Pass the CompTIA CompTIA Cloud Essentials CLO-002 Questions and answers with CertsForce

Auto-scaling is a feature that helps to adjust the capacity of a system automatically based on its current demand. The goal of auto-scaling is to maintain the performance of the system and to reduce costs by only using the resources that are actually needed1. If the cloud administrator configures auto-scaling for the application, the system can scale out (add more instances) during the peak hours of 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. every day, and scale in (remove instances) when the demand is low. This way, the application can handle the increased workload without degrading its performance, and the users can have a better experience. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Certification Study Guide, Second Edition (Exam CLO-002), Chapter 2: Cloud Computing Concepts, pages 41-42.

 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.

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is the best way to secure a web session to a hosted e-commerce website. SSL is a protocol that encrypts the data exchanged between a web browser and a web server, ensuring that no one can intercept, modify, or steal the information. SSL also provides authentication, which verifies the identity of the web server and the web browser, preventing impersonation or spoofing attacks. SSL is essential for e-commerce websites, as they handle sensitive data, such as credit card numbers, personal information, and login credentials, that need to be protected from hackers and cybercriminals. SSL also helps to build trust and confidence among customers, as they can see that the website is secure and legitimate. SSL can be recognized by the presence of a padlock icon and the HTTPS prefix in the web address. To enable SSL, e-commerce websites need to obtain and install an SSL certificate from a trusted certificate authority (CA), which is a third-party organization that issues and validates SSL certificates. SSL certificates can vary in price, validity, and level of security, depending on the type and provider of the certificate. Some web hosts and e-commerce platforms may offer free or discounted SSL certificates as part of their services. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002 Study Guide, Chapter 4: Cloud Security, Section 4.2: Cloud Security Concepts, Page 154. How to Secure Your E-Commerce Website: 6 Basic Steps1 eCommerce Security: A Complete Guide to Protect Your Store2

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.

A hybrid cloud migration approach involves using a combination of on-premises and cloud resources to host an application. A hybrid cloud migration approach is suitable for applications that have dependencies or requirements that cannot be met by the cloud alone, such as legacy infrastructure, compliance, security, or performance1. A hybrid cloud migration approach can help reduce capital expenses by moving some components of the application to the cloud, while retaining others on-premises. A hybrid cloud migration approach can also provide flexibility, scalability, and resilience to the application, as it can leverage the best features of both environments2.

A lift and shift cloud migration approach involves moving an application to the cloud as-is, without making any significant changes to its architecture or configuration. A lift and shift cloud migration approach is not appropriate for applications that require legacy infrastructure and cannot be moved to the cloud, as it would result in compatibility issues, performance degradation, or increased costs3.

A rip and replace cloud migration approach involves discarding an application and replacing it with a new one that is designed for the cloud. A rip and replace cloud migration approach is not appropriate for applications that require legacy infrastructure and cannot be moved to the cloud, as it would result in loss of functionality, data, or customization, as well as increased complexity, risk, and cost4.

An in-place upgrade cloud migration approach involves updating an application to a newer version that is compatible with the cloud, without changing its location or platform. An in-place upgrade cloud migration approach is not appropriate for applications that require legacy infrastructure and cannot be moved to the cloud, as it would not reduce capital expenses or provide any benefits of the cloud. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002 Study Guide, Chapter 2: Cloud Migration, pages 49-50.

Disaster recovery is the aspect of cloud design that enables a customer to continue doing business after a major data center incident. Disaster recovery is the process of restoring and resuming the normal operations of IT systems and services after a disaster, such as a natural calamity, a cyberattack, a power outage, or a human error1. Disaster recovery involves creating and storing backup copies of critical data and workloads in a secondary location or multiple locations, which are known as disaster recovery sites. A disaster recovery site can be a physical data center or a cloud-based platform2. Disaster recovery in cloud computing offers many advantages, such as34:

Cost-effectiveness: Cloud disaster recovery eliminates the need to invest in and maintain expensive hardware, software, and facilities for the secondary site. Cloud disaster recovery also allows customers to pay only for the resources they use, and to scale up or down as needed.

