1C
Understand the Troubleshooting
Methodology

EXAM OBJECTIVES COVERED

5.1 Given a scenario, use the troubleshooting methodology to resolve cloud issues

One of the primary skills and duties of a cloud administrator is to troubleshoot

problems with cloud services and data access. It is important to have a
methodology for troubleshooting. You should also recognize that troubleshooting
methods may change by situation, by skill level, and by experience with the cloud
environment.

Troubleshooting Methodology
The following list represents the basic steps in a troubleshooting methodology:
• Identify the problem.

• Determine the scope of the problem.

• Establish a theory of probable cause, or question the obvious.

• Test the theory to determine the cause.

• Establish a plan of action.

• Implement the solution, or escalate.

• Verify full system functionality.

• Implement preventive measures.

• Perform a root cause analysis.

• Document findings, actions, and outcomes throughout the process.

Let’s examine these steps in more detail.

Identify the Problem

The first troubleshooting phase is to identify the problem. This problem may be
discovered for you by the end-users you support, exposed by log files, identified
by monitoring software, or indicated by alerts on dashboard interfaces. There are
many ways in which the problem may be identified. 
There is a common concept in troubleshooting: If it worked yesterday, and it
doesn't work today, what changed? Investigating recent changes to the network
or service infrastructures is a good place to begin troubleshooting. In addition,
consider non-infrastructure and non-IT changes, such as environmental, location, or
facility changes. Such changes might include changes to electrical systems, HVAC, or
physical security.

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Determine the Scope of the Problem

Once a problem has been identified, you may choose to gather additional information
to determine the scope of the problem. You may start this process by asking users for
additional details or by examining log files. It is also very useful to attempt to replicate
the problem by asking users to show you what they were doing when the problem
was encountered or to try to recreate the situation where the problem first arose.
It is a good practice to back up data if there is any risk to the data during the
troubleshooting phase. You must use your own judgment as to whether a data backup
is necessary before you begin troubleshooting. In some cases, data and services may
be replicated throughout the CSP’s environment, making backups less essential.
One of the most important steps is to determine whether the problem exists for only
one user, or whether it exists for multiple users. In addition, determining whether
cloud service interruptions exist at multiple locations or just a single location will
help determine the scope of the problem. The problem could be network based, in
which case multiple devices or locations may be affected. It could be software based,
such as a misconfiguration. This too may impact multiple users or locations.
For example, if users at one branch office cannot access a particular web
application, but users at all of the other branch offices can access the web app, then
the problem’s scope appears to be that isolated branch office. This indicates that
the problem is probably not with the web application itself but rather somewhere
between the web application and that branch office.

Establish a Theory of Probable Cause, or Question the Obvious

The next phase in troubleshooting is to establish a probable cause for the problem.
It is essential to keep this step as simple as possible. Newer administrators may
be tempted to believe that because cloud services are complex, the problem must
also be complex. Troubleshooting often begins with very simple steps, such as
confirming that a given service is started. More complex problems may require you
to examine log files, talk to users or other administrators, or check hardware.
When troubleshooting, it is useful to identify any common elements or similar
problems that might span multiple cloud services or web apps. Such common
elements might include a recent software change or a new service configuration.
Once you define these common elements and understand the problem’s scope, you
can establish a theory or probable cause.

Test the Theory to Determine the Cause

Next, test the theory by verifying that the likely cause is indeed the culprit. This
phase may involve research or additional testing. Very simple problems may
actually be solved during this step. 
If your theory is confirmed, then you will move on to the next phase, which is to
establish a plan of action. If your theory is not confirmed, then you must establish
and test a new theory.

Establish a Plan of Action

The plan of action for addressing the problem must recognize that service
interruptions and data loss should be avoided. If a cloud-based virtual server needs
to be brought down, or if data has been lost due to a hard disk drive failure, the
end-users must be notified. In addition, the plan should include the steps to be
taken. These steps should be defined ahead of time rather than created during the
implementation of the solution. It is useful to provide the impacted users with an
expected duration of the outage.

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Implement the Solution, or Escalate

This phase involves following the plan of action established earlier. It is important to
follow the plan of action and not to deviate. It is possible that you may not have the
knowledge to implement the plan of action and will need to escalate the problem to
the cloud vendor’s support team, the cloud MSP or other members of your own team.
When following a plan of action, be sure to make only one change at a time, then
test the result. If you make multiple changes simultaneously it becomes difficult to
identify exactly which change corrected the problem. If a given change did not solve
the problem, reverse that change, and then try another option.

Verify Full System Functionality

Once the potential solution has been implemented, the next phase is to test for
functionality. Your goal is to ensure that the service or web application has returned
to the established service levels.

Implement Preventive Measures

It may be possible to preemptively reconfigure other services or network devices
to avoid a repeat of the problem. It may also be possible to implement additional
technologies (such as RAID) or additional practices (such as backups) to prevent
future instances of failure. Cloud services often implement scalability and high
availability to ensure services are accessible to consumers.

Perform a Root Cause Analysis

Once service has been restored to your users, it is time to evaluate why the
problem occurred. Identifying the root cause may permit you to avoid the problem
in the future by changing processes or by implementing different technologies.

Document Findings, Actions, and Outcomes Throughout the

Process
Documentation should be maintained throughout the service’s lifecycle, including
during the troubleshooting process. Documenting the symptoms of the problem,
the results of research into potential solutions, and the results of each step of
the plan of action (whether the step was successful or not) will permit you to
better understand your environment and therefore help prevent possible future
problems. Note that documentation is not a separate step but rather a good
practice to be used during each phase of the troubleshooting process.

Some service desk management software requires the use of tickets. This software may
require that troubleshooting documentation be entered before the ticket can be closed.

Understand the Environment, Including Corporate

Policies, Their Procedures, and Impacts
Carefully consider corporate policies that govern troubleshooting and downtime.
Standard operating procedures govern how particular tasks are to be accomplished,
and such procedures should be followed during troubleshooting.

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Cloud policies govern how the organization interacts with cloud resources. In terms
of troubleshooting, these policies manage case escalation (for example, escalation
to the CSP's technical support). Such cases may incur a cost. Administrators must
have a complete view of the cloud environment to understand troubleshooting
before escalating cases upward.
In addition, service–level agreements (SLAs) might enforce penalties on your
organization for service outages. Don’t forget that cloud service providers also have
SLAs backing their service availability. If an outage or other loss of access occurs,
and it falls within the responsibility of the CSP, your organization may be awarded
reduced service fees or other compensation.

Cloud policies are covered later in the course.

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Review Activity:
Troubleshooting Methodology
Answer the following question:

1. You are assigned a help desk ticket to find out why a user cannot access
cloud resource. Using the troubleshooting methodology, how would you
narrow the scope of the problem?

2. You have reestablished access to cloud resources for a user by correcting

a DNS entry. Next, you attempt to ascertain why the DNS entry was
incorrect. Which troubleshooting step are you using?

3. Contrast service level agreements (SLA) and standard operating

procedures (SOP).

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Lesson 1
Summary
Cloud concepts, while fundamental, are important for a consistent understanding
of terminology. In this lesson, you have examined cloud characteristics, deployment
models, and services. You also examined the shared security model. Finally, you
learned a useful and straightforward troubleshooting methodology that applies to
on-premises and cloud environments.
1. Which of the five cloud characteristics will be the most helpful for your
organization?

2. Which cloud services (SaaS, PaaS, IaaS) is your organizational already

using?

3. Will your organization use the public, private, community, or hybrid

cloud deployment model?

4. Which cloud services are you currently using for your personal services
or data?

Lesson 1: Understanding Cloud Concepts