Cloud Computing Cheat Sheet
Cloud Computing Cheat Sheet: AWS, Azure, GCP, Services & Concepts
Cloud computing allows individuals and organizations to access computing resources—such as servers, storage, databases, networking, and software—over a network, typically the internet.
Instead of purchasing and maintaining all infrastructure themselves, organizations can use cloud services to build applications, store data, run workloads, and scale resources according to their requirements.
This cheat sheet explains the essential cloud computing concepts, service models, deployment types, infrastructure components, security practices, and practical examples that beginners and professionals should know.
1. What Is Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing provides on-demand access to computing resources that can be provisioned and released with relatively little management effort.
Examples include:
Hosting a website on a cloud server.
Storing business documents in cloud storage.
Running an application without maintaining physical servers.
Using a managed cloud database.
Training machine learning models using cloud computing resources.
Hosting analytics pipelines and business dashboards.
Benefits of Cloud Computing
Scalability: Increase or decrease resources as demand changes.
Flexibility: Select services and configurations for different workloads.
Availability: Use infrastructure designed to support service continuity.
Speed: Provision resources faster than many traditional infrastructure procurement processes.
Managed services: Reduce the operational work associated with certain infrastructure components.
Global reach: Deploy resources in multiple geographic regions where supported.
Cloud computing does not automatically guarantee lower costs, better security, or uninterrupted availability. Those outcomes depend on service selection, architecture, configuration, and operational practices.
2. Essential Cloud Computing Terminology
Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
Cloud | Computing resources delivered through a network |
Cloud provider | Organization supplying cloud services |
Infrastructure | Computing, storage, networking, and related resources |
Virtual machine (VM) | Software-based computer running its own operating system |
Container | Isolated environment packaging an application and its dependencies |
Hypervisor | Software that creates and manages virtual machines |
Region | Geographic area containing cloud infrastructure |
Availability zone | Isolated infrastructure location or group within a region, as defined by a provider |
Instance | A provisioned computing resource, such as a virtual server |
Workload | An application, service, or computing task |
Latency | Time taken for a request or operation to receive a response |
Throughput | Amount of work or data processed over time |
Provisioning | Creating and configuring resources |
Orchestration | Coordinating multiple resources or workloads |
Migration | Moving applications or data to another environment |
Observability | Understanding system behavior through logs, metrics, and traces |
3. Cloud Service Models: IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS
Three commonly used service models describe how much of the technology stack the provider manages.
<box gap={3}> <row align=start gap={3}> <AsyncImage query="cloud infrastructure servers networking storage racks in modern data center" aspectRatio="4:3" maxWidth="112px"/> <box flex="1" gap={1}> IaaS — Infrastructure as a Service
Provides fundamental computing infrastructure, such as virtual machines, storage, and networking.
**Example:** Renting virtual servers to host a custom application.
**Best suited for:** Teams that need substantial control over the operating system and infrastructure configuration.
</box></row> <divider color="subtle"/> <row align=start gap={3}> <AsyncImage query="cloud application development platform engineer coding on computer cloud software" aspectRatio="4:3" maxWidth="112px"/> <box flex="1" gap={1}> PaaS — Platform as a Service
Provides a managed platform for building, deploying, or running applications.
**Example:** Deploying an application without managing the underlying server infrastructure directly.
**Best suited for:** Developers who want to focus on application code rather than server maintenance.
</box></row> <divider color="subtle"/> <row align=start gap={3}> <AsyncImage query="business professional using cloud based software application laptop office workspace" aspectRatio="4:3" maxWidth="112px"/> <box flex="1" gap={1}> SaaS — Software as a Service
Provides ready-to-use software through a browser, application, or network connection.
**Example:** Email, online collaboration software, or cloud-based customer relationship management.
**Best suited for:** Users who need software functionality without managing the underlying application infrastructure.
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Service Model Comparison
Responsibility | IaaS | PaaS | SaaS |
|---|---|---|---|
Physical infrastructure | Provider | Provider | Provider |
Operating system management | Usually customer | Usually provider | Provider |
Application code | Customer | Customer | Provider |
Application usage and configuration | Customer | Customer | Shared according to the product |
Infrastructure control | Higher | Moderate | Lower |
The exact responsibility split varies by service. Managed services may blur these boundaries.
