Okay, here's an explanation of "Fundamentals of Cloud Computing" as it's likely covered in a Google Cloud Skills Boost course, focusing on core concepts and illustrating with examples.

Fundamentals of Cloud Computing covers the basic principles and concepts that underlie cloud computing. It explains what the cloud is, why it's useful, and how it differs from traditional IT infrastructure. The goal is to give learners a foundation for understanding cloud technologies and how to use them effectively.

Here are key aspects often covered:

1. What is Cloud Computing?

   • Definition: Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services—including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence—over the Internet (“the cloud”) to offer faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale. It means you don't own the physical hardware; you access it remotely.

   • Example: Instead of owning and maintaining your own email server, you use Gmail (a cloud-based email service). Google handles the servers, storage, and software updates; you just use the email application.

2. Cloud Service Models:

   • IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service): You rent the basic building blocks of computing infrastructure—servers, virtual machines (VMs), storage, networks, operating systems—from a cloud provider. You manage everything above the operating system.

     • Example: Using Google Compute Engine to spin up a virtual machine. You're responsible for installing and managing the operating system, databases, and applications running on that VM.

   • PaaS (Platform as a Service): The cloud provider manages the underlying infrastructure (servers, storage, networking) and provides you with the tools and environment needed to develop, run, and manage applications.

     • Example: Using Google App Engine to deploy a web application. You only focus on writing the application code; App Engine handles the server provisioning, scaling, and maintenance.

   • SaaS (Software as a Service): You use a software application provided by a cloud provider over the Internet. You don't manage any of the underlying infrastructure, operating systems, or application software.

     • Example: Using Google Workspace (Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides). You simply use the applications; Google handles everything else.

3. Cloud Deployment Models:

   • Public Cloud: Services are offered over the public Internet and available to anyone who wants to purchase them.

     • Example: Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Microsoft Azure are all public cloud providers.

   • Private Cloud: Services are offered to a specific organization or group of organizations. It can be hosted on-premise (in your own data center) or by a third-party provider. The goal is to give more control over the infrastructure.

     • Example: A bank might use a private cloud to store sensitive financial data and manage its core banking applications within a controlled environment.

   • Hybrid Cloud: A combination of public and private cloud environments, allowing data and applications to be shared between them.

     • Example: A company might use a private cloud for sensitive data and a public cloud for less sensitive workloads, like website hosting, to handle spikes in traffic.

   • Multi-Cloud: Using multiple public cloud providers.

     • Example: A company might use AWS for compute and storage and GCP for machine learning services.

4. Benefits of Cloud Computing:

   • Cost Savings: Pay-as-you-go pricing and reduced capital expenditure (no need to buy hardware).
   • Scalability: Easily scale resources up or down based on demand.
   • Elasticity: Automatically adjust resources to meet fluctuating demand.
   • Global Reach: Deploy applications in multiple regions around the world.
   • Reliability: Built-in redundancy and failover capabilities.
   • Security: Cloud providers invest heavily in security infrastructure.
   • Innovation: Access to the latest technologies and services.

5. Key Characteristics of Cloud Computing:

   • On-demand self-service: Consumers can provision computing resources as needed without human interaction with the service provider.
   • Broad network access: Capabilities are available over the network and accessed through standard mechanisms.
   • Resource pooling: The provider's computing resources are pooled to serve multiple consumers.
   • Rapid elasticity: Resources can be elastically provisioned and released, scaling rapidly outward and inward commensurate with demand.
   • Measured service: Resource usage can be monitored, controlled, and reported, providing transparency for both the provider and consumer of the utilized service.