Reliability: Cloud disaster recovery ensures that the backup data and workloads are always available and accessible from any location and device. Cloud disaster recovery also leverages the security, performance, and redundancy features of the cloud provider to protect the data and workloads from corruption, loss, or theft.

Flexibility: Cloud disaster recovery enables customers to choose from different cloud service models and deployment options, such as public, private, hybrid, or multicloud, depending on their business needs and preferences. Cloud disaster recovery also allows customers to customize and automate their recovery plans and policies, such as recovery point objective (RPO) and recovery time objective (RTO).

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

 Regression testing is the best testing technique to ensure that the existing functionalities are not compromised by the addition of a new functionality. Regression testing is the type of testing performed to ensure that a code change in software does not affect the product’s existing functionality. This ensures that the product functions correctly with new functionality, bug fixes, or changes to existing features. To validate the impact of the shift, previously executed test cases are re-executed1. Regression testing can be done manually or by using automated tools. Some of the most commonly used tools for regression testing are Selenium, WATIR, QTP, RFT, Winrunner, and Silktest2.

Access control is a policy that dictates when to grant certain read/write permissions to users or systems. Access control is a key component of information security, as it ensures that only authorized and authenticated users can access the data and resources they need, and prevents unauthorized access or modification of data and resources1. Access control policies can be based on various factors, such as identity, role, location, time, or context2.

Communications, department-specific, and security policies are not directly related to granting read/write permissions, although they may have some implications for access control. Communications policies are policies that define how information is exchanged and communicated within or outside an organization, such as the use of email, social media, or encryption3. Department-specific policies are policies that apply to specific functions or units within an organization, such as human resources, finance, or marketing. Security policies are policies that establish the overall goals and objectives of information security in an organization,such as the protection of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data and systems. References: Access Control Policy and Implementation Guides | CSRC; What Is Access Control? | Microsoft Security; Communication Policy - Definition, Examples, Cases, Processes; [Departmental Policies and Procedures Manual Template | Policies and Procedures Manual Template]; [Security Policy - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics].

 Feasibility studies are the best option to provide the details needed for the company’s decision regarding the cloud migration. Feasibility studies are comprehensive assessments that evaluate the technical, financial, operational, and organizational aspects of moving an application or workload from one environment to another. Feasibility studies can help determine the suitability, viability, and benefits of migrating an application or workload to the cloud, as well as the challenges, risks, and costs involved. Feasibility studies can also help identify the best cloud solution and migration method for the application or workload, based on its requirements, dependencies, and characteristics. In the context of the manufacturing company, a feasibility study can help analyze the ERP system and its data sources, and provide information on how to migrate it to the cloud without compromising its functionality, performance, security, or compliance. A feasibility study can also help compare the cloud migration options with the current on-premises solution, and estimate the return on investment and the total cost of ownership of the cloud migration. Therefore, feasibility studies can provide the details needed for the company’s decision regarding the cloud migration. Standard operating procedures, statement of work, and benchmarks are not the best options to provide the details needed for the company’s decision regarding the cloud migration, as they have different purposes and scopes. Standard operating procedures are documents that describe the steps and tasks involved in performing a specific process or activity, such as installing, configuring, or troubleshooting an application or workload. Standard operating procedures can help ensure consistency, quality, andefficiency in the execution of a process or activity, but they do not provide information on the feasibility or suitability of migrating an application or workload to the cloud. Statement of work is a document that defines the scope, objectives, deliverables, and expectations of a project or contract, such as a cloud migration project or contract. Statement of work can help establish the roles, responsibilities, and expectations of the parties involved in a project or contract, but it does not provide information on the feasibility or viability of migrating an application or workload to the cloud. Benchmarks are tests or measurements that evaluate the performance, quality, or reliability of an application or workload, such as the speed, throughput, or availability of an application or workload. Benchmarks can help compare the performance, quality, or reliability of an application or workload across different environments, such as on-premises or cloud, but they do not provide information on the feasibility or benefits of migrating an application or workload to the cloud. References: CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ CLO-002 Study Guide, Chapter 7: Cloud Migration, Section 7.1: Cloud Migration Concepts, Page 2031 and Navigating Success: The Crucial Role of Feasibility Studies in SAP Cloud Migration | SAP Blogs