4. Cloud Deployment Models
Public Cloud
Infrastructure and services are provided over a shared provider platform, with customer workloads logically isolated.
Examples include services offered by AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud.
Private Cloud
Cloud infrastructure is dedicated to one organization. It may be operated internally or by a third party.
Hybrid Cloud
Combines private infrastructure with public cloud services.
Example: An organization keeps certain sensitive systems on private infrastructure while running scalable web applications in the public cloud.
Multicloud
Uses cloud services from multiple providers.
Example: A company runs applications on one cloud provider and uses another provider for a separate workload.
Choosing a Deployment Model
Consider:
Security and regulatory requirements.
Existing infrastructure.
Workload performance.
Data residency.
Availability requirements.
Staff expertise.
Cost and operational complexity.
Hybrid and multicloud architectures can offer flexibility, but they can also increase integration, governance, and maintenance complexity.
5. Major Cloud Providers
Three major cloud platforms are widely used in industry.
<box gap={3}> <row align=start gap={3}> <AsyncImage query="Amazon Web Services AWS cloud infrastructure logo on clean white background" aspectRatio="1:1" maxWidth="76px"/> <box flex="1" gap={1}> Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Provides computing, storage, networking, databases, analytics, machine learning, security, and many other services.
Common services: EC2, S3, RDS, Lambda, and VPC.
</box></row> <divider color="subtle"/> <row align=start gap={3}> <AsyncImage query="Microsoft Azure cloud platform logo on clean white background" aspectRatio="1:1" maxWidth="76px"/> <box flex="1" gap={1}> Microsoft Azure
Provides cloud infrastructure, application hosting, identity services, data platforms, analytics, and AI services.
Common services: Azure Virtual Machines, Azure Blob Storage, Azure SQL Database, and Azure Functions.
</box></row> <divider color="subtle"/> <row align=start gap={3}> <AsyncImage query="Google Cloud Platform multicolor cloud logo on clean white background" aspectRatio="1:1" maxWidth="76px"/> <box flex="1" gap={1}> Google Cloud (GCP)
Provides cloud infrastructure, data analytics, application hosting, storage, networking, and AI services.
Common services: Compute Engine, Cloud Storage, Cloud SQL, BigQuery, and Cloud Run.
</box></row> </box>
Which Provider Should You Learn?
Compare providers based on the jobs you are targeting, the services used by your organization, available training resources, and the type of projects you want to build.
Learning the underlying concepts—networking, storage, compute, security, and deployment—makes it easier to transition between providers.
6. Compute Services
Compute services provide the processing power required to run applications and workloads.
Virtual Machines
A virtual machine behaves like a computer running within a larger physical infrastructure.
Typical uses:
Hosting websites.
Running application servers.
Supporting legacy applications.
Running scheduled processing jobs.
Containers
Containers package an application with its required dependencies and run in an isolated environment.
Benefits include portability, consistency across environments, and efficient application deployment.
Serverless Computing
Serverless services let developers run code or application components without directly managing the underlying servers.
The provider still operates the infrastructure.
Examples include AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, and Google Cloud Run functions or related serverless offerings.
Containers vs. Virtual Machines
Virtual machines | Containers |
|---|---|
Virtualize a hardware environment | Share the host operating system kernel in typical container setups |
Often include a guest operating system | Usually package application code and dependencies |
Can provide stronger isolation boundaries depending on configuration | Provide process isolation, with security depending on runtime and configuration |
Useful for varied operating system requirements | Useful for portable application deployment |
Neither approach is universally better. Choose based on isolation, portability, workload requirements, and operational complexity.
7. Cloud Storage Types
Cloud platforms offer multiple storage models.
Object Storage
Stores data as objects, commonly with metadata and unique identifiers.
Examples: Amazon S3, Azure Blob Storage, and Google Cloud Storage.
Common uses:
Images and videos.
Backups.
Documents.
Logs.
Data lake storage.
Block Storage
Provides storage volumes that behave like block devices.
Common uses:
Virtual machine disks.
Databases.
Applications requiring low-latency storage access.
File Storage
Provides file-based access through a shared filesystem model.
Common uses:
Shared application files.
