Cloud foundations

Servers, storage, addresses and ports, DNS, HTTP, TLS, load balancers and databases, taught by following one real request end to end. For someone who has never run a server, and for anyone whose app works on localhost but not online. No account needed.

Modules in this path

1. 1. What the cloud isRenting instead of owning; who manages what
   1. Renting computers instead of owning them Reading, 5 min
   2. IaaS, PaaS and SaaS: who manages what Reading, 5 min
   3. Check: the cloud Knowledge check, 4 min
   3 open
2. 2. Servers and computeCPU, memory, virtual machines and containers
   1. What a server really is Reading, 5 min
   2. CPU and memory, and running out of them Reading, 5 min
   3. Virtual machines and containers Reading, 5 min
   4. Check: compute Knowledge check, 5 min
   4 open
3. 3. StorageWhat survives a restart; block, file and object
   1. What survives a restart Reading, 5 min
   2. Block, file and object storage Reading, 5 min
   3. Check: storage Knowledge check, 5 min
   3 open
4. 4. IP addresses and portsAddresses, ports, and why localhost doesn't work online
   1. IP addresses and how packets find their way Reading, 5 min
   2. Ports: one address, many doors Reading, 5 min
   3. Why localhost doesn't work online Reading, 5 min
   4. Check: addresses and ports Knowledge check, 5 min
   4 open
5. 5. DNSFrom a name to an address; records, TTL and caching
   1. From a name to an address Reading, 5 min
   2. Record types: A, AAAA, CNAME and TXT Reading, 5 min
   3. TTL, caching, and where you edit DNS Reading, 6 min
   4. Check: DNS Knowledge check, 5 min
   4 open
6. 6. HTTP and HTTPSRequests, responses, status codes and headers
   1. Requests and responses Reading, 5 min
   2. Methods and the status codes that matter Reading, 5 min
   3. Headers and cookies Reading, 6 min
   4. Check: HTTP Knowledge check, 5 min
   4 open
7. 7. TLS and certificatesWhat HTTPS protects; certificates and their errors
   1. What HTTPS protects, and what it doesn't Reading, 5 min
   2. Certificates and who vouches for them Reading, 5 min
   3. Reading certificate errors Reading, 5 min
   4. Check: TLS Knowledge check, 5 min
   4 open
8. 8. Load balancers and private networksOne entry point, many servers; what stays private
   1. One entry point, many servers Reading, 5 min
   2. Public and private: what should be reachable Reading, 5 min
   3. Internal names and allowlists Reading, 5 min
   4. Check: load balancers and private networks Knowledge check, 5 min
   4 open
9. 9. DatabasesKinds of database and connection strings
   1. Why apps need databases Reading, 5 min
   2. Relational, key-value and document Reading, 5 min
   3. Connection strings and limits Reading, 5 min
   4. Check: databases Knowledge check, 5 min
   4 open