Team directories.
Applications requiring filesystem semantics.
Storage Comparison
Type | Common use |
|---|---|
Object | Unstructured files, backups, archives |
Block | VM disks and database storage |
File | Shared folders and filesystem-based applications |
Storage performance, availability, durability, access controls, and pricing depend on the service and configuration.
8. Cloud Networking Fundamentals
Networking enables cloud resources to communicate with each other and with external systems.
Virtual Private Cloud (VPC)
A VPC or equivalent service creates a logically isolated network environment within a cloud platform.
Subnet
A subnet divides a network address range into smaller segments.
IP Address
An IP address identifies a network interface or endpoint for network communication.
Public vs. Private IP Address
Public IP: Can be routable over the public internet, subject to network configuration.
Private IP: Used within private network address spaces and not directly routable over the public internet.
DNS
The Domain Name System maps domain names to information such as IP addresses.
Example: Resolving a website domain to the address used to reach its server.
Firewall and Security Groups
Network security rules control which connections are permitted.
Load Balancer
Distributes traffic across multiple backend resources to improve availability, capacity, or responsiveness.
CDN — Content Delivery Network
A CDN serves cached content through geographically distributed locations to reduce latency and improve content delivery.
Examples include delivering images, stylesheets, scripts, and videos to website visitors.
9. Cloud Databases
Cloud databases provide managed or self-managed data storage services.
Relational Databases
Store structured data in tables and commonly use SQL.
Examples:
Amazon RDS.
Azure SQL Database.
Google Cloud SQL.
NoSQL Databases
Support models such as document, key-value, wide-column, or graph storage.
Examples include MongoDB Atlas and various provider-managed NoSQL services.
Data Warehouses
Support large-scale analytical queries and reporting.
Example: BigQuery on Google Cloud.
Choosing a Database
Consider:
Data structure.
Query patterns.
Transaction requirements.
Consistency needs.
Performance.
Scalability.
Backup and recovery.
Security and compliance.
Operational cost.
A managed database reduces certain maintenance responsibilities, but the customer still needs to configure access, understand costs, and plan for recovery.
10. Scalability and Elasticity
Scalability and elasticity are related but distinct concepts.
Scalability is the ability to handle increasing workloads by adding or improving resources.
Elasticity is the ability to adjust resources as demand changes.
Vertical Scaling
Increase the capacity of an existing resource.
Example: Moving a virtual machine to a configuration with more memory or CPU capacity.
Horizontal Scaling
Add more instances or resources to distribute the workload.
Example: Adding application servers behind a load balancer.
Auto Scaling
Automatically adjusts resource capacity according to defined conditions or policies.
Why Scaling Matters
Supports traffic growth.
Helps handle peak workloads.
Can improve responsiveness.
May reduce unnecessary resource usage.
Supports changing business demand.
Scaling does not automatically fix inefficient code, database bottlenecks, or poor architecture. Monitor the entire application rather than only increasing compute capacity.
11. High Availability and Disaster Recovery
High availability aims to keep services operational despite certain failures.
Disaster recovery focuses on restoring systems and data after a major disruption.
Important Concepts
Redundancy: Maintaining additional resources to reduce dependence on a single component.
Failover: Switching to a backup or alternate resource after a failure.
Replication: Maintaining copies of data or services across resources.
Backup: Creating recoverable copies of data or systems.
Recovery Time Objective (RTO): The target time within which a service should be restored after disruption.
Recovery Point Objective (RPO): The target maximum amount of data loss measured in time that a recovery strategy is designed to tolerate.
Example
An application might be designed to recover within two hours, with a target of no more than 15 minutes of data loss.
These are illustrative targets. Actual recovery depends on architecture, backup frequency, replication, testing, and operational procedures.
Best Practices
Define RTO and RPO.
Identify critical applications.
Maintain secure backups.
Design for appropriate failure scenarios.
Document recovery steps.
Test failover and restoration.
Monitor service health.
Review recovery plans regularly.
12. Cloud Security Fundamentals
Cloud security follows a shared responsibility model.
The provider secures aspects of the underlying cloud infrastructure, while customers remain responsible for certain configurations, identities, applications, and data. The precise division depends on the service model.
Essential Security Practices
Use multifactor authentication where available.
Apply least-privilege permissions.
Protect credentials and API keys.
Encrypt sensitive data in transit and at rest where appropriate.
Configure network access carefully.
Keep systems and dependencies updated.
Enable suitable logging and monitoring.
Back up critical data.
Review permissions regularly.
Avoid exposing storage or databases unintentionally.
Maintain an incident response plan.
Identity and Access Management (IAM)
IAM controls who or what can access cloud resources and which actions are permitted.
Use roles and narrowly scoped permissions instead of granting broad administrative access unnecessarily.
Encryption
Encryption protects information by making it unreadable without the appropriate key or mechanism.
Cloud services may support encryption at rest, encryption in transit, and customer-managed or provider-managed keys.
Encryption alone does not replace access controls, monitoring, or sound application design.
13. Cloud Monitoring and Observability
Monitoring helps teams understand system health and detect problems.
Key Components
Metrics: Numeric measurements such as CPU utilization, memory usage, request rate, and error rate.
Logs: Records of events generated by applications and infrastructure.
Traces: Records showing how requests travel through distributed components.
Common Monitoring Metrics
CPU utilization.
Memory usage.
Disk capacity.
Network traffic.
Request latency.
Error rate.
Availability.
Database connection usage.
Queue depth.
Resource cost.
Monitoring Best Practices
Define meaningful alerts.
Avoid excessive notifications.
Monitor user-facing outcomes as well as infrastructure.
Retain logs according to operational and compliance needs.
Protect sensitive information in telemetry.
Establish dashboards for critical workloads.
Test alerts and incident procedures.
Monitoring is most useful when it leads to timely, actionable responses.
14. Cloud Cost Management
Cloud billing commonly depends on factors such as compute usage, storage, network traffic, managed services, and support plans.
Common Cost Drivers
Virtual machine runtime.
Storage capacity.
Database resources.
Data transfer and network egress.
Requests to managed services.
Logging and monitoring volume.
Snapshots and backups.
Premium service tiers.
Cost Optimization Checklist
Identify the largest cost categories.
Remove unused resources.
Right-size compute and database instances.
Review storage lifecycle policies.
Evaluate autoscaling.
Use suitable pricing commitments where appropriate.
Monitor network transfer costs.
Set budgets and alerts.
Tag resources for cost allocation.
Review costs regularly.
Common Pricing Models
On-demand: Pay for usage without a long-term commitment, subject to the service's pricing model.
Reserved or committed-use pricing: Receive discounted pricing in exchange for qualifying commitments.
Spot or preemptible capacity: Use eligible spare capacity at reduced prices, with interruption risk.
Availability, naming, eligibility, and billing details vary across providers.
15. Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
Infrastructure as Code allows infrastructure configuration to be defined and managed through code or declarative configuration files.
Benefits include:
Repeatable deployments.
Version-controlled changes.
Reduced manual configuration.
Easier review and collaboration.
More consistent environments.
Common tools include Terraform, AWS CloudFormation, and Azure Bicep.
Basic IaC Workflow
Define the desired infrastructure.
Review the proposed changes.
Apply the configuration.
Validate the deployed resources.
Monitor changes and drift.
Update the configuration through controlled processes.
Treat infrastructure configuration as production code. Protect credentials, review permissions, and test changes before applying them to critical environments.
16. Cloud Computing vs. Traditional On-Premises Infrastructure
Cloud computing | Traditional on-premises infrastructure |
|---|---|
Resources are obtained from a cloud provider | Organization owns or directly manages infrastructure |
Capacity can often be provisioned quickly | Procurement and installation may take longer |
Costs often depend on usage and service configuration | Costs often include upfront hardware and ongoing maintenance |
Provider manages some infrastructure layers | Organization manages more of the physical infrastructure |
Geographic deployment options may be readily available | Expansion may require additional facilities or equipment |
Requires cloud-specific governance and cost controls | Requires physical infrastructure and capacity planning |
Cloud computing is not automatically cheaper or simpler. The right model depends on workload requirements, regulatory constraints, utilization patterns, and total cost of ownership.
17. Essential Cloud Computing Acronyms
Acronym | Full form |
|---|---|
AWS | Amazon Web Services |
Azure | Microsoft's cloud platform |
GCP | Google Cloud Platform, commonly referred to today as Google Cloud |
IaaS | Infrastructure as a Service |
PaaS | Platform as a Service |
SaaS | Software as a Service |
VPC | Virtual Private Cloud |
VM | Virtual Machine |
IAM | Identity and Access Management |
CDN | Content Delivery Network |
DNS | Domain Name System |
API | Application Programming Interface |
CI/CD | Continuous Integration / Continuous Delivery or Deployment |
IaC | Infrastructure as Code |
RTO | Recovery Time Objective |
RPO | Recovery Point Objective |
SLA | Service-Level Agreement |
SLI | Service-Level Indicator |
SLO | Service-Level Objective |
ETL | Extract, Transform, Load |
ELT | Extract, Load, Transform |
18. Cloud Computing Interview Questions
What is cloud computing?
On-demand access to computing resources, typically delivered over a network.
What is the difference between IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS?
IaaS provides infrastructure, PaaS provides a managed application platform, and SaaS provides ready-to-use software.
What is a public cloud?
A cloud environment in which services are delivered through a provider's shared infrastructure with appropriate customer isolation.
What is a virtual machine?
A software-based computer that runs an operating system and applications.
What is the difference between vertical and horizontal scaling?
Vertical scaling increases the capacity of a resource, while horizontal scaling adds more resources or instances.
What is a VPC?
A logically isolated cloud network environment.
What is a CDN?
A content delivery network that serves content through distributed locations to improve delivery performance.
What is IAM?
Identity and Access Management, which controls identities and their permissions.
What is the shared responsibility model?
A model defining which security and operational responsibilities belong to the provider and which belong to the customer.
What is serverless computing?
A model in which the provider manages the underlying infrastructure while customers deploy code or application components.
What is Infrastructure as Code?
Managing infrastructure through version-controlled code or declarative configuration.
What is the difference between RTO and RPO?
RTO specifies a target recovery time; RPO specifies the target maximum tolerable data loss measured in time.
19. Cloud Computing Quick Reference
Concept | Quick explanation |
|---|---|
IaaS | Cloud infrastructure |
PaaS | Managed application platform |
SaaS | Ready-to-use software |
Public cloud | Provider-operated shared cloud environment |
Private cloud | Cloud environment dedicated to one organization |
Hybrid cloud | Combination of private and public environments |
Multicloud | Use of multiple cloud providers |
Virtual machine | Software-based computer |
Container | Isolated application environment |
Object storage | Stores objects such as files and backups |
Block storage | Storage volumes for workloads such as VM disks |
File storage | Shared filesystem-based storage |
VPC | Logically isolated cloud network |
Auto scaling | Adjusting resource capacity automatically |
IAM | Identity and permission management |
CDN | Distributed content delivery |
IaC | Infrastructure managed through code |
RTO | Target time to restore a service |
RPO | Target limit on data loss measured in time |
Observability | Understanding system behavior through telemetry |
Cost optimization | Managing resource usage and spending |
20. Cloud Computing Learning Checklist
Fundamentals
Explain cloud computing and its benefits.
Compare IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS.
Understand public, private, hybrid, and multicloud environments.
Identify the major cloud providers.
Infrastructure
Understand virtual machines and containers.
Compare object, block, and file storage.
Learn IP addresses, subnets, VPCs, and DNS.
Understand databases, load balancers, and CDNs.
Security and Operations
Explain IAM and least-privilege access.
Understand the shared responsibility model.
Learn monitoring, logs, and metrics.
Understand backups, RTO, and RPO.
Deployment and Cost
Understand vertical and horizontal scaling.
Learn the fundamentals of Infrastructure as Code.
Review common cloud pricing models.
Practice identifying unnecessary resource costs.
Conclusion
Cloud computing provides flexible ways to run applications, store data, manage infrastructure, and support modern digital services. Understanding service models, networking, storage, security, scaling, monitoring, and cost management provides a solid foundation for cloud-related roles.
Start with the fundamentals, select one cloud provider, and build a small practical project. For example, deploy a simple website, configure secure storage, connect a database, and monitor resource usage. Practical experience will help turn these concepts into usable technical skills.
